Jamie Reeves (footballer)
Encyclopedia
For the strongman
, see Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves (born 5 March 1953) is a regular football pundit on ESPN STAR Sports
coverage of the English Premier League. He was formerly a semi-professional football player in England
's Southern League
, Isthmian League
and Essex Senior League, and won the FA Vase
twice (in 1979 and 1983). He then moved to Singapore
where he played in the FAS Premier League
, before becoming a television pundit.
, United Kingdom
, Jamie attended the Westcliff High School for Boys
, where he developed an interest in both Cricket
and Rugby
. He received a Bachelor's degree in Economics at the University of Leicester
in 1973, and a Master's in Quantitative Social Science from the University of Kent at Canterbury
in 1975.
After his graduation, he switched to soccer at the age of 22. He was soon spotted by his local semi-professional team and quickly moved through the ranks of non-league soccer, culminating in a winning appearance (4-1) at Wembley Stadium in 1979 for Billericay Town in the FA Vase
. Five years later he reappeared at the same venue in the same competition, this time winning 3-2 with Stansted in what The Times
described as "the biggest upset in FA Vase history".
After 13 years playing semi-professionally in the Southern League
, Isthmian League
and Essex Senior League, Jamie hung up his boots, and within a year moved to Singapore. He briefly came out of retirement for one season in the FAS Premier League
(the forerunner of the S.League
) for the now-defunct Tyrwhitt Soccerites. He established a reputation for scoring with headers, and at the end of the season was named the league's second best player of the year by the Straits Times.
First appearing on TV in May 1992, working in the studio on the FA Cup Final between Liverpool
and Sunderland
, Jamie went on to do commentary work on the Malaysia Cup
and the S.League before joining ESPN Star Sports. There, he has commentated on the Chinese Super League
, the K-League
, the UEFA Champions League
, the Asian Games
, the Asian World Cup Qualifiers
, and the Tiger Cup
, as well as dabbling in La Liga
and Serie A
. He first worked as a studio pundit on the Premier League in the 2000-2001 season, and has been heavily involved with that league ever since.
Since 1989 he also worked as an Economics lecturer (notably at Raffles Junior College
in Singapore
). He currently leads the Raffles Institution Humanities Programme, and does media work on the side.
Reeves is married with two children.
Strongman (strength athlete)
In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or circus performers of similar ilk who displayed feats of strength such as the bent press , supporting large amounts of...
, see Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves is a former coal miner, strongman and professional wrestler. As a strongman, he won the 1989 World's Strongest Man, was World Muscle Power champion, and also had numerous other titles including Europe's Strongest Man and Britain's Strongest Man...
Jamie Reeves (born 5 March 1953) is a regular football pundit on ESPN STAR Sports
ESPN Star Sports
ESPN Star Sports is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and News Corporation...
coverage of the English Premier League. He was formerly a semi-professional football player in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
's Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
, Isthmian League
Isthmian League
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area...
and Essex Senior League, and won the FA Vase
FA Vase
The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing below Step 4 of the English National League System...
twice (in 1979 and 1983). He then moved to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
where he played in the FAS Premier League
FAS Premier League
The Football Association of Singapore Premier League is a now-defunct football league competition held in Singapore between 1988 and 1995. During that period, it was the top tier of the Singapore football league structure...
, before becoming a television pundit.
Biography
Born in EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Jamie attended the Westcliff High School for Boys
Westcliff High School for Boys
Westcliff High School for Boys is a selective academy grammar school for boys aged 11 to 18 in Westcliff-on-Sea, near Southend-on-Sea, Essex and surrounding areas. In September 2001 the school was awarded "Beacon" status for its breadth of achievements and quality of work...
, where he developed an interest in both Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and Rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
. He received a Bachelor's degree in Economics at the University of Leicester
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
in 1973, and a Master's in Quantitative Social Science from the University of Kent at Canterbury
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
in 1975.
After his graduation, he switched to soccer at the age of 22. He was soon spotted by his local semi-professional team and quickly moved through the ranks of non-league soccer, culminating in a winning appearance (4-1) at Wembley Stadium in 1979 for Billericay Town in the FA Vase
FA Vase
The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing below Step 4 of the English National League System...
. Five years later he reappeared at the same venue in the same competition, this time winning 3-2 with Stansted in what The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
described as "the biggest upset in FA Vase history".
After 13 years playing semi-professionally in the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
, Isthmian League
Isthmian League
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area...
and Essex Senior League, Jamie hung up his boots, and within a year moved to Singapore. He briefly came out of retirement for one season in the FAS Premier League
FAS Premier League
The Football Association of Singapore Premier League is a now-defunct football league competition held in Singapore between 1988 and 1995. During that period, it was the top tier of the Singapore football league structure...
(the forerunner of the S.League
S.League
The S.League is the top men's professional association football league in Singapore. The league was launched in 1996 and currently involves 12 clubs.-History:...
) for the now-defunct Tyrwhitt Soccerites. He established a reputation for scoring with headers, and at the end of the season was named the league's second best player of the year by the Straits Times.
First appearing on TV in May 1992, working in the studio on the FA Cup Final between Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, Jamie went on to do commentary work on the Malaysia Cup
Malaysia Cup
The Malaysia Cup is an annual association football tournament in Malaysia. It is currently the longest-running football competition in Asia...
and the S.League before joining ESPN Star Sports. There, he has commentated on the Chinese Super League
Chinese Super League
The Chinese Football Association Super League , commonly known as Chinese Super League or CSL, currently known as the Pirelli Chinese Football Association Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest tier of professional association football in China, operating under the auspices of the...
, the K-League
K-League
The Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...
, the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, the Asian Games
Asian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
, the Asian World Cup Qualifiers
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
The Asian Football Confederation was allocated four assured qualifying berths for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and one place in a play-off. 43 teams were in the running for these spots; Laos, Brunei and the Philippines did not attempt to qualify...
, and the Tiger Cup
Tiger Cup
The ASEAN Football Championship , is a biennial international association football competition organized by the ASEAN Football Federation , contested by the national teams of Southeast Asia...
, as well as dabbling in La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
and Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
. He first worked as a studio pundit on the Premier League in the 2000-2001 season, and has been heavily involved with that league ever since.
Since 1989 he also worked as an Economics lecturer (notably at Raffles Junior College
Raffles Junior College
Raffles Institution offers the Raffles Programme at Year 5 and 6 . It is located in Bishan beside the Year 1-4 school campus of Raffles Institution. The Principal is Mrs Lim Lai Cheng...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
). He currently leads the Raffles Institution Humanities Programme, and does media work on the side.
Reeves is married with two children.