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: 1936/7

August 1936 was an extraordinarily turbulentperiod in European history. During the team’s stop-off in Germany during thesummer, the players had noted the immense construction projects taking place.Already dictators were on the march and war was on the horizon.

In contrast, Chelseafootball club appeared becalmed in the undistinguished mid-table mire andlacking the cohesion and camaraderie to put a consistent run together.

We were still a glamorousdraw wherever we played, attracting huge crowds to see the likes of goalscorersJoe Bambrick, Jimmy Argue and the mighty George Mills, or well-lovedinternational ’keepers Vic Woodley of England and John Jackson of Scotland. Thestardust was still sprinkled around a decent squad.

Average home gatesremained healthy at over 32,000, but down on the previous season’s average ofjust under 35,000 per game. And a throng of 42,000 crammed into a freezing ColdBlow Lane for the fourth round FA Cup clash in January with Third DivisionMillwall. 

Unfortunately, Chelsea succumbed 3-0 to our London neighbours in anall-too recognisable fashion. It was of no consolation that the Lions went onto become the first club from their division to reach the semi-finals thatyear.

“We were unfavourably impressed by the habit of nearly all the players of shouting at one another throughout the game.” Daily Mirror, September 1936

In the League, though,there was not much to cheer. Home wins over high-flying Arsenal and Charlton,creditable draws – 0-0 draw at Maine Road and a spectacular 4-4 (Mills notchinga hat-trick) at the Bridge – with eventual champions Man City were high points,but Arsenal’s 4-1 win at Highbury and defeats at West Brom, Bolton andespecially Portsmouth (4-1) helped sully the season.

With their reputationrising abroad after several season in the top flight, though, Leslie Knighton’smen were invited to take part in numerous lucrative friendlies during thisperiod – Holland, Poland, the Balkans, France, Austria. To the fans, such exoticdiversions must merely have emphasised Chelsea’s lack of achievementdomestically.

If you ever wondered whenthe nickname ‘Chelski’ was first used, look no further than the Football Star,who used the pun to announce the club’s summer jaunt to Poland to face WisłaKraków.

In 1936/7...

Facts &figures: Chelsea boasted the first choice goalkeepers of England and Scotland.

League finish: Thirteenth in Division One.

Cup run: Reached the fourth round, losing to Millwall.

All the rage: The age ofairships dramatically ends as 35 die when the Hindenburg crashes in flames.

Season by Season: 1933/4

If 18^th position in May 1933 was enough to end manager David Calderhead’s tenure at Stamford Bridge, new boss Leslie Knighton hardly set SW6 alight in his debut season.

In fact, the Pensioners ambled to an even lowlier 19^th under him. Knighton’s former club, Birmingham City – mid-table regulars under him – finished one place lower. It was hardly his fault, though.

Despite the regular under-achievement, with lucrative gates of 50 and 60,000 a frequent occurrence at Stamford Bridge the ambitious board had been prepared to invest again in summer 1933.

Knighton used his contacts across the Irish Sea to bring in stylish Tom Priestley (famous for the idiosyncratic skull-cap he wore on the pitch) and combative midfielder Billy Mitchell, who would serve the club well in his time. The manager also brought in flame-haired winger Jimmy Argue from his former club and bought Scotland's keeper Johnny Jackson from Partick Thistle.

Never the less, the new man had been swiftly alerted to the enigma of Chelsea that had defeated Calderhead and now challenged him. In his first match in charge, no less than six internationals took the field at newly-promoted Stoke’s Victoria Ground. And lost 0-1.

A 5-2 home victory over struggling Wolves was followed by on-the-road defeats at Huddersfield (1-6) and Sheffield United (1-4), not helped by a massive list of key injuries that virtually killed the season.

There was plenty of talent, but team spirit? Once again the glamour boys were favourites for relegation come Christmas.

The football world was all too ready to enjoy our usual underachievement. A popular song from the halls at the time was 'The Day That Chelsea Went And Won The Cup', which related all the equally unlikely events (lawyers waiving their fees, cabbies having change of a fiver etc) that took place on a day that the satirical writer could obviously never foresee. This despite the Pensioners reaching the semi-final in 1932.

“Brave as a lion. Quick, safe, sure.” Leslie Knighton hails Jackson, one of his two great keepers

There were green shoots of promise to enjoy. Once fit Johnny Jackson would clearly prove a fine acquisition, a goalkeeper to rival Vic Woodley. Both would play regularly for their country – Scotland and England respectively – and they became the best of friends despite the professional rivalry. Jackson had all too quickly lost his first-team place through injury, but was still selected for Scotland on recovery.

Two goals in the FA Cup from Stanley Matthews helped Stoke heap more misery on us in the Cup as we lost 1-3 away, but as fitness returned a flurry of five consecutive wins in March and April saw off the last real threat of the drop. The next season, it was hoped, would bring fewer injuries and genuine progress.

Off the field, the greyhound racing that would entertain (and impoverish) crowds of punters for three and a half decades was launched at Stamford Bridge in July 1933 (pictured, top left). Former star winger Harry Ford was one of those who worked on the turnstiles at the evening meetings.

In 1933/34...

Facts & figures: More than 10,000 punters regularly attended greyhound events at the Bridge.

Cup run: Fifth round (losing to Stoke City).

All the rage: Aussie batsman Don Bradman is the new toast of Ashes cricket.