1949 February 20th
Birth of Jimmy Greaves
Birth of Jimmy Greaves
Football player and manager history
Jimmy Greaves
Explore 64 football history records associated with Jimmy Greaves, arranged by year, month, day and event. Entries may concern different clubs or national teams during the person’s career.
Historical events
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
Chelsea Debut Goal Against Tottenham
Greaves scored on his Chelsea first-team debut against Tottenham Hotspur, announcing himself as a gifted teenage centre-forward.
1957
Debut
Scores on his debut for Chelsea
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.
1958
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
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.
1959 May 17th
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
1959 May 17th
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.
1959 May 17th
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
1960
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.
1960
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.
1960
Scoring Record
Becomes the youngest ever player to score 100 league goals in English football at the age of 20 years 290 days
1961
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.
1961
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.
1961
Scoring Record
Scores 41 league goals in the 1960-61 season for Chelsea, remains a club record
1961
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.
1961
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.
1961
Transfer
Briefly joins the Italian side A.C.
1961
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.
1961
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.
1962
1962 FA Cup Final Opening Goal
Scores early as Tottenham begin their 3-1 victory over Burnley.
1962
FA Cup
Greaves wins the FA Cup in 1962.
1962
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.
1962
Tottenham Retain FA Cup
Greaves played a central role in Spurs retaining the FA Cup by beating Burnley 3-1 in the final.
1962
World Cup
Plays in England's 1962 World Cup campaign, scoring against Brazil in the quarter-final defeat.
1962 June 2nd
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.
1962 June 2nd
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.
1963
First Spurs League Scoring Crown
Greaves finished atop the First Division scoring charts as Tottenham combined strong domestic form with its European breakthrough.
1963
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.
1963 May 15th
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.
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.
1964
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.
1965
Fifth Domestic Scoring Crown
Greaves' thirty-goal level of league finishing secured another place at the top of the English goalscoring standings.
1966
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.
1966
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.
1966 July 11th
World Cup Group Match Against Uruguay
Greaves started England's opening World Cup match against Uruguay, which ended in a goalless draw at Wembley.
1966 July 20th
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.
1966 July 30th
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.
1967
FA Cup
Greaves wins the FA Cup in 1967.
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.
1967 May 20th
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.
1968
European Cup Winners Cup Return
Greaves represented Tottenham in another European Cup Winners' Cup campaign after the club's 1967 FA Cup triumph.
1968
Tottenham Twenty Three League Goal Season
Greaves continued scoring prolifically for Tottenham, finishing the 1967-68 league season with twenty-three goals.
1969
Final Full Tottenham Scoring Campaign
Greaves scored twenty-seven First Division goals in 1968-69, remaining Spurs' leading attacking threat.
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
1969
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.
1970
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
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.
1971
Retirement
Retires in 1971 having played 516 Football League games and netted 357 goals, an all-time record for the top flight
1971
Scoring Record
Retires in 1971 having played 516 Football League games and netted 357 goals, an all-time record for the top flight
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
2003
Greavsie
Releases his autobiography, "Greavsie"
2009
England 1966 Winners Medal Presented
Greaves received a World Cup winners' medal decades after being part of England's victorious 1966 squad.
2009 June 10th
World Cup
Greaves is presented with his 1966 World Cup Winners medal by Gordon Brown at a ceremony at 10 Downing Street.
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 September 19th
Death of Spurs Goalscoring Legend
Greaves died aged eighty-one, prompting tributes to England's extraordinary post-war league goalscorer.