Season: 1951–52
Football League First Division
League
Billy Birrell’s sixth and final peacetime season ended in another First Division scrap.
- Division
- Football League First Division (Tier 1)
- Manager
- Billy Birrell
- Top scorer (league)
- Roy Bentley and Jimmy D'Arcy (12)
- Top scorer (all comps)
- Roy Bentley (17)
- Avg. league attendance
- 39,932
Cups & Europe
- FA Cup
- Semi-finals
- League Cup
- —
- Europe
- —
- Other
- London Challenge Cup: Round 1 (lost to West Ham United 0–2, 8 Oct 1951)
Notes
Billy Birrell’s sixth and final peacetime season ended in another First Division scrap. Chelsea finished 19th of 22 with 36 points from 14 wins, 8 draws and 20 defeats (52–72) — level with Middlesbrough, who stayed above them on goal average (0.727 to Chelsea’s 0.722). Huddersfield Town and Fulham went down. Home form was 10–3–8 (31–29); away only four wins (4–5–12, 21–43). Manchester United took the title. The season’s biggest win was 5–0 over Middlesbrough at the Bridge in February; the heaviest reverse 1–7 at Aston Villa in mid-April. Birrell stepped down at the end of May and Ted Drake was appointed on 1 June. Roy Bentley and Jimmy (Seamus) D’Arcy shared the league scoring lead with 12 each; Bentley’s 17 in all competitions topped the club charts (5 in the FA Cup). Bobby Smith followed with 11 league goals. In the FA Cup Chelsea reached the semi-finals for the second time in three years: Third Division North Chester after a Bridge draw and an extra-time win at Sealand Road, Tranmere Rovers 4–0, Leeds United after three ties including a 5–1 second replay at Villa Park, then Sheffield United 1–0 away. Arsenal ended the run — 1–1 and 0–3 in successive matches at White Hart Lane. London Challenge Cup exit came in round one at West Ham United (0–2). Home league gates averaged 39,932 (high 59,143 vs Arsenal in August; low 25,165 vs Huddersfield in September).
Kits
Home stayed on the classic royal-blue rugby-collar look through the mid-1950s (HFK has finer panels including Sept–Oct 1934 hooped-sock experiments, Nov 1934–1944, wartime 1944–46, and 1946–48 / 1948–49 / 1949–55). Away remained red with a white collar from the 1933–34 switch; the 1955 champions wore this era’s home look.
- 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)
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/1951%E2%80%9352_Chelsea_F.C._season
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1951%E2%80%9352_Football_League
- https://www.fchd.info/CHELSEA.HTM
- https://www.bounder.friardale.co.uk/Summaries/1951.htm
- https://bounder.friardale.co.uk/Results/1951.htm
- http://free-elements.com/England/Goals/CheL/CheL1951.html
- http://www.mychelseafc.com/chelsea_news/previous_cup_results/1951.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Bentley
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Birrell
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Drake
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seamus_D%27Arcy
- https://www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk/stats/Report/gate/a1951-52.html
- https://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/forums/threads/london-challenge-cup-results-only.6585/
- https://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Chelsea/Chelsea.htm
- https://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Chelsea/Chelsea-change-kits.html