ReggieBoy

Not managed to track down any photographs, but if you look at this YouTube clip around 4.10 - 4.15 seconds you can see Ron Harris in conversation with Tommy Docherty, whilst wearing the 'Inter' Strip.

No mate, only the Leeds United match. I've no real recollection of the game against Liverpool, but I'm sure that against Sheffield Wednesday Chelsea wore an 'Internazionale' type strip (blue and black stripe shirt, black shorts black socks with blue turn-over tops). I think it was only ever worn during that match. Perhaps if the match had been won it may have been adopted long-term!!!

My very first Chelsea game was at Villa Park in 1959. All my dad’s family were massive Villa fans (I had a great uncle, Billy Garraty, on my grandmother’s side of the family who had won a League and FA Cup winners medal with Villa at the beginning of the century). I can remember standing in the Holte End with my dad and uncle Harry when it was all just a massive big open terrace, no roof. I seem to remember it was a pretty cold day (think it was January), when Chelsea out ran onto the pitch. I realize this sounds stupid in this day and age, but I thought the Royal Blue shirts and white shorts looked great - compared to Villa’s horrible claret and light blue. Even though Chelsea lost the match, I can remember telling my dad on the way home that Chelsea were now MY team (he thought it was just a fad, but as the years passed by he realised that I was serious, something I don’t think he forgave me for to his grave!) I didn’t even know Chelsea was in London, but found out everything about them over the next couple of weeks. Charles Buchan's Football Monthly was the football fans’ bible in the late fifties, early sixties - I’d cut out any photographs or articles on Chelsea, which at the time, were few and far between - mostly John Connelly, Albert Quixall and Ron Flowers. But, it didn’t matter, Chelsea were to be the only team for me over the next fifty years! Looking back I think supporting Chelsea was definitely a lesson in character building! Having to defend yourself in the school yard against Man United kids certainly taught you how to look after yourself!

I thought Ray was known as Mr BBC in the Chelsea dressing room. Not for his broadcasting prowess, but because he was in charge of balls, bibs and cones! Best of luck Ray, sorry to see you go.

Busted

Whoops - who mentioned Apple Macs? :rolleyes:

I saw the Feelgoods at The Hope and Anchor in '76. Not really my sort of music, but a fantastic live band.

Fantastic list of singles, may I just add Girls Are Out To Get You by The Fascinations

I take it you lads are NOT Apple fans?

Chelsea v Leeds United - FA Cup Semi-final - Villa Park 29th April 1967. The story begins three week before on a wet Sunday morning. Tickets for the match were to go on sale at 11 o’clock - simultaneously at the Bridge, Villa Park and Elland Road. I caught the first Midland Red bus to Aston Station and walked through the back streets to the ground. I wouldn’t describe Aston as a millionaires’ playground at the moment, but in those days it was a sooty, rundown, sad district. Lots of houses were boarded up ready to be demolished to make way for Gravelly Hill Interchange (or, Spaghetti Junction for those who didn’t attended Grammar School!!!!!!) The queue was around a hundred by the time I joined it at ten o’clock - by eleven there must have been a couple of thousand. Tickets were limited to two per person, but being near the front of the queue I was able to buy my initial two then re-join the queue and buy two more. Obviously in those days there were no ‘home’ or ‘away’ sections, a ticket was a ticket. Come the day of the match the excitement was almost too much to bear. Again the transport to Villa Park was by Midland Red bus. Even though the journey time was longer than the train, it dropped you off pretty near to the ground, saving the need to get to and from New Street Station. Alan C, his brother Mick plus Bob Chit had the other three tickets - I didn’t even charge them a booking fee!!!! This time Aston took on a totally different look. Lots of fans, programme sellers, hot dog vans and souvenir sellers made up the throng. The Holte End was already half full when we eventually got in. Younger fans just wouldn’t belive that Chelsea and Leeds fans stood together on the same piece of terracing!! I think the Holte accommodated around 18,000 fans in those days, I think the split was around 50-50 as I recall. A large group of Chelsea fans as gathered together at back of the terracing so we climbed up to join them. There was a fad at that time for Blues fans to take walking sticks to matches - there were hundreds at Villa Park that day. You would have though it was a recipe for disaster, but I cannot recall any trouble inside or outside the ground. I must admit, the details of the match are a bit of a blur - the whole atmosphere was just overwhelming, 66,000 fans in a frenzy. Tony Hateley scored the match winner. I was never really a fan, but that day I chanted his name along with everyone else. Leeds players went bananas towards the end. Having already had a goal disallowed they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the Blues penalty area. In the confusion of setting the wall, the ball was played to Peter Lorimer who ‘scored’ - only for the Ref to order the kick to be taken again because the Chelsea defenders were not, in his opinion, ten yards from the ball!!!! Chelsea played out the remaining minutes to win the match 1-0. We were in heaven - Chelsea in the Cup Final, fantastic. Of course, the Final against Spurs didn’t go to plan a few weeks later, but that afternoon in north Birmingham was a s sweet as they come.

Thanks for the kind words. Like I said, it's my first contribution, glad you liked it. I've lots of other memories of Chelsea in the Sixties and Seventies, and at my age I need to get them on paper before I forget them all together. I didn't see Chelsea at the Bridge until 1966, but being a Midlands Blue saw lots of matches with school mates when Chelsea played at Forest, Villa, Leicester, West Brom and Stoke. They were all accessible in those days by bus or train. Plus, you just turned up with your two shillings on the day and walked in!!!! That's one of the things that put's me off a little nowadays - the lack of spontaneity when you attend a match - everything has to pre-planned, pre-booked and premeditated! I understand the reason why, but I suppose I miss the opportunity of turning up at 2.30 and walking in to any match you pleased. My next match report will be Chelsea v Leeds United FA Cup Semi-final at Villa Park, 1967.

I don't think you can go wrong with a Mac Book. :D

New to this Forum. I’d just like to share an Away Day from 42 years ago! Chelsea v Man United at Old Trafford. 24th August 1968. Man U had won the European Cup just a couple of months earlier and must have fancied themselves at home against Chelsea. My sister, who is three years younger than me, was a massive George Best fan, so by default, a Man U supporter. Neither of us had been to Old Trafford before, so it promised to be a great day out. The weather was fantastic, an archetypal late summer afternoon - bright sunlight, no wind with just a bit of a chill in the air. The Old Trafford of the Sixties was somewhat different to the edifice it is today. We sat in the ‘modern’ United Road Stand, facing the much older South Stand. To the right was the Stretford End terracing, to the left the Scoreboard End. The atmosphere was electric as the players took to the pitch - the tunnel was directly opposite us, not tucked away in the corner as it is now. Chelsea scored in the first minute. Tommy Baldwin - bang - Chelsea one up. There were four lads from Stratham sitting directly behind us - all five of us went crazy, my sister just sat there in disbelief! Another Baldwin goal, one each from Alan Birchenall and Bobby Tambling were United's undoing! By half time Chelsea were, I think, 3-0 up. It was like a dream, so surreal - the Man U fans were stunned into silence, they couldn’t believe it (neither could I if truth be known). The final score was 4-0 to Chelsea; for me it was a performance that was never ever equalled in the old Division One. Even the drubbing handed out to the Villa two years before (6-2 - Tambling scored FIVE that day at Villa Park) was nothing compared to the humbling of United that afternoon! For me, Chelsea’s finest hour. As much as that afternoon filled me with elation, I shall never forget the feeling of utter despondency, standing in the Shed eight years later with Dave Sullivan, a carpet fitter from Kensal Rise, after the FA Cup defeat to Palace. Utter dejection and disbelief. I know I’m going to sound like my late dad when I say I miss those days. When local lads like Alan Hudson, Peter Bonetti and Peter Houseman along with the less local Harris brothers, Marvin Hinton, Ossie, plus a smattering of Jocks - Cooke, Boyle, McCreadie et al played for Chelsea they seemed to be more ‘our boys.’ Don’t get me wrong, the fans that sit in the Matthew Harding nowadays must feel the same about Didier, Frank and Ashley, but I’m not a great follower of the ‘modern game.’ All the badge kissing in the World will not convince me that most of them would go to the highest bidder, should the opportunity arise! BUT, nothing could ever take away that feeling of utter joy of watching Chelsea that Saturday afternoon in the late summer of 1968.