THE MAN WHO MADE CHELSEA 

Chelsea FC began life with a stadium – and nothing else. The person who built an almost-immediately successful squad from scratch was a 28-year-old midfielder from Dumbarton. 

By  Dominic Bliss

This article first appeared in Issue 4 which was published in June 2017.

www.nutmegmagazine.co.uk

THE FIRST MANAGER OF CHELSEA AND THE FIRST GOALSCORER FOR CHELSEA, ROBERTSON HAD THE CONFIDENCE TO ENCOURAGE AN ULTRA-ATTACKING STYLE OF FOOTBALL AT THE BRIDGE. 

In the spring of 1905 an experienced half-back from Dumbarton, with an impressive 16 Scotland caps and more than 100 appearances for Rangers under his belt, was asked to become player-manager of a brand new football club in west London.

John Tait Robertson, at 28 years old, was still young enough and good enough to choose his next move in football, but who could resist the challenge of building a whole squad from literally nothing, with a generous board waving their cheque book behind you?

These days you only get to do that in video games. The only thing these ambitious directors had was a stadium – the biggest in London, no less. Now they needed a team to play in it, and a league to compete in.

So, while they set about securing their club’s election to the Football League in time for the 1905/06 season, ‘Jacky’ Robertson was charged with recruiting the first squad of players for Chelsea Football Club.

Take a moment to think about what that would entail: taking on a club without any players or pre-existing supporters; it’s your job to help them achieve all of those things, while trying to win some football matches as well.

Fortunately, Robertson was a well-connected man. He was one of the best players of his generation: a technically gifted left-half who was not averse to the odd bone-crunching challenge was and strong in the air too.

Robertson had already starred for Morton, Everton, Southampton and Rangers, who had paid the Saints £300 – a fortune at the time – for his services in 1899. He had skippered Scotland to victory in the 1900 Home Championships, which was secured with a 4-1 win over England.

With such pedigree and such a broad geographical spread of clubs behind him, you can see why Chelsea turned to Robertson. Crucially, because of his age, he could call on friends and peers who were still in the prime of their careers to join him at the Bridge.

Former team-mates signed for him out of friendship; former adversaries signed for him out of mutual appreciation.

So William Foulke, the gigantic England international goalkeeper – nicknamed “Fatty” – became one of the first names on the books at Chelsea, along with Joe Kirwan, the Ireland national team’s star winger, who was tempted away from Tottenham Hotspur.

These men had played against Robertson in home internationals and were among the star names in the game at the time, especially Foulke, whose striking 22-stone figure between the posts was said to add thousands to the attendance, out of sheer curiosity, each time he turned out for the Blues.

But it wasn’t just a case of picking out the big names and inviting them down to Stamford Bridge. Robertson also had to canvass other clubs for players they might be willing to let go and held trials for enthusiastic local players as he looked to add depth to his steadily forming squad.

The response was overwhelming, as Robertson revealed in an article later that season.

“My work has not been without its amusing side,” he wrote. “Among the many applications I received was one from a man who said he was a splendid centre-forward, but if that position was not vacant he could manipulate a turnstile. Another wrote, ‘You will be astonished to see me skip down the line like a deer’.”

A further applicant had declared himself willing to “be linesman, goal-keep, or mind the coats.” Some of them would have to be let down lightly, of course, but Robertson had more success with his letters to other league clubs.

He managed to seal deals for a host of experienced professionals, many of them fellow Scots, like Bob McRoberts and James Robertson, who were brought in from Small Heath (the original name of Birmingham City) for a combined fee of £150. The same club sold him the promising English forward Jimmy Windridge, who set the club back a further £190, but went on to bag 16 goals in his first season.

He didn’t get the club’s first goal, however. That honour was secured by JT Robertson himself, as the player-manager got the ball rolling in the club’s second league game, at Blackpool, following the anti-climax of a 1-0 opening day defeat away to Stockport County.

The first manager of Chelsea and the first goalscorer for Chelsea, Robertson had the confidence to encourage an ultra-attacking style of football at the Bridge. His team registered 90 goals in 38 games that season, including a 7-0 win over Burslem Port Vale, 6-0 victories over Barnsley and Blackpool and a 5-1 thumping of Hull City in their first-ever league game at Stamford Bridge.

Those games were played in the Second Division of the Football League, to which Chelsea had been admitted without previously playing a single competitive match, thanks largely to the smooth-talking director Fred Parker, who had wowed the League’s committee with a confident presentation.

Yet, despite finishing third and missing out on promotion by one league position that first season, Chelsea were already being talked about as much as the country’s top teams, and a crowd of 67,000 had turned out for their Good Friday game against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

A team at the heart of London, with an impressive stadium and a celebrity goalkeeper, playing entertaining football – it was a big story, and the club had a single, straightforward aim in their second season: promotion.

Robertson was showing himself to have a great eye for a player and his directors were not shy in backing his hunches. During that first season, he had been alerted to a promising half-back playing for West Ham reserves, so he went along to watch him play at Fulham with Parker. Midway through the game, Robertson leant over to his boss and observed: “Never heed yon half, just watch that young inside-left… He’ll make a champion centre-forward, ye mark my words.”

That inside-left was George Hilsdon, and he was in a Chelsea shirt for the start of the following season.

Having signed on a free transfer, the 19-year-old rewarded Robertson’s faith in him by bagging five goals on his debut – at centre-forward, of course – in a 9-2 win over Glossop North End on opening day.

Robertson’s team was looking good for a promotion campaign, but despite having put together such a competitive squad, his relationship with the board was becoming strained due to questions over his professionalism.

His whereabouts were not always known and when, in November 1906, he failed to show up for a board meeting, the secretary, William Lewis – who would eventually take over as temporary manager following Robertson’s departure – demanded that an explanation be given for his absence.

The minutes from the following meeting, reproduced in Colin Benson’s book The Bridge, suggest that the directors’ trust in their manager was no longer implicit, and on  November 21 it was resolved “that the teams be selected by the Directors with the assistance of the manager”.

In truth, the suggestion that Robertson’s commitment was on the wain is backed up by the records, which show that he played in just three of Chelsea’s opening 12 games that season, prior to his no-show at the board meeting.
 

All was not right somewhere along the line, and he finally resigned a week later, asking to be granted a free transfer from his playing contract as well. 

His request was accepted on the condition that he would not join another club in the Second Division, but, comically, he did exactly that when, in January 1907, he pitched up at Glossop – the team that had been on the end of that opening day thumping – but not before a bizarre incident was reported in a concerned letter to chairman Claude Kirby.

“Dear Sir,” read the correspondence from H. Raucorn, also republished in The Bridge, “Knowing that Mr J.T. Robertson was no longer an official of the Chelsea F.C. I thought it my duty to inform you that he was in your office after 11pm last Thursday Nov 29th.”

We can only speculate as to what the recently departed ex-employee was doing in the chairman’s office at such a late hour, but it is clear that Robertson was not alone in upsetting the board with his indiscipline that week.

That same month another Scot – Ayrshire-born forward David Copeland – turned up at a separate board meeting as a representative of the players “in a state of intoxication”. He was subsequently suspended indefinitely by the club, until a letter of apology and a grovelling follow-up appearance in the boardroom resulted in a reprieve.

For all this, the Blues went on to finish the campaign in second place and, with that, were promoted to the top flight. It seems a shame that Robertson was not there to enjoy it, but despite his unceremonious departure from Stamford Bridge, his influence on Chelsea’s first major footballing achievement cannot be underestimated.

Having formed the squad from dust at the outset, and added to it sensibly in the year that followed, it is to be hoped that he could at least take some sort of satisfaction from seeing his signing Hilsdon score 27 goals in 32 games to fire Chelsea into the First Division.

Robertson’s new club Glossop, meanwhile, could count the teams below them on one hand when the final Second Division table was printed.
 

He must have cast a few envious glances towards the capital from his office in the sleepy Derbyshire market town, where he spent two years under the chairmanship of Samuel Hill-Wood before the latter moved to begin a family dynasty in the Arsenal boardroom.

However, Robertson was unable to lift Glossop out of the Second Division and departed in 1909 to serve briefly as Manchester United’s reserve-team coach.

Perhaps fearful that his career was going stale, perhaps searching for a new challenge, in 1912 Robertson made the bold decision to move to Budapest, where the game was just beginning to take hold. In fact, in the months that followed, he played an important role in the development of the intricate passing style that would become Hungary’s hallmark in the decades to come.

In his influential 1950s book, Soccer Revolution, the celebrated football writer Willy Meisl explained that “Austrians, Hungarians and Czechs moulded their game on the Scottish last – precise short passing and clever positioning.” He had produced that book in response to the Hungarian national team’s convincing home and away victories over both England and Scotland in 1953 and 1954.

However, in the days before the outbreak of the First World War any professional or top amateur side in Britain was capable of crushing any Hungarian club side.

The nation’s journey from absolute beginners to world beaters took just 40 years and it began with MTK Budapest’s appointment of John Tait Robertson as their coach.

He took on that role in the latter stages of the 1911/12 season and, in an early interview with local publication Sporthirlap, informed readers that a lot of work needed to be done before the Hungarian players would reach anything close to the standard he was accustomed to back in Britain.

In fact, just reading Robertson’s assessment of the level of play he witnessed in those first few days on the job, it is astounding to think that Hungary would be considered one of the strongest nations in world football within a couple of decades of his arrival.

“The mistake the players commit – which is quite common with other local teams as well – is that they only use one foot,” he said. “I think a player should be able to use both of his feet.

“The aerial game is very weak and I am surprised how many times the players use their hand – they have to lose this habit.

“The half line does not play well with the backs – when the backs lose the ball, the halves should be there to provide cover. The halves are not working together with the forward line either, and their shots are not good. Brodi is clearly the best centre-half but it does not mean that he would be exceptional – I have not seen a really good centre-half in the whole league.”

Robertson set to work on remedying these factors and remained at the helm of MTK for just over a year. In that period they finished as league runners-up in consecutive seasons, but his work seems to have had an impact because the following year they went unbeaten on the way to the first of 10 straight league championships won between 1914 and 1925.

As one obituary explained, “it was often said by leaders of the game in Austria and Hungary that it was Jacky Robertson who laid the foundations of the cultured style of football played there.”

Unfortunately, his time in Budapest appears to have ended in a similar fashion to his Chelsea tenure six years earlier, with one Hungarian newspaper reporting that he was sent home by MTK having “neglected his job”.

Although the euphemistic language of the press cuttings and club records of the time prevent us from knowing precisely the circumstances in which he lost his two most high-profile positions, Robertson clearly had his troubles and, sadly, they appear to have affected his work.

What we can say with certainty, however, is that he was a man of great footballing insight. He was prepared to take on a project from scratch, laying the foundations at two clubs who would go on to become hugely successful after he had left.

For all the great men who coached Chelsea and MTK in the decades to come, the record books will forever show that John Tait Robertson was the first.

Edited May 20, 20242 yr by erskblue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 21, 20242 yr by erskblue

Fans on the trees during football match TS Wisla Krakow – Chelsea FC. Krakow,1936

We played Wisla Krakow on 24th May 1936. Found some pictures from the Wisla Krakow site.
There’s match reports, obviously written in Polish available.

 

 

 

 

This is the four page match programme produced for the match.
The match was to mark the 30th Anniversary of the founding of Wisla and Chelsea were the first English professional team to play a match in Poland.

Just realised that the site has an English translation available. I’ll post some of the translated reports later.

Edited May 26, 20242 yr by erskblue

Match Report and English Translation below.

Yesterday in Krakow, the jubilee match of Wisła against Chelsea was a sensation. If it was assumed that the English would meet a weaker opponent in Krakow and demonstrate their superiority, they were pleasantly surprised in Wisła. Especially since Kraków had to do without Artur and Kotlarczyk! On Saturday he played for the national team. Contrary to all expectations, Kraków played very calmly from the beginning. In the first minutes they are in front of the opponent's goal. Even if the English immediately started a counterattack, the Wisła people would not be fooled by them. Although the English advantage lasted for some time, thanks to the excellent work of Wisła's defense, no one managed to score a goal. After about ten minutes, Kraków was again in front of Chelsea's goal, Łyko shot, and the English defense could only clear the ball for a corner kick, which was not taken. The English counter-attack and score a corner kick, which is also unsuccessful. Arthur must leave the playing field. His absence is initially noticeable in the Krakow team's attack, but they quickly regain their balance, the game becomes even again, and finally, at the end of the second half, Wisła slightly gains the advantage. Just before the end of the first half, the English striker broke through again, but the left wing's shot was off target. Soon there is a breakthrough in Krakow. When in greatest danger, the English defender stops the ball with his hand. Łyko takes a penalty kick. The ball lands in the net to the cheers of players and spectators. Wisła leads 1-0! The sides change immediately. After the change, Wisła started bold attacks again, but the English played very hard and eventually one of their players even had to leave the pitch, which was not without protests. Although England had only played with ten men in the last few minutes, they were now the dominant team and tried to equalize, but without success. The match remains extremely exciting until the last minute, but Krakow's defenders are now at their post and, thanks to their dedicated work, they managed to keep the Krakow team's lead 1-0. The match, which was led very objectively by Rutkowski, was attended by 7,000 spectators.

http://historiawisly.pl/wiki/images/thumb/f/f6/Kattowitzer_Zeitung_1936-05-25.jpg/200px-Kattowitzer_Zeitung_1936-05-25.jpg http://historiawisly.pl/wiki/skins/common/images/magnify-clip.png

 

 

Edited May 26, 20242 yr by erskblue

                                      The team that toured in South America in 1929 here photographed in Argentina.

Before kick off against Corinthians, in Sao Paulo. The captains shake hands before the match.

Our 1929 Tour of South America.

Date	Rival	Score	Venue
25 May 1929	Combinado Capital	3–2	San Lorenzo
26 May 1929	Combinado Provincia	0–4	Racing
31 May 1929	Argentina	1–0	River Plate
2 Jun 1929	Combinado Capital	2–3	Boca Juniors
8 Jun 1929	San Lorenzo	2–0	? (Buenos Aires)
9 Jun 1929	Peñarol	1–2	Pocitos
15 Jun 1929	Independiente	1–1	? (Avellaneda)
16 Jun 1929	Liga Rosarina	1–2	Newell's O.B.
16 Jun 1929	Unión[47][48]	0–5	15 de Abril
20 Jun 1929	Racing	0–1	Racing
22 Jun 1929	Estudiantil Porteño	3–2	River Plate
23 Jun 1929	Wanderers	1–0	Parque Central
28 Jun 1929	Rio de Janeiro	1–1	das Laranjeiras
30 Jun 1929	Rio de Janeiro	1–2	das Laranjeiras
4 Jul 1929	Corinthians	4–4	Parque Antarctica
7 Jul 1929	São Paulo	1–3	Parque Antarctica

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 2, 20242 yr by erskblue

 

The last few posts above all show pictures and reports on our South American Tour of 1929.

South American Trip of Chelsea FC 1929.

www.rsssf.org

 

25.05.1929	Buenos Aires	Combinado Capital	2-3	Chelsea FC

26.05.1929	Avellaneda	Combinado Provincia	4-0	Chelsea FC

31.05.1929	Buenos Aires	Argentina		0-1	Chelsea FC

02.06.1929	Buenos Aires	Combinado Capital	3-2	Chelsea FC

08.06.1929	Buenos Aires	San Lorenzo		0-2	Chelsea FC

09.06.1929	Montevideo	Peñarol			2-1	Chelsea FC

15.06.1929	Avellaneda	Independiente		1-1	Chelsea FC

16.06.1929	Rosario		Liga Rosarina		2-1	Chelsea FC

16.06.1929 	Santa Fe	Unión			5-0	Chelsea FC

20.06.1929	Avellaneda	Racing Club		1-0	Chelsea FC

22.06.1929	Buenos Aires	Estudiantil Porteño	2-3	Chelsea FC

23.06.1929	Montevideo	Montevideo Wanderers	0-1	Chelsea FC

28.06.1929	Río de Janeiro	Río Janeiro Select	1-1	Chelsea FC

30.06.1929	Río de Janeiro	Río Janeiro Select	2-1	Chelsea FC

04.07.1929	São Paulo	Corinthians		4-4	Chelsea FC

07.07.1929	São Paulo	São Paulo Select	3-1	Chelsea FC

Match details

[at San Lorenzo de Almagro]

COMBINADO CAPITAL 		2-3		CHELSEA FC

[M.Evaristo 2, P.Bartolucci 72]			[H.Miller 15, J.Crawford 24, S.Elliot 67]

ALTERIO, Eduardo [Chacarita Juniors]		MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-						-

OMAR, Pedro [San Lorenzo] 			SMITH, George 	

IRIBARREN, Juan Carlos [River Plate]		LAW, Thomas 	

-						-

BARTOLUCCI, Pablo [Huracán]			IRVING, Sam 		

MONTI, Luis [San Lorenzo] 			TOWNROW, John 	

ORLANDINI, Rodolfo [Sportivo Buenos Aires]	FERGUSON, Willie 			

-						-

PEUCELLE, Carlos [Sportivo Buenos Aires] 	CRAWFORD, John 	

SCOPELLI, Alejandro [Estudiantes LP]		WEAVER, Reginald	

STÁBILE, Guillermo [Huracán] 			ELLIOT, Sidney 	

CHERRO, Roberto	[Boca Juniors]		 	MILLER, Harold

EVARISTO, Mario [Boca Juniors] 			PEARSON, George

				Referee: 	GALLI, José

---

[at Racing Club]

COMBINADO PROVINCIA 		4-0		CHELSEA FC

[I.Morgada 25, 86, A.Scopelli 57, M.Ferreira 70]

BOSSIO, Ángel [Talleres RE]			MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-						-

DEBUGLIO, Carlos [Independiente]		SMITH, George 	

PATERNOSTER, Fernando [Racing Club]		LAW, Thomas 	

-						-

MANFRÍN, Federico [Lanús]			IRVING, Sam 		

BRIZUELA, Bartolomé [San Fernando]		TOWNROW, John 	

MARTÍNEZ, Luis [Independiente]			BISHOP, Syd 			

-						-

LAURI, Miguel Ángel [Estudiantes LP]	 	CRAWFORD, John 	

SCOPELLI, Alejandro [Estudiantes LP]		WILSON, Andrew	

FERREIRA, Manuel [Estudiantes LP]		WEAVER, Reginald 	

ZUBIZARRETA, Luis [Talleres RE]		 	MILLER, Harold

MORGADA, Ismael [Gimnasia y Esgrima LP]		PEARSON, George

				Referee: 	LIÑEYRO, Enrique

---

[at River Plate]

ARGENTINA	 		0-1		CHELSEA FC

 						[A.Wilson 5]

BOSSIO, Ángel [Talleres RE]			MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-						-

OMAR, Pedro [San Lorenzo]			ODELL, Leslie 	

PATERNOSTER, Fernando [Racing Club]		LAW, Thomas 	

-						-

EVARISTO, Juan [Sportivo Palermo]		IRVING, Sam 		

BRIZUELA, Bartolomé [San Fernando]		TOWNROW, John 	

MARTÍNEZ, Luis [Independiente]			BISHOP, Syd 			

-						-

PEUCELLE, Carlos [Sportivo Buenos Aires] 	MEREDITH, John 	

SCOPELLI, Alejandro [Estudiantes LP]		CRAWFORD, John 

FERREIRA, Manuel [Estudiantes LP]		FERGUSON, Willie 	

GAINZARAIN, Enrique [Ferro Carril Oeste] 	WILSON, Andrew	

MORGADA, Ismael [Gimnasia y Esgrima LP]		JACKSON, William

				Referee: 	MACÍAS, José Bartolomé

---

[at Boca Juniors]

COMBINADO CAPITAL 		3-2		CHELSEA FC

[G.Stábile 27, E.Kuko 52, 86]			[A.Wilson 58, W.Jackson 62]

ALTERIO, Eduardo [Chacarita Juniors]		MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-						-

CHERRO, Felipe [Sportivo Barracas]		SMITH, George 	

IRIBARREN, Juan Carlos [River Plate]		ODELL, Leslie 	

-						-

BARTOLUCCI, Pablo [Huracán]			RUSSELL, William 

MONTI, Luis [San Lorenzo] 			RODGER, George 	

ORLANDINI, Rodolfo [Sportivo Buenos Aires]	FERGUSON, Willie 			

-						-

PEUCELLE, Carlos [Sportivo Buenos Aires] 	MEREDITH, John 	

TARASCONI, Domingo [Boca Juniors]		WEAVER, Reginald	

STÁBILE, Guillermo [Huracán] 			WILSON, Andrew	

KUKO, Esteban	[Boca Juniors]		 	MILLER, Harold

EVARISTO, Mario [Boca Juniors] 			JACKSON, William

				Referee: 	GARIGLIANO, Cirilo

---

SAN LORENZO 		0-2	CHELSEA FC

				[S.Elliot 61, H.Miller 89]

ORIO, Hércules			MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-				-

OMAR, Pedro			SMITH, George 	

TARRÍO, Oscar			LAW, Thomas 	

-				-

CORSETTI, Francisco		IRVING, Sam 

MONTI, Luis 			TOWNROW, John

FOSSA, José Hipólito		BISHOP, Syd 		

-				-

CARRICABERRY, Alfredo 		CRAWFORD, John 

CORTECCI, José 			THAIN, Albert 

MAGLIO, Juan 			ELLIOT, Sidney 	

GARCÍA, Diego		 	MILLER, Harold

ARRIETA, Arturo 		JACKSON, William

		Referee: 	GALLI, José

---

[at Estación Pocitos]

PEÑAROL 		2-1	CHELSEA FC

[L.Fernández 66, J.Anselmo 86] 	[A.Wilson 55]

ESTÉVEZ, Cirio			MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-				-

NOGUÉS, Alberto 		SMITH, George 	

DAGOSTO, Demis			LAW, Thomas 	

-				-

SILVA, Gildeón			RUSSELL, William 

GESTIDO, Álvaro 		TOWNROW, John

MAINARDI, Luis			BISHOP, Syd 		

-				-

ARREMÓN, Juan Pedro 		CRAWFORD, John 

SACCO, Antonio			WILSON, Andrew	

FERNÁNDEZ, Lorenzo 		ELLIOT, Sidney 	

ANSELMO, Juan Peregrino	 	MILLER, Harold

CAMPOLO, Antonio 		PEARSON, George

		Referee: 	MERGLEN, A.

---

INDEPENDIENTE 		1-1	CHELSEA FC

[M.Seoane 6] 			[H.Miller 70]

SANGIOVANNI, Néstor		MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-				-

DEBUGLIO, Carlos 		SMITH, George 	

CHIARELLA, Ernesto		LAW, Thomas 	

-				-

PÉREZ, José Bautista		IRVING, Sam 

GROS, Carlos 			RODGER, George

MARTÍNEZ, Luis			BISHOP, Syd 		

-				-

CANAVERI, Zoilo 		CRAWFORD, John 

LALÍN, Alberto  		THAIN, Albert 

RAVASCHINO, Luis 		WEAVER, Reginald

SEOANE, Manuel 			MILLER, Harold

PAOLINETTI, Alfredo		PEARSON, George

		Referee: 	TEJADA, Aníbal (Uru)

---

[at Newell's Old Boys]

LIGA ROSARINA	 		2-1		CHELSEA FC

[F.Bussolini 62, 77] 				[H.Miller 50]

GUIDA, Carlos [Belgrano (Rosario)]		MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-						-

GARRAMENDI, Andrés [Central Córdoba]		SMITH, George 	

BURSET, Ginés [Nacional (Rosario)]		ODELL, Leslie 	

-						-

CHABROLÍN, Alfredo [Newell's Old Boys]		RUSSELL, William 

FAGGIANI, Victorio [Tiro Federal]		RODGER, George

CONTI, Silvestre [Nacional (Rosario)]		FERGUSON, Willie 	

-						-

BONZI, Eduardo [Tiro Federal]		 	MEREDITH, John 	

RIVAS, Gerardo [Rosario Central]		CRAWFORD, John 

SOSA, Gabino [Central Córdoba]			WEAVER, Reginald

BUSSOLINI, Félix [Central Córdoba]		MILLER, Harold

LÓPEZ, Celestino [Tiro Federal]			PEARSON, George

				Referee: 	BIENER, Teodoro

---

UNIÓN (SANTA FE)	5-0	CHELSEA FC

[F.Valiente 20, 35, 72, F.Acosta 28, D.Beltramini 48]

OLIVIERI 			WHITLEY, Jack 

-				-

ANGELINI, Juan 			IRVING, Sam

GÓMEZ, Arturo			LAW, Thomas 	

-				-

NAPOLEONI, Ángel		THAIN, Albert 

MONZÓN 				TOWNROW, John

GARBAGNOLI, Osvaldo		BISHOP, Syd 		

-				-

SIMONSINI, Antonio 		JACKSON, William

BELTRAMINI, Domingo  		FERGUSON, Chris 	

VALIENTE, Francisco 		ELLIOT, Sidney 	

ACOSTA, Fidel 			WILSON, Andrew	

MIR, Julio			HIGGS, Frank

		Referee: 	FORTE, Eduardo

Note:				A.Wilson missed a penalty 41.

---

RACING CLUB		1-0	CHELSEA FC

[F.Perducca 36]

ARZENI, Argento	 		MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-				-

DELLA TORRE, José		SMITH, George 	

PATERNOSTER, Fernando		ODELL, Leslie 

-				-

POMPEY, Pedro			RUSSELL, William 

STAGNARO, Andrés 		RODGER, George

DE MARE, Antonio 		BISHOP, Syd 		

-				-

GARCÍA, José 			CRAWFORD, John 

OCHOA, Pedro  			THAIN, Albert 

PERDUCCA, Feliciano 		ELLIOT, Sidney 	

TABAR, José 			MILLER, Harold

CERRUDO, Félix			PEARSON, George

		Referee: 	GALLI, José

---

[at River Plate]

ESTUDIANTIL PORTEÑO	2-3	CHELSEA FC

[O.Mapelli 13, F.Martínez 15] 	[Elliot 2, Meredith 11, A.Russell 44]

CADEL, Eugenio	 		MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-				-

MARTÍNEZ, Juan			SMITH, George 	

PUJOLAS, Antonio		ODELL, Leslie 

-				-

CARÁTOLO, Fidel			RUSSELL, William 

CATELLI, Antonio 		RODGER, George

GARGIULO, José			FERGUSON, Willie 	

-				-

PEDEVILLA, Juan Carlos 		MEREDITH, John 	

DEMARÍA, Atilio  		FERGUSON, Chris 

MARTÍNEZ, Francisco 		THAIN, Albert

MAPELLI, Oscar 			ELLIOT, Sidney 	

BETTINOTTI, Juan 		JACKSON, William

		Referee: 	REPOSSI, Jerónimo

---

[at Parque Central]

MONTEVIDEO WANDERERS	0-1	CHELSEA FC

 				[R.Weaver 7]

CERIANI, A.	 		MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-				-

DEAGUSTINI, Rodolfo		SMITH, George 	

TEJERA, Domingo			ODELL, Leslie 

-				-

PERCIVALE, J.			THAIN, Albert

OCCHIUSSI, Francisco 		TOWNROW, John

CARRICA, A. 			BISHOP, Syd 	

-				-

DEAGUSTINI, Luis 		MEREDITH, John 	

ALVAREZ, A.  			CRAWFORD, John 

RAPPETI, J. 			WEAVER, Reginald

CONTI, Nicolás 			MILLER, Harold

FIGUEROA, Roberto 		PEARSON, George

		Referee: 	TEJADA, Aníbal

---

[at Estádio das Laranjeiras]

RIO DE JANEIRO SELECT	 	1-1	CHELSEA FC

[Ripper 81] 				[W.Jackson 44]

JOEL 				MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-					-

HILDEGARDO 			SMITH, George 	

HESPANHOL [Vasco da Gama] 		ODELL, Leslie 	

-					-

NASCIMENTO [Fluminense]			BISHOP, Syd

FERNANDO GIUDICELLI [Fluminense]	TOWNROW, John

FORTES [Fluminense]			FERGUSON, Willie 	

-					-

RIPPER [Fluminense]	 		JACKSON, William

LAGARTO	[Fluminense]			CRAWFORD, John 

LUIZ [Botafogo]				WEAVER, Reginald

NILO [Botafogo]				MILLER, Harold

TEÓPHYLO [São Cristóvão]		PEARSON, George

			Referee: 	MORAES CASTRO, L.

---

[at Estádio das Laranjeiras]

RIO DE JANEIRO SELECT	 	2-1	CHELSEA FC

[Theophilo 46, Nilo 38] 		[R.Weaver 42]

JOEL 				MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-					-

HILDEGARDO 			LAW, Thomas 	 	

HESPANHOL [Vasco da Gama] 		ODELL, Leslie 	

-					-

NASCIMENTO [Fluminense]			BISHOP, Syd

FERNANDO GIUDICELLI [Fluminense]	TOWNROW, John

FORTES [Fluminense]			FERGUSON, Willie 	

-					-

RIPPER [Fluminense]	 		JACKSON, William

LAGARTO	[Fluminense]			FERGUSON, Chris 

LUIZ [Botafogo]				WEAVER, Reginald

NILO [Botafogo]				MILLER, Harold

TEÓPHYLO [São Cristóvão]		PEARSON, George

			Referee: 	DE CASTRO, Alfonso

---

[at Parque Antarctica]

CORINTHIANS	     4-4(3-3)	CHELSEA FC

[Gambinha (1-3)(3-3), Grané (2-3), De María (4-3)]

[W.Jackson (0-1), A.Wilson (0-2), S.Elliot (0-3)(4-4)]	

				MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-				-

GRANÉ				SMITH, George 	

DEL DEBBIO 			LAW, Thomas 	 	

-				-

NERINO				RUSSELL, William 

GUIMARÃES			RODGER, George

LEONE				BISHOP, Syd

-				-

APPARICIO	 		MEREDITH, John 	

PERES				CRAWFORD, John 

GAMBINHA			ELLIOT, Sidney 	

RATTO				WILSON, Andrew	

DE MARÍA			JACKSON, William

		Referee: 	BEVILACQUA, A.

---

[at Parque Antarctica]

SÃO PAULO SELECT		3-1	CHELSEA FC

[Feitiço 16, 86p, Araken 34] 		[A.Wilson 15]

ATHIÉ [Santos]				MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-					-

DEL DEBBIO [Corinthians]		SMITH, George 	

MIGUEL 					LAW, Thomas 	 	

-					-

ARGENTINO [Syrio]			RUSSELL, William 

SERAFINI [Palestra Itália]		RODGER, George

NERINO [Corinthians]			FERGUSON, Willie 

-					-

ARAKEN [Santos] 			DAVIES, Thomas

FEITIÇO [Santos]			WILSON, Andrew 

MINISTRINHO [Palestra Itália]		JACKSON, William

CAMARÃO [Santos]			ELLIOT, Sidney 

EVANGELISTA [Santos] 			PEARSON, George

			Referee: 	GUERRA, S.

Edited June 2, 20242 yr by erskblue

8 hours ago, erskblue said:

South American Trip of Chelsea FC 1929.

www.rsssf.org

 

25.05.1929	Buenos Aires	Combinado Capital	2-3	Chelsea FC

26.05.1929	Avellaneda	Combinado Provincia	4-0	Chelsea FC

31.05.1929	Buenos Aires	Argentina		0-1	Chelsea FC

02.06.1929	Buenos Aires	Combinado Capital	3-2	Chelsea FC

08.06.1929	Buenos Aires	San Lorenzo		0-2	Chelsea FC

09.06.1929	Montevideo	Peñarol			2-1	Chelsea FC

15.06.1929	Avellaneda	Independiente		1-1	Chelsea FC

16.06.1929	Rosario		Liga Rosarina		2-1	Chelsea FC

16.06.1929 	Santa Fe	Unión			5-0	Chelsea FC

20.06.1929	Avellaneda	Racing Club		1-0	Chelsea FC

22.06.1929	Buenos Aires	Estudiantil Porteño	2-3	Chelsea FC

23.06.1929	Montevideo	Montevideo Wanderers	0-1	Chelsea FC

28.06.1929	Río de Janeiro	Río Janeiro Select	1-1	Chelsea FC

30.06.1929	Río de Janeiro	Río Janeiro Select	2-1	Chelsea FC

04.07.1929	São Paulo	Corinthians		4-4	Chelsea FC

07.07.1929	São Paulo	São Paulo Select	3-1	Chelsea FC

Match details

[at San Lorenzo de Almagro]

COMBINADO CAPITAL 		2-3		CHELSEA FC

[M.Evaristo 2, P.Bartolucci 72]			[H.Miller 15, J.Crawford 24, S.Elliot 67]

ALTERIO, Eduardo [Chacarita Juniors]		MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-						-

OMAR, Pedro [San Lorenzo] 			SMITH, George 	

IRIBARREN, Juan Carlos [River Plate]		LAW, Thomas 	

-						-

BARTOLUCCI, Pablo [Huracán]			IRVING, Sam 		

MONTI, Luis [San Lorenzo] 			TOWNROW, John 	

ORLANDINI, Rodolfo [Sportivo Buenos Aires]	FERGUSON, Willie 			

-						-

PEUCELLE, Carlos [Sportivo Buenos Aires] 	CRAWFORD, John 	

SCOPELLI, Alejandro [Estudiantes LP]		WEAVER, Reginald	

STÁBILE, Guillermo [Huracán] 			ELLIOT, Sidney 	

CHERRO, Roberto	[Boca Juniors]		 	MILLER, Harold

EVARISTO, Mario [Boca Juniors] 			PEARSON, George

				Referee: 	GALLI, José

---

[at Racing Club]

COMBINADO PROVINCIA 		4-0		CHELSEA FC

[I.Morgada 25, 86, A.Scopelli 57, M.Ferreira 70]

BOSSIO, Ángel [Talleres RE]			MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-						-

DEBUGLIO, Carlos [Independiente]		SMITH, George 	

PATERNOSTER, Fernando [Racing Club]		LAW, Thomas 	

-						-

MANFRÍN, Federico [Lanús]			IRVING, Sam 		

BRIZUELA, Bartolomé [San Fernando]		TOWNROW, John 	

MARTÍNEZ, Luis [Independiente]			BISHOP, Syd 			

-						-

LAURI, Miguel Ángel [Estudiantes LP]	 	CRAWFORD, John 	

SCOPELLI, Alejandro [Estudiantes LP]		WILSON, Andrew	

FERREIRA, Manuel [Estudiantes LP]		WEAVER, Reginald 	

ZUBIZARRETA, Luis [Talleres RE]		 	MILLER, Harold

MORGADA, Ismael [Gimnasia y Esgrima LP]		PEARSON, George

				Referee: 	LIÑEYRO, Enrique

---

[at River Plate]

ARGENTINA	 		0-1		CHELSEA FC

 						[A.Wilson 5]

BOSSIO, Ángel [Talleres RE]			MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-						-

OMAR, Pedro [San Lorenzo]			ODELL, Leslie 	

PATERNOSTER, Fernando [Racing Club]		LAW, Thomas 	

-						-

EVARISTO, Juan [Sportivo Palermo]		IRVING, Sam 		

BRIZUELA, Bartolomé [San Fernando]		TOWNROW, John 	

MARTÍNEZ, Luis [Independiente]			BISHOP, Syd 			

-						-

PEUCELLE, Carlos [Sportivo Buenos Aires] 	MEREDITH, John 	

SCOPELLI, Alejandro [Estudiantes LP]		CRAWFORD, John 

FERREIRA, Manuel [Estudiantes LP]		FERGUSON, Willie 	

GAINZARAIN, Enrique [Ferro Carril Oeste] 	WILSON, Andrew	

MORGADA, Ismael [Gimnasia y Esgrima LP]		JACKSON, William

				Referee: 	MACÍAS, José Bartolomé

---

[at Boca Juniors]

COMBINADO CAPITAL 		3-2		CHELSEA FC

[G.Stábile 27, E.Kuko 52, 86]			[A.Wilson 58, W.Jackson 62]

ALTERIO, Eduardo [Chacarita Juniors]		MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-						-

CHERRO, Felipe [Sportivo Barracas]		SMITH, George 	

IRIBARREN, Juan Carlos [River Plate]		ODELL, Leslie 	

-						-

BARTOLUCCI, Pablo [Huracán]			RUSSELL, William 

MONTI, Luis [San Lorenzo] 			RODGER, George 	

ORLANDINI, Rodolfo [Sportivo Buenos Aires]	FERGUSON, Willie 			

-						-

PEUCELLE, Carlos [Sportivo Buenos Aires] 	MEREDITH, John 	

TARASCONI, Domingo [Boca Juniors]		WEAVER, Reginald	

STÁBILE, Guillermo [Huracán] 			WILSON, Andrew	

KUKO, Esteban	[Boca Juniors]		 	MILLER, Harold

EVARISTO, Mario [Boca Juniors] 			JACKSON, William

				Referee: 	GARIGLIANO, Cirilo

---

SAN LORENZO 		0-2	CHELSEA FC

				[S.Elliot 61, H.Miller 89]

ORIO, Hércules			MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-				-

OMAR, Pedro			SMITH, George 	

TARRÍO, Oscar			LAW, Thomas 	

-				-

CORSETTI, Francisco		IRVING, Sam 

MONTI, Luis 			TOWNROW, John

FOSSA, José Hipólito		BISHOP, Syd 		

-				-

CARRICABERRY, Alfredo 		CRAWFORD, John 

CORTECCI, José 			THAIN, Albert 

MAGLIO, Juan 			ELLIOT, Sidney 	

GARCÍA, Diego		 	MILLER, Harold

ARRIETA, Arturo 		JACKSON, William

		Referee: 	GALLI, José

---

[at Estación Pocitos]

PEÑAROL 		2-1	CHELSEA FC

[L.Fernández 66, J.Anselmo 86] 	[A.Wilson 55]

ESTÉVEZ, Cirio			MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-				-

NOGUÉS, Alberto 		SMITH, George 	

DAGOSTO, Demis			LAW, Thomas 	

-				-

SILVA, Gildeón			RUSSELL, William 

GESTIDO, Álvaro 		TOWNROW, John

MAINARDI, Luis			BISHOP, Syd 		

-				-

ARREMÓN, Juan Pedro 		CRAWFORD, John 

SACCO, Antonio			WILSON, Andrew	

FERNÁNDEZ, Lorenzo 		ELLIOT, Sidney 	

ANSELMO, Juan Peregrino	 	MILLER, Harold

CAMPOLO, Antonio 		PEARSON, George

		Referee: 	MERGLEN, A.

---

INDEPENDIENTE 		1-1	CHELSEA FC

[M.Seoane 6] 			[H.Miller 70]

SANGIOVANNI, Néstor		MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-				-

DEBUGLIO, Carlos 		SMITH, George 	

CHIARELLA, Ernesto		LAW, Thomas 	

-				-

PÉREZ, José Bautista		IRVING, Sam 

GROS, Carlos 			RODGER, George

MARTÍNEZ, Luis			BISHOP, Syd 		

-				-

CANAVERI, Zoilo 		CRAWFORD, John 

LALÍN, Alberto  		THAIN, Albert 

RAVASCHINO, Luis 		WEAVER, Reginald

SEOANE, Manuel 			MILLER, Harold

PAOLINETTI, Alfredo		PEARSON, George

		Referee: 	TEJADA, Aníbal (Uru)

---

[at Newell's Old Boys]

LIGA ROSARINA	 		2-1		CHELSEA FC

[F.Bussolini 62, 77] 				[H.Miller 50]

GUIDA, Carlos [Belgrano (Rosario)]		MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-						-

GARRAMENDI, Andrés [Central Córdoba]		SMITH, George 	

BURSET, Ginés [Nacional (Rosario)]		ODELL, Leslie 	

-						-

CHABROLÍN, Alfredo [Newell's Old Boys]		RUSSELL, William 

FAGGIANI, Victorio [Tiro Federal]		RODGER, George

CONTI, Silvestre [Nacional (Rosario)]		FERGUSON, Willie 	

-						-

BONZI, Eduardo [Tiro Federal]		 	MEREDITH, John 	

RIVAS, Gerardo [Rosario Central]		CRAWFORD, John 

SOSA, Gabino [Central Córdoba]			WEAVER, Reginald

BUSSOLINI, Félix [Central Córdoba]		MILLER, Harold

LÓPEZ, Celestino [Tiro Federal]			PEARSON, George

				Referee: 	BIENER, Teodoro

---

UNIÓN (SANTA FE)	5-0	CHELSEA FC

[F.Valiente 20, 35, 72, F.Acosta 28, D.Beltramini 48]

OLIVIERI 			WHITLEY, Jack 

-				-

ANGELINI, Juan 			IRVING, Sam

GÓMEZ, Arturo			LAW, Thomas 	

-				-

NAPOLEONI, Ángel		THAIN, Albert 

MONZÓN 				TOWNROW, John

GARBAGNOLI, Osvaldo		BISHOP, Syd 		

-				-

SIMONSINI, Antonio 		JACKSON, William

BELTRAMINI, Domingo  		FERGUSON, Chris 	

VALIENTE, Francisco 		ELLIOT, Sidney 	

ACOSTA, Fidel 			WILSON, Andrew	

MIR, Julio			HIGGS, Frank

		Referee: 	FORTE, Eduardo

Note:				A.Wilson missed a penalty 41.

---

RACING CLUB		1-0	CHELSEA FC

[F.Perducca 36]

ARZENI, Argento	 		MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-				-

DELLA TORRE, José		SMITH, George 	

PATERNOSTER, Fernando		ODELL, Leslie 

-				-

POMPEY, Pedro			RUSSELL, William 

STAGNARO, Andrés 		RODGER, George

DE MARE, Antonio 		BISHOP, Syd 		

-				-

GARCÍA, José 			CRAWFORD, John 

OCHOA, Pedro  			THAIN, Albert 

PERDUCCA, Feliciano 		ELLIOT, Sidney 	

TABAR, José 			MILLER, Harold

CERRUDO, Félix			PEARSON, George

		Referee: 	GALLI, José

---

[at River Plate]

ESTUDIANTIL PORTEÑO	2-3	CHELSEA FC

[O.Mapelli 13, F.Martínez 15] 	[Elliot 2, Meredith 11, A.Russell 44]

CADEL, Eugenio	 		MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-				-

MARTÍNEZ, Juan			SMITH, George 	

PUJOLAS, Antonio		ODELL, Leslie 

-				-

CARÁTOLO, Fidel			RUSSELL, William 

CATELLI, Antonio 		RODGER, George

GARGIULO, José			FERGUSON, Willie 	

-				-

PEDEVILLA, Juan Carlos 		MEREDITH, John 	

DEMARÍA, Atilio  		FERGUSON, Chris 

MARTÍNEZ, Francisco 		THAIN, Albert

MAPELLI, Oscar 			ELLIOT, Sidney 	

BETTINOTTI, Juan 		JACKSON, William

		Referee: 	REPOSSI, Jerónimo

---

[at Parque Central]

MONTEVIDEO WANDERERS	0-1	CHELSEA FC

 				[R.Weaver 7]

CERIANI, A.	 		MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-				-

DEAGUSTINI, Rodolfo		SMITH, George 	

TEJERA, Domingo			ODELL, Leslie 

-				-

PERCIVALE, J.			THAIN, Albert

OCCHIUSSI, Francisco 		TOWNROW, John

CARRICA, A. 			BISHOP, Syd 	

-				-

DEAGUSTINI, Luis 		MEREDITH, John 	

ALVAREZ, A.  			CRAWFORD, John 

RAPPETI, J. 			WEAVER, Reginald

CONTI, Nicolás 			MILLER, Harold

FIGUEROA, Roberto 		PEARSON, George

		Referee: 	TEJADA, Aníbal

---

[at Estádio das Laranjeiras]

RIO DE JANEIRO SELECT	 	1-1	CHELSEA FC

[Ripper 81] 				[W.Jackson 44]

JOEL 				MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-					-

HILDEGARDO 			SMITH, George 	

HESPANHOL [Vasco da Gama] 		ODELL, Leslie 	

-					-

NASCIMENTO [Fluminense]			BISHOP, Syd

FERNANDO GIUDICELLI [Fluminense]	TOWNROW, John

FORTES [Fluminense]			FERGUSON, Willie 	

-					-

RIPPER [Fluminense]	 		JACKSON, William

LAGARTO	[Fluminense]			CRAWFORD, John 

LUIZ [Botafogo]				WEAVER, Reginald

NILO [Botafogo]				MILLER, Harold

TEÓPHYLO [São Cristóvão]		PEARSON, George

			Referee: 	MORAES CASTRO, L.

---

[at Estádio das Laranjeiras]

RIO DE JANEIRO SELECT	 	2-1	CHELSEA FC

[Theophilo 46, Nilo 38] 		[R.Weaver 42]

JOEL 				MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-					-

HILDEGARDO 			LAW, Thomas 	 	

HESPANHOL [Vasco da Gama] 		ODELL, Leslie 	

-					-

NASCIMENTO [Fluminense]			BISHOP, Syd

FERNANDO GIUDICELLI [Fluminense]	TOWNROW, John

FORTES [Fluminense]			FERGUSON, Willie 	

-					-

RIPPER [Fluminense]	 		JACKSON, William

LAGARTO	[Fluminense]			FERGUSON, Chris 

LUIZ [Botafogo]				WEAVER, Reginald

NILO [Botafogo]				MILLER, Harold

TEÓPHYLO [São Cristóvão]		PEARSON, George

			Referee: 	DE CASTRO, Alfonso

---

[at Parque Antarctica]

CORINTHIANS	     4-4(3-3)	CHELSEA FC

[Gambinha (1-3)(3-3), Grané (2-3), De María (4-3)]

[W.Jackson (0-1), A.Wilson (0-2), S.Elliot (0-3)(4-4)]	

				MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-				-

GRANÉ				SMITH, George 	

DEL DEBBIO 			LAW, Thomas 	 	

-				-

NERINO				RUSSELL, William 

GUIMARÃES			RODGER, George

LEONE				BISHOP, Syd

-				-

APPARICIO	 		MEREDITH, John 	

PERES				CRAWFORD, John 

GAMBINHA			ELLIOT, Sidney 	

RATTO				WILSON, Andrew	

DE MARÍA			JACKSON, William

		Referee: 	BEVILACQUA, A.

---

[at Parque Antarctica]

SÃO PAULO SELECT		3-1	CHELSEA FC

[Feitiço 16, 86p, Araken 34] 		[A.Wilson 15]

ATHIÉ [Santos]				MILLINGTON, Simeon 

-					-

DEL DEBBIO [Corinthians]		SMITH, George 	

MIGUEL 					LAW, Thomas 	 	

-					-

ARGENTINO [Syrio]			RUSSELL, William 

SERAFINI [Palestra Itália]		RODGER, George

NERINO [Corinthians]			FERGUSON, Willie 

-					-

ARAKEN [Santos] 			DAVIES, Thomas

FEITIÇO [Santos]			WILSON, Andrew 

MINISTRINHO [Palestra Itália]		JACKSON, William

CAMARÃO [Santos]			ELLIOT, Sidney 

EVANGELISTA [Santos] 			PEARSON, George

			Referee: 	GUERRA, S.

Thanks for all the work you've put into this Erske 👍

13 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

Thanks for all the work you've put into this Erske 👍

No problem. Just enjoy doing historical research on our great club.

 

Eric Liddell winning the AAA 440yard title at The Bridge in 1924.

Harold Abrahams wins the 1924 AAA title at The Bridge.

 

Eric Liddell

Personnes : Eric Liddell

 

 

Edited June 18, 20242 yr by erskblue

Crowd of 52,000 saw England win 1-0.

Chelsea 1914-15

Back (left to right): Fred Taylor, Jack Whitley (trainer), Walter Bettridge, James Molyneux, Tom Logan, Andrew Walker, Jack Harrow.
Front: Harry Ford, Harold Halse, Bob Thomson, Jimmy Croal, Robert McNeil.