Roy Greaves (4 April 1947 – 12 August 2024) was an English footballer who made more than 500 appearances in the Football League playing for Bolton Wanderers, where he spent the vast majority of his career, and Rochdale, and in the North American Soccer League for the Seattle Sounders.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 4 April 1947 | ||
| Place of birth | Farnworth, England | ||
| Date of death | 12 August 2024 (aged 77) | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker, midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1965–1980 | Bolton Wanderers | 495 | (66) |
| 1980–1982 | Seattle Sounders | 84 | (4) |
| 1982–1983 | Seattle Sounders (indoor) | 15 | (3) |
| 1982–1983 | Rochdale | 21 | (0) |
| Total | 615 | (73) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Greaves was born in Farnworth, near Bolton on 4 April 1947.[1] He began his football career as a junior with Bolton Wanderers,[2] playing as a striker, and scored twice in his league debut against Southampton in 1965. With the team struggling after the abolishment of the maximum wage he still managed to lead the side's goal scoring charts but was criticised as the club went into the Third Division for the first time.
When Jimmy Armfield took over as manager in the summer of 1971 he withdrew Greaves into a midfield role. Playing in this role he helped the team win the Third Division Championship in 1972–73 and eventually back into the top flight in 1977–78.[3] Bolton's relegation two seasons later brought an end to Greaves' time at the club and he moved initially to the United States to play for Seattle Sounders before seeing out his career with a season at Rochdale.[1] He then moved back to Bolton to run a pub.[2]
Greaves died on 12 August 2024, at the age of 77.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Roy Greaves". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
- ^ a b Struthers, Greg (29 February 2004). "Caught in Time: Bolton win the Second Division championship, 1978". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 13 March 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
- ^ "Roy Greaves Bolton Wanderers FC". Football Heroes. Sporting Heroes Collections. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
- ^ "Roy Greaves: Bolton Wanderers legend dies aged 77". BBC Sport. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
External links
edit- "NASL-Roy Greaves". nasljerseys.com. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
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