Tottenham legend and former England striker Martin Chivers has sadly passed away at the age of 80. Spurs players will now wear black armbands for Wednesday’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth in his honour.
Best known for his eight-year spell with the north London club between 1968 and 1976, Chivers also made 24 appearances for the Three Lions. In those limited games, the forward netted an impressive 14 goals.
Chivers left boyhood club Southampton to join Tottenham in 1968, joining for a £125,000 transfer fee. That was a club record at the time, and proved to be well worth it. He cemented his place among the English club’s biggest legends by winning four major honours at White Hart Lane.
Tottenham Announce Martin Chivers’ Death
The highlights of his Tottenham career included two League Cup wins as well as a UEFA Cup triumph. Chivers also notched an incredible 174 goals in 367 first-team appearances.
His old club announced his passing on Wednesday afternoon, posting a heartfelt statement online. It read:
“It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing of our legendary former striker, Martin Chivers.
We extend our deepest sympathies to Martin’s family, friends and former team-mates at this incredibly sad time. Rest in peace, Martin. One of the all-time greats.”
Chivers remains third in Spurs’ all-time top goalscorers list, and was the highest scorer in European competition until Jermaine Defoe broke his record in 2013. After leaving Spurs, he represented Norwich City and Brighton.
Tributes Pour in for Martin Chivers
Steve Archibald, another former Tottenham star, took to social media to pay tribute to the late English hero. He wrote:
“Watched the great Martin Chivers before I became a pro, was an amazing watch, he was like Rolls Royce, so smooth in his movement, excellent in the air and a great finisher, but on top of all of that he was a really nice guy.
“Most sincere condolences to all of Martin’s family xxx.”
The club’s matchday commentator also had some fitting words for Chivers. Pauln Coyte stated: “I’m absolutely devastated that my great friend and footballing hero Martin Chivers has passed away. He was a giant of a man, the best striker in the world in his day and I will miss him terribly.”
