Chelsea supporters chant their way to a 2-1 win at West Brom, 60 years ago today

Sixty years ago today, on October 2nd 1965, Chelsea won 2-1 at West Bromwich Albion, Barry Bridges and George Graham getting the goals, the win taking Tommy Docherty's side up to a still-disappointing ninth place.

The same day Wales played England and Northern Ireland played Scotland, but six Division One games were still played, unthinkable six decades on. Eddie McCreadie was missing from the Chelsea line-up at The Hawthorns for that reason.

The game was shown on Match Of The Day (on BBC2 that season, so viewing figures would have been small), the first game shown that season after a dispute between the BBC and the Football League lasting the first six weeks of the season. A link to the footage can be found here. https://youtu.be/H5-J_broL-A?si=A1JRIpvsjr-uL_b_

If you have time, the footage is well worth a look. The visitors really had to battle for the two points but what really strikes home is the vocal nature of the Chelsea support. Presumably situated under the TV gantry, there weren't thousands of them singing, but those that were kept up a fine array of songs and chants.

'In The Net', 'Johnny Boyle', 'Albion'...'Sh*t', 'Chelsea, Chelsea', 'Dirty West Brom', 'Bonetti', 'Strolling', 'Chelsea's Gonna Win The League', 'Easy...Easy', 'We'll Give Them A Bl**dy Good Hiding', 'West Brom Ha-Ha-Ha' and 'Goodbye West Brom' can all be clearly heard and given only 40 minutes of the game was shown, there were presumably others.

Naturally, 'Zigger, Zagger' also gets a run-out (17m 20s). Whether this chant was led by Mick Greenaway I am obviously not sure.

It occurs to me that the teenage travelling supporters surrounding commentator Frank Bough in the stand before the game and at half-time would be in their mid to late seventies now, a slightly chilling thought. As ever, I wonder if any of them still go to games six decades later. This is the earliest TV coverage of Chelsea away supporters consistently using their vocal chords that I am aware of. The 'Blue Submarine' win at West Ham and Bobby Tambling's five at Villa Park, both marked by plenty of Chelsea songs, were early the following season. I used to think that songs and chants only really took off in English grounds after the World Cup win the following summer, but I realise I was mistaken.

If anyone reading this piece was at The Hawthorns that day I would love to hear from you.

Four days later Chelsea drew 0-0 away at Roma in one of the most volatile encounters in the club's history. But that is another story. Tim Rolls