Thursday 10 November 2011

Chelsea Between the Wars For Rememberance 11/11/11

A Look Through Chelsea's Results in the 1914-15 Season It Strikes Me As it Wouldn't be out of place this year 1911-12 Nearly a Hundred Years Later.

Tottenham 1 - 1 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 05-09-1914)

Bradford 2 - 2 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 09-09-1914)

Chelsea 0 - 3 Newcastle (Division 1 (old): 12-09-1914)

Middlesbrough 3 - 0 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 19-09-1914)

Chelsea 1 - 1 Sheff Utd (Division 1 (old): 26-09-1914)

Aston Villa 2 - 1 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 03-10-1914)

Chelsea 3 - 1 Liverpool (Division 1 (old): 10-10-1914)

Bradford PA 3 - 0 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 17-10-1914)

Chelsea 2 - 2 Oldham (Division 1 (old): 24-10-1914)

Man Utd 2 - 2 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 31-10-1914)

Chelsea 2 - 1 Bolton (Division 1 (old): 07-11-1914)

Blackburn 3 - 2 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 14-11-1914)

Chelsea 4 - 1 Notts County (Division 1 (old): 21-11-1914)

Sunderland 2 - 1 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 28-11-1914)

Chelsea 0 - 0 Sheff Wed (Division 1 (old): 05-12-1914)

West Brom 2 - 0 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 12-12-1914)

Chelsea 2 - 0 Everton (Division 1 (old): 19-12-1914)

Chelsea 0 - 0 Man City (Division 1 (old): 25-12-1914)

Man City 2 - 1 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 26-12-1914)

Chelsea 1 - 4 Burnley (Division 1 (old): 28-12-1914)

Chelsea 1 - 1 Tottenham (Division 1 (old): 02-01-1915)

Chelsea 1 - 1 Swindon (FA Cup: 09-01-1915)

Chelsea 5 - 2 Swindon (FA Cup: 16-01-1915)

Chelsea 2 - 2 Middlesbrough (Division 1 (old): 23-01-1915)

Chelsea 1 - 0 Arsenal (FA Cup: 30-01-1915)

Chelsea 3 - 1 Aston Villa (Division 1 (old): 06-02-1915)

Liverpool 3 - 3 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 13-02-1915)

Man City 1 - 2 Chelsea (FA Cup: 20-02-1915)

Oldham 0 - 0 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 27-02-1915)

Chelsea 0 - 1 Bradford PA (Division 1 (old): 01-03-1915)

Chelsea 1 - 1 Newcastle (FA Cup: 06-03-1915)

Sheff Utd 1 - 1 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 08-03-1915)

Newcastle 0 - 1 Chelsea (FA Cup: 13-03-1915)

Newcastle 2 - 0 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 17-03-1915)

Chelsea 1 - 3 Blackburn (Division 1 (old): 20-03-1915)

Chelsea 2 - 0 Everton (FA Cup: 27-03-1915)

Chelsea 2 - 0 Bradford (Division 1 (old): 02-04-1915)

Chelsea 3 - 0 Sunderland (Division 1 (old): 03-04-1915)

Burnley 2 - 0 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 05-04-1915)

Sheff Wed 3 - 2 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 10-04-1915)

Bolton 3 - 1 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 14-04-1915)

Chelsea 4 - 1 West Brom (Division 1 (old): 17-04-1915)

Chelsea 1 - 3 Man Utd (Division 1 (old): 19-04-1915)

Sheff Utd 3 - 0 Chelsea (FA Cup: 24-04-1915)

Everton 2 - 2 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 26-04-1915)

Notts County 2 - 0 Chelsea (Division 1 (old): 28-04-1915)

Although I Wouldn't Mind Beating Manchester City as They Did in the FA Cup that Year Manchester United it seemed were just as hard to beat as ever.
Managers, Players and Performances 
David Calderwood
The Manager That Year was David Calderwood a Scotsman who had Managed the team from 1907 to 1933. Although we finished 8th. in 1914 and 19th. in 1915 he wasn't immediately sacked as you would see today. He won no Trophy's in his time But, his Win Ratio was 40% in his Time only bettered Later by Tommy Docherty in 1961-67 another Scotsman, What is it about Scotsmen and Success, Ask Sir Alex :0) We have had six of them over the years but thats another story. His Record was: 1907-33 Played 966 Won 384 Drawn 239 Lost 343 Goals For 1376 Against 1305 Wins 40%
The First World War cast a dark shadow over football but during the opening months of the conflict, Chelsea marked our first decade by reaching our first FA Cup Final.
The Chelsea Strip 1910-15
The 1915 Final was held in Manchester at Old Trafford - virtually impossible for Chelsea fans to reach under the circumstances. The opposition, Sheffield United, were more local and the considerable number of military uniforms visible amongst the largely Yorkshire crowd led to the game being dubbed 'The Khaki Final'. With the odds stacked against us, Chelsea lost 3-0.
 The Chelsea Strip 1918-29
 1920s
The FA Cup would provide the major moments for both Chelsea and Stamford Bridge in the 1920s.
Although he had passed away in 1912, Mears' original vision for his stadium was realised when three FA Cup Finals were played there in the years immediately prior to the opening of Wembley Stadium in 1923.
Chelsea very nearly reached the 1920 occasion, losing 3-1 to Aston Villa at the semi-final stage.
The Chelsea Away Strip 1922-23
Centre-forward that day was Jack Cock, the Chelsea glamour boy of that era. Decorated during the war, as well as stylish goalscoring, he did a neat line in singing on stage of an evening.
When First World War broke out he served in the British Army during the conflict, rising to the rank of Sergeant-Major and earning the Distinguished Conduct Medal and later the Military Medal for gallantry. He was reported as 'missing, presumed dead' at one point during the war. During his breaks from military service, he turned out for London sides Brentford and Croydon Common. Cock also played for England in the Victory International in 1919. With the resumption of league football in 1919, he moved back to Huddersfield who, at the time, were in severe financial trouble. Cock was sold to David Calderhead's Chelsea for a record £2,500 in October that year. A skilful, nimble striker with a powerful shot, he had a fanatical dedication to fitness, often staying behind to train long after his team mates had gone home. He scored twice on his Chelsea debut against Bradford and hit 22 more that season in 30 league games, a key factor in the club finishing third in the League and reaching the FA Cup semi-finals.
Cock's first season with the Stamford Bridge club proved to be his most successful, and thereafter his goalscoring record was never as prolific, though he was still top scorer at the club in 1920–21 and 1921–22. After scoring one goal in 11 appearances in 1922–23, he was transferred to Everton in February 1923. He ended his Chelsea career with a nonetheless impressive 53 goals from 111 games.

Jack COCK, Chelsea Career : 1919-23 League Appearances : 100 League Goals : 47 

Total Appearances : 111 Total Goals : 53

 The 1921 FA Cup Final at Stamford Bridge





Although the 1920s began with the highest league placing up to that point, third place in Division One behind West Brom and derby, the decade proved to be possibly the least remarkable in the club's history. Relegation was suffered in 1924 with return to the top flight only coming in at the end of the 1929-30 season.
The Chelsea Strip 1929-33
A sign of unexceptional times was that two of the favourite performers of the era were both left-backs, England international Jack Harrow.
Harrow signed for Chelsea for a fee of £50 from Croydon Common in 1911 and remained until 1926. He was club captain for much of that period, and led Chelsea to their first appearance in an FA Cup final in 1915, although they lost 3-0 on the day to Sheffield United in a match overshadowed by World War I. He was the first Chelsea player to make over 300 appearances, and ended his career with 333 in all competitions.
He played twice for the England national team, winning caps against Northern Ireland and Sweden in 1922 and 1923 respectively. He died in 1958.

Jack HARROW Chelsea Career : 1911-26 League Appearances : 305 League Goals : 5

 Total Appearances : 334 Total Goals : 5






Harrow gave way to Scottish international Tommy Law midway through the decade after 333 games.
Law, born in Glasgow, he signed for David Calderhead's Chelsea as a junior and made his debut for the club in 1926 against Bradford City. He soon established himself as Chelsea's first choice full-back, a position he would hold for most of his time at Stamford Bridge and was one of the less glamorous, though more reliable, members of a star-studded Chelsea squad which included his Scottish teammates, Hughie Gallacher, Alex Jackson, Willie Ferguson and Andy Wilson. He made 318 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 19 goals, mainly from penalties.
Law won two caps for Scotland, both against England. He made his debut during Scotland's famous "Wembley Wizards" 5-1 win over England at Wembley in 1928. His final cap came two years later, though this time the Scots lost 2-5.

Tommy Law 

Tommy LAW  Chelsea Career : 1925-39 League Appearances : 292 League Goals : 15

 Total Appearances : 318 Total Goals : 19






The Chelsea Strip 1933-39
1930s
Emerging from the horrors of war to face economic depression, Londoners wanted distraction and entertainment in their limited spare time. Crowd figures at the Bridge continued to rise, culminating in an October Saturday in 1935 when 82,905 crammed into the curving terraces for a league game against Arsenal - the highest official attendance ever recorded at the ground. It remains the biggest attendance in English league football too.

It was little wonder this London derby proved such a draw. Arsenal had built London's first great side - winning four out of five championships in the early 30s.

The pressure had long been on Chelsea to compete with our local rivals. Having never been shy of spending cash since our birth, at the start of the 1930s the club splashed out in style. Continuing strong links with north of the border - three Scottish international forwards were bought for large sums.
Alec Cheyne joined David Calderhead's Chelsea in 1930 for a club record fee of £6000 but, despite playing alongside other talented forwards such as Hughie Gallacher and Alex Jackson, he struggled to settle and joined French club Nîmes Olympique in 1932. He returned to Chelsea two years later, finally leaving in 1936. Upon retiring Cheyne moved into coaching, initially with Chelmsford City before becoming manager of Arbroath, though without success.
Cheyne won five caps for the Scottish national team, scoring four goals, including a hat-trick against Norway and a goal direct from a corner – a feat which was only legalised the season before – against England. This last is credited with starting the 'Hampden Roar': as Scotland were playing with only ten players and there was less than a minute remaining of the game, the crowd of over 110,000 took up a roar of encouragement, which continued until well after the final whistle and subsequently became a common sound at Scotland home games. Cheyne is reported to have made scoring from corners something of a speciality, having performed the feat twice more for his club side the following season.

Alec CHEYNE Chelsea Career : 1930-32 & 1934-36 League Appearances : 62 League Goals : 12

 Total Appearances : 69 Total Goals : 13



Alex Jackson
Jackson signed for David Calderhead's big-spending Chelsea in September 1930 for £8,500, joining international team mates, Hughie Gallacher, Tommy Law and Alec Cheyne already at the club. His time at Chelsea was hampered by injuries, though he linked up well with the prolific Gallacher and himself scored 31 goals from 78 games for the club. Jackson's first-class career was then ended prematurely during the 1932-33 season. He and several other star players at the club were approached by French side Nîmes with a lucrative contract offer, which Jackson threatened to accept unless Chelsea broke their maximum wage structure and increased his salary. The club refused to budge and, in the days before the Bosman ruling, Jackson could do little. He was forced to finish his career playing for a series of non-league clubs such as Ashton National from Ashton-under-Lyne and Margate. He later joined French side Nice.

Alex JACKSON Chelsea Career : 1930-32 League Appearances : 65 League Goals : 26 

Total Appearances : 77 Total Goals : 30






 The Chelsea FA Cup Strip for 1931
Hughie Gallacher.
Gallacher joined David Calderhead's Chelsea as part of a £25,000 spending spree which also saw the club sign his fellow Scottish forwards Alex Jackson and Alec Cheyne; such was his popularity at Newcastle, when Chelsea visited St James' Park, the home of Newcastle United, that season the attendance was a record 68,386 with several thousand more locked out. Gallacher scored 81 goals in 144 games and was Chelsea’s top scorer in each of his four seasons in west London. The team sometimes clicked, such as in a 6–2 win over Manchester United and a 5–0 win over Sunderland but trophies remained elusive.
The FA Cup was to be the closest the club came to silverware. In 1932, the team secured impressive wins over Liverpool and Sheffield Wednesday, and were drawn against Newcastle United in the semi-finals. Tommy Lang inspired Newcastle to a 2–0 lead, before Gallacher pulled one back for Chelsea. The Blues laid siege to the United goal in the second half, but were unable to make a breakthrough and the Geordies went on to lift the trophy.
Gallacher's time there was also marred by suspensions for indiscipline – including a two month ban for swearing at a referee – and off-pitch controversies. In 1934 he ended up in the bankruptcy court due to prolonged and acrimonious divorce. In November 1934 he was sold to Derby County for £2,750.
Small in stature, Gallacher was the biggest name in the game. Chelsea prised him away from Newcastle with a club record £10,000 fee.
Hughie Gallacher

The Stamford Bridge spectators, who had recently emerged from watching six years of Second Division football, our longest spell out of the top flight, caught their first glimpse of the new sparkling forward line in a 6-2 win over Man United. Hopes were sky high but expectations were not matched.

By Christmas both Birmingham and Derby had found the Chelsea net six times. Arsenal scored five at the Bridge. The pattern had been set for lower table finishes. It was a big disappointment.

An FA Cup run in 1932 brightened the mood and Chelsea found ourselves in our third semi-final. Ironically for Gallacher it was against Newcastle. The wee man scored past his former team but Chelsea lost 2-1. The next season we finished 18th out of 22 teams.

Those two redoubtable servants - Jack Harrow and then Tommy Law had ensured quarter-of-a-century of quality at left-back, but it wasn't enough to tip the balance.

Some of the stars missed too many training sessions and misfired in too many matches. It was a side high on ego but low on team spirit. While Gallacher's 81 goals in 144 games was a good return, he is remembered just as much for his indiscipline and volatile temper. After just over four seasons, he left for the north once more.

As London drifted to war again, Chelsea did little to lift the spirits of our fans. It often took England international goalkeeper Vic Woodley to prevent relegation being added to the worries.
Woodley was spotted by a Chelsea scout whilst playing for Windsor and Eton and signed for the club in 1931, making his debut the same year. Woodley was a member of the glamorous Chelsea side of the 1930s, playing alongside the likes of Hughie Gallacher, Alex Jackson and Alec Cheyne. Known for his reliability and his impressive sense of anticipation, Woodley's performances were often key to preserving Chelsea's First Division status with his high-profile team mates invariably failing to live up to expectations. So reliable was he that he kept John Jackson, Scotland's first choice goalkeeper, out of the Chelsea side.
Woodley won nineteen caps for England - all consecutive, a record at the time - and in an era when there was stiff competition for the England goakeeping jersey from Harry Hibbs, George Tweedy and Frank Swift. Woodley was a member of the England side which toured Nazi Germany in 1938, performing the Hitler salute before the match at the Olympiastadion. His international career was ended prematurely by the outbreak of the Second World War.
Woodley briefly resumed his playing career with Chelsea after the War, playing in their famous friendly match against Soviet side, Dynamo Moscow, but left on a free transfer shortly afterwards and joined Bath City. An injury crisis among Derby County's goalkeepers saw Woodley return to the First Division early in 1946, making a further 30 league appearances. Woodley's career also ended on a high note, as he kept goal during Derby's 4-1 FA Cup final win over Charlton Athletic.
He died in October 1978.

So it Seems David Calderheads Chelsea Were Quite a Team despite their lack of trophies, and could attract big signings.

The Next Manager of Chelsea Following Calderwood was Leslie Knighton an Englishman in 1933.

Leslie Knighton 
While Arsenal Manager Knighton was involved in one of the first recorded cases of doping; before a January 1925 FA Cup first round tie against West Ham United, Knighton gave the players what he described as "little silver pills", given to him by a Harley Street doctor who was a fan of the club; although the pills were successful in increasing the players' energy, the side-effects caused them to have raging thirst. Arsenal drew the match 0-0 and before the replay they rebelled and refused to take them; Arsenal eventually lost 1-0 in the second replay after the first finished 2-2. Knighton's activities, entirely legal under the rules at the time, were not made public until he recounted the episode in his memoirs.
Norris dismissed Knighton in the summer of 1925 and replaced him with Herbert Chapman. Knighton later alleged that Norris has only sacked him to avoid paying him a bonus (estimated at up to £4,000) from a benefit match that he was due. Norris denied this and instead cited Arsenal's poor record that season (having finished 20th and knocked out of the FA Cup first round), but later regretted his dismissal, stating it was the one mistake in his career and in his will left Knighton £100.
After leaving the Gunners, Knighton went on to manage Bournemouth (1925-28), Birmingham (1928-33), whom he led to the 1931 FA Cup Final.
His Six Years at Chelsea (1933-39) taking over from the long serving David Calderhead, Were unremarkable and he remains one of Chelseas least successful Managers. Moving on to Shrewsbury Town (1945-48), before their election to the Football League. Knighton retired to Bournemouth after suffering ill health and took on the less pressurised job of a golf club secretary, during which he found time to write an autobiography, Behind the Scenes in Big Football (1948). He died in 1959, aged 72.

Leslie Knighton 1933-39 Games 274 Won 93 Drawn 72 Lost 109 Goal For 419 Against 446 Win Ratio 34%

Next Manager was Billy Birrell in 1933

William (Billy) Birrell
He played for Raith Rovers and Middlesbrough, winning the Second Division title with the latter in 1927, before moving into management. He returned to Raith to become manager before leaving for Bournemouth in 1930 and then Queens Park Rangers in 1935. After guiding Rangers to 3rd place in Division Three South in 1938, he was appointed manager of First Division Chelsea shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War.
During his time at Chelsea, the club consistently finished in mid-table, and narrowly missed out on relegation to the Second Division in 1951 on goal average. However, Birrell guided Chelsea to two FA Cup semi-finals, in 1950 and 1952, on both occasions losing out to Arsenal in replays. He retired following the latter defeat. Although his performance record is probably the worst of most Chelsea Managers, He also played a significant part in the development of the club's youth system, which was to pay dividends for future managers.

William Birrell 1939-52 Games 289 Won 95 Drawn 74 Lost 120 Goal For 410 Against 462 Win Ratio 33%
The Chelsea Strip 1939-46










The Next Manager For Chelsea was The First Championship Winning Manager Ted Drake But, thats another Story :0)

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