1960–61 Chelsea F.C. season

The 1960–61 season was Chelsea Football Club's 47th of competitive football, and their 35th in the English top flight.

Chelsea
1960-61 season
ChairmanJoe Mears
ManagerTed Drake
First Division12th
FA CupThird round
League CupFourth round
Top goalscorerLeague:
Jimmy Greaves (41)

All:
Jimmy Greaves (43)
Highest home attendance57,103 vs Tottenham Hotspur (3 April 1961)
Lowest home attendance19,568 vs West Bromwich Albion (3 December 1960)

Chelsea's performances and results were erratic throughout the season, typified by large victories over Arsenal, Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion and heavy defeats against Manchester United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley, culminating in a sixth consecutive mid-table finish since their Championship success in 1955. The club were also victims of an upset in the FA Cup, losing 2–1 at home to Fourth Division side Crewe Alexandra.

The season was nonetheless a watershed in the club's history; frustrated at the club's lack of direction, Chelsea's star player Jimmy Greaves joined AC Milan at the end of the season. Manager Ted Drake, his position weakened by the Crewe result in particular, would also leave the club early into the next season.

Despite the lack of tangible success, the season produced a series of records. Chelsea scored 98 league goals, a record that stood until Chelsea's record breaking 2009–10 season and conceded 100 goals – another club record. Greaves scored 41 league goals, plus another two in the League Cup for a seasonal total of 43, which has never been bettered by another Chelsea player. Greaves also notched six hat-tricks (another club record for a single season), and during the campaign scored his 100th career league goal; at the age of 21, still the youngest ever player to do so.

Results

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First Division

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Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
20 August 1960 Aston Villa A 2-3 43,776 Brabrook, Gibbs
24 August 1960 Leicester City H 1-3 24,691 Bradbury
27 August 1960 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 3-3 41,681 Greaves (3)
31 August 1960 Leicester City A 3-1 21,087 Sillett, Greaves, Brooks
3 September 1960 Bolton Wanderers A 1-4 21,609 Greaves
7 September 1960 Blackburn Rovers H 5-2 23,224 Greaves (3), Livesey (2)
10 September 1960 West Ham United H 3-2 37,873 Greaves, Livesey, Blunstone
17 September 1960 Fulham A 2-3 37,423 Livesey, Blunstone
19 September 1960 Blackburn Rovers A 1-3 21,508 Brabrook
24 September 1960 Blackpool A 4-1 26,546 Greaves (2), Livesey (2)
1 October 1960 Everton H 3-3 31,457 Greaves, Blunstone, Livesey
15 October 1960 Birmingham City A 0-1 22,337
22 October 1960 Burnley H 2-6 29,080 Brabrook, Greaves
29 October 1960 Preston North End A 2-0 14,174 Tindall, Tambling
5 November 1960 Newcastle United H 4-2 30,489 Brabrook, Tindall (3)
12 November 1960 Arsenal A 4-1 38,666 Mortimore, Greaves, Tindall, Tambling
19 November 1960 Manchester City H 6-3 37,346 Greaves (3), Tindall (2), Tambling
26 November 1960 Nottingham Forest A 1-2 22,121 Brabrook
3 December 1960 West Bromwich Albion H 7-1 19,568 Brabrook, Greaves (5), Tindall
10 December 1960 Cardiff City A 1-2 21,840 Greaves
17 December 1960 Aston Villa H 2-4 23,805 Greaves (2)
24 December 1960 Manchester United H 1-2 37,601 Brabrook
26 December 1960 Manchester United A 0-6 50,213
31 December 1960 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 1-6 28,503 Anderton
14 January 1961 Bolton Wanderers H 1-1 20,461 Livesey
21 January 1961 West Ham United A 1-3 21,829 Blunstone
4 February 1961 Fulham H 2-1 39,185 Greaves, Bridges
11 February 1961 Blackpool H 2-2 21,993 Sillett, Greaves
18 February 1961 Everton A 1-1 34,449 Greaves
25 February 1961 Sheffield Wednesday A 0-1 21,936
4 March 1961 Birmingham City H 3-2 27,727 Greaves, Tindall, Tambling
11 March 1961 Burnley A 4-4 19,435 Greaves (2), Tambling (2)
18 March 1961 Preston North End H 1-1 22,031 Tindall
25 March 1961 Newcastle United A 6-1 28,975 Greaves (4), Tindall (2)
31 March 1961 Tottenham Hotspur A 2-4 65,032 Brabrook, Tindall
1 April 1961 Cardiff City H 6-1 22,697 Greaves, Tindall (2), Tambling, Harrison, Harrington (o.g.)
3 April 1961 Tottenham Hotspur H 2-3 57,103 Blunstone, Greaves
8 April 1961 Manchester City A 1-2 27,720 Tambling
15 April 1961 Arsenal H 3-1 38,233 Tindall, Tambling, Neill (o.g.)
22 April 1961 West Bromwich Albion A 0-3 17,691
26 April 1961 Sheffield Wednesday H 0-2 24,258
29 April 1961 Nottingham Forest H 4-3 22,775 Greaves (4)
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Qualification or relegation
10 West Bromwich Albion 42 18 5 19 67 71 0.944 41
11 Arsenal 42 15 11 16 77 85 0.906 41
12 Chelsea 42 15 7 20 98 100 0.980 37
13 Manchester City 42 13 11 18 79 90 0.878 37
14 Nottingham Forest 42 14 9 19 62 78 0.795 37 Invited for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored

FA Cup

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Date Round Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
7 January 1961 3 Crewe Alexandra H 1-2 32,574 Blunstone

League Cup

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Date Round Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
10 October 1960 1 Millwall A 7-1 15,007 P.Sillett (2), Evans, Brabrook, Greaves (2), Brooks
24 October 1960 2 Workington H 4-2 5,630 Mortimore, Brabrook, Nicholas, Tambling
6 November 1960 3 Doncaster Rovers A 7-0 9,951 J.Sillett, Brabrook (2), Blunstone (2), Tambling (2)
4 December 1960 4 Portsmouth A 0-1 13,054

References

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  • Soccerbase
  • Hockings, Ron. 100 Years of the Blues: A Statistical History of Chelsea Football Club. (2007)