short one today guys, had the legends now its time for one of the flopstars and who better to start with then the record buy Sergei Rebrov.

I couldn't find much in all honesty regarding him, not the reason i skipped a day with this.... i'm just lazy.

i haven't been receiving many comments with this one, i know people are reading it so feel free to comment positive or negative, suggestions on who i should include and arguments about people i may have included.

 anyways on with the festivities apologies if you think its shit... mostly from wikipedia today :(

Serhiy Stanislavovych Rebrov (Ukrainian: Сергій Ребров, born on March 6, 1974 in Horlivka, Donetsk region) is a Ukrainian football forward turned midfielder, member of the Ukrainian national team, which he helped qualify for the 2006 World Cup, the nation's first ever World Cup. Rebrov gained international fame as an attacking partner of Andriy Shevchenko at Dynamo Kyiv throughout the 1990s and is known for his technical ability as well as his finishing. Rebrov is currently in his new club Rubin Kazan having also previously played for Dynamo Kyiv, Shakhtar Donetsk, Tottenham Hotspur, Fenerbahçe and West Ham United.

Rebrov joined Shakhtar Donetsk as a youth in 1990. In his debut 1991 season, then a 17-year old, he scored 2 goals in 7 games in the USSR Premier League. In his second season, playing in the newly established Ukrainian Premier League, he became a joint 3rd goalscorer, catching the eye of Dynamo Kyiv scouts. Rebrov moved to Dynamo Kyiv in August 1992 and has since become the highest all-time scorer in the Ukrainian Premier League. As of April 3, 2007, his total tally in the league with Shakhtar and Dynamo was 120 goals in 249 games.

He scored several key goals in European competitions, notably in the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons of the UEFA Champions League, including a famous goal against Barcelona from a tight angle. Dynamo reached the Champions League semi-final in 1999 but lost to Bayern Munich on aggregate. In the 1999-00 season Rebrov became a joint top scorer in the UEFA Champions League with 10 goals (including 2 goals in qualification games) as Dynamo progressed to the last sixteen before going out on head-to-head record against Real Madrid. As of September 14, 2006 Rebrov remained a joint 13th all-time scorer in the history of the Champions League/European Cup with 30 goals.

In June 2000 he was transferred to Tottenham Hotspur for £11 million,but after the sacking of George Graham in March 2001, he was frozen out by new manager Glenn Hoddle as he wasn't producing the goods really 10 goals in 60 games! He made excuse after excuse but to put it simple he was crap, regardless of how many goals hes scored in europe he can only do that in his home country. He went out on two consecutive loan spells to Fenerbahçe and subsequently signed a one year contract with West Ham United where he scored a single goal in 29 appearances.... not that great for a supposed "great of Europe".

On June 1, 2005, Rebrov became a free agent after declining to re-sign and two days later he signed a new two-year contract with Dynamo Kyiv, with the option of a one year extension. In the new 2005-06 season, Rebrov became Dynamo's top scorer with 13 goals, two behind league joint top scorers Brandão and Okoduwa, despite playing in midfield. Rebrov also topped the league in points (goals plus assists) and was named player of the season according to a poll of team coaches and captains.

In July 2007 Rebrov became Dynamo captain. In the 2007-08 season he was getting less playing time, starting only 7 out of 18 matches before the winter break. His contribution in some games was heavily criticised by the press. It was reported that Rebrov could move to Arsenal Kyiv during the transfer window. However, under new coach Yuri Semin Rebrov started all games and was named best player at the close season Channel One Cup. In February 2008 Dynamo president Ihor Surkis stated that the club was planning talks with Rebrov with a view of extending his contract. Shortly thereafter Rebrov received an offer of a two-year contract from Russian Premier League club Rubin Kazan. On March 3, 2008 Dynamo announced that Rebrov had signed a two-year contract with Rubin and would join the new club at the end of the season, in summer 2008. With the Russian season starting in spring, Rubin eventually agreed a $1 million compensation with Dynamo for Rebrov's early release from his contract.

National team career

Rebrov's club exploits earned him a recall to the national team and a ticket to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, where he scored a long range shot against Saudi Arabia as Ukraine progressed to the quarterfinals before going down to Italy.

The 2nd In The Series.

James Peter 'Jimmy' Greaves - born 20/2/1940

Greaves grew up during the war years, soon becoming a Spurs supporter, preferring to trek from the East End to White Hart Lane rather than the nearer Upton Park at a time West Ham were nothing more than Second Division nonentities. Spurs were exciting to watch as they had invented the concept of push and run rather than hoofing the ball and hoping it would be a damn long time before the ball came back. 

During the autumn of 1954, it looked likely that Greaves would join the Tottenham staff but, at a vital moment, manager Rowe collapsed with the worry of the likelihood of relegation as his side grew too old. Greaves was quickly taken under the wing of one Jimmy Thompson, a one-man Pied Piper, who led so many East End boys to Chelsea, particularly players like Peter Brabrook, Barry Bridges and others. Greaves was a smash hit in the Chelsea Youth side. In the 1956-57 season, he scored 114 goals for the Chelsea Youth team he moved on to finish as top League goalscorer twice whilst at Chelsea in 1959 and 1961 and his 41 league goals in the 1960-61 season remains a club record. Despite this, they never won any major trophies while he was playing for them.

During the 1960-61 season, footballers were increasingly restive as the Players Union, led by Jimmy Hill, fought to improve their wages. They felt they should be paid for what they were worth rather than what the Chairmen thought they could spare. There was talk of a strike but it fizzled out when the Football League conceded the players had a case. In the meantime, Greaves could not wait and agreed to transfer to AC Milan. No sooner had that deal been concluded than the Football League agreed that players could be paid what their clubs could afford to pay.

Greaves was not happy in Italy, It soon became evident that Milan were also not happy. Bill Nicholson then signed him for Tottenham Hotspur for £99,999. The unusual fee was intended to relieve Greaves of the pressure of being the first £100,000 player.

Greaves' first appearance for Spurs was actually for the Reserves at Plymouth Argyle. But on his debut for Spurs on 16th December 1961, against Blackpool, Greaves scored a hat-trick in a 5-2 thrashing.

Greaves enjoyed a legendary career at Tottenham. He played at Spurs from 1961 to 1970, scoring a club record of 266 goals in 379 matches, including 220 goals in the First Division. Greaves finished as top League goalscorer in four seasons (1963, 1964, 1965 and 1969), an achievement that established Greaves as arguably the most consistent striker in English football history. His record of finishing top goalscorer in six seasons has never been matched.

With Spurs, Greaves won the FA Cup in 1962 and 1967, scoring against Burnley in the former. He also won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1963 - scoring twice in the famous 5-1 defeat of Atlético Madrid, ensuring that Spurs became the first British club to win a European trophy.

at the end of the 1969-1970 season Greaves had gone as makeweight in the deal that brought Martin Peters to Tottenham from West Ham He scored on his debut, (as he had for every team he played for, including England at full and under 21 level), with two goals against Manchester City on March 21. Two months later, on May 28, he finished sixth in the London-to-Mexico World Cup Rally with co-driver Tony Fall. He retired in 1971 having played 516 Football League games and netted 357 goals, an all-time record.

Greaves made a comeback at the age of 38, playing for Barnet F.C. in the then Southern League, playing from midfield he netted 25 goals and was their player of the season. He then went on to make several appearances for semi-professional side Woodford Town F.C. before retiring.

International career

Greaves won his first England cap in 1959, and went on to play 57 times and score 44 goals, five less than Bobby Charlton but at a much higher rate. He remains third in the all-time list of England goalscorers, behind Charlton and Gary Lineker. Greaves also holds the record for most hat-tricks for England - six in all. At the 1961 British Home Championship, Greaves achieved the remarkable feat of scoring seven goals in three games as England won the title.

In the 1962 World Cup finals match against Brazil in Chile, a stray dog ran on to the pitch and evaded all of the players' efforts to catch it until Greaves got down on all fours to beckon the animal. Though successful in catching the dog, it proceeded to urinate all over Greaves' England shirt. The Brazilian player Garrincha thought the incident was so amusing that he took the dog home as a pet.(see video here)

Greaves was the first-choice striker for the England team during the 1966 World Cup but suffered a leg injury during a game against France and had to be replaced. That replacement, Geoff Hurst, scored the winner in the quarter final against Argentina and kept his place all the way to the final, famously scoring a hat-trick as England won the tournament.

One of football's most famous photographs shows the elation on the England bench as the final whistle was blown, except for Greaves, in his suit and tie, looking astonished at what had happened. Greaves has always maintained that he felt nothing but delight at England's win and celebrated as much as the other non-playing members of the squad. He also maintains that he never felt he had a divine right to be in the side once he regained his fitness. However, his reaction at the time of England's success became well-documented - he packed his bags and headed on holiday with his wife while the rest of the squad attended an official banquet.

Post playing career

In the mid-1970s Greaves battled a well-documented alcohol problem, finally quitting drinking in February 1978. He became a popular television presenter and football pundit, striking up a memorable partnership with Ian St. John. Together they hosted a popular Saturday lunchtime football show called Saint and Greavsie from 1985 until the programme was axed in 1992.

Greaves also worked frequently for TV-am as a TV critic and was a resident team captain on ITVSporting Triangles as well as co-hosting the popular Saturday morning kids TV show, The Saturday Show. He briefly had his own talk show and has been a columnist for The Sun newspaper for many years. He also answered readers letters in Shoot magazine in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2002 Greaves was made an Inaugural Inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame. He released his autobiography, Greavsie, in 2003 and is in demand as an after-dinner speaker.

 A True Lane Legend

(Information and statistics courtesy of Spurs Odyssey and wikipedia)