The Ted Drake Reputation.
1950 and 1952 saw Chelsea on the trail for the FA Cup, both times against Arsenal and both times losing in semi-final replays.
A new era was to start under a radical new manager, Ted Drake. Drake had been a player and with a good reputation, he had a growing managerial reputation also at his previous club and was to bring those ways to Chelsea. He was to set about sweeping away images that Chelsea had been renowned for since they began, an amateurish club just for the fans to see a game of football, he wanted people to come and see Chelsea play football and not just a match. He changed the badge of the club with the image of a pensioner thus taking away the 
nickname ‘The Pensioners’ which the club had from the start. The manager’s office was abandoned and he joined in training sessions to involve himself with the team. Started a youth and scouting programme. Although the results were slow to come in under this new manager with a memorable loss to Manchester United in 1954 losing 6 – 5 despite a debut hat trick from Seamus O’Connell. Drake had to inspire his team and he did so by winning the championship in the penultimate game at home to Sheffield Wednesday 1955
After this success the team could only manage a succession of lower end results in the league tables.
Tommy Docherty was to become new manager and departed the deadwood from the team and brought in new, fresh faced players. The team were bouncing back and were soon promoted, top five finishes and three consecutive FA Cup semi-finals were reached, the third making it to the final against Tottenham Hotspur, sadly, Chelsea losing 2 – 1
Docherty was replaced by Dave Sexton and in 1970 Chelsea reached the FA Cup final again, this time against Leeds United, one of the best clubs around in the 70’s – the match ended in a draw, a replay was to be at Old Trafford and to the glory of the fans Chelsea lifted the FA Cup.
Then came victory against Real Madrid in the European Cup.
1972 saw the League Cup final against Stoke City, Chelsea the favourites failed to deliver and were beaten. 1975 Chelsea was relegated to Division Two, debts and pressure were mounting at the club. Under a new manager and with little money to buy players, Eddie McCreadie was forced to use the budget wisely, he did and with a few carefully picked players, and within two football seasons Chelsea were back in the top league. No sooner were they back on top, they started to fall after McCreadie left the club, a string of managers tried their luck, but the club was soon back in the second division.
Getting into the 1980’s With John Neal managing the team, a new investor Ken Bates, now at the helm, who bought the club and debts for a record £1 – yes one pound. Things were still bleak and financially poor. The new manager started to work wonders for the club by showing old players the door and finding new talents. In 1983 the club set about its business and with that in mind stormed to Championship victory. Now back in Division One they ended the season in sixth place. Disappointingly, four years later they were back in the Second Division only to regain first division a year later.
A Slow Fight Back.
1993 came Glenn Hoddle, slowly the club came back to its own self, at the end of his first season came an FA Cup final, at last great improvement, but this time failed against Man U in the final. Following season they got to the European Cup Winners Cup semi-final. Hoddle left and Ruud Gullit took over, in 1997 the FA Cup final was reached and won 2 – 0 against Middlesbrough. 1998 Chelsea won the League Cup and another European Cup Winners Cup. 2000 sealed another FA Cup at old Wembley stadium, the last before its demolition. The charity Shield was theirs also.
With some great success but still running in debt the club was still needing investment, and it came in the name of Roman Abramovich, he brought multi-million pound investments to the club. Chelsea were soon to win two back to back League Championships in seasons 2004-05 and 2005-06 and the FA Cup in 2007 two League Cups in 2005 and 2007. In just a few seasons, a new investor, new managers, new players and the money had succeeded in creating one of the most successful clubs around today.
