True Blues — Chelsea FC
ΕΛ

Season: 1979–80

Football League Second Division

League

Back in the Second Division after relegation, Chelsea finished 4th of 22 with 53 points — 23 wins, seven draws and 12 defeats (66–52).

Division
Football League Second Division (Tier 2)
Manager
Danny Blanchflower (until 11 September) Geoff Hurst
Top scorer (league)
Clive Walker (13)
Top scorer (all comps)
Clive Walker / Mike Fillery (13)
Avg. league attendance
22,930

Cups & Europe

FA Cup
Third round
League Cup
Second round
Europe
—

Notes

Back in the Second Division after relegation, Chelsea finished 4th of 22 with 53 points — 23 wins, seven draws and 12 defeats (66–52). Home form was strong at 14–3–4 (34–16); away 9–4–8 (32–36). Only the top three went up. Leicester (55) and Sunderland (54) took the first two places; Birmingham finished level on 53 but with a better goal difference (+20 to Chelsea’s +14) and claimed the last promotion spot. On the final afternoon Chelsea beat Oldham 3–0 and briefly sat third — then Birmingham held on at Notts County and Sunderland’s later win over West Ham left the Blues outside the three. Danny Blanchflower lasted until 11 September; Geoff Hurst was appointed on the 13th and steadied a young side after heavy summer sales — Ray Wilkins to Manchester United and Garry Stanley to Everton both left in mid-August. Peter Osgood’s brief return ended with retirement in September; Ron Harris’s long Chelsea career closed in May. Clive Walker led the league scoring with 13. Mike Fillery matched him on 13 in all competitions (11 league plus both League Cup goals at Plymouth). Ian Britton and Tommy Langley added 10 apiece in the league; Gary Johnson 7; Lee Frost 5; John Bumstead 3; Ron Harris and Gary Chivers 2 each; Micky Droy and Colin Lee one apiece, plus one own goal. The League Cup ended at the second round against Third Division Plymouth Argyle — 2–2 at Home Park (Fillery twice) and 1–2 at the Bridge (Droy), 3–4 on aggregate. The FA Cup went no further than the third round: 0–1 at home to non-league Wigan Athletic on 14 January. Biggest league win was the 7–3 romp at Orient on 10 November; heaviest reverse 1–5 at Birmingham on 11 March. Home league gates averaged 22,930 — high 32,281 against Newcastle on 12 January, low 16,188 against Burnley on 15 March. Umbro’s all-blue home kit continued in the site’s existing 1978–1981 row, with the yellow-and-green change look listed by Historical Kits for that span.

Kits

Home
Away
Third—

The away kit swapped blue for green, a yellow-and-green look that lasted until 1981.

Illustration from hex colours (not official kit photography).

On this day (related years)

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History

Eras, trophies, and great matches in the History section.

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Sources

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