Martin Chivers R.I.P.

[richtherover]

Scored twice against us in the infamous 7 -2 game back in '75.

[Surrey Rover]

Quite a few of the Spurs team who played that night are no longer with us. As well as Martin Chivers, Cyril Knowles, Willie Young, Ralph Coates, Jimmy Neighbour and John Duncan (who scored a hat-trick) have all sadly passed away together with Stan Brookes, Steve Uzelac and Chris Balderstone who played for Rovers on the night.

[roversdude]

RIP always liked Chivers he seemed a good honest hard working pro. Didn’t realise he was so prolific tbh

[idler]

Me and Ray Thomas went to see Leeds play Spurs in 1971. Spurs won 2-1 with two breakaway goals by Martin Chivers. He looked awesome, a handful for defenders and very clinical.
Obviously the Rovers were away that day but John Hayselden was a few rows behind us in the crowd so he must have been injured.

[Plumbster]

I saw him a couple of times at Leeds in the early 70s- I remember ‘Chivers is a jelly’ ringing out from the Leeds fans, which seems quite quaint in hindsight!

[Barmby Rover]

One of the big centre forwards, who knew now to use his strength and height. Not seen too often nowadays.

[welloffside]

I played against Martin Chivers.     

After he retired from the game he took on a hotel in Brookmans Park in Hertfordshire, 'The Brookman'

He carried on playing Sunday football because he wanted to.

One Sunday my team were playing Brookmans Park at The Royal Vetinary College, near where I live.

My manager came into our changing room laughing like a drain, "Have fun, Martin Chivers is centre half" ( I was an inept No.9) I can count how many times I touched the ball.

During the game Chivers, to his great credit, had assessed every player and knew their strengths and weaknesses. He coached during the game, to team mates, and to opponents. Not in a patronising way. "Look wide, you always pass inside" that type of thing. We all listened, and learned. He was a nice man.

* A postscript. We only had ten men at the start, no Goalie. We got lost on the way to the pitch all parked at a cross roads, middle of nowhere. A silver Ford Escort pulled up, wound the window down and offered directions. It was Bob Wilson the Arsenal goalkeeper. He surprisingly declined the offer to further his career with The Rose & Crown (div. 6 St Albans Sunday League)