England World Champion Squad Member
Greaves belonged to England's twenty-two-man World Cup squad but did not play in the final after Geoff Hurst kept his place.
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Jimmy Greaves Biography and Timeline — Page 2
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
2 of 2Page
1966–2021Years on this page
1966
1967
FA Cup Final Victory Over Chelsea
Greaves played as Tottenham beat his former club Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup final, earning another major domestic trophy.
FA Cup
Greaves wins the FA Cup in 1967.
Tottenham Cup Final Forward Line
Greaves' movement alongside Alan Gilzean caused problems for Chelsea's defenders as Spurs won the first all-London FA Cup final.
1968
European Cup Winners Cup Return
Greaves represented Tottenham in another European Cup Winners' Cup campaign after the club's 1967 FA Cup triumph.
Tottenham Twenty Three League Goal Season
Greaves continued scoring prolifically for Tottenham, finishing the 1967-68 league season with twenty-three goals.
1969
Scoring Record
Greaves finished as top League goalscorer in four seasons (1963, 1964, 1965 and 1969), finishing top goalscorer in six seasons has never been matched
Final Full Tottenham Scoring Campaign
Greaves scored twenty-seven First Division goals in 1968-69, remaining Spurs' leading attacking threat.
Sixth English Top Flight Scoring Title
Greaves became the First Division's leading scorer for a sixth time, a record illustrating his sustained finishing excellence.
1970
Two Goals on West Ham Debut
Greaves scored twice against Manchester City on his West Ham debut, immediately making an impact for the east London club.
West Ham Transfer in Peters Exchange
Greaves joined West Ham United in the deal that took Martin Peters to Tottenham, ending almost nine years at White Hart Lane.
1971
Retirement
Retires in 1971 having played 516 Football League games and netted 357 goals, an all-time record for the top flight
Scoring Record
Retires in 1971 having played 516 Football League games and netted 357 goals, an all-time record for the top flight
Last Top Flight Season at West Ham
Greaves ended his top-flight career at West Ham after a spell affected by problems away from football.
1972
Tottenham Testimonial Match
Tottenham honoured Greaves with a testimonial in which he scored early, drawing supporters back to celebrate the club's record marksman.
1975
Barnet Non League Return
Greaves returned to competitive football at non-league level with Barnet after leaving the professional game.
1977
Woodford Town Amateur Appearance
Greaves continued playing recreational and non-league football after ending his high-profile top-flight career.
1985
Saint and Greavsie Television Partnership
Greaves became a widely recognised football television personality alongside Ian St John, bringing humour and insight to match coverage.
1990
World Cup Broadcasting Commentary
Greaves worked in television football coverage during the era when his presenting partnership with Ian St John attracted a large audience.
2002
English Football Hall of Fame
Greaves is made an Inaugural Inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame
English Football Hall of Fame Entry
Greaves received recognition as an inaugural English Football Hall of Fame inductee for his exceptional scoring career.
2003
Greavsie
Releases his autobiography, "Greavsie"
2009
World Cup
Greaves is presented with his 1966 World Cup Winners medal by Gordon Brown at a ceremony at 10 Downing Street.
England 1966 Winners Medal Presented
Greaves received a World Cup winners' medal decades after being part of England's victorious 1966 squad.
2014
Tottenham Scoring Benchmark Still Unbroken
More than four decades after leaving Tottenham Hotspur, Greaves still held the club’s all-time competitive goalscoring record. His 266 goals remained a reference point for successive generations of Spurs forwards until Harry Kane overtook the total in 2023.
2021
Death of Spurs Goalscoring Legend
Greaves died aged eighty-one, prompting tributes to England's extraordinary post-war league goalscorer.
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.