Post Playing Career
In the mid-1970s Greaves battled a well-documented alcohol problem, finally quitting drinking in February 1978. He became a popular television presenter and football pundit, striking up a partnership with Ian St. John. Together they hosted a popular Saturday lunchtime football show called Saint and Greavsie from 1985 until the programme was axed in 1992.
Greaves also worked frequently for TV-am as a TV critic and was a resident team captain on ITV sports quiz Sporting Triangles as well as co-hosting the Saturday morning children's television show, The Saturday Show. He briefly had his own talk show and has been a columnist for The Sun newspaper for many years. He also answered readers letters in Shoot magazine in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2002 Greaves was made an Inaugural Inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame. He released his autobiography, Greavsie, in 2003 and works as an after-dinner speaker. Greaves has written 18 books in partnership with his lifelong friend, the journalist and author Norman Giller.
Married to Irene since March 1958, when he had just turned 18, he has 10 grandchildren and one great grandchild. Jimmy and Irene have four children, Lynn, Mitzi, Danny (who was a professional footballer with Southend United), and Andrew.
Greaves said, with regards to the 2010 general election: "I'll vote Conservative, as I always have, but with no great enthusiasm as I'm not convinced by David Cameron. The country really needs another Margaret Thatcher to sort out a huge financial mess and growing trade union power. I'm certain, though, that Britain is sick and tired of Labour."
In April 2005, 44 years after his brief spell at AC Milan, he called for their Milan rivals Inter to be banned from European competitions for three years due to rioting by their fans during the European Cup quarter-final between AC Milan and Inter at the San Siro. However, Inter ultimately avoided exclusion from European competitions by UEFA.
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