Chelsea FC’s 110th Anniversary: A Brief History Part One
Modernisation and League Success
Credits: https://www.flickr.com/photos/96272618@N08/
In 1952, Ted Drake, a former Arsenal and England striker, was appointed manager and oversaw a massive overhaul of the club’s training programme (introducing ballwork, a novelty in English football at the time) and recruitment policy, opting for lesser known but reliable players from the lower divisions and extending the club’s youth and scouting system.
He also rebranded the club’s public image, changing the club’s nickname from “The Pensioners” to its current one, “The Blues”, as well as changing the club’s crest to “lion rampant”. These changes in the club’s structure and image did not translate to on-pitch success until the 1954-55 season (the year of its golden jubilee) when the club finally won the First Division for the first time.
They achieved this feat with some little known players like Ron Harris, Jim Lewis, Derek Saunders, Charlie Thompson, Frank Blunstone etc. The only true star in the side was the club’s captain and England international, Roy Bentley, who emerged as the top scorer with 21 goals. The season also witnessed the club’s reserves, ‘A’ and junior sides winning their respective leagues.
It was a massive vindication of the club’s extensive youth and scouting network. Unfortunately, Chelsea FC were prevented from featuring in the inaugural European Champion’s Cup the following season as the Football League and F.A. deemed it to be less important than the domestic league and thus persuaded the club to withdraw from the competition.
The club was unable to build on the success of the 1954-55 season, largely due to a mix of aging players and inexperienced youngsters. Things came to a head when the one of the club’s most valuable player at the time, Jimmy Greaves (who scored 122 goals in four seasons), was sold to A.C. Milan in June 1961. Results slumped and Drake was eventually sacked later that year, to be replaced by player-coach Tommy Docherty.
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