Sat April 19th 1969 - End of season stroll

Chelsea 2 QPR 1

Monday 14th April - Criminal

It's funny how some games are totally unmemorable, yet you remember very clearly, 40 years on, some of the details.

For me this was standing on Richmond station seeing the rain bucketing down, and also the Evening Standard headlines about the Krays being sentenced. Not that I really knew who they, or Harry Roberts, were at the time.

The other aspects of the game were that few teams really tried to mix it with us, Leeds of course, Tottenham (Osgood v Mike England was always extremely interesting, especially when Ossie got away scot free after kicking him in the chest in 1972 league cup semi) and Arsenal, with Mclintock being quite a nasty bastard, here he got away with head butting Chopper, both from referee and most surprisingly from Ron Harris..

Arsenal outplayed us for long periods but this was probably the first game in which we discovered how far Ian Hutchinson could throw a ball (Rory Delap pah, novice) and they couldn't handle it.

Somehow Chelsea won 2-1 and it was a great journey home with our Arsenal friends bleating about how they had been the better side. Did we look bovvered?

Sat April 12th 1969 - Nothing happened today

Anyone who has travelled the District Line from Richmond to Upton Park knows the journey takes for ever and is boring as hell. This game was as tedious and non eventful as that trek. The only memorable thing was that, for some reason, Chelsea wore black socks with blue tops, yes nothing else to report zzzzzzzz

Tues 8th March 1969 Hutchinson Proves a Winner

Back to the days when most league football results were only announced on the late news bulletins, before teletext, live score updates , satellite TV or internet streaming.

Chelsea won 2-1 at Nottingham Forest, like most away matches of the time I've never seen the goals or any highlights so rely on the match report from Nigel Clarke;

Ian Hutchinson scored another goal last night to confirm that he is one of the most exciting discoveries of the season. Indeed for 45 minutes he threatened to beat Forest on his own and would not have been flattered by a hat-trick.

Early on Hutchinson skimmed the bar with a rasping drive after streaking 50 yards and shrugging off Bobby McKinlay and Terry Hennessey, who tugged and pulled at his shirt.

Then after causing Forest continual trouble with his persistence and speed he set up Chelsea's first goal in the 22nd minute. After Alan Birchenall had put him clear on the right Hutchinson cut the ball back from the byline for Birchenall to score. Six minutes later came his own goal, running onto a clever cross from John Hollins to head firmly past goalkeeper Alan Hill.

Seconds later he stunned Forest again by taking a cross from John Boyle and hitting a post. He need only to have followed up to touch in the rebound.

With the luxury of a two goal lead Chelsea could afford to take off the pressure and in the second half Forest came at the with renewed vigour and camped in the Chelsea half for long periods. But the well organised and disciplined defence held out until the 74th minute when Barry Lyons hit a volley that Peter Bonetti knocked onto a post but it rebounded against him and went into the net

Fri 4th & Sat 5th April 1969 - a disappointing Easter

In the days before it became fashionable for top clubs to bleat about having too many games the Easter programme usually involved 3 games within 4 days for all teams, and the unthinkable situation of two home games on consecutive days arose with our fixtures at the Bridge at home to Newcastle on Good Friday and Burnley the following day. Sadly both results were disappointing for a Chelsea side that had 6 wins out of our last 7 league games, but still had nothing to play for in the last few weeks of an ultimately disappointing season.


Chelsea 1 Newcastle 1

For just two minutes the 42,000 holiday crowd were given something to shout about, half an hour went by without incident before Chelsea snatched the lead their territorial domination had earned. Alan Birchenall started the brief spell of excitement by forcing keeper Iam Mc Faul into a flying save and from John Boyle's resulting corner Ian Hutchinson forced a header over the line.

Straight from the restart , in their first raid of the match, Newcastle were presented with a penalty when Eddie McCreadie handled needlessly. England under-23 international Bryan Robson fired in his 16th goal of the season from the spot.

Pity Peter Bonetti, this was the sixth penalty he has faced since March 1st, and the third since March 15th that has finished in the net. Yet he only had to make one real save against Newcastle's forwards, who just didn't want to know. That came 20 minutes from the end when a John McNamee header hit McCreadie on the line and Bonetti swivelled in mid-air to catch the rebound.

Chelsea 2 Burnley 3

Bobby Tambling limped off the pitch at half time in this needling, foul-ridden clash with Burnley and there's not much chance of him lining up for Tuesday's match at Nottingham Forest.

This was a typical Chelsea performance, not playing well but still managing to lead 2-1 before Ralph Coates, later to play for the bitter enemy from North London (and famous for his Bobby Charlton style combover hairstyle) turned the game around and we lost 2-3 to extremely average opponents.

Chelsea earlier went ahead with a Tambling goal, equalised when Thomas scored with a corner than swirled past Bonetti's hand before Hollins gave Chelsea the lead with a typical rocket shot. Then it all went pear shaped..

In those days we used to hang around after games to get autographs from players as they left the East Stand dressing rooms after the game. Most players were brilliant, John Hollins always had time to chat, and it was quite common to catch Tommy Baldwin walking down the road towards the underground station. My abiding memory of the Burnley game was their winger, Dave Thomas, refusing to sign someone's programme and proclaiming "I'm not signing that!". When he later went to QPR he remained one of the players I disliked intensely, for this unnecessary spiteful response to that young lad.

FOOTNOTE:

In these days of squad rotation it is interesting to note that there were only two team changes between our line ups for the Friday and Saturday.

Sat 29th March 1969 - A win on Merseyside

A Saturday evening kick-off in the days before television called the shots?



The late kick off was to avoid a direct clash with the Aintree Grand National (won by Highland Wedding at pre-decimalisation odds of 100/9) and as ever in those days getting the final score, let alone updates, was very difficult, often having to wait until the very late news bulletins.

This was even harder as it was also Eurovision night, which ended in a four way tie including Lulu with the classic Boom Bang-A-Bang sharing the honours in Spain, still under the rule of General Franco. (As an aside anyone who used to holiday in Spain in those days will probably remember the Sun taking two days to arrive in local shops with the page three girls having printed on bikinis!, a far cry from today when hard core porn DVDs are openly displayed on sale next to today's UK newspapers in many Spanish newsagents)

Anyway to the game, a win on Merseyside albeit against the lesser evil, but still our first victory at Goodison since 1956/57. John Hollins was involved in all three goals, firstly with a run that set up Hutchinson after 16 minutes, then conceding a penalty for handball before crossing for Alan Birchenall to score the winner, in what was Everton's first home defeat since August.

Everton 1 Chelsea 2 (Hutchinson, Birchenall)

Bonetti, Webb, McCreadie,Hollins, Dempsey, Osgood,Boyle, Birchenall, Hutchinson,Harris,Houseman

22 March 1969 - down to earth with a bump

So many similarities with today, 5 league wins on the bounce and a trip to White Hart lane full of confidence. And then we never really turned up, several half chances notably from Hutchinson, who was earning rave reviews every week, Ossie (wearing the number 6 shirt) hit the post and then we lose to a goal from Neil Johnson 10 minutes from time.

15th March 1969 - Ian tames Kings of Europe

40 years on, and this match remains one of the best games of football I have ever seen, as Chelsea beat then current European Champions Manchester United 3-2 in front of over 60,000 fans.

For games like these, that weren't all ticket, the only option to make sure you got in was to get to the ground as early as possible and queue! We got there about noon, and already the queue from Bovril entrance, where the boy's turnstiles were, was almost back to the big blue gates that pretty much still stand to this day.

Excited at the prospect ahead the 90 minutes before the turnstiles opened passed quickly and we finally got to take our places in the middle of the Shed, which inevitably was always the first part of the ground to fill up. A few rounds of Knees Up Mother Brown, where you hoped that a) you weren't one of those pushed down a few steps and b) if you were you weren't evicted from the ground by the idiot coppers who never seemed to twig that if you've just gone down 10 sets of steps you weren't the one who was doing the pushing! (1972 Leicester before I fell foul to that one).

As to the game Chelsea started like a train, Webb scoring in the second minute, and Hutchinson making it 2-0 shortly after. United steamed back and cut the arrears to 2-1 by half time through James. From then on it was end to end stuff but with United getting on top Chelsea scored a fantastic breakaway goal (very reminiscent of Geoff Hurst's 4th in the 1966 Final) as Bobby Tambling raced onto Ossie's through ball to fire past Stepney.

Denis Law made it 3-2 from the penalty spot but Chelsea hung on to record a fifth straight league victory.

** I have seen extensive match of the day highlights of this game on youtube, and was hoping to link in, but have been unable to find this video, if anyone can help, this classic should be shared by all **

Bobby Tambling

Bobby Tambling scored his 200th goal for Chelsea from 356 appearances at the age of 27, having made his debut some 10 years earlier. Ironically the other goalscorer in the Coventry agem , Ian Hutchinson, was about to become Ossie's regular partner up front and Bobby's first team appearances during the following season were to become increasingly rare.

Monday 10th March 1969 ; 200 goals for Bobby

I have no idea in those far off days before TV called the shots why this game was played on a Monday, and very probably no TV footage was ever recorded, but it was a very special night where a Chelsea milestone, that will probably never be equalled, was set. What a fuss Sky Sports New would make today but I simply duplicate the understated paper report from top writer of the day Laurie Pignon.

"Master marksman Bobby Tambling, smasher of all Chelsea's scoring records, bounced up with another cracker - his 200th first team goal. And what a beauty!

Bobby swept past Geoff Curtis and Chris Cattlin to put Chelsea two up after 24 minutes, and it was the tantalising Tambling who had made the magical pass after only two minutes for young Ian Hutchinson to open the scoring.

Chelsea, who had little to play for but their own self respect first produced the urgency and drive that the threat of relegation should have inspired in Noel Cantwell's men.

Chelsea manager Dave Sexton made a brave decision in leaving out artistic ball players Charlie Cooke and Peter Osgood but the rain soaked pitch was made for men whose talents were of sterner stuff.

After half an hour Coventry were handicapped when brian hill retired hurt after a Ron Harris tackle. Peter Bonetti didn't have a difficult save to make in the first half but after the interval Coventry looked a different side when they blazed like a furnace where there had been no fire at all and charged deep into Chelsea's rough tackling heart.

Bonetti did extremely well to save from Willie Carr and Ernie Hunt but in the 66th minute Neil Martin headed the most artistic goal of the night . This was not the form of a team doomed to drop from the First Division. In the end Coventry deserved the equaliser that was so near half a dozen times but yet so far"

So it's not a new thing for Chelsea to be hanging on in games where we'd been cruising! Now you know why it's the oldies that get anxious in the second half...

Final Score ; Chelsea 2 Coventry 1

Sat 8th March 1969 - Just typical

Having lost to West Bromwich just seven days earlier Chelsea visited The Hawthorns for a league encounter and, typically, won easily 3-0..

After 20 minutes of uneasy security Albion ran into 30 seconds of disaster. A total miskick by Talbot gave Hutchinson a chance. His shot was blocked but the ball ran to Boyle, who scored off Osborne's legs.

Ten minutes later Houseman scored a superb individual goal.

Chelsea sauntered through the second half, tossing away chances cheerfully before Hutchinson further humiliated Albion. Taking a pass from Tambling he stumbled but recovered his balance and, with three Albion defenders watching, beat Osborne effortlessly.

West Bromwich Albion 0 Chelsea 3

Bonetti, Webb, McCreadie, Hollins, Dempsey, Harris, Boyle, Tambling, Hutchinson, Birchenall, Houseman, sub: Hudson

Wed March 5th 1969 ; Webb strikes again

Out of the Cup, and 8 points behind Arsenal in the days when only the Champions, and current holders, qualified for the European Cup, and only one team from any city could qualify for the UEFA Cup, and a league win was only worth 2 points. Basically our season all but ended on March 1st.

It was no surprise that our home game v Stoke, a mere 21 days after the classic 3-2 FA Cup 5th round tie, was an absolutely dismal, dire affair. Yes even teams with Ossie and Cooke in their prime could play their part in dreadful games, and this one still stands out in the memory today.

David Webb headed the winner in the 69th minute, and headed against the crossbar in the 90th, apart from that nothing happened.


Chelsea 1 Stoke City 0 (attendance 19,836 hardy souls)

Sat 1st March 1969 - Will we ever win the Cup?

Chelsea 1 W.B.A 2

So for the fifth season running we approach the Quarter Finals of the FA Cup as bookie's favourites, with a home tie against the holders West Bromwich Albion, who we'd easily beaten 3-1 in our first home league game back in August.

Having blown our chances at the previous stage last season v second division Birmingham surely this was a routine passage to the semi finals for us, especially after David Webb headed us into a 10th minute lead. Sadly John Dempsey missed an almost carbon copy chance minutes later and we then lost control of the game, with Tony Brown equalising before half time.

In the second half Peter Bonetti summed up Chelsea when in the space of 8 minutes he saved a Brown penalty then allowed a Jeff Astle shot in that he would probably have saved 99 times out of 100.

We then peppered the Albion goal, but proof that our luck was out was demonstrated when John Osborne, the luckiest goalkeeper of the time, actually sat on the ball as Ossie's header went between his legs in the last minute. John Boyle was booked for kicking the ball (after the goalie) and there was a 14 man brawl in the area.

So for the third time in 5 years we went out of the FA Cup to teams we should have beaten easily.

Oh well , always next year I guess.

Sun 23rd Feb - Buying Cup Tickets

Got the first train out of Staines on Sunday morning and arrived at Fulham Broadway at around 8:30am, with the end of the queue for tickets just outside the old station entrance. In those days before the internet the system was simple, and surprisingly quick, just queue to main entrance turnstiles, buy tickets and go home. Had my two 5/- tickets by 11am, no problem. This was going to be our year for the Cup.

Sat 22nd Feb 1969 - Bobby weighs in with four

I vaguely remember this game was in doubt due to some snow, or heavy frost in morning, but apart from Tambling scoring four I do remember for some reason Sunderland playing in all red, rather than their usual strip. (This sort of kit change was very unusual in the days before replica kits)

Up 1-0 at half time, Brichenall scoring off the underside of the bar, before Bobby scored a 9 minute hat trick in the second half, firstly from an Ossie backheel after 56 minutes, then a tap in after Montgomery (their 1973 Cup Final hero ) saved well from Houseman, and then converting a Charlie Cooke pass to make it 4-0. Colin Suggett pulled one back before Tambling completed the scoring with a 74th minute header from a Houseman cross.

Final result ; Chelsea 5 Sunderland 1

Ossie had a knee strapped at end, but expected to be fit for next week's FA Cup Quarter Final home tie v West Brom.

The match programme lists ticket arrangements for this tie;

32,000 Ground Tickets (5/- (25p)) will be on sale here tomorrow from 10a.m. There will be 3,300 unreserved bench seats in front of the West Stand available next Saturday on payment of a 4/- (20p) transfer on the day. Admission to the East Stand Standing Enclosure will on payment of 1/6d transfer on the day. 9,000 seating tickets (+3,000 for visitors) were sold by postal application and cheques, postal and money orders to value of £7500 were returned to unsuccessful applicants!

Saturday 15th February 1969 - Blow for Harris

I'm looking at the scrap book laughing my head off, the newspaper headline for a match we lost 1-0 away at Leeds was "Chelsea skipper booked at Leeds". In those days you did almost need to commit murder to earn a booking, and a measly 3 bookings resulted in a hefty suspension. (Ossie was to be suspended for 6 weeks after 3 bookings in 1970/71). Also notable was the the hacks actually reported on the game in those long gone days, and the following report lives on from 40 years ago;

Despite the treacherous conditions Leeds and Chelsea put on a cracking display and deserved the cheers they received at the end from the Elland Road fans. But the cheers must have rung a hollow note for Chelsea's John Dempsey and David Webb, for 55 minutes they had folied every one of those now famous corner kick ploy of Jack Charlton.

Only once they were bettered - and Leeds won. Eddie Gray took a corner and Charlton rose high once more. The ball went either from his head or from a distracted defender to the unmarked Peter Lorimer who hit it home off the inside of the post. A bitter blow for Chelsea but one doubts if they could complain. Leeds had done enough before to deserve the goal and were unlucky not to win by a bigger margin.

But full marks to the Londoners. If Leeds impressed me immensely with their running, enterprise and effectiveness in attack, Chelsea equalled them in the manner in which they met this effervescent Yorkshire side. And in their less frequent attacks Webb, with an overhead scissors kick, and Bobby Tambling, with a 32nd minute inches wide drive, reminded Leeds of the dangers of overstretching themselves.

Ron Harris, Chelsea's skipper, was booked for a foul on Mike O'Grady in the 89th minute - a sad ending (LOL) to a match which had provided football of a finer quality than the conditions initially indicated.

Chelsea : Bonetti, Hollins, Harris, Osgood (wearing #4 as he did for a number of games that season), Dempsey, Webb, Cooke, Boyle, Birchenall,Tambling, Houseman, sub Hutchinson

I actually went to Craven Cottage this day (persuaded by a friend that Fulham v Charlton would be a great game , the reverse fixture having ended 5-3) - the visitors won 1-0 in one of most boring games I've ever seen and I froze my arse off standing on the Hammersmith End.

14th February 1969 - The season so far

So far 1968/69 was a typical Chelsea season, some brilliance and more than our fair share of disappointing results, demonstrated by our Inter Cities Fairs Cup (forerunner of UEFA Cup) exit on the toss of a coin against those giants of world football from DWS Amsterdam.

In the aftermath of a fantastic 3-2 FA Cup 5th Round victory in midweek over Stoke we prepared for our visit to dirty Leeds, where we'd been thrashed 7-0 last season, with the prospect of a home FA Cup quarter final v West Bromwich Albion on the horizon, and lying 7th in the First Division table, 15 points behind leaders Liverpool. (nobody seemed to be especially downbeat about this clear under achievement but then we didn't have the internet in those days)

Our top goalscorer in league at that stage was Tommy Baldwin with 13 goals.

League record P 28 W 11 D 8 L 9 F 48 A 39 - and we think we have problems today !