Joker Jimmy cracked me up
JIMMY Greaves enjoyed two fantastic careers – as a legendary footballer and then as a high-profile television personality.
When I was at school, I watched him play for Spurs with no idea that I would one day be so closely involved in his start in television.
Jimmy, who sadly passed away in September, was a record goalscorer with Chelsea, AC Milan and Spurs before his declining season at West Ham. He played 57 times for England, scoring 44 goals.
He scored on his debut at every level in a first-class career from 1957 to 1971, scoring a record 366 goals in 526 League matches and more in other competitions.
But Jimmy’s biggest transfer – from football legend to much-loved TV pundit – very nearly didn’t happen.
When ITV went live at 10.15pm on Saturday nights with recorded match highlights, I was presenting the Midlands version – Star Soccer.
We spent hours trying to find the perfect pundit to join me in the studio. The great Billy Wright, Trevor East, Tony Flanagan and myself wracked our brains.
Eventually, Tony said what about Jimmy Greaves as he’d read Jimmy’s ghosted column in The Sun.
I said: “Yes, I saw his documentary on his drinking problems. Worth a go.”
Jimmy, of course, had overcome the biggest challenge of his life – his battle with being an alcoholic.
He’d stayed dry since February 1978 after a long stay he left the Warley Hospital for the mentally ill near Brentwood. I always admired him for that.
However, when Trevor rang him, Jimmy, who lived in deepest Essex, declined.
This was on the Wednesday before the first show in August 1980.
The next day, just in time, he called back, saying: “Is it too late? My missus Irene says I have to take it.”
Trevor replied: “It is yours but you have to be here tomorrow to join Gary on ATV Today so we can tell the viewers.”
Jimmy was understandably very nervous at first, and rightly so as it proved, because there was an avalanche of criticism from viewers and an editorial in the Birmingham Mail – all complaining that we should be using a Midlander.
I must confess that I did not realise what a great sense of humour Greavsie possessed.
It was the making of him on-air, combined with him giving me a hard time! For the latter, he knew I did not mind and we became great friends.
His humour quickly came to the fore and won the viewers round.
Three weeks in, Birmingham City were at home to Blackpool whose forward Alan Ainscow was given a very dodgy penalty. Jimmy at once quipped: “That is a deeper dive than even Jacques Cousteau!”
At the time, Cousteau was a famous Frenchman known for his extensive underseas investigations.
In the next match, Coventry City’s winger Tommy Hutchison beat Manchester City full-back Willie Donachie back and forth, side to side, about three times. Jimmy remarked: “They had to unravel Donachie in the dressing room at half-time and tell him where he’d been.”
I started laughing. I’d never heard pundits cracking jokes before.
When Oxford United owner Robert Maxwell was seeking a new manager, Greavsie told the viewers: “He wants a big name so he will probably appoint himself!”
Week after week he became a must-watch. Everyone took to him.
My good friend Bev Bevan, the drummer for ELO, told me that when they were recording in Munich, they would take tapes of the show to watch Jimmy because he was so entertaining.
Mind you, Jimmy’s sharp humour would always stop me in my tracks.
Soon after he became established as a pundit at ATV, I insisted, against his will, that he spoke at a lunch my big bosses were staging for would-be advertisers.
Surrounded by wine bottles, Jimmy told them: “I know you wonder if I still drink. Well, I assure you that I am a drunk who does not drink. Having said that, I have been with ATV for three months and I have only just discovered that I am the only member of the Sports Department without a drink problem!”
Touche! I never asked him to do that again.