JIMMY GREAVES

[AckneyAwks]

SF. Not totally sure wether he had alcoholic problems whilst he was playing but apparently many footballers did have drink issues. They may have those same drink issues today but also there is apparantely a drug problem in sport today, football included. You will likely find out soon that the sportsman that you SF see as your current superstars have possibly drink, drugs and mental health issues. This does not make them any less unbelievably talented at what they do. The SAME as Jimmy Greaves.
Its nothing to do with averages, figures, statistics or time zones. Its about Supernatural talent that would travel and succeed in any time.
If you look up the history books of any Genious whether it be in Science, Politics, Music, Sport or any subject theres a good chance they would have had issues but that still does not make them any less of a genious.
It's hard to disscuss this subject JG as you are 20 or 30 years from ever seeing him and i dont include film footage. Smedrick if you dont have a open mind then it's difficult to debate anything.

[Chief crazy horse]

Red O you obviously know nothing about Sir Alf Ramsey he was like no other football coach/manager we had seen or have seen from the sixties up until this day. He was a bit military, schoolteaching type who had dogmatic ways that would not be interfered with by the press, public, football experts or any other outside sources. He won the World Cup by selecting players who were not seen as always being the best player for certain positions. Today everything is media led as you PW and SF have perfectly illustrated.
You have no knowledge of football and the great players from those days so you ridicule them and people who see them play. I think it was you who said Greaves was a p*ss Head (if not i apologise) but if he was just a p*ss head imagine what his goal scoring record would have been if he wasant seeing two balls every game!
I dont see things with rose tinted glasses because i have said Messi & Ronaldo are probably the two best players ever. I judge that on watching football over six era's and not being a ageist like you and the others on here.

Maradona was better than those two, as was Cryuff. Agreed they are the best around now.

Remember Maradona won the world cup virtually on his own in a team that was nowhere near good enough, that's the beauty and the sign of true greatness.

Was Cryuff better than Messi or Ronaldo, that is a debatable point?

All great players in their own right and individual styles.
I think Pele was the best 'all round' player, but then again I'm probably biased as I'm talking about someone from the past.

[Sid Bishop]

Red O you obviously know nothing about Sir Alf Ramsey he was like no other football coach/manager we had seen or have seen from the sixties up until this day. He was a bit military, schoolteaching type who had dogmatic ways that would not be interfered with by the press, public, football experts or any other outside sources. He won the World Cup by selecting players who were not seen as always being the best player for certain positions. Today everything is media led as you PW and SF have perfectly illustrated.
You have no knowledge of football and the great players from those days so you ridicule them and people who see them play. I think it was you who said Greaves was a p*ss Head (if not i apologise) but if he was just a p*ss head imagine what his goal scoring record would have been if he wasant seeing two balls every game!
I dont see things with rose tinted glasses because i have said Messi & Ronaldo are probably the two best players ever. I judge that on watching football over six era's and not being a ageist like you and the others on here.

Jimmy liked a pint or two or three or more as did most men at that time, did myself, that is how it was and there was a drinking culture amongst footballers, e.g George Best for one prime example ! Different times, there was more of a drinking and smoking culture then amongst all classes of men, no breathalyzer to worry about if you had too much to drink and drove a car or motorbike after a visit to the pub. It was a rare sight to see a woman in the pubs in the 50s and 60s, it was a domain dominated mainly by men. Pubs were purely for drinking in, playing darts, cards, bar billiards etc ! Lucky to get a sandwich, mainly salted peanuts and plain crisps with the blue sachet of salt inside that you sprinkled on the crisps ! The thing is that Greaves was a player of his time and a very brilliant one at that. Greaves had natural talent, as did Best, Charlton, Gordon Banks etc and if they had been born in this day and age, would have still been wonderful footballers. Lastly makes me laugh at younger people on here knocking players of years ago like Greaves, people who NEVER actually were around to see them play live ! Lastly the best of Greaves was before he got Jaundice in 1965, never as quick or the same player after that, Jimmy Greaves in the 1966 world cup was still getting over his illness so never showed his best form. Later on he modified his game and became more of a goal poacher, not so much the energy he had before his illness along with the the exciting ability he had before of running at defences, dribbling at pace and going past many defenders.

[Sid Bishop]

Youngsters on this forum keep saying how bad and slow football was in the 1960s, well this game looks pretty good and exciting to me !
For just one example this part where Charlton passes to Best 3.07 onward's ! Of course in many youngsters eyes on this forum, a modern day Greaves, Best and Charlton would not be good enough to play in the modern day Premier League.....as if !

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

Youngsters on this forum keep saying how bad and slow football was in the 1960s, well this game looks pretty good and exciting to me !
For just one example this part where Charlton passes to Best 3.07 onward's ! Of course in many youngsters eyes on this forum, a modern day Greaves, Best and Charlton would not be good enough to play in the modern day Premier League.....as if !

Who are these youngsters and where did they say football was bad and slow in the 1960s

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

Was he an alcoholic while he was playing?

Apparently he was first in the pub after every training session and last out, other players who also went for a quick drink after training could not keep up with him. That is how his alcoholism started and Spurs offloaded him to West Ham.

Thanks Lovejoy. Think this further proves the point that he would not have been able to adapt to top level modern football given it's not possible to be at the highest level thesedays if you are unable to look after yourself.

I keep hearing the same intangible thing over and over again from the "for" camp ("he'd definitely be able to adapt because he was a good player back then and just would, ok?") whereas the "against" camp continues to add further things to the discussion.

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

SF. Not totally sure wether he had alcoholic problems whilst he was playing but apparently many footballers did have drink issues. They may have those same drink issues today but also there is apparantely a drug problem in sport today, football included. You will likely find out soon that the sportsman that you SF see as your current superstars have possibly drink, drugs and mental health issues. This does not make them any less unbelievably talented at what they do. The SAME as Jimmy Greaves.
Its nothing to do with averages, figures, statistics or time zones. Its about Supernatural talent that would travel and succeed in any time.
If you look up the history books of any Genious whether it be in Science, Politics, Music, Sport or any subject theres a good chance they would have had issues but that still does not make them any less of a genious.
It's hard to disscuss this subject JG as you are 20 or 30 years from ever seeing him and i dont include film footage. Smedrick if you dont have a open mind then it's difficult to debate anything.

Supernatural talent?

He scored a few goals mate, he couldn’t bend spoons or owt like that.

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Red O you obviously know nothing about Sir Alf Ramsey he was like no other football coach/manager we had seen or have seen from the sixties up until this day. He was a bit military, schoolteaching type who had dogmatic ways that would not be interfered with by the press, public, football experts or any other outside sources. He won the World Cup by selecting players who were not seen as always being the best player for certain positions. Today everything is media led as you PW and SF have perfectly illustrated.
You have no knowledge of football and the great players from those days so you ridicule them and people who see them play. I think it was you who said Greaves was a p*ss Head (if not i apologise) but if he was just a p*ss head imagine what his goal scoring record would have been if he wasant seeing two balls every game!
I dont see things with rose tinted glasses because i have said Messi & Ronaldo are probably the two best players ever. I judge that on watching football over six era's and not being a ageist like you and the others on here.

Maradona was better than those two, as was Cryuff. Agreed they are the best around now.

Remember Maradona won the world cup virtually on his own in a team that was nowhere near good enough, that's the beauty and the sign of true greatness.

I’d go for Maradona too but accept that I’m biased because that was my era.

[Thor]

SF today he may not have had a drink problem as the education of the young players is that much greater. The boys and young men live a different life now to back then so I am sure it could be argued that he may not have started drinking if it were today. Also dont forget society revolved around the pub, not so much today.

[AckneyAwks]

Smedrick. Who would you say is the best footballer in the World today?

[Redcard]

I have to laugh when I hear it said that past greats couldn’t live with the athleticism of today’s players. Today’s players are whimps by comparison, get touched on the head by an outstretched hand and they are rolling about like they have been struck with a sledgehammer. In greaves and bests era tackles come in a foot from the ground , from all directions inc behind , they just developed the skill to avoid or ride those assaults. Don’t take my word for it, just google it. Greaves given today’s protection would easily get 30+ a season. He was a fantastic player in his prime.
+

[Lovejoy]

That is correct, the 60s and 70s defenders were not called 'Chopper' Harris or Norman 'Bites Yer Legs Hunter' for nothing. They kicked lumps out of the forwards and got away with it, even Stuart 'Psycho' Pearce was a legendary hatchet man. The first thing he would do in a match would be to kick the opposing winger into touch. That sort of play has now been eliminated from football and now the players roll around on the floor if someone breathes too hard on them.

[KC & sunshine band]

absolute genius

[Long slender neck]

That is correct, the 60s and 70s defenders were not called 'Chopper' Harris or Norman 'Bites Yer Legs Hunter' for nothing. They kicked lumps out of the forwards and got away with it, even Stuart 'Psycho' Pearce was a legendary hatchet man. The first thing he would do in a match would be to kick the opposing winger into touch. That sort of play has now been eliminated from football and now the players roll around on the floor if someone breathes too hard on them.

Probably because they were useless at actual defending.

[Thor]

Not really it was just allowed back then. Remember the origins of the game.....

[Lovejoy]

Jimmy Greaves admitted to hospital.

I for one wish him a speedy recovery and hope it is not too serious.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/footbal ... spartanntp

[Adz]

Amazed he never got knighted

[i8ubutler]

Get well soon Greavsie.

[tuffers#1]

He came across as the most genuine
kind of man , never seemed to be the type
to talk of his own achievments which always
impressed me .

Would loved to have been around to see him in
his pomp more than any other player .

1 of my top 10 of all time just from seeing old film

[Admin]

Phew. I thought this was going to be a rerun of “that” picture CEB posted a few years back.

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

Phew. I thought this was going to be a rerun of “that” picture CEB posted a few years back.

Got to be done now.

[Lovejoy]

Jimmy Greaves latest: Tottenham legend 'receiving best possible treatment' in hospital.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/footbal ... spartanntp

[Oforever]

My hero when I was a kid. Hope he recovers but has been very ill for a while.

[Chicken Dhansak]

Magnificent player. I saw him in his prime play quite a few times. His ball control was phenomenal, purely left footed,
he could dribble through the whole defence, put the goalkeeper on his arse and put the ball in the net. Very similar player
to George Best. Get well Jimmy.

[Max B Gold]

Can I just add that I didn't mind Greavsie and Saint.

The Saint was the best Motherwell player we had at the time. Sold to Liverpuddle and we built a stand.

Came back to the Well and did ok as a manager. Until he followed the money.