After reading about Glen Johnson and Arjen Robben recently, I was wondering - who is the 1 player you regret leaving the club? Wouldn't necessarily have him back now (especially if he left in the 70s...!), but at the time you were heartbroken. Sold before his time. Left for a bigger club. I'm not talking about those who retired though.

I suspect Osgood, Dixon and possibly Wilkins would be amongst the top names, but for me it was Gudjohnsen. He was a superb player with the skill and the touch but also power and dedication. Also thought he bled blue and transfer window after transfer window the general thought is he would go, but he decided to stay and fight for his place. In the end I guess Barca were a tempting offer to a player who, if we kept on signing big name strikers, may be pushed into the background in the prime of his career.

I'm guessing the biggest loss for the club was Jimmy Grieves, but that was well before my time.

For the record I thought we sold Guddy at the right time, cracking player though. I was gutted when Andy Townsend left, but hes a grade A tosser, so it's not all bad, but he should have been dragging us forward at that stage.

I can't really think of anyone else, generally when players leave it's because they don't really want to play for the club so good riddence.

Eidur is a good shout Gem and certainly up there for me.

But if I had to pick one player it would be Pat Nevin. Was gutted when he left us in '88, although it was inevitable as we'd just got relegated and he was sort after and too good at that stage to be playing in the old second division. Took me a fair while to get over wee Pat's departure - just didn't get the same enjoyment going to games without our little wing wizard.

That's another reason why I'll never forgive Hollins. It was all his fault!

Guddy seemed to be blue all the way, but he wasn't playing much in his last season with us. He had a chance to play in another big league for one of the biggest clubs in the world, so I can understand why he left.

If I had to pick one moment from his time at Chelsea, I guess it would be this:

To quote Guddy: "Eidur Gudjohnsen, striker for the Mighty Blues!"

Need you ask?

Need you ask?

It's Jimmy Floyd himself, isn't it? :D

It has to be Gordon Durie for me. I was on holiday in Cornwall when i heard he had scored for the Yi*s. I didn't even know he had left us it was in a pre-season game for them.

super dan petrescue for me. i loved him at chelsea and was devestated when he left. i was also a pretty gutted when roman couldnt convince franco to stay just noe more season, i would love to have seen him in the champions league with us.

Peter Osgood and Alan Hudson for me, no question - I still hate Dave Sexton & Brian Mears for getting rid of them!

Peter Osgood and Alan Hudson for me, no question - I still hate Dave Sexton & Brian Mears for getting rid of them!

before my time but when i read about the way sexton cullled the squad i was still angry as hell. i can only imagine how bad it must have been for chelsea fans when it happened.

I'm guessing the biggest loss for the club was Jimmy Grieves, but that was well before my time.

For the record I thought we sold Guddy at the right time, cracking player though. I was gutted when Andy Townsend left, but hes a grade A tosser, so it's not all bad, but he should have been dragging us forward at that stage.

I can't really think of anyone else, generally when players leave it's because they don't really want to play for the club so good riddence.

Yes it was Jimmy Greaves (Freudian slip on the name Barn!) for me and I guess it will be the same for all the fans of a certain age. Your’e right though, Gem, I wouldn’t want him back now.

Its got to be The Iceman for me. I absolutely loved the guy, almost the same as Lamps, and when he was gone I was gutted. So much so that I even swore at Mourinho for letting him go. I'd take him instead of Pizzaman even today.

Thanks Gem for those lovely pictures.

My dad says greaves and has hated spurs for signing him from milan ever since.

I would say nevin or townsend, but agree the latter is an anti cfc tosser now.

Recently i too was gutted when eidur left, we signed sheva and ballack and i thought he was a combination of the 2.(not the young sheva but the 1 we signed with no pace) But Eidur loved the club and did'nt want a kings ransom to play for it.

Having done so well in out tittle winning teams i was gutted we let robben and duff go too. who hav'nt as yet been replaced.

My dad says greaves and has hated spurs for signing him from milan ever since.

I would say nevin or townsend, but agree the latter is an anti cfc tosser now.

Recently i too was gutted when eidur left, we signed sheva and ballack and i thought he was a combination of the 2.(not the young sheva but the 1 we signed with no pace) But Eidur loved the club and did'nt want a kings ransom to play for it.

Having done so well in out tittle winning teams i was gutted we let robben and duff go too. who hav'nt as yet been replaced.

As a kid I was gutted when Dorigo left for Leeds, I still remember the goal against Man City when he run from his own half and rounded the keeper.

Nevin is up there, along with Durie who was supposed to be moving closer to home.

I also liked Flo and didn't want to see him leave, although it was for a record transfer.

But the one that 'got away' was Zola, albeit at the end of his career. Although he kept his promise to Caligari, Roman almost resigned him once his take over was complete, unfortunately, it was a day too late and the little 25 was on his way to Italy.

More recently losing Carlo to Spurs was a toughie, losing any player to Spurs is gutting, but one of the best keepers in the league, for free?!?

The biggest most gutting departure from Stamford Bridge in my life-time will always be the way Jose left the club. I was shell-shocked for weeks.

The biggest most gutting departure from Stamford Bridge in my life-time will always be the way Jose left the club. I was shell-shocked for weeks.

We could tell from your posts (even now!!)

We could tell from your posts (even now!!)

I'm over it now Nibs

My dad says greaves and has hated spurs for signing him from milan ever since.

Weird. People usually hate the player for going to Spurs, not Spurs for signing the player. :lol:

As a kid I was gutted when Dorigo left for Leeds, I still remember the goal against Man City when he run from his own half and rounded the keeper.

Remember that, was a quality goal, even more so back then! I remember him and Ken Monkou use to have some kind of warm up technique that looked a little odd.

Weird. People usually hate the player for going to Spurs, not Spurs for signing the player. :lol:

Greaves was his hero, much easier to hate Spurs than Jimmy Greaves. He's brought up 2 sons to hate them aswell!

Weird. People usually hate the player for going to Spurs, not Spurs for signing the player. :lol:

But do the players actually get much choice in where they go, or are they sold like prize horses?

Peter Osgood and Alan Hudson for me, no question - I still hate Dave Sexton & Brian Mears for getting rid of them!

In a nutshell.

I was at Stoke away on the Sunday and a load of us went to see off the players coach begging Ossie to stay. The look in his face was something else. The feeling among the fans then was that in his heart of hearts he desperately wanted to stay but was being forced out by Mears and more particularly Sexton. I'll never, ever forgive Sexton for that. What I will remember is that he won a couple of cups with Tommy Doc's team, which he then proceeded to dismantle and in the process managed to take the club to the brink of extinction.

But do the players actually get much choice in where they go, or are they sold like prize horses?

They don't often have a choice, but that hasn't stopped fans for condemning former players(even former fan favorites) for moving to a certain club(Chelsea to Spurs for example).

They don't often have a choice, but that hasn't stopped fans for condemning former players(even former fan favorites) for moving to a certain club(Chelsea to Spurs for example).

Yes, that's what I thought. Logically then the hatred should be reserved for those responsible for the sale e.g. peter kenyon!

Pat Nevin for me.

I know he wanted first division football, and we needed the money (under £1m!), and we still won the 2nd division the following season, but it was a much more workmanlike side without him and it took us years to replace him properly.