Edited July 20, 2025Jul 20 by erskblue

On 14/07/2025 at 05:17, erskblue said:

Celebration Time. After beating Dirty Leeds in the 1967 FA Cup Semi Final.😀

The team bus arriving at Villa Park for the 1967 FA Cup,Semi Final.

Younger fans refuse to believe me that at one time Chelsea fans in the Shed used to carry walking sticks . When the chant " walking sticks where are you" went up, a forest of walking sticks would be waved in the air ! Couple of fans in the lower picture have got them. Looks like Greenaway there at the front .

There was a song about the sticks, can't recall it, but a guy at the 50th year of the Shed reunion read it out to the assembled fans at bar/restaurant at the Bridge ( Frankie's)

Walking Sticks where are you

10 hours ago, Boyne said:

A ‘Duffle Bag’. That brings back memories! 😀

Just seen the news that Joey Jones has passed away.

RIP Joey 💙

39 minutes ago, Nibs said:

Just seen the news that Joey Jones has passed away.

RIP Joey 💙

YES ABSOLUTELY GAVE HIS ALL IN EVERY GAME HE PLAYED FOR ALL HIS CLUBS

RIP

Very sad news that JJ has passed - a top bloke in every way, and never gave less than 110% effort. I wont forget the clenched fist salute when he ran out to warm up, home and especially away. I felt he really ‘got’ us and what CFC meant to us. Sad day, rest easy JJ.

A proper legend. Many years ago, when this place was resurrected by Loz, a few of us wrote pen portraits/ tributes to some of the legends in Chelsea's history. I remember writing a piece on Joey Jones. No idea if that part of the site still exists, but I will have a hunt through my old files to try and track it down.

Really sad news regarding Joey Jones.

R.I.P.

Very sad news about Joey. RIP Joey.

On the club website.

Joey Jones 1955-2025 | News | Of...

Joey Jones 1955-2025

It is with great sadness that Chelsea Football Club has learned of the passing of our former player, Joey Jones, at the age of 70.

An out-and-out defender and fans’ favourite, Jones played for Chelsea in three highly eventful seasons in the early 1980s and won a Second Division championship medal to add to trophies earned elsewhere.

The Welsh international was one of the great characters to have worn our shirt. More than that, he could take credit for the part he played in putting the brakes on when the club was in freefall, and then helping to propel us on an upward trajectory once again.

Jones was signed by John Neal in 1982 and was already well-known to the Blues manager, who had nurtured him into the professional game when they were both at Wrexham.

Jones was also known to Chelsea supporters in general. He had risen to prominence as a member of Liverpool’s first European Cup-winning team in 1977 and, on moving to Stamford Bridge, became our only current international footballer. He was capped 72 times by Wales.

With the Blues at our lowest ebb, Neal knew he was importing spirit in the shape of an ultra-committed player who had caused him no end of off-field headaches in his younger days –  Jones had been a self-confessed tearaway.

The start at his new club was not without trauma, too. Initially, the signing was unpopular with the crowd, who remembered Jones' past confrontations with Chelsea. One shock FA Cup defeat for Liverpool at Stamford Bridge effectively ended his Anfield career.

Jones was sent off on his Chelsea debut, a defeat at Carlisle, which did not help his cause, but he soon won fans over.

Capable of playing all across the backline, he admitted he was far from the most skilful defender – ‘I was bought to tackle’ – but what was clear to see was a never-say-die battler who was prepared to play on when bloodied and bruised, and who put the supporters first. These were characteristics many believed were lacking in the team.

Jones became a fans' favourite during his time at Stamford Bridge

Neal signed a couple of other strong characters to be role models in a deflated Division Two squad. And although the impact was not instant – the Blues finished in our lowest-ever league position in 1982/83 – Jones rapport with the supporters continued to grow through his on-pitch efforts and his pre-match ritual of rousing the crowd by running to them with a clenched-fist salute, urging their backing, with his other hand carefully covering his Liverpool tattoo!

‘I feel very sorry for the Chelsea fans because we are not giving them enough to shout about,’ Jones said at the time. ‘We take as many supporters away from home as Liverpool and should be giving them more.’

The moustachioed warrior was voted Chelsea Player of the Year as relegation was narrowly avoided.

Jones was named our Player of the Season at the end of the 1982/83 campaign

In the phoenix-from-the-flames season that was Chelsea’s charge to the Second Division title in 1983/84, Jones was the left-back of choice. He started all but eight of the league games.

He scored the second of his two Chelsea goals in a 5-3 win at Fulham as the memorable season began to catch fire, and there was further impetus with the mid-season signing of Mickey Thomas, Jones’ great friend from their junior days at Wrexham and another whole-hearted livewire.

Thomas' high-energy wing play fitted well in front of Jones – the team proved unbeatable for the rest of the campaign – while off the pitch, they would commute together to west London from North Wales, sometimes sleeping overnight on the physio’s couch at the Bridge. Jones had struggled to relocate to the capital when unable to sell his home and was naturally wary of the big city.

Jones celebrates after Chelsea clinch promotion back to the first division in 1984

There was also a hitch in extending his contract, so for life back in the top division, a new left-back was brought in from Scotland, the towering Doug Rougvie.

That reduced Jones’ involvement, although he did win his place back in the second half of the season and was drafted in at right-back for a famous League Cup tie epic at Sheffield Wednesday.

When Neal’s ill-health led to his assistant coach John Hollins taking the manager’s reins for the 1985/86 season, the new boss was less tolerant of the Welsh pair’s travel and training arrangements, and their antics, which for some had brightened life at Chelsea, were over.

To the surprise of many fans, Jones was transferred to Huddersfield Town before the next season began, with 91 appearances to his name and his status as a true Chelsea cult hero assured.

Jones later returned to Wrexham for a third playing spell before a natural progression into coaching in their academy.

All at Chelsea send our deepest condolences to Joey's family and friends.

From 2020. To mark the 50th anniversary of our first FA Cup win.

I too wish to pass on my condolences and thanks to Joey Jones annd his family.

Absolute warrior on the pitch, didn’t need an arm band to be a leader.

His relationship with the fans for those not old enough to have seen was Unique. He would come and see us all before the game. He would run to all four sides of the ground at home games, and come over to the away section to salute us with a fist!

His name would be sung so vociferously for me as teenager it was brilliant

Met him a couple of times and was a great bloke.

R. I. P. Joey. Will miss you 💙

"I happen to believe, quite honestly, that the supporters are the most important people at any club," Jones said.

"Without them, there is no game and no job."

Great quote by Joey Jones.

Edited July 23, 2025Jul 23 by erskblue

Sept 1971.

Ray Wilkins with a volley against Forest in April 1977.

And a couple more v Forest in April 1977. We won 2-1.

Ron Harris against Luton in April 1977. We won 2-0.

Edited July 23, 2025Jul 23 by erskblue

‘King Kerry’ is 64 today!

Edited July 24, 2025Jul 24 by erskblue

The goals at Old Trafford.

Match Highlights. 60,436 saw it officially!