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James Peter Greaves
Manor Park, London, Great Britain
Archival Overview
Prolific English goalscoring genius who remains Tottenham Hotspur's all-time league scorer (220 goals) and the highest goalscorer in the history of English top-flight football (357 goals), a 1966 World Cup winner, and beloved co-host of television's Saint and Greavsie.
Biographical Record
James Peter Greaves was born in East London and made his Chelsea debut in 1957 at seventeen, scoring 124 goals in 157 league games. After a brief stint with AC Milan in Italy, Bill Nicholson paid £99,999 to sign him for Tottenham Hotspur in December 1961 so he wouldn't bear the pressure of being the first £100,000 player. Greaves became Spurs' greatest talisman, scoring in their 1962 FA Cup final win and scoring twice in the 1963 European Cup Winners' Cup final—the first European trophy won by a British club.
For England, Greaves scored 44 goals in 57 matches, boasting a supreme strike rate of 0.77 goals per game and an unmatched six hat-tricks. Starting the 1966 World Cup as England's main striker, he suffered a shin laceration against France and watched Geoff Hurst score a hat-trick in the final; in 2009, he finally received his 1966 World Cup winner's medal from Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street. From 1985 to 1992, he delighted television audiences co-hosting Saint and Greavsie on ITV with Ian St John.
Key Life Milestones
European Cup Winners' Cup with Tottenham
Scored twice in Rotterdam as Spurs defeated Atlético Madrid 5-1 to become the first British club to win a European trophy.
Conferral of 1966 World Cup Winner's Medal
Presented with his official 1966 World Cup winner's medal at 10 Downing Street following an FA campaign.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialChelmsford, Essex, United Kingdom