Jimmy Rimmer, a celebrated goalkeeper who secured European Cup victories with both Manchester United and Aston Villa, has died at 78. Born in Southport, Rimmer served as a substitute for Manchester United during their 1968 European Cup win against Benfica.
His career is perhaps best remembered for his time at Aston Villa, which he joined in 1977. He played a pivotal role in the club’s 1980-81 league title success and remained an essential part of the squad through their 1982 European Cup campaign. Although he started in the final against Bayern Munich, a neck injury forced him off the pitch after just nine minutes, leading to Nigel Spink’s famous appearance. Throughout his tenure at Villa, he made 229 league appearances.
Beyond his success in the Midlands, Rimmer had stints at Arsenal—where he was named player of the season in 1974-75—and Swansea City. He also represented England once, earning a cap during a 1976 friendly match against Italy. Former colleagues and both his old clubs have expressed deep sorrow regarding his passing, with former Manchester United teammate Alex Stepney offering public condolences to the Rimmer family.
