The Chelsea FanCast looks back, season by season, to 50 Years of Chelsea history from 1970 to the present day.
Stamford Chidge is joined by Jonathan Kydd and Rick Glanvill, Chelsea’s official historian and author of ‘Chelsea: The Complete Record’ to look back at the 1973-74 season.
The downward spiral and the end of the ‘Kings of the Kings Road’ team, recent FA Cup and European Cup Winners Cup winners, hastened this season.
In truth, the writing had been on the wall for a season or two, but this season it came tumbling down as Peter Osgood and Alan Hudson were both transfer listed and eventually sold to Southampton and Stoke City respectively. Peter Bonetti and Tommy Baldwin were dropped, John Dempsey was on his way out and fed up with the situation at the club, David Webb wanted out too.
A poor start to the season saw Chelsea soon heading toward the bottom of the table. There were injury problems and a striker problem too. Set against a backdrop of financial issues caused by the building of the new East Stand, the energy crisis in the country leading to a 3-day working week and falling crowds, Chelsea avoided relegation just. They finished 17th, one point and three places above relegation and the 3-0 win against Burnley which confirmed this was the lowest attendance since 1938 with only 8,171 in attendance.
With systemic dysfunction, anarchy and chaos at Stamford Bridge, it was no surprise to see Dave Sexton, Chelsea’s most successful manager at that point, relieved of his duties at the end of the season.
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