The 1930s and 40s saw Chelsea as one of the Rams’ most regular opponents. Indeed, the two clubs had met one another in 17 consecutive seasons between 1930/31 and 1952/53. While the subsequent decade saw Derby drop down to the third tier before consolidating in the Second Division, the same period of time had seen Chelsea, who had flirted with relegation for all bar one post-war season, quite unexpectedly win their first-ever League title in 1955. Far from ushering in a period of sustained success, however, the next few seasons saw the club return to a mid-table position before finally dropping down to the Second Division (for the first time in over 30 years) in 1962.

Chelsea, under the managership of a 34-year old Tommy Docherty (who was still registered as a player by the London club) were one of two big draws in that season’s second tier, the other being 47-year old Stanley Matthews’ first full season back at Stoke City. The two clubs had met at the Baseball Ground in late October but the crowd of 12,653 perhaps reflected the public’s thoughts on how Tim Ward’s side had started the campaign, lying one place off the bottom with just 1 win in the opening 14 matches. To add to the gloom, Chelsea returned to London with both points, a 3-1 win highlighted by Bobby Tambling’s hat-trick, Bill Curry netting the Rams only goal on a dank, wet afternoon.

This, of course, was the winter which has gone down in lore as the “Big Freeze” and, for 3 months, caused havoc for just about every part of British society not least the Football League. Derby played just one league match between December 22^nd and February 23^rd and the only matches played in January were FA Cup ties against Peterborough and Leyton Orient. Indeed, things were so uncertain that the programme for the Peterborough tie had no date on the front cover. “We’ll print them and use them when we can” may have been the order of the day.

And so it was catch-up time for every club once the snow and ice did eventually start to subside in mid-March. The Rams’ trip to Stamford Bridge had originally been scheduled for March 16^th but Chelsea’s cup-tie at Old Trafford had to take precedence so it was re-scheduled for 11 days later under the floodlights.

Of the two clubs, it was Derby who were in better form and, having won their previous 3 games (against Walsall, Plymouth and Luton) had hauled themselves up to 18^th place, 6 points clear of the relegation places now occupied by Walsall and Luton. Chelsea lay in 2^nd place, two points behind leaders Sunderland with a game in hand. They had led the table but had lost their last two games at Newcastle and Middlesbrough as well as bowing out of the Cup in the aforementioned tie, beaten 1-2 by Manchester United.

For the match, Chelsea issued their standard 16 page programme costing 6d which, though 50% more expensive than the Derby issue, had no advertising and copious articles as well as photographs. This issue featured a full page Rams team photo as well as action photos from their recent Cup tie at Charlton and the league match at Ayresome Park. A splendid issue and I would certainly make an argument for Chelsea issuing the best programme of the 1960s.

So to the match itself, then, and the Rams made only one change from the side which had beaten Luton 1-0 with our very own ‘utility player’, Phil Waller, replacing the injured Mick Hopkinson at inside-right. Right-back Geoff Barrowcliffe and left-half Jack Parry were ever-presents all season (Parry would end up playing all 42 matches) and goalkeeper Reg Matthews would undoubtedly have relished a return to the ground where he played 135 games between 1956 and 1961.

Line-ups:

Chelsea; Dunn, Butler, McCreadie, Venables, Mortimore, Upton, Murray, Tambling, Kevan, Harmer, Blunstone.

Derby: Matthews, Barrowcliffe, Ferguson, Young, Moore, Parry, Roby, Waller, Curry, Hutchinson, McCann.

Just as back in October, though, the rain teemed down and this, combined with the home team’s form and the sheer number of games fans were being asked to fork out for in this oddest of seasons, resulted in a reduced crowd of 19,958 which would be Chelsea’s second-lowest of the season (and 35,000 fewer than the season’s high).  Derby started the brighter of the two sides though had difficulty trying to breach the division’s tightest defence. However, on 14 minutes former Rams man Frank Upton found Bobby Tambling (who, earlier that day had been told he had lost his place in the England squad) on the right wing. A mazy run beat Bobby Ferguson before he fired a shot past Matthews and in off the post to give the home side the lead. Don Roby came close to an equaliser before the interval however it was Chelsea who went two up on 66 minutes when Tommy Harmer fired Frank Blunstone’s pass into the net and, 5 minutes later, it was Blunstone’s turn as he netted past Matthews from a Tambling pass.

Derby may have been down, but they certainly weren’t out. John McCann hit the post and a long-range shot from Barry Hutchinson was tipped over the bar by Chelse’s debutant ‘keeper John Dunn. The consolation goal was the pick of the match, however, as Bill Curry drove 30 yards from midfield, outpaced centre-half Mortimore, before rounding Dunn to roll the ball into the net.

So Chelsea took the points, repeating the 3-1 win earlier in the season, but there were plenty of positives for the Rams. Indeed, their next match saw Scunthorpe beaten 6-2. Only 3 defeats in the final 11 games of the season (played over just 36 days) saw Derby finish in 18^th place, 5 points clear of the relegation places (occupied by Walsall and Luton). Chelsea would end up earning promotion, a point behind champions Stoke and ahead of 3^rd-placed Sunderland on goal average after a dramatic final day which saw Chelsea beat Portsmouth 7-0 in front of a crowd of over 54,000.