History of Chelsea F.C. (1952–1983)
Docherty built a new team around the group of talented young players emerging from the club's youth set-up, and Chelsea challenged for honours throughout the 1960s, enduring several near-misses.It included goalkeeper Charlie 'Chic' Thomson, amateur players Derek Saunders and Jim Lewis, central midfielder Johnny "Jock" McNichol, wingers Eric "Rabbit" Parsons and Frank Blunstone, defender Peter Sillett and future England manager Ron Greenwood in central defence, as well old club stalwarts, right back Ken Armstrong, left-back Stan Willemse and veteran defender John Harris.Chelsea, however, were denied by the intervention of the Football League and the FA, many of whose leading members were opposed to the idea and felt that primacy should be given to domestic competitions, so the club were persuaded to withdraw.The team was aging and there followed a succession of uninspiring mid-table finishes; one bright spot in this period was the emergence of the prolific goalscorer Jimmy Greaves, who scored 122 league goals in four seasons.Superstars of the time, including Michael Caine, Steve McQueen, Raquel Welch, Terence Stamp and Richard Attenborough (former Life Vice President of the club) were regularly seen at Stamford Bridge as the team became one of the most glamorous and fashionable in the country.A '60s Chelsea side that oozed charisma and class established the club as a big name for the first time, but ultimately failed to match its swagger with on-field triumphs, and endured several near-misses.Docherty imposed a regime of strict discipline, sold off many of the club's older players, and replaced them with the new generation of talented youngsters emerging from the youth system, supplemented by some shrewd transfers.Chelsea thus returned to the First Division with a new, youthful team which included the uncompromising Ron "Chopper" Harris (who would set a club record of 795 senior appearances), goalkeeper Peter Bonetti, prolific goalscoring winger Bobby Tambling (whose 202 goals remained a club record until 2013), midfielder John Hollins, full-back Ken Shellito, striker Barry Bridges, winger Bert Murray and captain and playmaker Terry Venables, all products of the youth system.Docherty then sent home eight key players (Venables, Graham, Bridges, Hollins, McCreadie, Hinton, Murray and Joe Fascione) for breaking a curfew before a crucial match against Burnley.In his finest moment for Chelsea, Hateley headed in what proved to be the winner, but in a hotly contested match, Leeds had two goals disallowed, one for offside and one for a Peter Lorimer free-kick taken too quickly.In a game which failed to match the anticipation, Chelsea underperformed and a late Tambling header was not enough to prevent a 2–1 loss to a Spurs side containing both Venables and Jimmy Greaves.Docherty was sacked shortly into the next season with the team having won only two of their opening ten games, which included a 6–2 home loss to Southampton, amidst rumours of dressing room unrest over bonus payments and whilst serving a 28-day ban from football management handed out by the FA.Sexton proved a stabilising influence and led Chelsea to two more top-six finishes, as well as a brief foray into the Fairs Cup in 1968–69, where they were knocked out by DWS on a coin toss.Chelsea were generally second best in the first match at Wembley played on a boggy pitch, but twice came from behind to gain a 2–2 draw, first through Houseman and then a late headed equaliser (four minutes from full-time) from Hutchinson.The first final match against Real Madrid finished 1–1 but a rare goal from Dempsey and another strike from Osgood in the replay – played just two days later – were enough to secure a 2–1 win and Chelsea's first European honour.From the early 1970s, the discipline of the team began to degenerate, as Sexton fell out with several key players, most notably Osgood, Hudson and Baldwin over their attitude and lifestyle.The feud between Sexton and Osgood and Hudson reached its apogee after a 4–2 home defeat to West Ham United on Boxing Day 1973, after Chelsea had led 2–0 at half-time;[19] the pair were both sold a few months later.Sexton himself was sacked early into the 1974–75 season after a poor start, and succeeded by his assistant, Ron Suart, who was unable to reverse the club's decline and they were relegated in 1975.The project coincided with a world economic crisis and was hit by delays, a builders' strike and shortages of materials, all of which sent the cost escalating out of control, to the extent that the club's debts stood at £4 million by 1977.[25] Former left-back Eddie McCreadie became manager shortly before Chelsea's relegation in 1975 and, after a year of consolidation in 1975–76, led the side to promotion again in 1976–77 with a team composed of youth players, most notably Ray Wilkins and 24-goal striker Steve Finnieston, and veterans from more successful times like Cooke, Harris and Bonetti.Shellito's successor, former double-winning Tottenham Hotspur captain Danny Blanchflower was unable to stem the slump and the club were relegated again with just five league wins and 27 defeats, ushering in one of the bleakest periods in Chelsea's history.Wilkins, one of the club's few remaining stars, was sold to Manchester United and England's 1966 World Cup final hero Geoff Hurst became manager in September 1979 with Bobby Gould as his assistant.Following a bright start, the team slumped dramatically, going on a nine-match winless run as the season drew to a close and faced relegation to the Third Division which, given the club's financial troubles, could well have dealt it a killer blow.In the penultimate game of the season at fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers, Clive Walker hit a last-minute winner from 25 yards (23 m) to ensure a crucial 1–0 win.Over the next decade, Bates waged a war of attrition against Marler, acquiring a minority stake in SB Properties and initiating a series of court injunctions and delaying tactics, designed to wear them down.
History of Chelsea F.C. (1905–1952)History of Chelsea F.C. (1983–2003)History of Chelsea F.C. (2003–2022)History of Chelsea F.C. (2022–present)Chelsea Football Clubassociation footballChelsea F.C.ArsenalTed DrakeChelsea pensioner1954–55European Champions' CupThe Football LeagueTommy DochertyLeague CupDave SextonFA Cup in 1970Leeds UnitedUEFA Cup Winners' CupReal MadridEnglandnicknameregimejubileeFirst DivisiongoalkeeperCharlie 'Chic' ThomsonDerek SaundersJim LewisJohnny "Jock" McNicholEric "Rabbit" ParsonsFrank BlunstonePeter SillettRon GreenwoodKen ArmstrongStan WillemseveteranJohn HarriscaptainRoy BentleySt George's DayWolverhampton WanderersMolineuxpenaltyBilly WrightMatt BusbyBusby BabesSwedish championsDjurgårdens IFFootball LeaguefriendlychampionsAberdeenJimmy GreavesFA CupFourth DivisionCrewe AlexandraBlackpoolBobby TamblingBarry Bridgesswinging sixtiesKing's RoadMichael CaineSteve McQueenRaquel WelchTerence StampRichard AttenboroughSecond DivisionTommy HarmerPortsmouthRon "Chopper" HarrisPeter BonettiJohn HollinsKen ShellitoBert MurrayGeorge GrahamEddie McCreadieMarvin HintonLeicester CityFilbert StreetJoe FascionecurfewBurnleyFairs CupAnfieldYorkshire1860 MunichBarcelonacoin tossCamp NouCharlie CookeTommy BaldwinPeter OsgoodTony HateleyPeter LorimerTottenham HotspurCockney Cup FinalWembleySouthamptonRon Suart1953–54Leyton OrientJohn DempseyDavid WebbIan HutchinsonAlan HudsonPeter Houseman1968–69BonettiDempseyHarrisMcCreadieHollinsBaldwinHousemanOsgoodHutchinson1970 FA Cup Final1969–70extra timethrow-in2–1 winCSKA SofiaClub BruggeManchester CityBlue is the Colour