Season: 1958–59
Football League First Division
League
The season Chelsea first stepped into Europe — and Jimmy Greaves exploded into the First Division’s leading marksman.
- Division
- Football League First Division (Tier 1)
- Manager
- Ted Drake
- Top scorer (league)
- Jimmy Greaves (32)
- Top scorer (all comps)
- Jimmy Greaves (37)
- Avg. league attendance
- 40,794
Cups & Europe
- FA Cup
- Fourth round
- League Cup
- —
- Europe
- Fairs Cup / UEFA Cup / Europa League: Quarter-finals
Notes
The season Chelsea first stepped into Europe — and Jimmy Greaves exploded into the First Division’s leading marksman. Ted Drake’s young side finished 14th of 22 with 40 points from 18 wins, 4 draws and 20 defeats (77–98), level on points with Nottingham Forest and placed below them on goal average. Home form was strong at 13–2–6 (52–37); away was a struggle at 5–2–14 (25–61). Ninety-eight goals conceded was the heaviest defensive record in the division. Greaves scored 32 league goals — the First Division’s top tally — and 37 in all competitions (2 in the FA Cup, 3 in Europe). The highlight was five against champions-elect Wolves in a 6–2 Stamford Bridge win on 30 August. Ron Tindall had 13 in the league, Peter Brabrook and Peter Sillett 7 each, Tony Nicholas 5. Bobby Tambling and Barry Bridges both debuted in a 3–2 win over West Ham on 7 February; Ken Shellito’s first appearance came in April. In the FA Cup Chelsea beat Newcastle United 4–1 at St James’ Park in the third round, then went out at home to Aston Villa 1–2 in the fourth. Europe was the new frontier: representing London in the two-year 1958–60 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Chelsea beat Copenhagen XI 3–1 away and 4–1 at the Bridge (aggregate 7–2) in the first round, then fell in the quarter-finals to Belgrade XI — 1–0 at home on 29 April, 1–4 in Belgrade on 13 May (aggregate 2–4). All four European ties fell inside this season’s calendar. Biggest league win by margin was the 6–2 over Wolves; eleven goals also flew in a 6–5 home win against Newcastle in September. Heaviest reverse was 0–6 at Bolton on 4 March. Home league gates averaged 40,794 (high 62,118 vs Wolves on 30 August; low 24,356 vs Portsmouth on 17 January).
Kits
Under reviewWhite shirts appeared as occasional cup/third options in the late 1950s.
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/1958%E2%80%9359_Chelsea_F.C._season
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958%E2%80%9359_Football_League
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958%E2%80%9360_Inter-Cities_Fairs_Cup
- https://www.fchd.info/CHELSEA.HTM
- https://www.fchd.info/lghist/fl1959.htm
- https://www.bounder.friardale.co.uk/Summaries/1958.htm
- https://bounder.friardale.co.uk/Results/1958.htm
- http://free-elements.com/England/Goals/CheL/CheL1958.html
- https://www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk/stats/Report/gate/a1958-59.html
- https://www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk/final/f1958-59.html
- https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engtops.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Greaves
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Drake
- https://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Chelsea/Chelsea.htm
- https://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Chelsea/Chelsea-change-kits.html