1954–55 Chelsea F.C. season

Chelsea
1954–55 season
Chairman Joe Mears
Manager Ted Drake
First Division 1st
FA Cup Fifth round
Top goalscorer League:
Roy Bentley (21)
All:
Roy Bentley (21)
Highest home attendance 75,043 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (9 April 1955)
Lowest home attendance 30,239 vs Burnley (23 August 1954)

The 1954–55 season was Chelsea Football Club's 50th of competitive football, their Golden Jubilee and their 20th consecutive year in the English top flight. It was also the club's most successful year up to that point, as they won the Football League Championship for the first time.

The success was unexpected; Chelsea had never won a major trophy before and their league positions since the Second World War had ranged from 8th to 20th. Four consecutive defeats in October had left the club in 12th place this time.

But the team lost just three more meaningful league games that season and beat principal rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers twice to secure the Championship with a game to spare. Club captain Roy Bentley finished as top scorer, with 21 goals, and the club attracted an average home gate of 48,307, the highest in the division.

Results

First Division

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
21 August 1954 Leicester CityA1–138,941Bentley
23 August 1954 BurnleyH1–030,239Parsons
28 August 1954 Bolton WanderersH3–252,756Bentley, Lewis, Ball (o.g.)
31 August 1954 BurnleyA1–152,756Bentley
4 September 1954 Cardiff CityH1–142,688Lewis
6 September 1954 Preston North EndH0–136,947
11 September 1954 Manchester CityA1–136,230Bentley
15 September 1954 Preston North EndA2–127,549Parsons, McNichol
18 September 1954 EvertonH0–259,199
20 November 1954 Sheffield UnitedA2–114,137Stubbs, Lewis
25 September 1954 Newcastle UnitedA3–145,659McNichol, Bentley (2)
2 October 1954 West Bromwich AlbionH3–367,440Parsons, Bentley, Lewis
9 October 1954 Huddersfield TownA0–129,556
16 October 1954 Manchester UnitedH5–655,966Armstrong, O'Connell (3), Lewis
23 October 1954 BlackpoolA0–119,694
30 October 1954 Charlton AthleticH1–254,113Parsons
6 November 1954 SunderlandA3–342,416McNichol (2), Stubbs
13 November 1954 Tottenham HotspurH2–152,961Bentley, Lewis
20 November 1954 Sheffield WednesdayA1–125,913McNichol
27 November 1954 PortsmouthH4–140,358McNichol, Stubbs, Bentley, Blunstone
4 December 1954 Wolverhampton WanderersA4–332,095McNichol, Bentley (2), Stubbs
11 December 1954 Aston VillaH4–036,162Parsons, McNichol (2), Bentley
18 December 1954 Leicester CityH3–133,215Parsons, McNichol, Froggatt/Milburn (o.g.)
25 December 1954 ArsenalA0–147,178
27 December 1954 ArsenalH1–165,922O'Connell
1 January 1955 Bolton WanderersA5–230,988Sillett, O'Connell, Bentley (2), Higgins (o.g.)
22 January 1955 Manchester CityH0–234,160
5 February 1955 EvertonA1–150,658Bentley
12 February 1955 Newcastle UnitedH4–350,667McNichol, Bentley (3)
26 February 1955 Huddersfield TownH4–135,786Parsons, Bentley, Stubbs, Blunstone
5 March 1955 Aston VillaA2–324,822Parsons, McNichol
9 March 1955 West Bromwich AlbionA4–27,764Sillett (2), Saunders, Bentley
12 March 1955 BlackpoolH0–055,227
19 March 1955 Charlton AthleticA2–041,415O'Connell, Blunstone
23 March 1955 Cardiff CityA1–016,649O'Connell
29 March 1955 SunderlandH2–133,203Willemse, McDonald (o.g.)
2 April 1955 Tottenham HotspurA4–253,159Sillett (pen.), Wicks, McNichol (2)
8 April 1955 Sheffield UnitedH1–150,978Parsons
9 April 1955 Wolverhampton WanderersH1–075,043Sillett (pen.)
16 April 1955 PortsmouthA0–040,230
23 April 1955 Sheffield WednesdayH3–051,421Sillett (pen.), Parsons (2)
30 April 1955 Manchester UnitedA1–234,933Bentley
Pos Club Pld W D L F A GA Pts
1 Chelsea 42 20 12 10 81 57 1.421 52
2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 19 10 13 89 70 1.2714 48
3 Portsmouth 42 18 12 12 74 62 1.1935 48

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points

FA Cup

DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
8 January 1955 R3WalsallStamford Bridge2–040,020O'Connell, Stubbs
29 January 1955 R4Bristol RoversEastville Stadium3–135,952Parsons, McNichol, Blunstone
19 February 1955 R5Notts CountyMeadow Lane0–141,930

Players Used

[1]

Player Position League Goals Cup Goals Games Goals
Scotland Charlie Thomson Goalkeeper 16 0
Scotland Bill Robertson Goalkeeper 26 0
England Ken Armstrong Right-half 39 1
England Stan Wicks Centre-half 21 1
England Alan Dicks Centre-half 1 0
England Ron Greenwood Centre-half 21 0
Scotland John Harris Centre-half/right-back 31 0
England Derek Saunders Left-half 42 1
England Peter Sillett Right-back 21 6
England Stan Willemse Left-back 36 1
England Eric Parsons Right-wing 42 11
England Frank Blunstone Left-wing 23 3
England Jim Lewis Left-wing 17 6
Scotland John McNichol Inside-Forward 40 14
England Roy Bentley (c) Centre forward 41 21
England Les Stubbs Inside-left 27 5
England Robert Edwards Outside-left 1 0
England Peter Brabrook Forward 3 0
England Bobby Smith Centre Forward 4 0
England Seamus O'Connell Inside-Forward 10 7

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ "Champions of a different era". BBC Sport. 30 April 2005. Retrieved 5 June 2013.