Am guessing that this was taken in early May 1971 as it mentions that we are European Cup Winner's Cup Finalists. We played the second leg of the semi-final on 28 April. Final was played on 19 May and the replay on 21 May. 

Edited July 8, 20188 yr by Boyne

 

On ‎07‎/‎07‎/‎2018 at 14:06, Peckham Blue said:

Was that the League Cup game where Southampton got chased off the pitch?

From what I was told from older mates yes. No support apart from Chelsea's in those days could go away to a midweek match and invade the pitch in such numbers. I went to the replay locked out of the Shed stood on the Northstand for probably the only the second time I was 14. I was a Shed boy you knew that the Northstand was no place for kids 

Edited July 8, 20188 yr by bluehaze

13 hours ago, Boyne said:

 

Ah, that season ! not been mentioned, for what, a week ?

Far too long !

Proper season was 1983/84 .

Boyne: Cheers for the photos  of the first and youth teams of that proper season.

https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2018/7/9/a-welcome-return

A welcome return

• 6 HOURS AGO

 

Having played against Chelsea in 1974, former Western Australia stars John Davidson and John O’Connell are eagerly looking forward to the Blues’ long-awaited return to Perth later this month.

The British-born pair played in midfield for WA when they met Dave Sexton’s side 44 years ago and they will be in attendance with some of their former team-mates for our pre-season game against Perth Glory at Optus Stadium on 23 July.

‘It was a great thrill to play against Chelsea back then and I’m really looking forward to seeing them this time when they come back,’ says Aberdeen native Davidson (standing third from left in picture above), now 65.

‘I still follow English football and I’m always keeping an eye out for Chelsea because they have some great players there.’

‘The game has developed and gone up to another level since we played against them in 1974 but it’s great that Chelsea are coming back here,’ adds O’Connell (standing fourth from left), who is originally from Liverpool.

‘They are now one of the best clubs in the world; a team that is constantly on the move and not happy to settle for where they are.’

For Davidson, there is the added thrill of being able to watch the club that he supported when he was growing up in Scotland in the 1960s.

‘While I was an Aberdeen fan, all of the kids in school had an English team that they also followed and my favourite club was Chelsea. I loved watching Peter Osgood and he was my idol back then. And then Charlie Cooke, who’s also from Aberdeen, joined them and he was a great player as well,’ he says.

Davidson himself played for Aberdeen’s youth side and represented Scotland at youth level, but he left the prospect of a professional career behind him when he moved to Australia as a 17-year-old in June 1970, just weeks after our FA Cup victory against Leeds.

He continued to play the game at amateur level after moving Down Under and was regularly selected to play for Australia’s under-23 side and Western Australia’s state team. It was with the latter that he played against the Blues on 26 May 1974 at the now-demolished Perry Lakes Stadium.

‘It was built for the 1962 Commonwealth Games and we played there quite regularly against touring teams including Aberdeen, who came to Perth shortly before Chelsea,’ says Davidson of the venue for our 1974 match.

‘Of course, it’s not a patch on Optus Stadium which is state-of-the-art, but it was a top-notch venue back then with a good pitch and we would get some big crowds in there.’

 

The programme cover from Chelsea's match in Perth in 1974

Perth was a regular venue for visiting European teams at that time with Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Rangers, AC Milan and Red Star Belgrade among the teams that played against Western Australia. While the level of football in Australia may not have been as high as it was in Europe, the WA players did not make things easy for their opponents.

‘Football in Australia back then was largely semi-pro and each state had their own team that would play against the European clubs or compete against national teams in regional tournaments like the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia and Marah Halim Cup in Indonesia,’ says O’Connell, who had settled in Perth in 1965 at the age of 18.

‘Those were games that we always looked forward to and that we wanted to play in because it was a great opportunity to pick our wits and to gain experience against great players from top-quality professional clubs.

‘And we would give them a good game as well. We beat Rangers 2-1 and we only lost 1-0 against Chelsea, who had beaten our state team 6-1 just a few years earlier. We had made a lot of improvement by then.’

A lone goal by Ian Hutchinson gave Chelsea a narrow victory against WA and while Davidson’s memories of the match itself are hazy, he hasn’t forgotten the opportunity that he had to meet one of his boyhood idols.

‘There was plenty of publicity for the game and I was an up-and-coming player so they highlighted me and I was invited for a photo shoot with Charlie Cooke and Peter Bonetti,’ he recalls.

‘It was a great thrill to meet them, especially Charlie Cooke who was such a great player and had come from Aberdeen like me. It was an amazing experience and I was just delighted to get the chance to meet him in person.’

1 hour ago, erskblue said:

Proper season was 1983/84 .

Boyne: Cheers for the photos  of the first and youth teams of that proper season.

@erskblueYou're welcome. As you say, that proper season.

On 07/07/2018 at 22:51, mad_mac said:

ah ok,

i know what Court means in that sense, just heard it wrong.  Cheers 

Actually, on reflection I'm sure that a lot of blokes probably thought of it as being "caught"! 

Saddened to hear of the recent passing of former Spurs and Scotland striker from the 1960s and 1970s, Alan Gilzean.

My old man really rated him as a striker.

Wasn't really sure where to place this.

Silly haircut though, that sweep over never fooled me.

3 hours ago, erskblue said:

Saddened to hear of the recent passing of former Spurs and Scotland striker from the 1960s and 1970s, Alan Gilzean.

My old man really rated him as a striker.

Wasn't really sure where to place this.

Having just finished Jimmy Greaves book he rated Gilzean as a strike partner.

There was also some sort of message of condolence from JG, which surprised me; I thought his strokes had completely incapacitated him. Nice to know he’s not completely cabbaged.

Not sure if already posted. A great view of 'old' ground.

Ah The Bridge, pictured above.

On 09/07/2018 at 08:39, Boyne said:

Now that's what I call "it's coming home"

17 hours ago, Boyne said:

Not sure if already posted. A great view of 'old' ground.

I was hoping that was our new ground design!!!!

1 hour ago, Boyne said:

Is that Eddie McCreadie with the shades on?

5 hours ago, Boyne said:

Norman Medhurst going the full scouse shellsuit, tash, perm.

3 hours ago, Ewell CFC said:

Is that Eddie McCreadie with the shades on?

It does look like Eddie. I'm guessing that the photo was taken in about 1964 or 65.

From THAT season. At Man. City.

59 minutes ago, Boyne said:

From THAT season. At Man. City.

I was in the seats at the side behind Micky T and Pat in the picture! So glad I took the day off school during my exams!