Sillett Penalty Beats Rivals Wolves En Route To First League Title

It was Easter Saturday, April 9^th, 1955. Chelsea’s Golden Jubilee had occurred the previous month. 50 years without a major trophy. But that was possibly about to change.

Ted Drake’s side sat proudly at the top of the Division One table, and were playing their nearest rivals, Wolverhampton Wanderers. The previous day Chelsea had only drawn at home against Sheffield United in front of 51,000 supporters, whereas Portsmouth and Manchester City had both won to keep in the chase. That Saturday morning the League table showed :- Chelsea P38 47pts; Wolves P35 42pts; Portsmouth P35 42pts; Manchester City P36 41pts.

A win against Wolves would go a very long way to clinching the title, especially if they could avoid defeat at Portsmouth the following Saturday. Bizarrely, Chelsea had not won a game over Easter for seven years, a record they desperately needed to end. John Harris and Peter Brabrook, who had played the previous day, were replaced by Stan Willemse and Seamus O'Connell

Chelsea lined up :- Thomson; P. Sillett, Willemse; Armstrong, Wicks, Saunders; Parsons, McNichol, Bentley, O’Connell, Blunstone.

Wolves, probably the biggest draw in English football at that time, were defending League champions and their side included several internationals, including golden boy Billy Wright, Bert Williams, Bill Slater and Dennis Wilshaw. A draw would suit them, as if they could win their games in hand they would go top. Chelsea needed to beat them.

The crucial game was a huge attraction, and the gates had to be locked, using mounted police, with thousands outside and 75,043 rammed inside. This was the seventh biggest ever attendance at Stamford Bridge, and there has not been a bigger crowd inside the stadium since. Hundreds of youngsters climbed the barriers and watched the match from the edge of the pitch.

The home side attacked from the off, and Bert Williams was kept busy as a variety of Chelsea players fired in shots, ta save from a Stan Willemse free-kick especially laudable. As half-time approached Roy Bentley missed an open goal and so the sides went in level. Fine for Wolves, less so for the increasingly frantic home support. The pressure continued after the interval and Williams saved well from Johnnie McNicholl. Wolves attempts on goal were rare, but Charlie Thomson had to tip over a Johnny Hancocks free-kick. Seamus O’Connell had a shot saved by Williams and, as the game entered the last 20 minutes the crowd began to despair at the inability of the jittery forward line to turn chances into goals, the Sports Argus identifying ‘an air of desperation and over-anxiousness in both teams’.

Then, after 71 minutes, salvation. O’Connell’s shot beat Williams and Wright was forced to punch it over the bar. Initially, referee Mr. J.W. Malcolm gave a corner but, after frantic pressure from home players he talked to the linesman, changed his mind and pointed to the spot. Peter Sillett stepped up, held his nerve under the greatest pressure of his career and duly fired the spot kick home. Cue an explosion of relief and joy from the masses.

Peter Sillett fires home the crucial penalty

Wolves stepped up the pressure and tension gripped the stands as Hancocks hit the inside of the post late on, but Drake’s side held on for a crucial victory. The Guardian referred to ‘nerves severely stretched’ and for Blues supporters old and young it must have been an agonising afternoon. Portsmouth losing 3-1 at West Brom was the icing on the cake. Chelsea P39 49pts; Wolves P36 42pts; Portsmouth P36 42pts.

Wolves lost at Aston Villa the following Tuesday, so Chelsea’s crucial draw at Fratton Park the following Saturday (16^th) meant the title was in sight.

Relegated Sheffield Wednesday were duly dispatched 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 23^rd. Portsmouth could only draw at Cardiff that afternoon so Chelsea, 50 years old, were finally League champions, with a game to spare. Had they lost to Wolves, or even drawn, the momentum would have been with the Midlanders, and it is entirely likely the opportunity for silverware would have been lost. A nervy afternoon, for sure, but ultimately a deservedly triumphant one.

A national newspaper strike meant that none of the national dailies were printed apart from The Guardian, which was published in Manchester, so much of the match information is taken from local newspapers.

Tim Rolls