Tottenham Hotspur footballer Martin Chivers has passed away at the age of 80. Chivers played a pivotal role for Spurs during the early 1970s, scoring an impressive 174 goals in 367 matches, ranking him fourth on the club's all-time list behind Harry Kane, Jimmy Greaves and Bobby Smith.
The six-foot-one forward was known for his natural strength, agility, and aerial ability. He formed a potent attacking trio with Martin Peters and Steve Parkin during his time at Spurs. Chivers' most significant contributions came in the 1970-71 season, as he scored 34 goals in every match, helping Spurs finish third in the league. His impressive form also earned him two League Cup medals.
Chivers' international career was less successful, despite a fine strike rate of 13 goals in 24 appearances for England between 1971 and 1973. The team's failure to qualify for the 1974 World Cup, due in part to Chivers' ineffective performance in a crucial qualifying match against Poland, marked a turning point in his international career.
Born in Southampton in 1942, Chivers was discovered by Southampton FC while attending Taunton Grammar School. He signed with the club as a professional in September 1962 and made his first-team debut at just 17 years old. Chivers' exceptional talent earned him a move to Tottenham Hotspur in early 1968 for £125,000.
After joining Spurs, Chivers formed a deadly partnership with Martin Peters and Steve Parkin. The trio's attacking prowess earned them great success, including back-to-back League Cup victories in 1971 and 1972. Chivers' impressive form also led to his selection for the European Cup, where he scored crucial goals in the final against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
After leaving Spurs, Chivers played for several clubs, including Servette in Switzerland, Norwich City, and Brighton & Hove Albion. He later retired from football and went on to run the Brookmans Park hotel/pub in Hertfordshire before passing away at the age of 80, leaving behind a family and a legacy as one of Tottenham's most prolific strikers.
The six-foot-one forward was known for his natural strength, agility, and aerial ability. He formed a potent attacking trio with Martin Peters and Steve Parkin during his time at Spurs. Chivers' most significant contributions came in the 1970-71 season, as he scored 34 goals in every match, helping Spurs finish third in the league. His impressive form also earned him two League Cup medals.
Chivers' international career was less successful, despite a fine strike rate of 13 goals in 24 appearances for England between 1971 and 1973. The team's failure to qualify for the 1974 World Cup, due in part to Chivers' ineffective performance in a crucial qualifying match against Poland, marked a turning point in his international career.
Born in Southampton in 1942, Chivers was discovered by Southampton FC while attending Taunton Grammar School. He signed with the club as a professional in September 1962 and made his first-team debut at just 17 years old. Chivers' exceptional talent earned him a move to Tottenham Hotspur in early 1968 for £125,000.
After joining Spurs, Chivers formed a deadly partnership with Martin Peters and Steve Parkin. The trio's attacking prowess earned them great success, including back-to-back League Cup victories in 1971 and 1972. Chivers' impressive form also led to his selection for the European Cup, where he scored crucial goals in the final against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
After leaving Spurs, Chivers played for several clubs, including Servette in Switzerland, Norwich City, and Brighton & Hove Albion. He later retired from football and went on to run the Brookmans Park hotel/pub in Hertfordshire before passing away at the age of 80, leaving behind a family and a legacy as one of Tottenham's most prolific strikers.
just heard about Martin Chivers passing at 80... what an incredible footballer, especially during Spurs' golden era 
those goals he scored in '71 were pure magic, I remember watching some of the matches with my dad back then 
still can't believe it's been a while since we've seen players like him on the pitch 
Chivers was more than just a player, he was part of Spurs' history and his legacy will live on through the fans 
I mean, what's up with all these Spurs fans crying over Martin Chivers? He may not have won the World Cup with England, but he scored 174 goals for them! That's like me winning the lottery... not gonna happen 
. RIP Martin Chivers, you may not have been the greatest, but you were definitely one of the most prolific strikers in Spurs history! 
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[Meme of a zombie soccer player scoring a goal]
He was like the ultimate goal-scoring machine for Spurs back in the day. Scoring 174 goals in 367 matches is insane! 
And that attacking trio with Peters and Parkin? Pure magic. I mean, who needs just two League Cup medals when you can have three? 
. Anyway, RIP Martin Chivers, you may not be the most successful player in English history, but you're still up there as one of the greatest strikers for Spurs! 
, scoring some serious goals back in the day 
, making him a valuable asset to the team 
. I mean, 174 goals in 367 matches isn't bad at all 
, and their chemistry on the pitch was electric 
️.
. Still, he left his mark on English football 
#RIPMartinChivers #SpursLegend #FootballHeroes
, what a legend! Scoring 174 goals for Spurs is insane! I mean, I'm no football expert but even I know that's a tonne of goals 
. Anyway, rest in peace Martin, you'll be remembered as one of the greatest Spurs strikers of all time 
. And don't even get me started on the League Cup medals, two isn't exactly a lot considering Spurs have won so many more since then 
. Plus, England's failure to qualify for the World Cup in '74 wasn't all down to Chivers, it was those incompetent refs and their dodgy calls that sealed the deal 
. And let's be real, 13 goals in 24 appearances isn't a bad strike rate or anything...
So sad to hear about Martin Chivers 
. And who can forget his goal in the European Cup final against Wolves? 
Rest in peace, Martin, you'll always be a legend in our eyes 
.
his goal-scoring record is insane 174 goals in 367 matches is still a record for many teams and i'm not surprised he's still up there on the all-time list at spurs. what's crazy is that he was only 17 when he made his debut and went on to have an incredible run with the team, including two league cup medals 
. It's like a time machine or something! They have the whole process documented, from the initial teardown to the final paint job. So cool! And have you ever noticed how some old buildings can be so much more beautiful when they're abandoned? Like, all the stuff that's been added over the years just gets in the way, you know? Anyway, I'm totally gonna check out that Ferris wheel vid now 
i wonder what would have happened if he'd stayed at England longer? 
RIP martinchivers 
.
his story is so inspiring though, from being discovered at just 17 
to becoming a league cup winner 
and even scoring for england 
. what's crazy is that despite not making it to the world cup 
he still left behind an amazing legacy at spurs 
did anyone else notice how many league cup medals he got? and poor england team in 74, they didn't qualify for the world cup 
... martin chivers was defo a spurs icon, scored some sick goals back in the day 
... seriously though, Martin Chivers was an absolute beast on the pitch back in the day 
.
. Anyway, I'm glad to see some nostalgia about his career though! He was an underrated talent if you ask me.