Chelsea FC’s 50 Greatest Players Of All-Time
42. John Dempsey: 1969-78
John Dempsey was the steel in the exciting Chelsea FC sides of the late-1960’s that featured stars like Bobby Tambling and Peter Osgood. The Republic of Ireland international joined the Blues from neighboring club Fulham in 1969 and helped them win a pair of major trophies in the FA Cup and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
In his nine years with the club, Dempsey made 207 appearances and scored seven goals, also lifting the two aforementioned trophies. He played through the difficult period of the 1970’s and made his name as one of the better defenders in club history.
With Chelsea languishing in the second division in 1978, Dempsey made the unorthodox move to the United States to play in the North American Soccer League. He spent two years alongside Peter Osgood playing for the Philadelphia Fury and won the award for the league’s best defender in 1979. He is still fondly remembered at Stamford Bridge and is often involved in tribute ceremonies for the teams of the 70’s.
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