Wed, 3rd Sep 1980 at 7:45. League Cup - 2nd Round - 2nd Leg we drew 1 - 1 Micky Droy 12th min. We went out 2-1 on aggregate.

In front of 12,959. Very precise crowd that night !

 Saturday, 3rd Sep 1927. v Blackpool in Division 2. We won 3-0 in front of 36,529. Love these old programme covers.
 

 Saturday, 3rd Sep 1966 29,497 We won 3-0. with Graham 15th, Osgood 46th and Tambling 75th mns  for us.

Alex Stepney's only game in goal for us. He'd a short 'career' with us !  Signing from Millwall  on 24th May 1966 for £50,000  

Transferred to Man Utd on 7 Sept 1966 for £55,000  

 Sat, 3rd Sep 1983/ That season !  We won 2-1 King Kerry 26th and 81st mins. We'd a massive support down there that day.

 

Edited September 3, 20196 yr by erskblue

 Sat 3rd Sep 1938 at 3:30pm. We won 3-0 v Leicester City in front of 37,323.

George Mills with 2 and Alf Hanson our goal scorers that day.

Not sure if posted before. Against Huddersfield in February, 1984.

Overnight I recorded the Big Match Revisited on BT Sport, from April 1975 - that crucial relegation battle at WHL.

Eddie Mac gambled on youth, making Wilkins skipper at 18, picking Sparrow at 17, and throwing in Teddy Jailbird at 18 for his debut.

Experience came from Harris, Droy, Hay, Cooke and Hutch, with Locke and Britton starting and Phillips in goal.

Jennings made two superb first-half saves from Britton and Hutch to keep Spuds in it, and we had two goals disallowed for handball. Cooke's offence was clear, but Droy's at 0-1 was debatable, but the ref was very well placed. Wilkins dragged a shot wide at 0-1 when he should have scored, with the keeper stranded. 

Overall we battled well and couldn't be faulted for commitment.

Despite the unbelievable trouble that took place before and after the game that day, there was no sign in the highlights of any trouble on the terraces, which were packed. 51,000 were there, Spuds' biggest attendance for a few years according to Brian Moore.

We had two home games to come, v Sheff U and Everton, with Spuds having to go to Highbury, so it was a truly pivotal game. We drew our last two and went down, totally skint and in danger of extinction. Eddie Mac and the youngsters got us back up in 2 years, but we would not really recover until THAT season in 83-4.

Four of that team  are no longer with us: Hutch, Britton, Phillips and Wilkins. Houseman was not on the bench that day.

5 hours ago, Backbiter said:

Overnight I recorded the Big Match Revisited on BT Sport, from April 1975 - that crucial relegation battle at WHL.

Eddie Mac gambled on youth, making Wilkins skipper at 18, picking Sparrow at 17, and throwing in Teddy Jailbird at 18 for his debut.

Experience came from Harris, Droy, Hay, Cooke and Hutch, with Locke and Britton starting and Phillips in goal.

Jennings made two superb first-half saves from Britton and Hutch to keep Spuds in it, and we had two goals disallowed for handball. Cooke's offence was clear, but Droy's at 0-1 was debatable, but the ref was very well placed. Wilkins dragged a shot wide at 0-1 when he should have scored, with the keeper stranded. 

Overall we battled well and couldn't be faulted for commitment.

Despite the unbelievable trouble that took place before and after the game that day, there was no sign in the highlights of any trouble on the terraces, which were packed. 51,000 were there, Spuds' biggest attendance for a few years according to Brian Moore.

We had two home games to come, v Sheff U and Everton, with Spuds having to go to Highbury, so it was a truly pivotal game. We drew our last two and went down, totally skint and in danger of extinction. Eddie Mac and the youngsters got us back up in 2 years, but we would not really recover until THAT season in 83-4.

Four of that team  are no longer with us: Hutch, Britton, Phillips and Wilkins. Houseman was not on the bench that day.

I was at that match and have never seen so much crowd trouble inside a ground in my life. You couldn't tell who was who and it was a miracle the game even started. We had a huge away following in those days and I'm not sure why so many Chelsea fans didn't make it into the stadium. I was young and with my father. We drove up early and couldn't get into the terraces anywhere. We decided to queue for the seats at the back of the Paxton Rd end and eventually got in. We were surrounded by Spurs fans and kept quite for the duration. Before the game started I remember a fracas in the terrace in front of us but couldn't really see who was who. The Police had lost control as fighting was happening all around the stadium and on the pitch. From what I could see the Chelsea fans where on the wrong of a number of battles and were spread thinly all around the ground.

Looking back my Dad stopped going shortly after that and probably didn't want me anywhere that type of trouble. He was fearless about crowd trouble and even took me in the North Bank at Upton Park one year. He was old school and had been going since the 50's. He was oblivious to the trouble and just wanted to go for the football but in the end the trouble just took over and he stopped going.

The Big Match didn't show this:

 

Ouch more than a few bruises the next day for sure.

1 hour ago, Andy North said:

I was at that match and have never seen so much crowd trouble inside a ground in my life. You couldn't tell who was who and it was a miracle the game even started. We had a huge away following in those days and I'm not sure why so many Chelsea fans didn't make it into the stadium. I was young and with my father. We drove up early and couldn't get into the terraces anywhere. We decided to queue for the seats at the back of the Paxton Rd end and eventually got in. We were surrounded by Spurs fans and kept quite for the duration. Before the game started I remember a fracas in the terrace in front of us but couldn't really see who was who. The Police had lost control as fighting was happening all around the stadium and on the pitch. From what I could see the Chelsea fans where on the wrong of a number of battles and were spread thinly all around the ground.

Looking back my Dad stopped going shortly after that and probably didn't want me anywhere that type of trouble. He was fearless about crowd trouble and even took me in the North Bank at Upton Park one year. He was old school and had been going since the 50's. He was oblivious to the trouble and just wanted to go for the football but in the end the trouble just took over and he stopped going.

What I most remember about that game is Wilkins missed a sitter when I think it was still 0-0. The following season the Big Match used it on their opening credits every Sunday you were reminded of it really used to piss me off.

2 hours ago, Andy North said:

I'm not sure why so many Chelsea fans didn't make it into the stadium.. From what I could see the Chelsea fans where on the wrong of a number of battles and were spread thinly all around the ground.

.

By the time our main mob ( which was massive ) got to the ground, they'd closed the turnstiles as it was full.
Same thing happened in 79, when our 1st away game was at Upton Pk on a Mon night. We met at The Green Man in Bethnal Green, got there after KO, & they wouldn't let us in again!.

15 hours ago, erskblue said:

 Sat, 3rd Sep 1983/ That season !  We won 2-1 King Kerry 26th and 81st mins. We'd a massive support down there that day.

 

Was at the game and didn’t get a programme!  Brighton weren’t prepared. We had only just missed out on relegation and although it was all ticket and was sold out, the amount that turned up hoping to pay on the day was huge.

There were two terrace turnstiles open! It was getting hostile outside to be polite! They panicked and opened a large exit gate and loads got in for free without paying! A great day and result.

The caption for above picture states its Hughie Gallacher and Alex Jackson at The Bridge at training in the 1930/31 season.

Gallacher scored 81 goals in 144 games and was Chelsea's top scorer in each of his four seasons at the club.

Jackson scored 26 goals in 65 games though hampered by injuries in his time at he Bridge.

He and several other star players at the club were approached by the French club side Nimes with a lucrative contract offer, which Jackson threatened to accept unless Chelsea broke their then maximum wage structure and increased his salary. T

Chelsea refused to budge and the player couldn't do anything as these were the ruels back then. Jackson could do little. He was forced to finish his career playing for a number of non league clubs clubs such as Margate  and Ashton National. Some difference !!

He later joined another French side Nice.

Both of these players played in the Wembley Wizards  Scotland team of 1928 which beat England 5-1 at Wembley.

Sadly, both players lives ended prematurely. Jackson was killed in a plane crash in Egypt in 1946 whilst he was in the RAF .

Gallacher fell in front of a train in June 1957.

Edited September 4, 20196 yr by erskblue

 Bobby Tambling v Liverpool in 1968/69.

 Now this is a piece of Chelsea History.

Monday, 4th Sep 1905. Friendly.

We won 4-0 v Liverpool .

The Programme Cover, when we were just in our first year of existance !

Chelsea: Foulke (cap), Mackie, McKewan, Key, McRoberts, Miller, Moran, Copeland, Robertson, Windridge, Kirwan

Goals: McRoberts 2, Moran, Windridge

http://stamford-bridge.com/match.php?mid=5&opp=Liverpool

Edited September 4, 20196 yr by erskblue

 Sat, 4th Sep 1971 at 3pm and a 3-3 draw with Coventry City. It was 3-3 at Half Time !

Peter Osgood with 2 goals and John Hollins were our scorers. 35,459 saw it

One of Coventry City's scorers that day was Billy Rafferty, He was a man of many clubs , 'a Bosman' before it was ever invented ! 

He was and still is a friend of one of my Uncle's.

19 hours ago, Backbiter said:

Overnight I recorded the Big Match Revisited on BT Sport, from April 1975 - that crucial relegation battle at WHL.

Eddie Mac gambled on youth, making Wilkins skipper at 18, picking Sparrow at 17, and throwing in Teddy Jailbird at 18 for his debut.

Experience came from Harris, Droy, Hay, Cooke and Hutch, with Locke and Britton starting and Phillips in goal.

Jennings made two superb first-half saves from Britton and Hutch to keep Spuds in it, and we had two goals disallowed for handball. Cooke's offence was clear, but Droy's at 0-1 was debatable, but the ref was very well placed. Wilkins dragged a shot wide at 0-1 when he should have scored, with the keeper stranded. 

Overall we battled well and couldn't be faulted for commitment.

Despite the unbelievable trouble that took place before and after the game that day, there was no sign in the highlights of any trouble on the terraces, which were packed. 51,000 were there, Spuds' biggest attendance for a few years according to Brian Moore.

We had two home games to come, v Sheff U and Everton, with Spuds having to go to Highbury, so it was a truly pivotal game. We drew our last two and went down, totally skint and in danger of extinction. Eddie Mac and the youngsters got us back up in 2 years, but we would not really recover until THAT season in 83-4.

Four of that team  are no longer with us: Hutch, Britton, Phillips and Wilkins. Houseman was not on the bench that day.

Cheers for the stories from this game.

14 hours ago, Strider6003 said:

Ouch more than a few bruises the next day for sure.

Not a right hander thrown. All kicks with those horrible beetle crushers. ( It was the boot boy era I suppose)

As a kid I remember some graffiti in Summerstown which said “ Chelsea Shed Kick to Kill”

 

Edited September 4, 20196 yr by Ewell CFC

2 minutes ago, Ewell CFC said:

Not a right hander thrown. All kicks with those horrible beetle crushers. ( It was the boot boy era I suppose)

As a kid I remember some graffiti in Sommerstown which said “ Chelsea Shed Kick to Kill”

 

Yes I noticed about the kicks too almost as though worried about their nails 😃

15 hours ago, Andy North said:

I was at that match and have never seen so much crowd trouble inside a ground in my life. You couldn't tell who was who and it was a miracle the game even started. We had a huge away following in those days and I'm not sure why so many Chelsea fans didn't make it into the stadium. I was young and with my father. We drove up early and couldn't get into the terraces anywhere. We decided to queue for the seats at the back of the Paxton Rd end and eventually got in. We were surrounded by Spurs fans and kept quite for the duration. Before the game started I remember a fracas in the terrace in front of us but couldn't really see who was who. The Police had lost control as fighting was happening all around the stadium and on the pitch. From what I could see the Chelsea fans where on the wrong of a number of battles and were spread thinly all around the ground.

Looking back my Dad stopped going shortly after that and probably didn't want me anywhere that type of trouble. He was fearless about crowd trouble and even took me in the North Bank at Upton Park one year. He was old school and had been going since the 50's. He was oblivious to the trouble and just wanted to go for the football but in the end the trouble just took over and he stopped going.

My old man was born in 37 and started going with his dad in the late 40s.

My parents emigrated to the states in 63 and came home early 1970. My Dad was a bit aghast at how football had changed and aggro had appeared, and hated it.

Under protest in the 70s before me and me brothers were allowed to go on our own he’d take us to the Bridge maybe a couple of times a year, but do his homework- No West Ham games, the likes of Hereford or Carlisle.

For some reason we did go to West Ham away with him later on ( Feb 81). We were in the Chicken Run watching it go off in the South Bank. We took a mob there for the first time in ages- the corner flag got chucked around I remember.

The chicken run was probably the safest/ most family friendly part of Upton Park back then, but when it kicked off there were plenty of people me old mans age and older encouraging the West Ham boys to get stuck in.

That was probably a bit of a turning point with him. Driving home rather than his usual “ Chelsea fans are animals”, it was more “ At least were better behaved than those scummy East Londoners”

On 03/09/2019 at 00:52, Scott said:

 

 

Joey Jones, Joey Jones when he gets the ball he scores a goal, Joey, Joey, Joey Jones. He always played with such passion and always gave 100%. Met him and Micky Droy once whilst they were still playing and shared a few pints in a pub. Top blokes and so in touch with the fans. Both as hard as nails and both really respectful about the commitment fans showed in supporting the club.