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James Peter 'Jimmy' Greaves (born 20 February,
1940) was an England|English football
(soccer)|football player, and more recently a
television pundit.

Jimmy was a phenomenal striker, scoring on his
debut for Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea in 1957. He reached
200 League goals in 1960 at the age of 20 years
290 days (the same age as Dixie Dean when he
scored his 200th). He joined the Italy|Italian
side AC Milan briefly in 1961, but had played only
12 games when Bill Nicholson (footballer)|Bill
Nicholson signed him for Tottenham Hotspur
F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur for £99,999. The unusual
fee was designed to relieve Jimmy of the pressure
of being the first £100,000 player.

He played at Spurs from 1961 to 1970, scoring a
club record of over 220 goals, and finishing as
top League goalscorer six seasons. With Spurs, he
won the FA Cup in 1962 and 1967, scoring against
Burnley F.C.|Burnley in the former. He also won
the Cup Winners' Cup|European Cup Winners Cup in
1963 - that Spurs team was the first British club
to win one of the European trophies.

With England national football team|England, he
played 57 times and scored 44 goals, five less
than Bobby Charlton but at a much higher rate. He
remains third in the all-time list of England
goalscorers, behind Charlton and Gary Lineker. He
won his first cap in 1959.

In the Football World Cup 1962|1962 World Cup
finals match against Brazil national football
team|Brazil in Chile, a stray dog ran on to the
pitch and evaded all of the players' attempts to
catch it until Greaves got down on all fours to
beckon the animal. Though successful as a result
in collaring the dog, it managed to urine|urinate
all over Greaves' England shirt. The Brazilian
player Garrincha thought the incident was so funny
that he took the dog home as a pet. 

Greaves was the first-choice striker for the
England team during the Football World Cup
1966|1966 World Cup but suffered a leg injury
during a game against France national football
team|France and had to be replaced. That
replacement, Geoff Hurst, scored the winner in the
quarter final against Argentina national football
team|Argentina and kept his place all the way to
the final, famously scoring a hat-trick as England
won the tournament.

One of football's most famous photographs sees the
ecstacy on the England bench as the final whistle
was blown, except for that of Greaves, in his suit
and tie, looking astonished at what had happened.
Greaves has always maintained that he felt nothing
but delight at England's win and celebrated as
much as the other non-playing members of the
squad. He also maintains that he never felt he had
a divine right to be in the side once he regained
his fitness.

In 1970, Greaves joined West Ham United F.C.|West
Ham United, and again scored on his debut, as he
had for every team he played for (including
England at full and under 21 level). He retired at
the age of 31, having played 516 Football League
games and netted 357 goals.

Greaves made a comeback at the age of 38, playing
for Barnet FC in the then Southern League, playing
from midfield he netted 25 goals and was their
player of the season. 

In the mid-1970s Greaves battled a well-documented
alcohol problem, finally quitting drinking in
1978. He became a television presenter, striking
up a memorable partnership with Ian St. John.
Together they hosted a popular Saturday lunchtime
football show called Saint & Greavsie.

Greaves also worked frequently for TV-am and was a
resident team captain on ITV sports quiz Sporting
Triangles. He briefly had his own talk show and
has been a columnist for The Sun newspaper for
many years. He released his autobiography,
Greavsie, in 2003 and is in demand as an
after-dinner speaker. Married since 1958, he is
now a grandfather.