Lifelong Canaries fan leaves club £100 in his will to buy players a drink

Barrie Greaves, from Aylsham, at a Norwich City Football Club home match with his daughters Dr Sarah Greaves and Jane Warden. Picture: Dr Sarah Greaves Dr Sarah Greaves

Lifelong Norwich City fan Barrie Greaves always had a sense of humour when it came to the Canaries.

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Barrie Greaves, from Aylsham, celebrating Christmas in 2019 with his grandchildren while wearing a Norwich City Football Club hat. Picture: Dr Sarah Greaves Barrie Greaves, from Aylsham, celebrating Christmas in 2019 with his grandchildren while wearing a Norwich City Football Club hat. Picture: Dr Sarah Greaves

And when the former Cromer High School history teacher, from Aylsham, died on December 28, he left his heroes something sure to raise a smile - and a glass.

Barrie Greaves pictured in the EDP in 1959 while watching a Canaries match against Tottenham Hotspur FC. Picture: Archant Barrie Greaves pictured in the EDP in 1959 while watching a Canaries match against Tottenham Hotspur FC. Picture: Archant

As a mark of his passion for the club, the father-of-two and grandfather-of-three, 83, left £100 in his will to the Premier League club to pay for a round of drinks for the players.

His youngest daughter, Dr Sarah Greaves, from London, said: "He always told me that he would give £100 to the players in his will. He wanted to give it to them to thank them for their entertainment through the good times and the bad.

"It makes me smile and chuckle when I think about it. He wanted to make a gesture that was amusing. He liked winding me up about football as much as I liked winding him up about it."

Mr Greaves, who was born in 1936, grew up on Rupert Street, Norwich, and studied at the City of Norwich School (CNS).

He read history at Durham University between 1955-58 before embarking on his lifelong career as a history teacher, which became one of his life's major passions as well as watching sport.

Mr Greaves started at Cromer High School, now Cromer Academy, in 1961 as a history teacher and became head of the subject until his retirement in 1992 because he loved being in the classroom.

Dr Greaves said her father's love of Norwich City was obvious to many as it featured in a letter to his future wife, Ann Jeary, from Sheringham, whom he married in 1966, as well as his retirement card.

Mr Greaves, was first introduced to the Canaries as a 10-year-old by his grandad and by the time he left CNS he was a season ticket holder.

Throughout his life he watched hundreds of home matches and passed on his enthusiasm of the club to his two daughters and grandchildren who are also season ticket holders.

Dr Greaves said her father's favourite memory of the Canaries was the club's 1959 FA Cup run when they reached the semi-finals.

He gave up his season ticket and stopped going to home matches in 2018 due to kidney failure but listened to every match on the radio.

"Norwich City will be a never-ending legacy in my family," added Dr Greaves.

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