Sports14 August, 20262 min read
Jimmy Rimmer Dies Aged 78 After Aston Villa, Arsenal, Manchester United Goalkeeping Career
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Jimmy Rimmer dies aged 78; former goalkeeper for Aston Villa, Manchester United, Arsenal Won European Cup with Manchester United (1968) and Aston Villa (1982)
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Rimmer dies at 78
Jimmy Rimmer, the former Aston Villa, Arsenal and Manchester United goalkeeper, has died at the age of 78. Aston Villa said: “Aston Villa is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of European Cup winner Jimmy Rimmer, who has died at the age of 78.” Rimmer was ever-present in Aston Villa’s 1981 First Division title-winning season and started the European Cup final the following year when the Villans beat Bayern Munich 1-0 in Rotterdam.
“Aston Villa’s 1981 First Division title-winning goalkeeper Jimmy Rimmer has died at the age of 78.”
In the 1982 final, he was forced off with a neck injury after only nine minutes, with Nigel Spink replacing him and Peter Withe scoring the second-half winner. Sky News also noted that Rimmer was “on the bench at Wembley in 1968 as Manchester United beat Benfica 4-1,” before his later Villa European Cup run.
Tributes from clubs and teammates
Tributes poured in after the death, including from Rimmer’s former Manchester United teammate Alex Stepney, who wrote: “Such sad news to hear Jimmy Rimmer has passed away, rest in peace and lots of love to Jimmy’s family x.”
Manchester United posted on X: "Manchester United are deeply saddened by the loss of our former goalkeeper, Jimmy Rimmer. Our thoughts are with Jimmy's loved ones at this difficult time."
Wales Online said Rimmer spent three years with Swansea between 1983 and 1986 and later became Swansea’s goalkeeping coach, with two spells as caretaker manager during the 1995/96 season.
It described how he first took over from fellow caretaker boss Bobby Smith, who quit after a dispute with the club chairman after manager Frank Burrows had already handed in his resignation.
Sky News added that Rimmer was in tears in the dressing room as he received treatment from club doctor David Targett, although he was back in the dug-out in time to witness Peter Withe’s winning goal.
Legacy across European Cups
Rimmer’s career is repeatedly framed around winning the European Cup with two different English clubs, with the AP report saying he won the European Cup with Manchester United and Aston Villa 14 years apart. The Independent said he was famously remembered for coming off with a neck injury just nine minutes into the 1982 European Cup final, which Villa won 1-0 against Bayern Munich in Rotterdam. FOX Sports reported that he collected a European Cup winner's medal with United in 1968 after being on the bench, as the backup to Alex Stepney, for its 4-1 win over Benfica in the final at Wembley Stadium.
Sky News said Rimmer made 287 league and cup appearances for Aston Villa and that he was “one of just five Villa players to figure in the starting line-up in all nine of our European Cup matches that season.” Europa Press added that after recovering from his neck injury, he was the Villa’s first-choice goalkeeper during the first half of the 1982-83 season and that he returned to Swansea in 1983, this time permanently.