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
Chairman	Joe Mears
Manager	Ted Drake
First Division	12th
FA Cup	Third round
League Cup	Fourth round
Top goalscorer	League: Jimmy Greaves (41) All: Jimmy Greaves (43)
Highest home attendance	57,103 vs Tottenham Hotspur (3 April 1961)
Lowest home attendance	19,568 vs West Bromwich Albion (3 December 1960)
Home colours Away colours Third colours

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

First Division

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

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

League Cup

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

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