1968–69 Chelsea F.C. season

Chelsea
1968–69 season
Chairman	Brian Mears
Manager	Dave Sexton
First Division	5th
FA Cup	Quarter-finals
League Cup	Third round
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup	Second round
Top goalscorer	League: ; Bobby Tambling (18); All: ; Bobby Tambling (19)
Highest home attendance	60,436 vs Manchester United (15 March 1969)
Lowest home attendance	17,639 vs Coventry City (10 March 1969)
Home colours	Away colours
	← 1967–68 1969–70 →

The 1968–69 season was Chelsea Football Club's 55th of competitive football, and their 42nd in the English top flight.

Results

First Division

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
14 August 1968	Nottingham Forest	H	1–1	36,515	Tambling
17 August 1968	West Bromwich Albion	H	3–1	33,766	Baldwin, Tambling (2)
21 August 1968	Newcastle United	A	2–3	39,048	Tambling, Birchenall
24 August 1968	Manchester United	A	4–0	55,114	Baldwin (2), Tambling, Birchenall
28 August 1968	Sheffield Wednesday	H	1–0	33,402	Tambling
31 August 1968	Tottenham Hotspur	H	2–2	48,412	Osgood (pen), Birchenall
7 September 1968	Everton	H	1–1	42,017	Osgood (pen)
10 September 1968	Coventry City	A	1–0	36,217	Osgood
14 September 1968	Queens Park Rangers	A	4–0	26,358	Baldwin (2), Osgood, Birchenall
21 September 1968	West Ham United	H	1–1	58,062	Tambling
28 September 1968	Burnley	A	1–2	14,762	Tambling
5 October 1968	Ipswich Town	H	3–1	31,625	Hollins, Birchenall, Baxter (o.g.)
9 October 1968	Sheffield Wednesday	A	1–1	30,445	Baldwin
12 October 1968	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	1–1	27,810	Tambling
19 October 1968	Leicester City	H	3–0	33,462	Baldwin (3)
26 October 1968	Stoke City	A	0–2	16,799
2 November 1968	Manchester City	H	2–0	40,700	Osgood, Baldwin
9 November 1968	Liverpool	A	1–2	47,248	Birchenall
16 November 1968	Southampton	H	2–3	31,325	Baldwin, Birchenall
23 November 1968	Arsenal	A	1–0	45,588	Houseman
30 November 1968	Leeds United	H	1–1	43,286	Osgood
7 December 1968	Sunderland	A	2–3	21,976	Birchenall, Baldwin
14 December 1968	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	1–1	26,194	Osgood (pen)
21 December 1968	Leicester City	A	4–1	23,597	Osgood (2), Birchenall, Tambling
26 December 1968	Ipswich Town	A	3–1	24,083	Webb (3)
11 January 1969	Manchester City	A	1–4	35,605	Houseman
18 January 1969	Liverpool	H	1–2	52,295	Tambling
1 February 1969	Southampton	A	0–5	28,147
15 February 1969	Leeds United	A	0–1	35,789
22 February 1969	Sunderland	H	5–1	29,381	Birchenall, Tambling (4)
5 March 1969	Stoke City	H	1–0	19,856	Webb
8 March 1969	West Bromwich Albion	A	3–0	25,137	Boyle, Hutchinson, Houseman
10 March 1969	Coventry City	H	2–1	17,639	Tambling, Hutchinson
15 March 1969	Manchester United	H	3–2	60,436	Webb, Tambling, Hutchinson
22 March 1969	Tottenham Hotspur	A	0–1	47,349
29 March 1969	Everton	A	2–1	42,190	Birchenall, Hutchinson
4 April 1969	Newcastle United	H	1–1	42,078	Hutchinson
5 April 1969	Burnley	H	2–3	30,266	Hollins, Tambling
8 April 1969	Nottingham Forest	A	2–1	30,413	Birchenall, Hutchinson
12 April 1969	West Ham United	A	0–0	32,332
14 April 1969	Arsenal	H	2–1	37,890	Webb, Baldwin
19 April 1969	Queens Park Rangers	H	2–1	41,263	Baldwin (2)

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts	Qualification or relegation
3	Everton	42	21	15	6	77	36	2.139	57
4	Arsenal	42	22	12	8	56	27	2.074	56	Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round^[a]
5	Chelsea	42	20	10	12	73	53	1.377	50
6	Tottenham Hotspur	42	14	17	11	61	51	1.196	45
7	Southampton	42	16	13	13	57	48	1.188	45	Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round^[b]

Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
Notes:

^ Everton were ineligible to participate in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup as Liverpool had already qualified. Under the rules of the cup, only one team per city could participate. Arsenal took their place as the highest-ranked team that hadn't already qualified for a European competition.
^ Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur were ineligible to participate in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup as Arsenal had already qualified. Under the rules of the cup, only one team per city could participate. Southampton took their place as the highest-ranked team that hadn't already qualified for a European competition.

FA Cup

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
4 January 1969	3	Carlisle United	H	2–0	37,322	Osgood, Tambling
25 January 1969	4	Preston North End	A	0–0	31,875
3 February 1969	4 (R)	Preston North End	H	2–1	36,522	Webb, Cooke
12 February 1969	5	Stoke City	H	3–2	39,191	Osgood (2), Birchenall
1 March 1969	QF	West Bromwich Albion	H	1–2	52,285	Webb

League Cup

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
3 September 1968	2	Birmingham City	A	1–0	31,560	Foster (o.g.)
25 September 1968	3	Derby County	H	0–0	26,975
2 October 1968	3 (R)	Derby County	A	1–3	34,463	Birchenall

Fairs Cup

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
18 September 1968	1	Greenock Morton	H	5–0	28,736	Hollins, Boyle, Cooke, Osgood, Birchenall
30 September 1968	1	Greenock Morton	A	4–3	8,000	Baldwin, Tambling, Birchenall, Houseman
23 October 1968	2	DWS	H	0–0	28,428
30 October 1968	2	DWS	A	0–0	14,000
30 October 1968		DWS	Chelsea lost on coin toss

References

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

[table_note_res_ARS0.10462560695811-1] Everton were ineligible to participate in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup as Liverpool had already qualified. Under the rules of the cup, only one team per city could participate. Arsenal took their place as the highest-ranked team that hadn't already qualified for a European competition.

[table_note_res_SOU0.10462560695811-2] Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur were ineligible to participate in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup as Arsenal had already qualified. Under the rules of the cup, only one team per city could participate. Southampton took their place as the highest-ranked team that hadn't already qualified for a European competition.

[a]

[b]