RIP Martin Chivers

[Maggie May]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/37840513/martin-chivers-dead-tottenham-england/

[SoberSaint]

Southampton born and bred. Great scoring record but we sold him as Channon was coming through. 
oh to have those problems now.

RIP

[Toadhall Saint]

RIP

[woksaintly]

Never played with him because I was only a amateur at the time but regularly had treatment sessions together and reminisced about School days at Taunton's school. Very articulate as well as strong. Remember well the goals against Man u and Pompey.At school he used to practice shooting at the Hockey Goals for precision

 

[John B]

One of the best Saints players over the last sixty years pretty underated in my opinion

 

Him and Terry Paine got us to Div 1 in 1966 although he stopped scoring goals towards the end of the season but did score 30 or so that season

 

RIP

[sockeye]

RIP

[VectisSaint]

My first game was one of his last (Saints v Chelsea, 6 Jan 1968, lost 3-5). It may have been his last game, not quite sure he certainly joined Spurs in January 68. Saw him later, possibly 69 or 70 sitting in the stand at Highbury (yes Highbury) watching Saints v Arsenal - we drew, not sure if it was 0-0 or 2-2. He was sitting there with his leg in plaster I seem to recall, so took the opportunity to get his autograph, still have it somewhere. Just heard on the radio "a Spurs legend", no mention of Saints. 

Sad day when one of your boyhood heroes passes away. Wonder if Saints will honour him at our next home game.

[East Kent Saint]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c0r4q22pe4lo

He scored a last minute equaliser in my first match at the Dell 61 years ago !

[Miltonaggro]

My old man really rated Chivers and saw him as a modern ‘number 9’ - something like 100 goals in 180 games for Saints and then close to that remarkable reliable ratio for both Spurs and England. What a player he must have been. RIP big man, one of the city’s finest. 

[Mustang Saint]

My dad just messaged me to say he had passed away. Dad used to go to school with him and play football with him. He's just added no one could ever get the tennis ball off him as that's all they were allowed to play with in the school ground.

 

I can remember being sat in corporate hospitality about 10 years ago at White Hart Lane and this chap about the same age as my dad walked by and they started chatting about the good old days, it was only afterwards dad told me it was Martin Chivers 🤣🤣🤣

Edited yesterday at 18:33 by Mustang Saint

[Turkish]

One of my dad’s favourites. Sad news 😢

[Hatch]

RIP, sad news

[Charlie Wayman]

Never really forgave him for clearing off to Spuds but that was then and this is now. Sad news RIP

[derry]

RIP Martin. I gave him a hard time playing aginst Tauntons. Some years later I was killing a bit of time and went into Greentrees in London Rd for a tea. The place was nearly empty at the time, Martin was sitting in the window seats. He recognised me and we started chatting so I sat down with him. The first thing he said to me was "You gave me an awful kicking when you played against Tauntons, I remember that well, I recognised you as soon as you walked in" We sat and chatted for about an hour before I had to leave. He came over as a really nice genuine person. He was a great player.

[sadoldgit]

The first Saints game I saw was at Selhurst Park in the 65/66 season and Martin Chivers was sent off! Gutted when he left (and got Frank Saul in return) but we had the even greater Ron Davies so all was not lost.

He was a quality player. Sad news. RIP big man.

 

[saint michael]

RIP  My first year watching saints was his last year here.  Sad when he moved on. Was taken to white hart lane as a kid in one of my first away games to see him play against us. 

[Tom & Gerry]

Will never forget the run and cross in the last minute against Charlton for Terry Paine to score the goal in the last home game to put us back on track for promotion to the top tier for the very first time in 1966. Of all the big money sales that have left me gutted over the years , he was the first.

[spyinthesky]

I played for Southampton Schoolboys a year or so behind Martin Chivers.

As I recollect he played as outside right and Malcolm Renyard  was preferred as the main striker.

Whilst Malcolm (and his son in later life) went on to have decent careers in local football, Big Chiv hit the big time.

Shame he didnt stay longer at Saints but a really decent player whilst he was here.

This on the day when news comes through re Kevin Keegan's cancer diagnosis.

[spyinthesky]

10 minutes ago, Tom & Gerry said:

Will never forget the run and cross in the last minute against Charlton for Terry Paine to score the goal in the last home game to put us back on track for promotion to the top tier for the very first time in 1966. Of all the big money sales that have left me gutted over the years , he was the first.

I was stood on the lower Chocolate Box at the time and thought the ball was out for a throw in against us before Big Chiv crossed the ball for TP to score.

I wonder how our history would have changed if the lino had given a throw in against us??

[Winnersaint]

RIP. Was at this game which secured our survival at the end of our first season in Div 1. Great header from Chivers to open scoring and remember the penalty incident. i was 9 so not tall enough to see it hit the net. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=southampton+v+nottingham+forest+1967&sca_esv=2abb81a9f80b289a&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS1081US1081&sxsrf=ANbL-n5jtivCmTxUkTnT2GsYYG-1HCI7Sg%3A1767811824400&ei=8KpeadzmF8eYhbIPgp_BwQ4&oq=Southampton+v+Nott+1967&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiF1NvdXRoYW1wdG9uIHYgTm90dCAxOTY3KgIIADIKECEYoAEYwwQYCjIKECEYoAEYwwQYCjIKECEYoAEYwwQYCjIKECEYoAEYwwQYCki8O1CRCFi_J3ABeACQAQCYAXWgAZsIqgEEMTMuMbgBAcgBAPgBAZgCDqACpAjCAg4QABiABBiwAxiGAxiKBcICCBAAGLADGO8FwgILEAAYgAQYsAMYogTCAgcQIxiwAhgnwgIFEAAY7wXCAggQABiABBiiBMICBhAAGAgYHsICCxAAGIAEGIYDGIoFwgIIECEYoAEYwwSYAwCIBgGQBgaSBwQxMi4yoAeWP7IHBDExLjK4B50IwgcFMS44LjXIByiACAA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:fc5e332c,vid:oPOAsWjKyiY,st:0

Edited yesterday at 19:36 by Winnersaint

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

I only started going a few years after he left so wasn’t much aware of his SFC playing days. Great player but used to annoy me a bit that he never seemed to acknowledge his roots, can never remember him mentioning he was from or played for Southampton. Bit like Graham Roberts

But sad news and also on the same day as announcement of Kev Keegan diagnosed with cancer.

RIP Big Chiv and speedy recovery King Kev.

[bangkoksaint]

1 hour ago, derry said:

RIP Martin. I gave him a hard time playing aginst Tauntons. Some years later I was killing a bit of time and went into Greentrees in London Rd for a tea. The place was nearly empty at the time, Martin was sitting in the window seats. He recognised me and we started chatting so I sat down with him. The first thing he said to me was "You gave me an awful kicking when you played against Tauntons, I remember that well, I recognised you as soon as you walked in" We sat and chatted for about an hour before I had to leave. He came over as a really nice genuine person. He was a great player.

Lovely story. RIP Martin

[mikec]

I'm another oldie who saw him play in my first ever game at the Dell - a 4-0 win against West Brom, 1967 I think.  He scored one of the goals that day.

I seem to recall that when he was sold to Spurs for £125,000 it was a record transfer fee at that time.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

My dad always mentions Chivers with pride when mentioning the very best players to have played for his club.

And that was the less than dozen appearances he made for Norwich. Even that late in his playing career, you could see eyes light up having a legend attached to his club.

While that was a later season, it would get other relatives remembering, and talking about, his earlier career. Again, those eyes would light up remembering the strength and power he had, and just how prolific and unstoppable a scorer he was.

One of those players just universally admired and respected. Such a sad loss and our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans across many clubs (including my dad's Norwich).

[Chris cooper]

RIP big chiv .. helluva player !

[Hamilton Saint]

R.I.P. Martin Chivers. A big part of Saints' rise to the First Division in 1965-1966. He scored 30 goals in 39 games.

[rooney]

Saw him score some great goals for Saints especially when Ted Bates had him on special heading practice.

[sadoldgit]

13 hours ago, Tom & Gerry said:

Will never forget the run and cross in the last minute against Charlton for Terry Paine to score the goal in the last home game to put us back on track for promotion to the top tier for the very first time in 1966. Of all the big money sales that have left me gutted over the years , he was the first.

That was my first Saints game at The Dell. My mate and his Dad were Saints supporters and I went along with them driving down from London.  I mentioned to my mate that I had seen the Palace game at Selhurst Park previously and he asked if I would like to go along. At that time I didn’t support anyone. Being a couple of nippers we were ushered down to the front and were right in front of where Big Chiv pulled the ball back for Paine to score the winner. The place went crazy.

I have been a Saints fan ever since, it is all your fault Martin!

My best mate at the time and who I still stay in touch with, is a Spurs fan. We were reminiscing yesterday and he said he saw Chiv’s first game for Spurs and thought he was rubbish and a waste of money! I think at the time it was a club record we sold him for, £125,000?

[Hamwic]

Sad news indeed when one of your club's icons dies. I  remember seeing him numerous times at the Dell and was impressed by his combination of skill and raw power. It's disappointing that the club appears not to have made any public tribute him. 

[Tommy Mulgrew]

23 hours ago, woksaintly said:

At school he used to practice shooting at the Hockey Goals for precision

Not just that: often, he would practice shooting from the halfway line into them and invariably succeeding.  It certainly made geography lessons more enjoyable when he was out on the hockey pitch and you could look out or the window, at least until a piece of chalk - or worse the wood-backed chalk duster - came wizzing past your ear.
 

22 hours ago, sadoldgit said:

Gutted when he left (and got Frank Saul in return) but we had the even greater Ron Davies so all was not lost

Interestingly, Ron scored 153 goals in 277 appearances and Martin 108 in 189, a better strike rate although most of his goals for us were in the second division and better than his rate at Spurs, 200 in 415.

Happy memories of him for me at school and at the Dell.

RIP, Mart.

[Stud mark of doom]

On 07/01/2026 at 20:26, Holmes_and_Watson said:

My dad always mentions Chivers with pride when mentioning the very best players to have played for his club.

And that was the less than dozen appearances he made for Norwich. Even that late in his playing career, you could see eyes light up having a legend attached to his club.

While that was a later season, it would get other relatives remembering, and talking about, his earlier career. Again, those eyes would light up remembering the strength and power he had, and just how prolific and unstoppable a scorer he was.

One of those players just universally admired and respected. Such a sad loss and our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans across many clubs (including my dad's Norwich).

Has reminded me that Chivers also played and scored against us in our first game back at the top level in 78/79 - a 3-1 loss at Norwich.