Birth of Jimmy Greaves
Birth of Jimmy Greaves
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Jimmy Greaves Biography and Timeline
Follow Jimmy Greaves through 66 dated historical records for Great Britain.
Jimmy Greaves, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
66Distinct records
1 of 2Page
1949–1966Years on this page
1949
1956
Chelsea Youth Striker Emerges
Greaves developed in Chelsea's youth system and became known for his quick reactions and precise finishing before his senior debut.
1957
Debut
Scores on his debut for Chelsea
Chelsea Debut Goal Against Tottenham
Greaves scored on his Chelsea first-team debut against Tottenham Hotspur, announcing himself as a gifted teenage centre-forward.
1958
Chelsea Teenage Scoring Breakthrough
Greaves developed into Chelsea's main source of goals while still a teenager, demonstrating unusually composed finishing in the First Division.
First Full Chelsea Season Scoring Record
Greaves scored regularly throughout his early Chelsea seasons and earned growing recognition as an outstanding young English forward.
1959
Debut
Greaves wins his first England cap against Peru, scoring Englands only goal in a 4-1 defeat. Goes on to play 57 times and score 44 goals for England, five fewer than Bobby Charlton but at a much higher rate, remains third in the all-time list of England goalscorers, behind Charlton and Gary Lineker
Scoring Record
Goes on to play 57 times and score 44 goals for England, five fewer than Bobby Charlton but at a much higher rate, remains third in the all-time list of England goalscorers, behind Charlton and Gary Lineker
England Goal Against Peru on Debut
Greaves scored England's goal in a 4-1 friendly defeat in Peru, marking the beginning of his prolific senior international career.
Chelsea First Division Leading Scorer
Greaves finished as the English First Division's top scorer with Chelsea, beginning a remarkable series of domestic scoring awards.
1960
Scoring Record
Becomes the youngest ever player to score 100 league goals in English football at the age of 20 years 290 days
Chelsea Attacking Mainstay
Greaves remained the focal point of Chelsea's forward line during an era in which the club struggled to match his individual scoring output.
Hundred League Goals Before Age Twenty One
Greaves reached one hundred Football League goals at an exceptionally young age, underlining the scale of his early Chelsea scoring record.
1961
Scoring Record
Scores 41 league goals in the 1960-61 season for Chelsea, remains a club record
Transfer
Bill Nicholson signs Jimmy Greaves for Tottenham Hotspur for œ99,999, the fee is intended to relieve Greaves of the pressure of being the first œ100,000 player.
Transfer
Briefly joins the Italian side A.C.
Transfer
Milan in 1961, after reportedly turning down a huge offer from Newcastle United and scored 9 goals in 12 games but failure to settle led to a quick departure.
Transfer
Plays at Spurs from 1961 to 1970, scoring a club record of 266 goals in 379 matches, including 220 goals in the First Division.
AC Milan Serie A Introduction
Greaves played briefly for AC Milan and scored regularly in Italy, but he found life abroad difficult and sought a return to England.
Forty One Goal Chelsea League Campaign
Greaves scored forty-one league goals for Chelsea in the 1960-61 season, setting a club record that endured for decades.
Tottenham Debut Hat Trick Against Blackpool
Greaves scored a hat-trick on his Tottenham debut against Blackpool, immediately rewarding Bill Nicholson's decision to sign him.
1962
England Forward in Chile World Cup Group Stage
Greaves started for England during the 1962 World Cup group stage in Chile and helped the side defeat Argentina 3–1. His movement between defenders made him an important part of the attack before England were eliminated by Brazil in the quarter-finals.
England World Cup Goal Against Argentina
Greaves scored in England's 3-1 group-stage win over Argentina, helping his country advance from its World Cup group.
Third Goal Against Argentina
Adds England's third goal against Argentina after the interval and helps put a vital group-stage victory beyond the opposition's reach.
FA Cup
Greaves wins the FA Cup in 1962.
World Cup
Plays in England's 1962 World Cup campaign, scoring against Brazil in the quarter-final defeat.
1962 FA Cup Final Opening Goal
Scores early as Tottenham begin their 3-1 victory over Burnley.
Spurs European Cup Winners Cup Campaign Begins
Greaves supplied goals in Tottenham's 1962-63 European Cup Winners' Cup run, including important attacking contributions in early rounds.
Tottenham Retain FA Cup
Greaves played a central role in Spurs retaining the FA Cup by beating Burnley 3-1 in the final.
1963
European Cup Winners Cup Final Brace
Greaves scored twice as Tottenham thrashed Atlético Madrid 5-1 to become the first British club to win a major UEFA competition.
First Spurs League Scoring Crown
Greaves finished atop the First Division scoring charts as Tottenham combined strong domestic form with its European breakthrough.
Thirty Seven Goal Tottenham League Season
Greaves ended the 1962-63 league season with thirty-seven goals, a Tottenham top-flight record that remained a landmark for the club.
1964
England Hat Trick Against Northern Ireland
Greaves produced a clinical international scoring display against Northern Ireland as England prepared for its home World Cup.
Second Tottenham Leading Scorer Season
Greaves again finished as the English top-flight's leading goalscorer after a prolific Tottenham campaign.
1965
England Attacking Plans Before Home World Cup
Greaves remained among Alf Ramsey's most trusted forwards as England rehearsed combinations for the 1966 World Cup.
Fifth Domestic Scoring Crown
Greaves' thirty-goal level of league finishing secured another place at the top of the English goalscoring standings.
1966
World Cup Group Match Against Uruguay
Greaves started England's opening World Cup match against Uruguay, which ended in a goalless draw at Wembley.
Injury Against France Changes England Forward Line
Greaves suffered a leg injury in the final group match with France and lost his starting position during England's run to the trophy.
World Cup Winner
Jimmy Greaves makes three appearances in England’s successful 1966 campaign before losing his starting place through injury. Although he does not play in the final, he belongs to the 22-man title-winning squad.
World Cup
Greaves was the first-choice striker for the England team during the 1966 World Cup but suffered a leg injury during a game against France and had to be replaced.
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.