Chelsea’s greatest captains not named John Terry: Men for tougher times
Ask any Chelsea fan who the club’s greatest captain was and the resounding answer will obviously be John Terry. Besides him, three names say “Chelsea captain.”
Of course John Terry is the eternal Captain, Leader, Legend of Chelsea Football Club. No question. Even those that have supported the club for a very, very long time would struggle to look beyond JT as chief armband-wearer. However, to those who remember when we were s**t, there were still captains suffering with the ball, suffering without the ball, and, acutely, suffering with the supporters.
1. Ron Harris
For someone like myself who began supporting the club in the early 70’s, Ron Harris was the Mr. Chelsea of his day. To some, he probably still is. With 795 games under his belt between 1962 – 1980 and still topping the club’s appearance register, he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves.
Known for his no-nonsense tackling – that’s tackling, not tackle – he was given the nickname “Chopper.” To be honest, in his time that moniker could have been given to any number of players. The game was full of hard men (ummm….) like Chopper who would miss 50% of the season through suspension in the kinder, gentler modern game.
Harris’ first trophy with the club came in April 1965, when Chelsea drew 0-0 with Leicester City at their Filbert Street home. It was that season’s League Cup final and the game was played over two legs. Chelsea had already done the business at Stamford Bridge, winning the first leg 3-2. Chelsea became the first London club to win the trophy, a feat repeated in 2012 when Chelsea became the first London team to win the Champions League in another team’s yard.
Harris became captain after the departure of Terry Venables in 1966. The following year he became the youngest captain to lead his side out at Wembley Stadium in an FA Cup final. Sadly, the game ended in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, with Venables then on the winning side.
Harris’ most productive spell with the armband came at the beginning of the 70’s.
A blockbuster, blood and guts victory over Leeds United in the FA Cup final in 1970 went to a replay. The Blues followed that up a year later with victory over Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners’ Cup. That win also required a replay to get a result.
It all fell apart the season after, though, when Stoke City beat Chelsea 2-1 in the League Cup final, and my own personal Chelsea journey began. Harris was replaced as club captain by John Hollins towards the end of that season but carried on racking up games as the club yo-yo’d between Division One and Division Two.
He eventually left at the end of the 1979/80 season to join Brentford as player-coach. His managerial career never took off, though.
He can still be seen around Stamford Bridge on match days if you keep an eye out.
2. Micky Droy
Not quite as notable as Ron Harris in terms of trophies or longevity, in stature Micky Droy outshone him. Droy was a big man and an uncompromising defender. He took over the captaincy in 1980.
For me though, he’s notable not for anything he ever achieved as a player but because of a chance meeting off the pitch.
It occurred towards the end of the construction of the club’s East Stand, which is still in place and houses the two team dugouts. It was the first stand to be redeveloped at Stamford Bridge. The stand was outstanding back then and has really stood the test of time. This encounter with the “big man” happened on a non-match day visit to the stadium, which back then was called a ground.
As I walked down the steps of the Shed End, what I would then call a dumper-truck came ambling along the greyhound track that encompassed the pitch with Micky Droy, no less, at the wheel. Quite why he was on it remains a departed memory. However, I do remember it being a time when many people chose to take industrial action or go on strike, so maybe that was the reason.
After he left Chelsea, like Harris, he had a go at management but never made it. He did, however, go on to run a successful electrical business before – if Wikipedia is to be believed – moving over to Florida in the United States.
3. Colin Pates
Not only did Colin Pates captain Chelsea to promotion in 1984, he captained a brilliant attacking team.
As a Chelsea fan, it was quite possibly the best of times. Having just missed out on the ignominy of dropping down to the third tier of English football in 1983, Pates was made captain, the club won the league, gained promotion and never again fell so low.
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With players like Kerry Dixon, David Speedie, Pat Nevin and Paul Canoville in the side, goals were aplenty.
However, there’s one thing that will always give Pates a special place in my heart. It was the truly momentous day he climbed the steps of Wembley Stadium on 23 March 1986 to collect the Full Members’ Cup trophy.
Not since that failure to beat Stoke City in 1972 had Chelsea ever had the opportunity to play a competitive final at Wembley. The game against Manchester City was a banger! Many regard the Full Members’ Cup as an insignificant competition, but it’s yet another domestic trophy Chelsea have that few other teams have in their trophy cabinet.
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Like Ron Harris, Pates can still be seen around Stamford Bridge on match days.