Stamford Bridge Legends

The Chelsea Champions of 1955 - talks in depth to the players who clinched Chelsea's only ever top flight Championship. Under the guidance of manager Ted Drake, Chelsea put years of under-achievement behind them and clinched the biggest prize in English football - a feat that has yet to be repeated. Next year sees the club's centenary and the fiftieth anniversary of The Championship, so be one of the first to read this fascinating book, enjoy over a hundred rare and exclusive photos and re-live the golden memories of the men who truly put Chelsea on the map.

Read extracts now - links top right

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH:
Roy Bentley, Bobby Smith, Eric Parsons, Frank Blunstone, Stan Willemse, Chic Thompson, Derek Saunders, John McNichol, Jim Lewis, Les Stubbs & MUCH, MUCH MORE!!

To talk about the book with other fans click here


GOLDEN MEMORIES FROM THE MEN BEHIND CHELSEA'S FINEST HOUR

Book launch information and book signing venues will appear in the latest news section. If you would like to be notified of any Chelsea related event by email click here.

REVIEW
STAMFORD BRIDGE LEGENDS
In 1955 Chelsea won their one and only top flight Championship. Stamford Bridge Legends takes a unique perspective of this historic event by not only reviewing the 54/55 season but also by re-living it through the eyes of the individual players concerned. Well written and exceptionally easy to read, David Lane has not only succeeded to bring a by-gone era to life but in doing so has laid to rest the suspicion that Chelsea were ‘lucky’ to have won a Championship with the lowest ever recorded points-haul. Make no mistake, this was a hard season and Chelsea deserved their title.

The book is a joint project with the players themselves and the aim of the book is not only to celebrate our only major League title but also to raise funds for many of the players who are now in the latter part of their lives. Whilst current players can retire knowing they need never work again,
Chelsea’s Championship winning squad was constrained by the league’s minimum wage ensuring a difficult retirement for many of them – to the point that a lot of players have even had to sell their winner’s medals. Therefore, perhaps more than any other Chelsea book, this deserves to be #1 on this Christmas’ present list for any true Blue.

The book contains too many anecdotes and stories to do justice to it in such a short review. It’s simply littered with insightful, interesting and humorous anecdotes. Combined with this are the fascinating statistics such as the fact that, with a gate of 48,000 people, we had the highest crowd in
the country or that over one thousand telegrams and letters were received after the Championship triumph showing just how popular we were. There are also some great photographs from on-field action to long distance team training runs in the streets near Stamford Bridge!

For me, the best moment of the book is the final day of the season. Having already lifted the title at home to Sheffield Wednesday, the Blues ran out at Old Trafford to a meagre United home crowd of 33,000 black pudding eating muppets. The Manc team formed a line of honour and applauded our heroes out of the tunnel on to the pitch – a sight that will be repeated, hopefully, over the next few decades if Abramovich’s Blue revolution continues.

Simply a great book that fully deserves your attention.
Jez Walters
CFC-NET.CO.UK

REVIEW
Fifty years after they were formed - thereby then becoming the 'youngest' team in London - Chelsea won the English League Championship, the only time (so far) in the Club's history that they have finished 'top of the pile'.

David Lane's book begins with a chapter entitled, "How The Title Was Won", written by the man who is synonymous with statistics - Albert Sewell. He tells how manager Ted Drake, who had arrived at Stamford Bridge in 1952 and
said, "Perhaps we will be ready for trophies in three years' time", gave as good as his word, delivering Chelsea's greatest honour within the timescale he set.

David Lane then begins his first of seventeen profiles of the 20-man Chelsea squad, with exclusive interviews and photographs that bring to story of that great season to life.

Roy Bentley, Peter Sillett, Stan Wicks, Eric Parsons and all the rest of the names that are still talked about today are featured, giving a glorious insight into what life as a professional footballer in post-war Britain was really like.

If, like myself, you too were raised on the Chelsea side of the 1970's, perhaps you felt like me. While colour television was just becoming popular and there were magazines such as "Shoot", for me back then, the black and
white images in the football annuals of the 1950's and early 1960's that portrayed the players in their baggy shorts and depicted crowds full of smiling geezers in their flat hats that didn't rate in comparison (even
though they were Chelsea) when placed alongside such glamorous players as Peter Osgood, Alan Hudson and Ian Hutchinson.

Now though, that I'm older and wiser, I realise the importance of the event chronicled in this book. After all, whatever is won under Jose Mourinho or by others in the future, the fact is that the 1955 side will always be able to glory in the knowledge that they were the first to win the League, an honour that, although only won once, nevertheless gave Chelsea an air of respectability. The imagery is superb and gives one a proper 'feel' for the era.

Page 24 features a picture of Ted Drake and the Chelsea Directors proudly posing beside the Club's trophy haul for the 1955 season including the League Trophy. For all those who support the campaign to restore the crest
that is commonly known as the '70s Lion, just check out the attire of the gentleman on the right-hand-side of the photo - the badge on his blazer clearly shows the full crest, which, of course, is the Coat of Arms of Viscount Chelsea.

The statistics at the end of the book show all the fixtures played, the number of appearances made by each player that season and the final League table.

One interesting fact that might make today's 'little darlings' go running, crying to their agents was that, over the Easter period, Chelsea played one game on the Friday, with another home game the following day! While Chelsea are often subject to ridicule because they are the team to have won the League with the lowest number of points, it might well be worth pointing out that Chelsea scored 81 times in 42 League games with only three other sides scoring more and meanwhile, in defence, they conceded 57 times with two teams conceding less. It was also interesting to note that, for the game that effectively assured Chelsea of the Title (against Wolves 1-0), the attendance was 75,043!

Stamford Bridge Legends Chelsea Champions is an informative, easy to read, interesting book and should be labelled as 'must read' by all Chelsea supporters and enthusiasts. It should also be noted that the profits from sales will be going to benefit the players themselves. A very decent gesture if ever there was one, considering the shabby way that the club for which they did so much has treated these proud men.
www.blueandwhitearmy.net

Read extracts
Roy Bentley
Eric Parsons
Frank Blunstone
Stan Willemse
John McNichol
Jim Lewis
Les Stubbs

 Listen to clips
Coming Soon

Read a Review