The business began as the clydesdale rubber company in the 1930s, selling - among other things - wellington boots and sheepskin coats. The business survived the difficult 1930s and 40s and in the 1950s, the third generation of the family business, brothers jim and bill greaves, presided over a change of direction which would see this small rubber company grow into one of the best know multi-sports department stores in the uk.In 1959, jim and bill took over their main city rival, lumley’s in a bold buy-out which saw them double their presence in glasgow. Diversifying into the sports trade and becoming synonymous with winter sports, jim and bill rebranded the clydesdale rubber company as greaves sports in 1967.As more and more rival sports stores swapped out sports gear for leisure wear, greaves soon became one of the country’s last true multi-sports department stores standing.