83/84 was also interesting regarding away support. Our numbers for years was great but without mobile phones, social media etc you didn't know how many were going apart from singing at the home game before. All going to ......... All going to ......... All going to ........ Clap your hands!!!!!! How times have changed!!!! Our numbers at so many games was amazing. Being at Bolton 3 months earlier would never of thought we would have 12-15,000 at Brighton ( taking into account thousands got in without tickets as it was all ticket and they opened a gate to get us in) No one new we would be up the top of the league, but our support would have been better than anyone else in the country other than the mancs.

On ?03?/?09?/?2016 at 12:05, Backbiter said:

The fact that the 83-4 season gets mentioned by so many tells you how memorable that season was. So many reasons for that: the fact we'd been in Div 2 for 7 out of the previous 9 seasons, being nearly relegated to Div 3 the year before, seeing so many new signings from lower league clubs and unknowns from Scotland all gel so quickly and perform so well, having so many unforgettable big games with our support as good as it's ever been, the impact made by Mickey Thomas, the rapport with the fans exemplified by Joey Jones, seeing the excitement build every week as promotion drew nearer, the 5-0 promotion party v Leeds, clinching the championship away at Grimsby. It was one high after another.

32 years have passed, there have been unbelievable highs with the Gullit and Vialli eras, the record-breaking 04-5 season under Jose, the joy of winning 4 titles, the incredible night in Munich, and yet a season back in the old Second Division still stands out as one to cherish. If that's hard for fans under about 40 to understand, you had to be there!

 Great post about 1983/84. A season I look back on with very great memories of.

Mind you I liked 1976/77 when we got promoted back to Division 1.

 

Really enjoying the replies to this. Not surprised at all that so many people are picking out the 83/84 season - who knows where we'd be now if we'd not made the cluster of signings we did that season. Snapping up Nevin, Niedzwiecki, McLaughlin, Spackman, getting Hollins back and, of course, Dixon - surely our best ever summer recruitment. After decades of getting it wrong we suddenly clicked. Wish I'd been around to experience it.

Interesting that people are saying 2011/12 - and understandable of course given we reached the holy grail. But I must confess that I hated most of that season. But that's the funny thing about football isn't it. There are few games I've enjoyed less AT THE TIME than the first 85 minutes of the final in Munich and the second half in Barcelona, but they turned out to be among our greatest nights.

On 9/3/2016 at 12:05, Backbiter said:

The fact that the 83-4 season gets mentioned by so many tells you how memorable that season was. So many reasons for that: the fact we'd been in Div 2 for 7 out of the previous 9 seasons, being nearly relegated to Div 3 the year before, seeing so many new signings from lower league clubs and unknowns from Scotland all gel so quickly and perform so well, having so many unforgettable big games with our support as good as it's ever been, the impact made by Mickey Thomas, the rapport with the fans exemplified by Joey Jones, seeing the excitement build every week as promotion drew nearer, the 5-0 promotion party v Leeds, clinching the championship away at Grimsby. It was one high after another.

32 years have passed, there have been unbelievable highs with the Gullit and Vialli eras, the record-breaking 04-5 season under Jose, the joy of winning 4 titles, the incredible night in Munich, and yet a season back in the old Second Division still stands out as one to cherish. If that's hard for fans under about 40 to understand, you had to be there!

Couldn't have put it better myself.

I get all misty eyed when looking back to that season and the following couple of season back in the top flight. We might not have won anything other than the Div 2 title and the mighty Full Members cup but they were great times and s good (if very unpredictable) side to watch. I think John Neal (and uncle Ken) should go down in history as helping to put Chelsea back on the map, as we could so easily slipped into oblivion and then none of this more recent success would have been possible.

Happy Days!

 

 

20 hours ago, erskblue said:

Mind you I liked 1976/77 when we got promoted back to Division 1.

 

Another good one, my first full season after leaving school, money in me pocket and plenty of away games as a result.

69 / 70....It was so exciting for this little lad.........( this is on the footy side)...........Every season was the best in the 70s as i had the energy to go everywhere and involve myself in every end..( that we went in )....NOW...The best season is if i get to chelsea spurs in some way

83/84 for me too for mostly of the same reasons everyone else has put. 17 yrs old, first full season of going home and away and every week brought something different. Hard to describe for those who weren't there but it was a very special season.

as many have said the john neal era, fun and games on and off the pitch, coaches leaving early Saturday morning from different parts of London and the home counties, tooting,eltham,kilburn, cheam e.t.c. glory days, you had to be there.

1969-70 for me, as that was the season we first won the F A cup ( after the agony of seeing us loose at the semi finals stage in the previous 2 consecutive seasons).   

I attended every home game and away game that season and there was a great comradre between the players ( they gave 110% effort and worked as a team and did their talking on the pitch) and the fans. I remember travelling back from Newcastle ( where we won!) and the players were on the same regular British rail train service as the fans ( only a few dozen of us fans onboard, Greenaway etc) and I whilst on route to London Bridge via the Northen line tube, I was over-taken on the escalator at London Bridge by John Hollins, who at the time, lived near me at Sidcup, Bexley. 

Not like these days......where the players are wrapped up in cotton wool.

Come on the Chels, get your act together !