It is not often I find myself getting overly emotional when the death is announced of a public figure I was aware of only through their celebrity status.
I feel sad, of course I do, but with the understanding that the real grief is being experienced by the family of the deceased, and those who knew them.
Given that, I was surprised by how moved I was when the passing was announced last week of Jimmy Greaves.
He wasn’t at his peak by the time I fell in love with football, in fact I first became aware of him was when he and other West Ham team-mates were publicly shamed for going on a night-out on the eve of an infamous FA Cup defeat at Blackpool.
That all but brought the curtain down on Jimmy’s full-time professional career. He retired at the end of that 1970-71 season at the age of just 31.
He did so having set all sorts of records, many of which stood for decades.
His total of 366 league goals was the highest across the major European leagues until it finally fell to Cristiano Ronaldo. He still holds his position as Spurs’ top scorer, having netted 266 times; Harry Kane is still more than forty goals behind.
And he remains the player to have scored the most hat-tricks for England. Jimmy recorded half a dozen, Gary Lineker managed five, Bobby Charlton four.
His statistics are mind-blowing, but they do not even begin to tell the full story of a magnificent footballer.
I took the time this week to have another look at a superb documentary on BT Sport. Titled simply ‘Greavsie’, it is a revealing insight into the player and the man.
There are testimonials from old team-mates and others who knew him at various points in his life and, delightfully, there is plenty black and white footage of Jimmy at his pomp. Some of it is extremely grainy, but the talent of the man shines through.
From what I gather, Jimmy was not the best of trainers; it all came naturally to him, but he made the very best of the God-given skill with which he was endowed.
He rarely blasted the ball, rather he guided or caressed it, relying on pinpoint accuracy. He glided across what were, largely, gluepots of pitches for much of the season, displaying a grace and balance that few possess. And he never panicked, waiting for the goalkeeper to blink first before easing the ball into the net.
He was, quite simply, a joy to watch.
That was also the case when, after battling back from the depths of an alcoholic haze, Jimmy reinvented himself as a telly icon alongside Ian St John. Unless you watched them, it is difficult to appreciate the impact of Saint and Greavsie, and the programme became a must-watch over the seven years it aired.
I have been lucky to get to interview and work at events with many British football legends, but I never got the opportunity to meet Jimmy, which is one of the few regrets I have from my career.
If you are too young to remember him, do yourself a favour and look Jimmy up; I guarantee he will leave you with a smile on your face.
When Jimmy Greaves almost played for Aberdeen under Alex Ferguson
No predicting how Ryder Cup will go
In the years when it is contested, the Ryder Cup is unquestionably the highlight of my sporting calendar.
The 2021 event teed off at Whistling Straits yesterday and, however the points stand after the opening exchanges, you can be guaranteed the drama will still be unfolding deep into tomorrow evening’s singles matches.
The US team has more strength in depth, certainly going by the world rankings, but that is nothing new for Europe, and our players always seem to find the big moments at the right times.
The wildcard inclusions of Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter by captain Padraig Harrington were sensible, and I expect the pair to prove him right. There are more rookies than normal – half the American side, and three Europeans, are tasting the event for the first time – and how they cope might swing the balance.
But who knows?
That is the beauty of the Ryder Cup, it is entirely unpredictable, and I will be glued to the coverage over the weekend.
