1969–70 Chelsea F.C. season

The 1969-70 season was Chelsea Football Club's 56th of competitive football, and the club's 43rd in the English top flight.

Chelsea
1969-70 season
ChairmanBrian Mears
ManagerDave Sexton
First Division3rd
FA CupWinners
League CupFourth round
Top goalscorerLeague:
Peter Osgood (23)

All:
Peter Osgood (31)
Highest home attendance61,479 vs Manchester United (21 March 1970)
Lowest home attendance24,904 vs Burnley (17 September 1969)

The club began the season having not signed a single player. Defender Paddy Mulligan, who joined in October for £17,500, was the sole recruit during the campaign. Bobby Tambling spent his final season with the club. He moved to Crystal Palace on loan in January before leaving permanently in May. Tambling departed as Chelsea's all-time top goalscorer, a record he held until 2013 when his tally of 202 goals was surpassed by Frank Lampard.[1]

The season proved to be a success, as the club won the FA Cup for the first time in their history with a hard-fought replayed win over Leeds United. The club also finished 3rd in the First Division, their highest placing since 1965. Chelsea were for a time in title contention, although an indifferent start and heavy defeats at the hands of rivals Leeds and Everton ultimately ended their chances.

Midfielders John Hollins and Peter Houseman did not miss a game. Hollins was also voted Chelsea's Player of the Year by the fans. Peter Osgood finished as top scorer, with 31 goals in all competitions, and became the last man to date to score in every round of the FA Cup. The average home attendance for the season was 40,342.

Squad statistics

Pos.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GK Peter Bonetti3608040480
GK Tommy Hughes60000060
DF John Dempsey3728130483
DF Ron Harris3008030410
DF Marvin Hinton2802(2)04034(2)0
DF Stewart Houston6(3)000107(3)0
DF Eddie McCreadie30(1)0802040(1)0
DF Paddy Mulligan8(2)000008(2)0
DF David Webb3548330467
MF John Boyle7(1)0003010(1)0
MF Charlie Cooke354603(1)144(1)5
MF Alan Hudson2936020373
MF John Hollins4268140547
MF Peter Houseman4238640549
MF/FW Tommy Baldwin19(2)5511025(2)6
FW Alan Birchenall15(1)3004219(1)5
FW Ian Hutchinson27(1)16851135(1)22
FW Peter Osgood38(2)23783048(2)31
FW Bobby Tambling7(2)000007(2)0
  • Substitute appearances in parentheses. Substitute appearances included in totals

Results

First Division

9 August 1969 1 Liverpool 4–1 Chelsea Liverpool
Lawler 27'
St John 48', 83'
Strong 60'
Hutchinson 47'Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 48,383
11 August 1969 2 West Ham United 2–0 Chelsea London
Peters 68'
Hurst 84'
Stadium: Upton Park
Attendance: 39,003
16 August 1969 3 Chelsea 1–0 Ipswich Town London
Hutchinson 74'Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 29,613
20 August 1969 4 Chelsea 0–0 West Ham United London
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 43,346
23 August 1969 5 Southampton 2–2 Chelsea Southampton
Paine 3'
Kemp 31'
Osgood 4', 76'Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 25,935
27 August 1969 6 Tottenham Hotspur 1–1 Chelsea London
Pearce 79'Webb 46'Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 47,395
30 August 1969 7 Chelsea 1–1 Crystal Palace London
Osgood 68'Hoy 36'Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 41,908
6 September 1969 8 Manchester City 0–0 Chelsea Manchester
Stadium: Maine Road
Attendance: 35,995
13 September 1969 9 Chelsea 2–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers London
Dempsey 59'
Osgood 62'
Curran 83', 87'Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 38,599
17 September 1969 10 Chelsea 2–0 Burnley London
Birchenall 58'
Houseman 90'
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 24,904
20 September 1969 11 Leeds United 2–0 Chelsea Leeds
Giles 37' (pen.)
Lorimer 78'
Stadium: Elland Road
Attendance: 33,130
27 September 1969 12 Chelsea 3–0 Arsenal London
Birchenall 10', 52'
Baldwin 85'
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 46,370
4 October 1969 13 Sunderland 0–0 Chelsea Sunderland
Stadium: Roker Park
Attendance: 24,216
11 October 1969 14 Chelsea 2–2 Derby County London
Houseman 57'
Hollins 82'
Hector 52'
O'Hare 71'
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 51,421
18 October 1969 15 Chelsea 2–0 West Bromwich Albion London
Osgood 40'
Cooke 45'
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 34,810
25 October 1969 16 Newcastle United 0–1 Chelsea Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Osgood 58'Stadium: St James' Park
Attendance: 40,088
1 November 1969 17 Chelsea 1–0 Coventry City London
Cooke 47'Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 38,899
8 November 1969 18 Sheffield Wednesday 1–3 Chelsea Sheffield
Prendergast 90'Hutchinson 40', 58'
Osgood 75'
Stadium: Hillsborough
Attendance: 18,044
15 November 1969 19 Chelsea 1–1 Everton London
Osgood 11'Husband 6'Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 49,895
18 November 1969 20 Ipswich Town 1–4 Chelsea Ipswich
Viljoen 37'Hutchinson 12'
Osgood 63', 84'
Hollins 90'
Stadium: Portman Road
Attendance: 20,935
22 November 1969 21 Nottingham Forest 1–1 Chelsea Nottingham
Newton 43'Cooke 62'Stadium: City Ground
Attendance: 23,808
6 December 1969 22 Manchester United 0–2 Chelsea Manchester
Hutchinson 12', 38'Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 49,344
13 December 1969 23 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–0 Chelsea Wolverhampton
Wagstaffe 41'
Curran 43', 51'
Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 26,775
20 December 1969 24 Chelsea 3–1 Manchester City London
Webb 26', 30'
Hutchinson 42'
Summerbee 88'Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 34,791
26 December 1969 25 Chelsea 3–1 Southampton London
Hutchinson 31', 61'
Hollins 68'
Channon 86'Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 41,489
27 December 1969 26 Crystal Palace 1–5 Chelsea London
Queen 17'Osgood 36', 65', 78', 80'
Houseman 85'
Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 49,498
10 January 1970 27 Chelsea 2–5 Leeds United London
Hollins 36'
Osgood 41'
Clarke 16'
Cooper 47'
Giles 57' (pen.)
Lorimer 60'
Jones 64'
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 57,221
17 January 1970 28 Arsenal 0–3 Chelsea London
Hollins 40'
Hutchinson 81'
Baldwin 89'
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 51,338
31 January 1970 29 Chelsea 3–1 Sunderland London
Osgood 19', 22', 78'Baker 71'Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 38,775
11 February 1970 30 Derby County 2–2 Chelsea Derby
Durban 79'
Hector 83'
Osgood 43'
Baldwin 78'
Stadium: Baseball Ground
Attendance: 35,109
25 February 1970 31 Chelsea 0–0 Newcastle United London
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 35,341
28 February 1970 32 Coventry City 0–3 Chelsea Coventry
Baldwin 25'
Webb 53'
Hudson 82'
Stadium: Highfield Road
Attendance: 37,448
7 March 1970 33 Chelsea 1–1 Nottingham Forest London
Baldwin 8'McCaffrey 84'Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 38,280
17 March 1970 34 Chelsea 1–0 Stoke City London
Cooke 89'Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 28,996
21 March 1970 35 Chelsea 2–1 Manchester United London
Hutchinson 14', 19'Morgan 75'Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 61,479
25 March 1970 36 Chelsea 3–1 Sheffield Wednesday London
Hutchinson 8'
Osgood 21' (pen.)
Hudson 57'
Sinclair 4'Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 29,590
28 March 1970 37 Everton 5–2 Chelsea Liverpool
Kendall 1'
Ball 4'
Royle 39', 47'
Whittle 59'
Dempsey 64'
Osgood 88'
Stadium: Goodison Park
Attendance: 57,828
30 March 1970 38 West Bromwich Albion 3–1 Chelsea West Bromwich
Brown 30', 68'
Astle 47'
Hutchinson 57'Stadium: The Hawthorns
Attendance: 31,207
4 April 1970 39 Chelsea 1–0 Tottenham Hotspur London
Baldwin 4'Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 44,925
13 April 1970 40 Stoke City 1–2 Chelsea Stoke-on-Trent
Stevenson 53'Hutchinson 13'
Skeels 39' (o.g.)
Stadium: Victoria Ground
Attendance: 22,707
14 April 1970 41 Burnley 3–1 Chelsea Burnley
Dobson 10'
Kindon 15', 57'
Hollins 16'Stadium: Turf Moor
Attendance: 12,030
18 April 1970 42 Chelsea 2–1 Liverpool London
Osgood 21', 68' (pen.)Graham 26'Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 36,521

[2]

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGAvPtsQualification or relegation
1Everton (C)42298572342.11866Qualification for the European Cup first round
2Leeds United422115684491.71457Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round
3Chelsea422113870501.40055Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round[a]
4Derby County422291164371.73053Qualification for the Watney Cup[b]
5Liverpool4220111165421.54851Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round
6Coventry City4219111258481.20849
7Newcastle United4217131257351.62947
8Manchester United4214171166611.08245Qualification for the Watney Cup[b]
9Stoke City4215151256521.07745
10Manchester City4216111555481.14643Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round[c]
11Tottenham Hotspur421791654550.98243
12Arsenal4212181251491.04142Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round
13Wolverhampton Wanderers4212161455570.96540
14Burnley4212151556610.91839
15Nottingham Forest4210181450710.70438
16West Bromwich Albion421491958660.87937
17West Ham United4212121851600.85036
18Ipswich Town4210112140630.63531
19Southampton426171946670.68729
20Crystal Palace426152134680.50027
21Sunderland (R)426142230680.44126Relegation to the Second Division
22Sheffield Wednesday (R)42892540710.56325
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:

League Cup

2 September 1969 2nd Round Coventry City 0–1 Chelsea Coventry
Hutchinson 50'Stadium: Highfield Road
Attendance: 24,790
24 September 1969 3rd Round Leeds United 1–1 Chelsea Leeds
Madeley 90'Birchenall 71'Stadium: Elland Road
Attendance: 21,933
6 October 1969 3rd Round Replay Chelsea 2–0 Leeds United London
Cooke 63'
Birchenall 78'
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 38,485
15 October 1969 4th Round Carlisle United 1–0 Chelsea Carlisle
Hemstead 79'Stadium: Brunton Park
Attendance: 18,513

[2]

FA Cup

3 January 1970 3rd Round Chelsea 3–0 Birmingham City London
Osgood 42'
Hutchinson 78', 89'
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 45,088
24 January 1970 4th Round Chelsea 2–2 Burnley London
Hollins 67'
Osgood 69'
Dobson 80', 88'Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 42,282
27 January 1970 4th Round Replay Burnley 1–3 (a.e.t.) Chelsea Burnley
Coates 35'Houseman 72', 116'
Baldwin 92'
Stadium: Turf Moor
Attendance: 32,000
7 February 1970 5th Round Crystal Palace 1–4 Chelsea London
Hoy 52'Osgood 37'
Dempsey 64'
Houseman 73'
Hutchinson 86'
Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 48,479
21 February 1970 6th Round Queens Park Rangers 2–4 Chelsea London
Venables 27' (pen.)
Bridges 62'
Webb 7'
Osgood 8', 43', 58'
Stadium: Loftus Road
Attendance: 33,572
14 March 1970 Semi-Final Chelsea 5–1 Watford London
Webb 3'
Osgood 58'
Houseman 73', 79'
Hutchinson 75'
Garbett 12'Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 55,209
11 April 1970 Final Chelsea 2–2 (a.e.t.) Leeds United London
Houseman 41'
Hutchinson 86'
Charlton 21'
Jones 83'
Stadium: Wembley
Attendance: 100,000
29 April 1970 Final Replay Chelsea 2–1 (a.e.t.) Leeds United Manchester
Osgood 78'
Webb 104'
Jones 36'Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 62,078

[2]

Notes

References

  • Soccerbase
  • Hockings, Ron. 100 Years of the Blues: A Statistical History of Chelsea Football Club. (2007)