1983–84 Chelsea F.C. season

English football club season January 2022 February 2015 Chelsea 1983–84 John Neal Ken Bates Stamford Bridge Second Division 1st FA Cup Third round Milk Cup Third round Kerry Dixon (28) Kerry Dixon (34) 6–1 v Swansea City (6 December 1983) 0–2 v Leicester City (25 October 1983) 35,147 vs Sheffield Wednesday (21 January 1984) 9,704 vs Gillingham (13 September 1983) 21,127 _chelsea1983h _chelsea1983h _chelsea1983h _redbottom 0000DD 0000DD 0000DD 0000DD _chelsea1983a _chelsea1983a _chelsea1983a _bluebottom ffff00 ffff00 1982–83 1984–85 The 1983–84 season was Chelsea Football Club's 70th competitive season. After five years in the Second Division, Chelsea won promotion to the First Division as champions, losing only four of their 42 league matches and pipping Sheffield Wednesday to the title on goal difference. Season summary Manager John Neal revamped his squad after narrowly avoiding relegation to the Third Division the previous season. New signings included goalkeeper Eddie Niedzwiecki, centre-back Joe McLaughlin, midfielder Nigel Spackman, winger Pat Nevin, and striker Kerry Dixon. Neal also added experience in the form of veteran utility player John Hollins, who rejoined the club on a free transfer from Arsenal. Hollins had made 473 league appearances for Chelsea between 1963 and 1975 before moving to Queens Park Rangers. He retired as a player at the end of the 1983-84 season but stayed on as a coach and eventually succeeded Neal as manager in 1985. Chelsea opened the season with a resounding 5–0 home win over Derby County. Dixon scored twice and followed up with the winner in a midweek Milk Cup tie at Gillingham, both goals in victory at Brighton and four in the return leg against Gillingham. He continued to score prolifically, ending the season as the Second Division's leading scorer with 28 goals, 34 in all competitions. By the end of November, Chelsea lay in 2nd place behind Sheffield Wednesday, having lost only one of their opening 17 league matches - 2–1 at Hillsborough. After losing twice at home in December and at Middlesbrough in the first match of the New Year, they closed out the season with a 17 match unbeaten run. This included a remarkable draw at Cardiff in which Chelsea scored three times in the last six minutes after trailing 3–0 at half-time. Promotion was sealed by a 5–0 win over Leeds at the end of April. With two matches of the season remaining, Chelsea trailed Sheffield Wednesday by two points, albeit with a significantly better goal difference. When Wednesday were held to a goalless draw by Manchester City in their penultimate fixture, Chelsea took advantage by beating Barnsley 3–1 to move into pole position and clinched the title with a 1–0 win at Grimsby. Squad statistics Substitute appearances in parentheses. Pos.NameLeagueLeague CupFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKENG Steve Francis00000000GKWAL Eddie Niedzwiecki4205010480DFENG Micky Droy00000000DFENG Keith Dublin10000010DFENG John Hollins2915010341DFENG Chris Hutchings41100051DFWAL Joey Jones3414010391DFSCO Joe McLaughlin4105010470DFENG Colin Pates4205010480MFENG John Bumstead30(1)7400034(1)7MFENG Alan Hudson00000000MFENG Dale Jasper30000030MFENG Keith Jones00000000MFENG Colin Lee25(8)34(1)00029(9)3MFSCO Tony McAndrew1340010144MFENG Nigel Spackman4035010463MFWAL Mickey Thomas1740000174FWENG Paul Canoville17(3)6411022(3)7FWENG Kerry Dixon422856104834FWSCO Derek Johnstone0(2)000000(2)0FWSCO Pat Nevin38143(1)01042(1)14FWENG Peter Rhoades-Brown61100071FWSCO Duncan Shearer00000000FWSCO David Speedie32(5)132(1)01035(6)13FWENG Clive Walker63210084 CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB Players Statistics Season 1983-84 - bounder.friardale.co.uk worldfootball.net - Chelsea FC Squad 1983/1984 League table Second Division y CHE Results Second Division 1983–84 Football League Second Division 1 27 August 1983 Chelsea 5–0 W Derby County Spackman 4Walker 52Hutchings 54Dixon 63 68 Stamford Bridge London 17,388 2 3 September 1983 Brighton & Hove Albion 1–2 W Chelsea Young 76 Dixon 26 pen. 81 Goldstone Ground Hove 20,874 3 7 September 1983 Blackburn Rovers 0–0 D Chelsea Ewood Park Blackburn 5,873 4 10 September 1983 Chelsea 2–1 W Cambridge United Bumstead 20Walker 76 Goldsmith 2 Stamford Bridge London 14,425 5 17 September 1983 Sheffield Wednesday 2–1 L Chelsea Lyons 47Megson 84 Walker 2 Hillsborough Sheffield 20,596 6 24 September 1983 Chelsea 0–0 D Middlesbrough Stamford Bridge London 15,822 7 1 October 1983 Huddersfield Town 2–3 W Chelsea Stanton 74Lillis 84 Dixon 12 50Canoville 56 Leeds Road Huddersfield 13,280 8 8 October 1983 Fulham 3–5 W Chelsea Davies 17 22 76 Dixon 9 86Jones 45Nevin 49Lee 59 Craven Cottage London 24,787 9 15 October 1983 Chelsea 2–0 W Cardiff City Nevin 17Lee 63 Stamford Bridge London 15,459 10 22 October 1983 Carlisle United 0–0 D Chelsea Brunton Park Carlisle 6,774 11 29 October 1983 Chelsea 3–2 W Charlton Athletic Speedie 24 32Dixon 78 Robinson 71Moore 75 Stamford Bridge London 17,789 12 5 November 1983 Oldham Athletic 1–1 D Chelsea Palmer 64 Bumstead 75 Boundary Park Oldham 5,807 13 12 November 1983 Chelsea 4–0 W Newcastle United Spackman 8Rhoades-Brown 36Speedie 46 67 Stamford Bridge London 30,628 14 15 November 1983 Charlton Athletic 1–1 D Chelsea Harris 52 Nevin 62 The Valley London 14,393 15 19 November 1983 Chelsea 2–2 D Crystal Palace Hollins 37Speedie 63 Locke 10Evans 24 Stamford Bridge London 19,060 16 22 November 1983 Swansea City 1–3 W Chelsea Pascoe 33 Bumstead 7Nevin 21Dixon 42 Vetch Field Swansea 7,848 17 26 November 1983 Leeds United 1–1 D Chelsea McCluskey 46 Dixon 58 Elland Road Leeds 20,680 18 3 December 1983 Chelsea 0–1 L Manchester City Tolmie 44 Stamford Bridge London 29,142 19 6 December 1983 Chelsea 6–1 W Swansea City Canoville 8 40 84Nevin 24Dixon 50Bumstead 81 Walsh 57 Stamford Bridge London 12,389 20 10 December 1983 Barnsley 0–0 D Chelsea Oakwell Barnsley 10,300 21 17 December 1983 Chelsea 2–3 L Grimsby Town Dixon 26 pen.Bumstead 60 Waters 65Emson 75Ford 77 Stamford Bridge London 13,151 22 26 December 1983 Shrewsbury Town 2–4 W Chelsea Brown 44MacLaren 75 Dixon 64 pen.Speedie 71Bumstead 81 84 Gay Meadow Shrewsbury 7,582 23 27 December 1983 Chelsea 2–2 D Portsmouth Canoville 6Dixon 39 Hateley 4Dillon 11 pen. Stamford Bridge London 25,409 24 31 December 1983 Chelsea 1–0 W Brighton & Hove Albion Speedie 77 Stamford Bridge London 18,542 25 2 January 1984 Middlesbrough 2–1 L Chelsea Hamilton 39Currie 87 McAndrew 55 Ayresome Park Middlesbrough 11,579 26 14 January 1984 Derby County 1–2 W Chelsea Plummer 87 Cherry 5 o.g.McAndrew 76 pen. Baseball Ground Derby 16,727 27 21 January 1984 Chelsea 3–2 W Sheffield Wednesday Thomas 16 40Nevin 80 Smith 82Bannister 85 Stamford Bridge London 35,147 28 4 February 1984 Chelsea 3–1 W Huddersfield Town Dixon 20 44Speedie 62 Doyle 55 Stamford Bridge London 17,922 29 11 February 1984 Cambridge United 0–1 W Chelsea McAndrew 6 Abbey Stadium Cambridge 10,602 30 25 February 1984 Chelsea 0–0 D Carlisle United Stamford Bridge London 16,543 31 3 March 1984 Chelsea 3–0 W Oldham Athletic Speedie 19Dixon 71McAndrew 75 pen. Stamford Bridge London 12,736 32 10 March 1984 Newcastle United 1–1 D Chelsea McDermott 70 Speedie 52 St James' Park Newcastle upon Tyne 36,506 33 16 March 1984 Chelsea 2–1 W Blackburn Rovers Nevin 39Speedie 45 Garner 70 Stamford Bridge London 18,905 34 31 March 1984 Cardiff City 3–3 D Chelsea Gibbins 18Owen 22 pen.Vaughan 25 Dixon 84Lee 85Spackman 90 pen. Ninian Park Cardiff 11,060 35 7 April 1984 Chelsea 4–0 W Fulham Dixon 1 38Speedie 18Nevin 67 Stamford Bridge London 31,947 36 14 April 1984 Crystal Palace 0–1 W Chelsea Nevin 83 Selhurst Park London 20,540 37 21 April 1984 Chelsea 3–0 W Shrewsbury Town Dixon 6 87Nevin 32 Stamford Bridge London 17,295 38 24 April 1984 Portsmouth 2–2 D Chelsea Biley 62Dillon 71 Thomas 5Nevin 56 pen. Fratton Park Portsmouth 19,267 39 28 April 1984 Chelsea 5–0 W Leeds United Thomas 6Dixon 18 23 52Canoville 89 Stamford Bridge London 33,447 40 4 May 1984 Manchester City 0–2 W Chelsea Nevin 65Dixon 70 Maine Road Manchester 21,713 41 7 May 1984 Chelsea 3–1 W Barnsley Speedie 37Nevin 77 89 Geddis 60 Stamford Bridge London 29,541 42 12 May 1984 Grimsby Town 0–1 W Chelsea Dixon 41 Blundell Park Cleethorpes 13,995 CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB Match Results Season 1983-84 - bounder.friardale.co.uk Milk Cup 1983–84 Football League Cup 1st Round 1st Leg 30 August 1983 Gillingham 1–2 W Chelsea Shaw 14 Walker 38Dixon 57 Priestfield Gillingham 8,633 1st Round 2nd Leg 13 September 1983 Chelsea 4–0 W Gillingham Dixon 40 44 54 84 Stamford Bridge London 9,704 2nd Round 1st Leg 5 October 1983 Leicester City 0–2 W Chelsea Dixon 23Canoville 44 Filbert Street Leicester 7,825 2nd Round 2nd Leg 25 October 1983 Chelsea 0–2 L yes 4–3 Leicester City A. Smith 26English 83 Stamford Bridge London 15,646 3rd Round 9 November 1983 Chelsea 0–1 L West Bromwich Albion Thompson 70 Stamford Bridge London 22,932 FA Cup 1983–84 FA Cup 3rd Round 7 January 1984 Blackburn Rovers 1–0 L Chelsea Brotherston 3 Ewood Park Blackburn 10,944 References Glanvill, Rick Chelsea FC: The Official Biography – The Definitive Story of the First 100 Years Headline Book Publishing Ltd 2006 0-7553-1466-2 Hockings, Ron 100 Years of The Blues – A Statistical History of Chelsea FC 1905–2006 External links 1983–84 season at stamford-bridge.com 1983-84 Category:English football clubs 1983–84 season