Although Jimmy's playing career with Noriwch falls outside the range of this website, I thought Norwich fans would appreciate reading about the player who passed away at Easter 2009 follpowing complications after a hip operation. This was an article produced for the Pink Un in October 2003

Having just moved to Highams Park in North East London, it feels quite appropriate to spotlight Jimmy Neighbour as he attended Highams Park School in the 1960s. He even played in the same schoolboy' select team as my father-in-law and dated my mother-in-law's sister.

First spotted playing for a representative Under-15s side at the age of 12, Tottenham added Neighbour to their youth team ranks. He signed amateur forms in April 1966 and turned professional in November 1968.

Jimmy was an old fashioned style of winger who headed for the line from which he would send over well placed crosses. He made his Football League debut in October 1970 against Stoke but it wasn't until the following year when he began to make an impact on the Spurs' first team. In 1971, he collected a League Cup winners' medal against Aston Villa and an UEFA Cup winner's medal against Wolves. Two years later, he again won a League Cup medal; this time helping defeat Norwich.

Under Bill Nicholson's management, Neighbour was unable to sustain a regular place in the Spurs first team.His opportunity came with Terry Neill's appointment in 1974. The majority of his 119 first team appearances for Spurs came under Neill's auspices.

Neill's replacement Keith Burkinshaw signed Peter Taylor to be his winger. Whilst Neighbour was waiting at home to hear from the hospital as to whether his wife had given birth, Burkinshaw called to enquire whether Jimmy would be interested in speaking to Norwich manager John Bond.

Former Spurs teammate Martin Peters convinced Jimmy to make his way to Carrow Road and a £75,000 transfer was completed on 30th September 1976. The Norwich style of playing freed him to make regular darting runs and provide telling crosses and passes for the Norwich strikers to convert. He immediately became a big hit with the Carrow Road faithful.

Jimmy would make 115 appearances for the Canaries in a period where they settled for Division One security. In each of his first three seasons, he made 33 starts for Norwich in league matches. His contribution came mainly from his crosses but he did net five goals.

After spending the summer of 1979 in the USA with the Seattle Sounders, Norwich sold Neighbour to West Ham for £150,000 in September 1979. He helped the Hammers reach the FA Cup final in 1980 but did not play in the 1-0 defeat of Arsenal. The following season saw another League Cup final but Neighbour's team lost to Liverpool.

After a loan spell at Bournemouth in January 1983, Jimmy retired from the game having made 73 appearances for the Hammers.

After a period running a Haringey sports centre and his own sports shop, Jimmy began coaching non-league giants Enfield. He even made three appearances as they won the FA Trophy in 1980.

He returned to West Ham in October 1990 as their youth development officer. His greatest success during this time was pinching Joe Cole from under the noses of Arsenal, the side Cole supported. "It was all above board because although he was training with Arsenal at the time he hadn't actually signed for them. So we were really proud when Joe decided he wanted to come to West Ham."

In 1994, Jimmy spent three months with Doncaster as their first team coach. He later spent 1997 to 1998 managing St Albans City

Returning to Spurs, he coached their Under-15s until August 2000 when he was appointed as their Academy's Under-17 coach when Ricky Hill left to manage Luton. Spurs' future success now resides with a good Neighbour.

 

Jimmy left Spurs in July 2005. He died on Saturday 11th April 2009 following a heart attack at Holly House private hospital, Buckhurst Hill, where he had been recovering from a hip replacement operation.

Former City boss Ken Brown, who was assistant to Bond during Neighbour's time at Carrow Road, paid tribute to his ex-player, saying: “The best way of summing Jimmy up as a footballer is that he would run through brick walls for you.

“He was a smashing little player, an excellent right-winger with a superb cross on him who also worked very hard when he didn't have the ball and was a good trainer as well. Jimmy was also a thinking player, with a good footballing brain, and he did a great job for us while he was here.

“He was a key man, always one of first names on our team sheet, and was also a lovely fella. To lose him at such a young age is a terrible shock.”

Norwich club secretary Kevan Platt said: “He was the type of player that fans loved, a jinking winger who formed part of the very exciting side that John Bond put together in the mid 1970s.

“He became something of a cult figure and will be fondly remembered by fans of that era.

“The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Jimmy and his family at this sad time.”