Chelsea FC: Yesterday Once More

Article by Robert Wake

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How it all started for me

Over the course of the season, and hopefully beyond, I am going to be looking back at great (or in some cases just significant) matches in the clubs history, as well as reminiscing about some of the greatest players (or personal favourites) who have worn the Chelsea shirt. For my first piece however, it’s about where my personal Chelsea journey started, and why it had to be Chelsea.

It was 1971, (think Life on Mars), The New Seekers, T Rex and Chicory Tip topped the charts, and most footballers had hair like David Luiz. I was 8 years old, and we had just returned from 6 years living in Singapore. We moved to Hook in Surrey, and it seemed everyone at school supported Chelsea. Chelsea had won the FA Cup in 1970, beating Leeds United in a replay and the European Cup Winners Cup in 1971 beating Real Madrid, again after a replay. Many Chelsea fans are labelled with the ‘Chelski’ glory hunter tag, and I suppose back in 1971 I was doing just that, though in truth, Leeds United, Liverpool and Arsenal were the most successful teams at that time, with Derby County the emerging new kids on the block. Manchester United finished eighth for three consecutive seasons between 1970 and 1972, and were relegated in 1974, a year before Chelsea suffered the same fate.

Another reason for supporting The Blues was that one of the first team players lived on the same road as me. Chris Garland was not the biggest name at Chelsea, and was in and out of the team, but it was a big deal at the time. A number of Chelsea players would often pitch up at Garland’s on a Sunday, and it was quite common to see the likes of Peter Osgood, Ron Harris, David Webb and Steve Kember pulling up outside his house. I can’t quite imagine the same thing happening today – I can’t afford to live in Cobham for one!

The first matches I remember taking an interest in were the League Cup (no sponsors back then) Semi final games against Tottenham. I seem to remember watching highlights of both games on ‘Sportsnight’, a midweek sports magazine programme fronted by the legendary David Coleman. Chelsea won the first leg 3-2 at Stamford Bridge with goals from John Hollins, Garland and Peter Osgood. Terry Naylor and Martin Chivers replied for Spurs. The second leg at White Hart Lane was played on a mud-bath of a pitch, in torrential rain, and Tottenham appeared to be heading to Wembley through Chivers and a Martin Peters penalty. Garland gave Chelsea hope inside the last ten minutes, and then in the very last minute Alan Hudson’s corner skidded into the muddy penalty area, eluding Cyril Knowles and Pat Jennings and squirming over the line.

Chelsea went to Wembley as firm favourites against Tony Waddington’s Stoke City side that contained the great Gordon Banks. Chelsea being Chelsea though managed to make a pig’s ear of it and despite a diving header from Peter Osgood, lost to goals from Terry Conroy and the veteran George Eastham. It was to be the start of what proved to be a long, slippery slope for The Blues. A few weeks after the Wembley defeat, Chelsea were ignominiously knocked out of the FA Cup by Leyton Orient at Stamford Bridge, and eventually finished seventh in the league. Financially crippled by the construction of the East Stand, Chelsea’s downward spiral continued, finishing 12th in 1973 and 17th in 1974, before finally being relegated to the old division two in 1975. They returned to the top flight two seasons later, but dropped back down to the second division in 1979 after finishing bottom with a paltry 20 points.

It was a hard time to be a Chelsea supporter, but by now I had the bug, and aged 16 attended my first game at Stamford Bridge against Oldham Athletic in May 1980. Chelsea won that match 3-0, but just missed out on promotion. Chelsea continued to languish in the second tier, and indeed were almost relegated to division three in 1983, but a late Clive Walker goal at Bolton kept them up. The following summer John Neal was appointed as manager, and Chelsea’s fortunes were about to change.

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