Jim Molyneux punches away the ball against Derby County at The Bridge in November 1913..

Second from left is Danish half back Nils Middleboe,who was making his Chelsea debut. We beat Derby 2-1.

https://www.southsidesox.com/2014/2/27/5448802/white-sox-giants-world-tour-feb-26-1914

The White Sox and Giants at The Bridge. The White Sox and Giants World Tour of early 1914. Biggest crowd of the tour was at The Bridge.

'The 46th and final game between the globetrotting teams thrills the biggest crowd of the tour in London, including His Majesty'

Chelsea on the attack in a 2-2 draw with Sheffield Wednesday in Division One in 1908/09

Future Chelsea goalkeeper Benjamin Howard Baker wins the high jump in the British athletics championship at Stamford Bridge.

On our return to the top flight in 1912, the Sheffield United goalkeeper is beaten by a looping effort from Vivian Woodward as we triumph 4-2 to pick up our first points of the season

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Legendary goalkeeper Vic Woodley makes a save against Fulham in the 1935/36 FA Cup.

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The front cover of Nils Middelboe's autobiography

From the official site.

www.chelseafc.com

November 15, 1919. A date that may not resemble anything particularly significant for many around the world but for a corner of London – and for this fine club specifically – it represents an important chapter in our 120-year story.

During that period, we’ve had many fine players pull on the Chelsea blue and grace the beautiful game, both domestically and from around the globe.

The names write themselves. Gianfranco Zola. Didier Drogba. Ruud Gullit. Eden Hazard. Marcel Desailly. Petr Cech. N’Golo Kante. We could go on.

Yet a name that perhaps goes under the radar is Nils Middelboe.

Hailing from Denmark, Nils – nicknamed ‘the Great Dane’ – arrived at Chelsea in 1913 and in doing so,officially became our first foreign player. Then, on that November day in 1919, would net our first goal from an overseas player. History indeed.

The front cover of Nils Middelboe's autobiography

That came against Preston North End in a 4-0 win. And the only reason the Denmark international was playing was because he answered the SOS call of secretary-manager, David Calderhead two months prior.

This was because, throughout his time at Stamford Bridge, Middelboe played as an amateur footballer.

He had won silver medals for Denmark in the Olympic Games of 1908 and 1912, and indeed had scored the first-ever Olympic football goal. He was a very talented player.

However, he retained his amateur status for the whole of his stay at Chelsea and worked in a nearby bank, despite the fact he could have trebled his salary by becoming a professional footballer.

The ball used in Nils Middelboe's debut in 1913 is now in the Chelsea FC Museum at Stamford Bridge

So, in September 1919, a letter was sent to one of the most celebrated players of the club’s early years to ask whether he could make himself available from his current profession as a city banker for that weekend’s fixture. Imagine that happening today!

'Dear M.,' the letter read. 'I’m sending you two tickets for Saturday’s game. I hope you will let me know as soon as you feel the desire to play. We can hardly do without you.

‘Currently we are doing well, but we may soon be in trouble, and it will be good to know if you will be available. Please let me know if you need more tickets.

‘Yours sincerely, David Calderhead.'

Nils Middelboe in action for Chelsea in 1913

‘M.’, as Middelboe was referred to, was common practice at the time, as the initial of his surname denoted his status. Amateur players were always addressed by their family, not given, name.

The time of the letter is key. The year 1919 saw an end to the stripped-down regional football competitions introduced in 1915 in response to the First World War, and witnessed the resumption of the Football League.

With national football back, Chelsea were looking to restore big box-office attractions. The invitation was accepted.

Although his weekday work as a City banker precluded him from many games, Middelboe had been one of the most eminent pre-war players of the English game. At 32, he had lost none of his elegance and intelligence, his raking stride still covering the field like a colossus.

Stamford Bridge in all its glory in 1919

Middelboe answered Calderhead’s distress signal in 1919 and was instrumental in six Chelsea victories up to the end of the year, including two 4-0 wins. It was in the second of those, at home to Preston North End, that the half-back scored the first and only official goal of his career at the Bridge.

It was also the first to be scored for the Pensioners by a footballer from beyond the British Isles. His contribution to the scoresheet was overshadowed by the hat-trick attributed to Jack Cock, a war hero whose signing in the summer was one of the great transfer coups by the club in its early days.

Even in his own book, Middelboe fails to mention this ground-breaking goal. The Daily Mail, while hailing the brilliant “short, fast passing” of Chelsea’s forwards, was underwhelmed by the foreign landmark.

‘The first [goal],’ it noted, ‘which came from Middelboe, but the ball cannoned into the net off Broadhurst, one of the Preston backs.’

Chelsea's squad from 1913, when Nils Middelboe made his Chelsea debut

Nevertheless, it is clear from other contemporary reports that the pioneering Dane had a huge impact on English football’s appreciation of foreign talent.

‘The best thing of all was that the players liked me,’ wrote Middelboe in his autobiography. ‘Which they showed me at Christmas 1919 by presenting me with a silver cigarette case with the inscription: “From the players to Nils Middelboe – One of the Best.”

‘I have always considered this case my dearest trophy in sport.’

Middelboe was an extremely talented defender whose reading of the game and his ability to carry the ball out of defence were years ahead of his time.

Newspaper cutting from 1913 following Nils Middelboe's debut for Chelsea

Undoubtedly 'The Great Dane’, as he was known, would have played more games for Chelsea but for his work commitments. Indeed, just 12 of his Chelsea appearances came in games outside London as he was often unable to travel north with the rest of the team on Friday afternoons.

Even after Middelboe’s retirement and his return to Denmark in 1936, he remained a great friend of the club up until the time of his death in September 1976.

Supporters search for a view inside Stamford Bridge after being denied entry for our sold-out season opener against Tottenham at the start of 1913/14.

From www.chelseafc.com

Edited April 8, 20251 yr by erskblue

AIK in Stockholm on our 1936 Close Season Tour. We won 6-0. May 1936.

Wisla Krakow in May 1936. A friendly during our close season tour of 1936.

Edited April 11, 20251 yr by erskblue

The photos of this match are from the Wisla Krakow history website.

Source: Photo and Tour Itenerary were provided by Mr Andrew Burgess, grandson of Chelsea footballer Harry Burgess.

These, to me anyway, are an amazing record of both clubs back in 1936.

Edited April 11, 20251 yr by erskblue

1920 / 1921 season - Chelsea Team Photo.
Back (left to right): Jack Harrow, Fred Barrett, James Molyneux, Harry Wilding, Jack Cock, Robert Bob McNeil, J. Whitley (trainer).
Front row: Harry Ford, Walter Bettridge, James Ferris, Nils Middelboe, Jimmy Croal, Tommy Meehan.

Edited April 25, 20251 yr by erskblue

1914/15 Team photo.
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.

1913 / 1914 season - Team Photo.
Back (left to right): Fred Taylor, James Sharp, Owen Marshall, James Molyneux, Tom Logan, John Brown, David Calderhead.
Front: Harry Ford, Bob Whittingham, Harold Halse, Vivian Woodward, William Bridgeman

Edited April 27, 20251 yr by erskblue

Programme cover for Blauw-Wit v Chelsea, Saturday, 9th May 1936

We won 3-2. Close Season Friendly.

www.stamfordbridge.com

1920s.

1920s or 1930s.

1909. Early aerial photo of The Bridge.

Edited May 15, 20251 yr by erskblue

Chelsea toured Denmark, Bohemia, Austria and Hungary just one year after formation, winning every match.

D	M	Year	Opposition	Result	Score	Venue
13	May	1906	Boldklubben 1893	Won	6-2	Copenhagen, Denmark
14	May	1906	Southampton	Won	2-1	Copenhagen, Denmark
16	May	1906	Deutscher FC	Won	4-0	Prague, Bohemia
17	May	1906	Deutscher FC	Won	6-1	Prague, Bohemia
	May	1906	Budapesti Torna Club	Won	4-0	Budapest, Hungary
	May	1906	Magyar Atletikai Club	Won	6-0	Budapest, Hungary
22	May	1906	Ferencvaros Terna Club	Won	3-1	Budapest, Hungary
	May	1906	Vienna Cricket FC	Won	3-1	Vienna, Austria
	May	1906	First Vienna FC	Won	3-0	Vienna, Austria
	May	1906	Wiener Ramblers	Won	6-0	Vienna, Austria

www.thechels.info

Edited May 17, 20251 yr by erskblue

Edited May 17, 20251 yr by erskblue

Chelsea captain Jack Harrow shakes hands with his opposite number from Bradford Park Avenue before our 4-1 win in the 1920 FA Cup quarter-final.

Andy Wilson equalises in a 1-1 home draw with Everton in 1923/24.

Edited May 17, 20251 yr by erskblue

I accept that this has very probably be posted before on here!

Photo from a 1948 Book called The History Of Football.

www.stamford-bridge.com

A Great Site ( Major Understatement) for all things about our clubs history!