Jimmy Rimmer
{{Short description|English footballer (born 1948)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2010}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Jimmy Rimmer
| image =
| caption =
| fullname = John James Rimmer{{Englandstats|ref=y|access-date=26 January 2010}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|2|10|df=y}}
| birth_place = Southport, Lancashire, England
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00roll |url-access=registration |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1980–81 |editor-first=Jack |editor-last=Rollin |publisher=Queen Anne Press|location=London |year=1980 |isbn=0362020175 |page=[https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00roll/page/54 54]}}
| position = Goalkeeper
| youthyears1 = 1963–1965 |youthclubs1 = Manchester United
| years1 = 1965–1974 |clubs1 = Manchester United |caps1 = 34 |goals1 = 0
| years2 = 1973 |clubs2 = → Swansea City (loan) |caps2 = 17 |goals2 = 0
| years3 = 1974–1977 |clubs3 = Arsenal |caps3 = 124 |goals3 = 0
| years4 = 1977–1983 |clubs4 = Aston Villa |caps4 = 229 |goals4 = 0
| years5 = 1983–1986 |clubs5 = Swansea City |caps5 = 66 |goals5 = 0
| years6 = 1986 |clubs6 = Ħamrun Spartans |caps6 = 0 |goals6 = 0
| years7 = 1986 |clubs7 = Luton Town |caps7 = 0 |goals7 = 0
|totalcaps = 470 |totalgoals = 0
| nationalyears1 = 1976 |nationalteam1 = England |nationalcaps1 = 1 |nationalgoals1 = 0
| manageryears1 = 1995–1996 | managerclubs1 = Swansea City (caretaker)
| manageryears2 = 1996 | managerclubs2 = Swansea City (caretaker)
}}
John James Rimmer (born 10 February 1948) is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the Football League for Manchester United, Swansea City, Arsenal and Aston Villa.{{cite web |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/birmingham/birmingham.html |title=Birmingham City : 1946/47 – 2008/09 |work=UK A–Z Transfers |publisher=Neil Brown |access-date=26 January 2010}}
Rimmer, who won two European Cup winners medals, has been described by the Birmingham Mail as "perhaps the greatest goalkeeper in Aston Villa's history".
Club career
Rimmer joined Manchester United as a schoolboy in 1963, turning professional two years later. He spent eleven years at Old Trafford, chiefly as Alex Stepney's understudy, including being on the bench in the 1968 European Cup final. Rimmer only played 46 times for United and in October 1973, he was loaned to Swansea City. Arsenal signed him from United in February 1974, as a long-term replacement for Bob Wilson.{{cite web|url=http://www.arsenal.com/history/profiles/568/jimmy-rimmer|title=Jimmy Rimmer: Profile|publisher=Arsenal FC|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100908052500/http://www.arsenal.com/history/profiles/568/jimmy-rimmer|archive-date=8 September 2010|df=dmy-all}}
Rimmer made only one appearance in 1973–74, keeping a clean sheet on his debut against Liverpool. After Wilson's retirement at the end of that season, Rimmer became Arsenal's No. 1 for the next three seasons, and was a near ever-present for the Gunners, winning Arsenal's Player of The Year award in 1975.
A year after Tottenham Hotspur manager Terry Neill took over at Arsenal, he signed Pat Jennings from his old club and Rimmer was sold to Aston Villa, having played 146 games for Arsenal. At Villa, Rimmer was No. 1 for the next six seasons, winning a First Division winners' medal in 1981. The following year Villa reached the European Cup final, but Rimmer was injured after only nine minutes and had to be replaced by Nigel Spink. Villa beat Bayern Munich 1–0, meaning Rimmer became the second player, after Saul Malatrasi, to win a European Cup winners' medal at two clubs.
Rimmer left Villa in 1983 to rejoin Swansea City.
International career
Management and coaching
After retiring from playing, Rimmer became Swansea's goalkeeping coach. During the 1995–96 season, he had two spells as caretaker manager. He succeeded fellow caretaker manager Bobby Smith, and had another spell in charge following the resignation of Kevin Cullis, before being replaced by Jan Mølby.{{cite web|url=https://www.swanseacity.com/history/our-managers|title=OUR MANAGERS|publisher=Swansea City A.F.C.|access-date=27 February 2024}} He then spent several years in China as goalkeeping coach for their national team and Dalian Shide.
Personal life
Rimmer was born in Southport, Lancashire.
After coaching in Canada, Rimmer retired from football and now lives in Gorseinon, Swansea.{{cite news|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/jimmy-rimmer-57360|title=Jimmy Rimmer|publisher=Reach|date=30 January 2008|work=BirminghamLive}}
Honours
Manchester United
- Football League First Division: 1980–81
- Charity Shield: 1981
- European Cup: 1981–82
- European Super Cup: 1982
Individual
- Arsenal Player of the Season: 1974−75{{Cite news |date=11 September 2014 |title=12 players who featured for both Arsenal and Manchester United – and where they performed best |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/11091380/12-players-who-featured-for-both-Arsenal-and-Manchester-United-and-where-they-performed-best.html?frame=3036054 |access-date=4 November 2022}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Arsenal F.C. Player of the Year}}
{{Swansea City A.F.C. managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rimmer, Jimmy}}
Category:Footballers from Southport
Category:English men's footballers
Category:England men's international footballers
Category:Men's association football goalkeepers
Category:Manchester United F.C. players
Category:Swansea City A.F.C. players
Category:Aston Villa F.C. players
Category:English football managers
Category:Hamrun Spartans F.C. players
Category:Swansea City A.F.C. managers
Category:Luton Town F.C. players
Category:UEFA Champions League–winning players