Jimmy’s refusal to wear sweater left me hot under the collar!
JIMMY Greaves changed the style of football punditry .He made it fun with his cheeky sense of humour. His TV career was born in the Midlands and advanced with the highly successful and popular ITV Saint and Greavsie football show.
I loved working with Jimmy for 18 years. He was funny, great company and for most of the time a delight to work with. He certainly became popular in this region.
Understandably in that time there were some downs with us.
The first major clash was over the network show we made in Birmingham – Sporting Triangles.
I had been pushing for a quiz show and got my wish.
But my bosses sadly would not trust me with it.
They took an idea without consulting me.
I thought it would not work with three teams up against the BBC’S long-running Question of Sport with two teams. I just became, frustratingly a casting director.
The first host was Nick Owen and I picked the three captains Jimmy Greaves, Andy Gray and Tessa Sanderson.
Jimmy took the hump arguing that he should be the host. I told him that would not be his strength.
Then he worried about who was earning what.
Throughout my 22 years in charge of sport I made Jimmy the highest earner, including far more than my salary!
I did eventually help Jimmy get his own national chat show. Sadly it did not last long, The Sporting Triangles show needed a boost so I poached Emlyn Hughes off the rival show.
He had a contract that he had to wear a manufacturers sweater – Pierre Sangan.
I agreed on two conditions – one no motif and a supply for everyone on the show.
Jimmy agreed verbally but by the time he got home he changed his mind. He refused to wear a sweater.
He was upset that Hughes had a deal with the sweater manufacturers. My attitude was so what? It was a deal maker as I made the approach to Hughes and his agent Bev Walker.
I am rarely angry but learning
Central TV’S five-a-side stars (back row) Jimmy Greaves, Mike Inman and me with (front from left) John Killeen and Trevor East after winning the ITV Sport tournament that Jimmy was refusing now to wear the sweater I rang him and lost my cool.
I must admit for once I did not handle it well but I felt Jimmy was unreasonable.
In the end I relented and sent a message that he did not have to wear it. So what did he do? He changed his mind again and wore it.
Later he admitted that Emlyn was a good signing.
Sadly the show was not and I was not happy with Central TV for not trusting me with a far better format.
Soon afterwards a friend, Dave Ismay, representing Andy Gray, asked about Andy joining my sports team.
I always knew Andy would be a TV star and when the former Aston Villa striker joined Everton he stepped in for my Friday night show when Jimmy was unavailable.
I explained to Ismay that I wanted to be loyal to Greavsie and that I would contact him for Andy when I was ready.
I got that wrong! Andy joined BSB which morphed into Sky Sports and became their biggest on-screen performer.
Normal service was resumed with Jimmy until he slagged me off in the Sunday papers about the sweater. I felt it was below the belt.
Television was changing. Saint and Greavsie was dropped.
ITV sent me to the USA with the Republic of Ireland for the 1994 World Cup.
The Irish captain was the Aston Villa skipper Andy Townsend. I stayed with them in their hotel.
I was in the lift with Andy one day and I asked him what he would do after his playing career was over.
He replied that he wanted to work in TV so I offered him the studio pundit role.
Gareth Southgate joined us for a while but decided he did not want to continue.
At the same time I asked Jimmy to switch to co-commentary on our matches. He did later return to the studio and doubled up.
Then when his contract was up again I decided Jimmy was not as sharp and decided in my position of Controller of Sport that time was up.
It was the hardest business decision I have every made.
I thought the decent thing to do was the meet him half way from Birmingham to Essex so met for lunch at The Bridge Hotel in Huntingdon.
When I explained I was not renewing his contract Jimmy responded that I should have done it a year earlier!
I thought he had taken it well but as I discovered he had not.
I understood that but nothing lasts for ever and I am pleased to say that eventually we became friends again including lunch in Essex before the lockdown.
I love the guy and will always be grateful for the relationship with this football hero.