Season: 1931–32
Football League First Division
League
A second successive 12th place in the First Division — 40 points again — but the Cup gave Chelsea their first semi-final since 1915.
- Division
- Football League First Division (Tier 1)
- Manager
- David Calderhead
- Top scorer (league)
- Hughie Gallacher (24)
- Top scorer (all comps)
- Hughie Gallacher (30)
- Avg. league attendance
- 32,230
Cups & Europe
- FA Cup
- Semi-finals
- League Cup
- —
- Europe
- —
- Other
- London Challenge Cup: Round 2 (beat Thames 4–2, 14 Oct 1931; lost to Fulham 0–2, 26 Oct 1931)
Notes
A second successive 12th place in the First Division — 40 points again — but the Cup gave Chelsea their first semi-final since 1915. David Calderhead’s side lost nine of the opening thirteen league matches, including a 3–6 home defeat to Aston Villa and a 2–7 thrashing at Everton, before a Christmas surge steadied them clear of trouble. Hughie Gallacher scored 24 league goals and 30 in all competitions; Alec Jackson added 15 in the league. In the FA Cup the Blues drew 2–2 at Tranmere, won the Stamford Bridge replay 5–3, then beat West Ham 3–1 at home, Sheffield Wednesday after a replay (1–1 away, 2–0 home before 60,004) and Liverpool 2–0 at Anfield. The semi-final at Leeds Road, Huddersfield, on 12 March 1932 ended 1–2 to Newcastle United — Gallacher’s goal coming after the Magpies were already two up. Newcastle went on to win the Cup. Average home league attendance was 32,230, with a high of 64,427 for Arsenal on 21 November and a low of 12,605 for Newcastle on 14 April. The London Challenge Cup ended in the second round after a win over Thames and a defeat to Fulham.
Kits
The classic look was set: royal blue with a contrasting rugby collar, white shorts and black socks with blue-and-white turnovers.
- https://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Chelsea/Chelsea.htm
- https://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Chelsea/Chelsea-change-kits.html
Illustration from hex colours (not official kit photography).
On this day (related years)
No entries found for this season’s years.
History
Eras, trophies, and great matches in the History section.
Explore history →Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chelsea_F.C._seasons
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1931%E2%80%9332_Chelsea_F.C._season
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1931%E2%80%9332_Football_League
- https://www.fchd.info/CHELSEA.HTM
- https://www.bounder.friardale.co.uk/Summaries/1931.htm
- https://bounder.friardale.co.uk/Results/1931.htm
- https://www.mychelseafc.com/chelsea_news/previous_cup_results/1931.htm
- https://www.11v11.com/matches/chelsea-v-newcastle-united-12-march-1932-208157/
- https://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn/archive/eng/aveeng1932.htm
- https://www.cfchistory.co.uk/chelsea-season-stats.html
- http://thehistoryofchelseafc.blogspot.com/2012/04/season-by-season-193132.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Calderhead
- https://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Chelsea/Chelsea.htm
- https://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Chelsea/Chelsea-change-kits.html