Chelsea Football Club
Our younger viewers may find it surprising, but Chelsea Football Club were not always as dominant a force in English Football as they are becoming today.
Chelsea F.C. were founded in 1905, some 17 years after the original 12 clubs founded the Football League, and started their life in Division Two in that same season. That first game was an away defeat at the hands of the mighty Stockport County, my how things have changed.
Chelsea’s home games were, as they are today, played at Stamford Bridge which was originally an athletics stadium, a huge concrete bowl that could accommodate vast attendances.
The Blues didn’t take long to get their first taste of top flight football, when they were promoted to Division One in 1907, as Div 2 runners up behind Nottingham Forest. They were relegated in 1910 & again promoted in 1912.
In 1915 Chelsea again were relegated, but reached the FA Cup Final for the first time and were beaten by Sheffield United 3-0. There would be little further success for the Blues, and they would spend periods between the 2 Divisions until the early 1950’s.
Chelsea’s first Division One title came in 1955, even though they lost 10 games and drew 12 in a very low points scoring season. Perhaps significantly, they beat Wolves, the runnners up, twice. Chelsea Football Club were now on the map, and under the leadership of Ted Drake, they seemed destined to acquire further success. This was not to be, and after several uninspiring finishes in Division One The Blues went down again in 1962.
Drake was now surplus to requirements and was replaced by the promising young manager Tommy Docherty, who instantly brought success with promotion in his first campaign, this time runners up to Stoke City. Several good league finishes followed, but the challenge for the title was just out of reach under Docherty. The Blues did enjoy success in 1965 with a two legged defeat of Leicester City in the League Cup final. Chelsea won the first leg at the Bridge 3-2 before clinching the trophy with a goalless draw at Filbert Street.
There was huge disappointment in 1967, however, when Chelsea lost in the FA Cup final to Spurs. Bobby Tambling’s goal was not enough to prevent a 2-1 defeat in the first ever all London final.
Docherty was replaced as Chelsea FC boss by Dave Sexton who would bring more silverware to Stamford Bridge. This came with the infamous 1970 FA Cup Final win over Leed Utd. This victory allowed them entry to the European Cup Winners Cup, which they won in a replay over the mighty Real Madrid.
Sexton missed out on the League Cup of 1972 when Stoke City defeated his side 2-1 at Wembley.
Again Chelsea did not kick on from this platform, and another slump ensued until they were again wallowing in Division 2 in 1975. A few more yo-yo years followed, with Chelsea Division 2 Champions in 1984 & again in 1989. The Blues’ top flight position has been safe since.
The more recent history of Chelsea Football Club has been it’s most productive in terms of trophies. A second FA Cup in 1997 with a 2-0 defeat of Middlesborough, was followed in 1998 by the Coca Cola (League) cup, and another FA Cup in 2000 this time defeating Aston Villa.
Chelsea Football Club was sold in 2003 by the then owner Ken Bates to the current owner Roman Abramovich. The clubs debts were cleared, and a huge transfer fund was dedicated to building the Blues into a team that could be feared throughout Europe.