For the older bears - Denis Law or Jimmy Greaves

Grimsdale

Well-Known Member
Spoke with an ex-pro who played in that era against both on many occasions and without hesitation said Jimmy Greaves. Difficult.
 
Way before my time, but is it a fair comparison?

Greaves was a superb goalscorer, way higher goal ratio than Law, but Denis was a more complete player?

On a side note, Jimmy Greaves said that Ronnie McKinnon was the quickest centre half he played against and the only one that he couldn't do for pace.
 
Off topic: spoke for an hour to Denis in the early 80s at a photographer’s near the Round Toll in Glasgow. He used to do a newspaper advert for AT Mays (older bears!) and was in for the promotional shots. He talked at length about Manchester and Italy, and said how lucky he was to have made a living doing the thing he loved.

He came across as a smashing chap, but years later Jonathon Watson’s parody chimed as I could hear Denis’ voice saying “Torino” etc.

He signed my notebook too!

coolstorybro loyal :cool:
 
Bit before my time but, was Greaves not an out and out striker whereas Law was an old fashioned inside right?
 
Don't get me wrong, Greaves was good, but Law was a far better footballer.

The question didn't specify footballer or goalscorer, so I went with footballer.

They were before my time so I have no idea how to compare them, from what I've read and heard from people who saw Greaves he seems to have been on a different level from most players.
 
Why is it not close? Greaves has a way better scoring record than Law for both club and country.
Correct.
As an out and out goalscorer Greaves has few equals and certainly none from these islands.
As an all round footballer Denis Law had more to offer, but not by much.
 
Greaves goalscoring record is phenomenal. Nine different times in 12 years he hit 30+goals a season and in one of the three seasons he didn't, he just had to settle for the 29 goals.
 
Jimmy Greaves for me.
He just got on with his goal scoring in a quiet and consistent manner.
Agree that The Lawman was world class but Greaves was definitely in that class as well.
 
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Different type of players. Greaves an excellent but out and out striker while Denis Law was a more all round player but who could score regularly. Difficult to separate them. Thread brought back a great memory. I was doing my national service near Salisbury and travelled to Cardiff to watch Scotland defeat Wales 3-0. There was a young bloke from Huddersfield Town, making his Scotland debut. His name was Denis Law. Whoever spotted him and recommended that he should be capped certainly did both Denis Law and Scotland a big favour.
 
I saw Greaves get a hat trick for Spurs at Upton Park in 1962. Probably the finest display I have ever seen from a footballer. It looked as if the ball was laced to his boot at times.
 
Law was the better team player. He was also the European Footballer Of The Year in 1964. Greaves never got that recognition.
 
Greaves every day of the week for me. I saw a fair bit of Law when he was playing for Scotland and to be honest I never really understood why there was so much hype about him. To me he always seemed to blow hot and cold Although Greaves was far less spectacular, I always thought that he was the better goalscorer.
 
Two fantastic players in their own style. If I had to choose one it would be Jimmy Greaves but only just.
Lucky to have seen both play. Dennis for Scotland and Jimmy for the great Spurs side that beat us 3 - 2 at Ibrox in the 60's
 
both great players and I mean great, wouldn't like to seperate them, I often wonder how some of the greats of the past would prosper in todays game given the emphasis on athleticism rather than the skill to beat a man or poach a goal, f uck im old
 
Like chaste I,m edging towards vintage and have wondered the same,believe both law and greaves played with John white Scotland and spurs.Players to get the adrenalin going, must say a messi Ronaldo or aguero are not to bad.beautiful game ?
 
Growing up in the 60’s Law was a favourite of mine.

I knew about Greaves but the Lawman still beat him in my pre pubescent eyes.

That said when I got older and started playing the game myself I realised Greaves was probably the best finisher I’d seen. The way he could ‘pass’ the ball into the net was unsurpassed by anyone.

I think now, looking back, Greaves just edges it but Law had the best goal celebration of anyone:))

WATP
 
Jimmy was the greatest goalscorer of his era.
I have often said that had he remained in the England side in 1966, then England would have won the cup far more convincingly without the need for extra time in the final.
Jimmy would today be a knight of the realm and no one would know who Geoff Hurst was outside of Upton Park.

That said, Denis had a far more intriguing mercurial element to his game than Jimmy.
Jimmy would punish every single weakness a defence had, yet Denis could find a way to punish a defence that had no weakness.
Denis was a different type of player.

Interestingly Jimmy successfully played alongside Alan Gilzean, who was similar to the Lawman, if not just quite his equal.
I would love to have seen Jimmy alongside Denis.
They would have destroyed any team in the world and then had time in the second half to fck off to the pub for a pint.
Jimmy buying of course!
 
I was lucky enough to see both of them and they were both fabulous players. Greaves was tremendously fast over a few yards and Law was dynamic in the box, on the ground and in the air. To close to call for me.
 
Jimmy Greaves for me, watched him score a hat trick against us in a close season 4-0 thrashing in 1969.
 
Spoke with an ex-pro who played in that era against both on many occasions and without hesitation said Jimmy Greaves. Difficult.

Greaves was a poacher who was brilliant at sticking the ball in the onion bag,but i think Law worked harder off the ball, and could also score goals from when he was a boy of 15 yrs old.
Personally i prefered the Lawman, especially when he played against England.Great player.
 
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