Season by Season: 1931/2

George Pearson in action during the FA Cup
quarter-final at Anfield. 

Hughie Gallacher was notthe only notable arrival on our return to the big time.

Fellow Scotlandinternational forwards Alex Cheyne from Aberdeen (a substantial £6,000 signing)and Alec Jackson, a winger from the famous 1928 Wembley Wizards, had helped reshape our attack, and full-backGeorge Barber, who cost nothing, would play nearly 300 games for Chelsea.

Among several fondfarewells, none was more poignant than Simeon ‘Sam’ Millington’s. With 78shutouts, the solidly reliable keeper held the Chelsea record for clean sheetsfor half a century until surpassed by Peter Bonetti.

His replacement wasanother Chelsea legend, dashing 21-year-old Vic Woodley, who would establish aclub record for England international caps eventually topped by Ray Wilkins.His agility, safe-handling and tendency to come off his line for crosses – ararity at the time – would serve Chelsea superbly over 252 League games, all ofthem in the top flight.

The glamorous appeal ofChelsea, sorely tested during the wilderness years, had revived. Along with it,though, returned the old stigma of underachievement in the League.

We lost nine of the first13 matches this season, including a 3-6 hammering at home to Aston Villa. Thena run of seven wins in nine beginning at Christmas took us from the relegationzone to a respectable 13^th.

As was often the case, only the cupseemed to bring the best out of what was a star-studded team. An excellent runsaw off Tranmere, West Ham, and Sheffield Wednesday – typically, against them,after a replay. 

The quarter-finals brought a visit to Anfield to playLiverpool, then off the pace in the race for the Championship. Nearly 60,000turned out to see goals from Hughie Gallacher and George Pearson tame the Reds. 

“Gallacher was undoubtedly the best forward on the field.The little Scot was in brilliant form, and his wonderful dribbles seemed todemoralise the home defence.” The Daily Express on Chelsea’s FA Cup 2-0 defeatof Liverpool at Anfield

Gallacher had scored inevery round he had figured in – he missed the Sheffield Wednesday tie – and hemust have looked forward to our first semi-final since 1915 more than most, asit was against his old club Newcastle.

Again he managed a goal,but the Magpies were already two ahead by that stage and sadly we missed out on thefinal appearance.

Newcastle ran out victorsat Wembley, defeating Arsenal with a hotly disputed goal, scored from a crosswhen the ball appeared over the bye-line. 

In 1931/32...

Facts & figures: Arecord 75,334 crowd comes to Stamford Bridge for the visit of Arsenal.

League finish: Twelfth in Division One for the second successive season.

Cup run: All the way to the semis, where we lost to Newcastle.

All the rage: Coca-Cola uses its red livery in Xmas adverts to colour Santa’ssuit red for the first time. 

Season by Season: 1934/5

The great Hughie Gallacher turned out for Chelsea for the last time in November 1934. With their customary ability to mark historic moments by a disappointing showing, the team lost 2-5 at Elland Road. Gallacher, who would stay up north with Derby County, scored one, George Mills grabbing the other.

There was some symbolism in that: Mills, the dogged and resolute forward matching his inspirational but unreliable strike partner for the last time. It almost represents the unresolved riddle at the heart of the club ever since 1905. Do we prefer showmen or grafters? Do we want to win at all costs, or be entertained?

In truth, the loss of the Scots genius would have been a more bitter blow had he been on top of his game and his lifestyle. The ready attractions of west London and his unstable home life were taking their toll on his performances though. This did not escape club management.

Once Gallacher left Chelsea, his life rapidly and sadly declined. Once out of football he returned to the north-east and tragically committed suicide by throwing himself in front of a train.

In the summer of 1934 Leslie Knighton had planned ahead, bringing in another Emerald Isle star, the prolific Linfield and Ireland centre forward Joe Bambrick. He re-signed wandering Alec Cheyne, who returned from a money-spinning two-year spell with Nimes in France, and brought in winger Dickie Spence, a crucial signing from Barnsley.

Yorkshireman Dickie (pictured, above left) was a tiny, sparky livewire on and off the pitch, good with both feet, and with a healthy appetite for goals.

Spence set a Chelsea record for goals by a winger of 19 in his first term – an incredible 12 of which were penalties, many earned through his pace and trickery against cumbersome opponents. He scored all our goals in a 4-1 drubbing of Liverpool and became a regular England international.

"Mr A.J. Palmer, Stamford Bridge official ... doubts if any winger has equalled Spence's performance. Yes, the Stamford Bridge team is improving. The greatest achievement nowadays is a better club spirit." W.H. Bee, 'Daily Mirror', after Dickie Spence's four-goal haul against Liverpool in Dec 1934

Spence's promising Chelsea career, like so many others’, would soon be interrupted by war, but it was after the conflict that he would have his greatest impact at Chelsea. Spence was one of those who set up and ran the Chelsea Juniors scheme well into the Seventies.

His skills as a trainer and nurturer helped bring through the likes of Bonetti, Brabrook, Bridges, Greaves, Harris, Hollins, Houseman, Hudson, Murray, Osgood, Sillett, Tambling, Tindall and Venables.

In 1971, as many of those progenies celebrated winning the Cup-Winners’ Cup, Dickie could look back on 37 years of service at Chelsea.

Back in 1934/5, Chelsea at last looked like a side capable of holding its own again in the top flight. Joe Bambrick lived up to his billing, netting 15 times in 21 matches, including four in a 7-1 home battering of Leeds United. The Pensioners finished 12^th, but the remodelling under Knighton was taking shape.

In 1934/5...

Facts & figures: At 11,701, our lowest crowd of the season is for the visit of Everton, Dixie Dean and all.

Cup run: Third round replay, losing to Luton Town.

All the rage: European fascism – “Herr Hitler” and Mussolini strongarm their way into the newsreels.