I'm writing an article about 7 people who changed Chelsea the most. I got the idea from this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIr7FysCYDs where Lampard, Zola and Nevin are talking about this topic and Neil Barnett suggested these 7 people:

Tommy Docherty, John Neal, Ken Bates, Glenn Hoddle, Ruud Gullit, Roman Abramovich and Jose Mourinho.

 

Those are the people who, in different times, helped Chelsea to rise and saved our football club from going to football team's graveyard. 

Do you agree with Barnett's list? What do you have to say about them? Would you change any names from this list?

Edited August 28, 201312 yr by lmc

Matthew Harding perhaps?

Ted drake didn't he want the chelsea fans to be more partisan. He also won our first major throphy. I'd never agree with Barnett. Can't stand him.

From a fans point of view I reckon Mickey greenaway.

Matthew harding and mickey greenaway as above, although after what the media done to Mr Greenaway i doubt he would get the accolade he so rightly deserves.

This has got me thinking now T.B.C

For me Sir Ken was the instrument of the biggest changes at CFC

Gus Mears

JT Mears

Edited August 28, 201312 yr by coco

Ted Drake has to feature, he transformed us from the ground up and lead the way to our first league title.

So hard to narrow it down to seven. My choices:

 

Ted Drake - Made the club more serious and professional and most importantly, winners for the first time.

Tommy Docherty - Created the flamboyant Swinging 60s Chelsea team of Osgood, Cooke, Bonetti et al and gave us the all blue kit.

Ken Bates - Kept the club in business and saved the Bridge from property developers. Contrast the club he inherited in 1982 with the club he left in 2003.

John Neal - Created another iconic team who transformed the club from Second Division no hopers into a serious top flight side again.

Ruud Gullit - Sexy Football, the 97 FA Cup, Zola, Vialli, Di Matteo, Leboeuf etc.

Roman Abramovich - The amazing last ten years we've had would not have been possible without him.

Jose Mourinho - Put together a magnificent record breaking team who then carried on winning things for years after he left.

Colin Hutchinson.

Colin Hutchinson.

Good call. How.he he got guillt and Luca and the the likes coming to chelsea I will never know. Stamford bridge was a building site and our training ground was sh*t but he still got top players.

Wouldn't put him near my top 7 but in my opinion Gronkjaer deserves a mention for scoring *that* goal vs Liverpool that made effectively made Abramovich buy the club.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOtIuNYVeQY

Edited August 29, 201312 yr by omnidroid70

Id agree with Gronkjaer for sure. But would never agree with Hutchinson who I always thought was a cretin and then ran away when the going got tough, especially as he was heavily involved with the reasons behind it getting tough.

 

Wonder if Drogba deserves a shout ? Munich and all that.

 

Also agree with whoever said they couldn't really bring themselves to agree with Barnett! I find him more of an embarrassment to the club with every passing match i go to.

I have to say the lad in my profile picture. No one burst on the scene like Jim at the tender age of 17. The back page of The Daily Express (then a broadsheet) was totally devoted to his length of the field dribble and cool finish at White Hart Lane. He was from another planet, and his top flight goal scoring record remains to this day, doubly amazing when you consider he never headed the ball.

For the first time England had a player whose footwork was on a par with anything in South America or Hungary. Not an obvious change in some ways but certainly far reaching.

The way CFC treated him is best forgotten...

Good call. How.he he got guillt and Luca and the the likes coming to chelsea I will never know. Stamford bridge was a building site and our training ground was sh*t but he still got top players.

 

Colin "Back handers" Hutchinson

 

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Osgood would be in my last.

Trevor Birch

Clive Walker whose goal at Bolton ( second last game of 1982/83 season)  gave us a so vital 1-0 away win and helped keep us in Division 2.

Gus Mears - Seen as the founder of Chelsea Football Club

Ted Drake - He won our first top-flight title in 1955

Peter Osgood - His brilliance of 1970 grabbed the attention of many young impressionable kids and since then a lot of Chelsea fans say there support for the club started from the time of his brilliance in the FA Cup Final replay against Leeds in 1970.

Ken Bates - He revolutionised the club throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He still doesn't receive the plaudits he deserves from some fans, especially amongst our newer and younger fans. 

Roman Ambramovich - He bought the club in 2003 and since then Chelsea is one of the most successful clubs of the decades when it comes to winning trophies and capturing the best players in the world.

Jose Mourinho - He brought back success we never imagined in 2005 and our fan base went through the roof. 
Didier Drogba - Won us our first ever UCL in 2012 and gained legend status as a result. 

Ken Bates - lets face it, far far farrrrrr from everyones cup of tea. But without this man chelsea could well be in a place that non of us would think possible.

I dont really agree with Drogba. Yes he scored and won us the Champions league but Lampard scored those two goals at Bolton to wrap up the league.

I know he isnt very well liked but i think Glen Hoddle was the start of our change of fortune. He brought in certain players who then in turn attracted other players.

I agree with you on Bates met the man numerous timed was even in he's office a few times my uncle asked he's partner Suzanne out for a curry she just laughed. One time in the shed bar we asked called him over and he said not now I'm busy, we though he's a bit of a prick but soon as he was finished giving out he's orders to he's staff he and he's partner came over and had a nice chat and bought us a drink. I think why alot of people don't like him is because he changed the badge. Without him Stamford bridge could be a housing estate.

Gus Mears

JT Mears

They didnt exactly change us did they?

I know he isnt very well liked but i think Glen Hoddle was the start of our change of fortune. He brought in certain players who then in turn attracted other players.

 

I obviously agree.

Edited August 30, 201312 yr by startedwithglenn

Hoddle done great things for chelsea and had us trying to play good football.

What a great piece of business it was by Bates and Hutchinson to not only get Hoddle in but to really back him and his ideas, even when things weren't going well on the pitch.

 

Great thread this, and some good comments from people on who should and shouldn't be in.