There’s a great joy in the hearts of Chelsea fans of a certain vintage who recall with fondness the times when Neal’s team jumped into the First Division with both feet, causing an enormous splash and harrying the established powers as a young, vibrant and entertaining team laid about them with hardly a care. Dixon and Speedie terrorised defences and Chelsea seemed set for a glorious future. Such joy is also tinged with regret at what might have been.

Not a bad summing up of the above article on John Neal.

Hero may be too strong yet the man deserves credit for turning it around and getting Bates to get his wallet out for the likes of Dixon, Nevin, McLoughlin, Pates and Niedzwicki and the turnaround from just avoiding relegation to the third division one season to getting promotion to the first next season with 90 goals.

 

15 hours ago, old git said:

Cushty could be attributed to Only Fools but Ke -Mo -Sa -Bee was what Tonto called the Lone Ranger. When I was about 10, there was only one house in our street in Carshalton that had a television (about 12 inch screen from Radio Rentals). Every Saturday morning, about 20 of us would pile into the front room of the house and watch the Lone Ranger.  

My Mum grey up in Love Lane- her dad was a stoker in St Heliers Hospital. Big Chelsea area then and now. Always associate the Lone Ranger with Saturday morning pictures. 

My grandfather lived in Waterloo area, fought in WWII, navy then commandos and after the war knew a criminal group from his local that went up to Aintree and took a load of the winnings.

Almost feels like London getting one back on  Liverpool.

Guess this was 50's.

16 hours ago, erskblue said:

https://thesefootballtimes.co/2019/01/18/john-neal-the-forgotten-hero-who-saved-chelsea-fc/

Worth a read.

Forgotten hero ?

John Neal ??

I don't think so,

When ever I see John Neal's face, I am immediately transported back to my teenage years, secondary school, girls, music, fashion. Weird I know, many a famous person of that era could of reminded of my youth, whether it was an 80's pop star, Maggie Thatcher, Lady Di etc, but they don't it's John Neal!!

So John Neal will never be forgotten, nor that Team.

Edited January 18, 20197 yr by chi blue

7 hours ago, chi blue said:

When ever I see John Neal's face, I am immediately transported back to my teenage years, secondary school, girls, music, fashion. Weird I know, many a famous person of that era could of reminded of my youth, whether it was an 80's pop star, Maggie Thatcher, Lady Di etc, but they don't it's John Neal!!

So John Neal will never be forgotten, nor that Team.

Same for me,in many ways.

 

Edited January 19, 20197 yr by erskblue

15 hours ago, Ewell CFC said:

My Mum grey up in Love Lane- her dad was a stoker in St Heliers Hospital. Big Chelsea area then and now. Always associate the Lone Ranger with Saturday morning pictures. 

At the Gaumont cinema in Rose Hill mate? Last time I was there, it was a poxy bingo hall.

"The new London Club (win)...by a goal to love!!

 

 

 

1905 inaugural season line-up.

 

 

 

@fitz A couple of great photos from our first season. Thanks for posting. I've just had a look at the squad from that season and there were a loads of Scots. I guess that may be down to our first manager (and also player), John Tait Robertson a Scot who we signed from Rangers.

A great day out !!

On 18/01/2019 at 18:41, Ewell CFC said:

My Mum grey up in Love Lane- her dad was a stoker in St Heliers Hospital. Big Chelsea area then and now. Always associate the Lone Ranger with Saturday morning pictures. 

I was born in St.Helier and lived in Harwood Ave just off off Love Lane in my nan’s house until I was two, then moved to Fulham.  

16 hours ago, fitz said:

1905 inaugural season line-up.

 

 

 

Noticed that the goalkeeper is wearing the same strip as the other players.

 

http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Articles/History.htm

In 1909 goalkeepers in the Football League were required to wear distinctive tops so that match official could distinguish them in a scrum of players - previously they wore the same shirts as the outfield players. At first the rules stipulated that these be red or blue but within a few years, green was allowed and became the standard in England. In Scotland, goalkeepers generally wore deep yellow. There were no specially produced tops for 'keepers who normally wore heavy woollen sweaters, often teamed with flat caps to keep the sun out of their eyes.

17 hours ago, fitz said:

"The new London Club (win)...by a goal to love!!

 

 

 

Saturday, 23rd September 1905 at 15:15

At The Bridge.

Division 2. We were 4th !

Bob McRoberts scored our goal in the 25th minute.

Watched by 10,123

Thanks to the great bounder friardale site again for the info.

9 hours ago, Adi Dassler said:

A great day out !!

Here you go !

Some highlights of the game.

Beating Man City 5-4 at Wembley in 1986.

11 hours ago, Adi Dassler said:

A great day out !!

First time watching Chelsea at Wembley for a lot of us. Fifty thousand odd Chelsea. A West Ham mate, whose a bit of a case came with us that day. He narrowly avoided a kickin for singing West Ham songs on a packed tube.

Not bad value, a fiver for a Wembley final.

 

2 hours ago, erskblue said:

http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Articles/History.htm

In 1909 goalkeepers in the Football League were required to wear distinctive tops so that match official could distinguish them in a scrum of players - previously they wore the same shirts as the outfield players. At first the rules stipulated that these be red or blue but within a few years, green was allowed and became the standard in England. In Scotland, goalkeepers generally wore deep yellow. There were no specially produced tops for 'keepers who normally wore heavy woollen sweaters, often teamed with flat caps to keep the sun out of their eyes.

Am I right in thinking that in England yellow jerseys for goalkeepers were only allowed for international games? I can't remember any league game I went to in those days where the goalkeepers wore any colour other than green, as explained above, but internationals they wore yellow....if my memory is correct. 

Just thinking about a West Ham mate tagging along with us that day- it was pay at the gate- I think it was pretty common back then to watch other London teams with friends ( if Chelsea weren’t playing that day or you didn’t face a hike up North)

Remember going to Upton Park in 1980, under duress because my school pal was sick and he needed someone to get a voucher in case they got to the FA Cup final which they did that year.

There were also lots of floating loons around in the 80s who’d go wherever there was the best chance of an off.

2 hours ago, Ewell CFC said:

Just thinking about a West Ham mate tagging along with us that day- it was pay at the gate- I think it was pretty common back then to watch other London teams with friends ( if Chelsea weren’t playing that day or you didn’t face a hike up North)

Remember going to Upton Park in 1980, under duress because my school pal was sick and he needed someone to get a voucher in case they got to the FA Cup final which they did that year.

There were also lots of floating loons around in the 80s who’d go wherever there was the best chance of an off.

Occasionally a West Ham fan would come along with one of the groups I sometimes went with, he was well behaved no West Ham songs.

6 hours ago, Ewell CFC said:

 

There were also lots of floating loons around in the 80s who’d go wherever there was the best chance of an off.

Knew a Gunners fan from Hayes. From 75 to 79 he never bothered going away to watch them, used to alternate between us & Millwall!.

Found this by chance after looking at a newspaper article on Boris Berezovsky vs RA court trial and then I noticed the familiar chap below with the white hair.

Nice to see a former manager being invited to SB, I guess.