# Roy Greaves

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**Roy Greaves** (4 April 1947 – 12 August 2024) was an English [footballer](/source/Association_football) who made more than 500 appearances in [the Football League](/source/The_Football_League) playing for [Bolton Wanderers](/source/Bolton_Wanderers_F.C.), where he spent the vast majority of his career, and [Rochdale](/source/Rochdale_A.F.C.), and in the [North American Soccer League](/source/North_American_Soccer_League_(1968-1984)) for the [Seattle Sounders](/source/Seattle_Sounders_(NASL)).[1]

Greaves was born in [Farnworth](/source/Farnworth), near [Bolton](/source/Bolton) on 4 April 1947.[1] He began his football career as a junior with Bolton Wanderers,[2] playing as a [striker](/source/Forward_(association_football)), and scored twice in his league debut against [Southampton](/source/Southampton_F.C.) 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](/source/Football_League_Third_Division) for the first time.

When [Jimmy Armfield](/source/Jimmy_Armfield) took over as manager in the summer of 1971 he withdrew Greaves into a [midfield](/source/Midfielder) role. Playing in this role he helped the team win the Third Division Championship in [1972–73](/source/1972%E2%80%9373_in_English_football) and eventually back into the [top flight](/source/Football_League_First_Division) in [1977–78](/source/1977%E2%80%9378_in_English_football).[3] Bolton's relegation [two seasons later](/source/1979%E2%80%9380_in_English_football) 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

1. ["Roy Greaves"](http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player4/roygreaves.html). *UK A–Z Transfers*. Neil Brown. Retrieved 3 December 2017.

1. Struthers, Greg (29 February 2004). ["Caught in Time: Bolton win the Second Division championship, 1978"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200313193735/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/). *The Sunday Times*. Archived from [the original](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article1032960.ece) on 13 March 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2010.

1. ["Roy Greaves Bolton Wanderers FC"](http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football/bolton-wanderers-fc/roy-greaves-10137/league-appearances_a14931/). *Football Heroes*. Sporting Heroes Collections. Retrieved 3 December 2017.

1. ["Roy Greaves: Bolton Wanderers legend dies aged 77"](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cvgr9de041qo). *BBC Sport*. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.

## External links

- ["NASL-Roy Greaves"](https://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/G/Greaves.Roy.htm). *nasljerseys.com*. Retrieved 2024-08-16.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Roy Greaves](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Greaves) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Greaves?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.