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So what the hell am I doing?
Well, I thought it was about time I expressed my love for Chelsea on the Interweb.
Originally I just wanted to display my Chelsea Badge Collection. In the end I feel this may turn into something bigger.
It took me nearly a month to scan all my badges and put them up on here.
I hope you enjoy this site and any feedback about text size etc is much appreciated. But please bear in mind that my
technical knowledge is limited.
So, why "The Left Back" then?
Chelsea has always had this part of the field as a problem area. Since I first watched Chelsea in 1987 we have had four
superb left backs (Le Saux, Bridge, Dorigo, Wilson); two good left backs (Babayaro, Del Horno) and 11 left backs who,
how can I put it, I was less than impressed with. I will never slag off a Chelsea player who I felt always gave his best -
these latter bunch always gave 100% (as the cliché goes) but were really not the class of player we needed. This list
does not include Eddie Mccreadie. I cannot judge him as he was before my time but feel he should be included on this
site as he is seen as a Chelsea legend. I have also decided not to include players who had to play in that position due to
injuries of others, although having seen Gallas' performances in this role he is better than most left footed left backs in
the world!
I always found it hard to take how other teams managed to get great left backs. Liverpool, Manchester United and
Arsenal have always seemed to be blessed in this position. It seems obvious that the left back role is key to any team,
and if you have a great left back he is worth two players. United had Phil Neville, Silvestre, Denis Irwin, and now Heinze.
Arsenal had Winterburn, Silvinho and now have Ashley Cole. Liverpool had Byornebye and now Riise, although this has
arguably been evened out with the signings of Traore and previously Babb, who famously smashed his nuts into the
post of the goal in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Anfield in 1998.
Even though I saw Rougvie and Wilson play, my memories of both of them are hazy at best. For me, the most
outstanding left back I saw play in my early days was Tony Dorigo. In one particular game he ran up the wing like
lightning and backheeled the ball to a Chelsea player. The opposition player marking him had not seen him do this
nimble flick and continued to follow him down the wing even though Dorigo no longer possessed the ball. We sold him to
Leeds where he won the title. He was too good a player to remain at what was, at the time, a mediocre Chelsea side. His
successor was supposed to be Gareth Hall. Unfortunately for him he would never live up to Dorigo's class despite
having good reviews from the reserve side.
After this period we seemed to have inherited a clutch of Chelsea players who were left footed and were placed in the
left back role. Andy Myers is one I will always look back on with affection. One of the youth team players who came into
the squad alongside Stuart, Matthew, Cundy, etc he was a grafter. I went to Liverpool to see them annihilate us 5-1.
Unfortunately one of my memories will be of him scoring an own goal. I don't think his career recovered after that game
and he went on to play for Bradford City. Despite being at the club for 8 years or so he only averaged 10 appearances
per season.
In and around this time Chelsea also had two more players that had risen through the ranks. Darren Barnard and
Anthony Barness. Both mediocre players at best while at Chelsea - not only did they have similar surnames but looked
related too. Barness went on to play regularly for Charlton and Bolton. Barness went to Bristol City and played for Wales.
Tommy Boyd was another left back who was solid if nothing special. He left Chelsea to win trophies at Celtic and
establish himself as a legend there. He was just one of those players who didn't seem to fit in at the club, especially
when he was sent off in a match at Luton in 1991.
Then we had the piece de resistance in Andy Dow. Never in my life had I ever seen something so weedy put on a
Chelsea shirt. By far the worst left back I had seen in my life at the Bridge. It seemed we had come to the stage that we
were giving anyone who was left footed a chance to play in the left back role. How noone broke him in half going in for a
tackle I will never know. (If you are reading this Andy by the way - please don't take it personally). Luckily enough we
had Scott Minto to replace him. He seemed to have been signed to attract the female support because of his good looks
and "lovely thighs". Again, he gave 100% but didn't really resemble a footballer to me. The way he ran and crossed
looked unnatural. Although he will hold one special memory. He scored a magnificent lobbed goal against Bolton the
same evening as Matthew Harding was tragically killed in a helicopter crash coming back from that game which we lost
2-1. I still have the unused ticket stub from that game which I couldn't attend due to work reasons.
In 1994 during the Hoddle era it seemed we had signed the left back we had needed all along. I had always rated Terry
Phelan, and now he was coming to Chelsea from Manchester City. Faster than the speed of sound - but at Chelsea an
expert at crossing the ball into the North Stand, he suffered injury after injury. He went on to play for Everton.
Jon Harley also seemed a lightweight player but did his job adequately. He too was fondly remembered by Chelsea fans
and currently plays at Sheffield United. He had to fight for his place with Danny Granville who has found his place in the
division below at Crystal Palace. I wish them both the best in their careers.
At that time we also managed to obtain a decent enough player in Celestine Babayaro. He appeared to be lazy at times
but did a good job overall. Nevertheless, even for a left back he had a terrible right foot. Off the field problems meant he
was surplus to requirements for Jose. For some reason the only specific thing I can remember about him was his
sending off against Barcelona in 2000 and giving a penalty away simultaneously. That's a bit unfair, so I apologise Baba.
Graeme Le Saux was one of our few quality left backs. He left Chelsea originally in acrimonious circumstances having
thrown his shirt to the ground after being substituted by Ian Porterfield. He went on to win the league with Blackburn
Rovers, had a punch up with David "takes it up the" Batty and returned to Chelsea for £5 mio. He truly is a Chelsea
legend, although some Chelsea fans are still lukewarm towards him. For someone so apparently intelligent his
temperament did get the better of him at times and probably cost him further England caps. He was a superb tackler and
put in a decent cross half the time, which was not a bad ratio for a defender. He left in somewhat sad circumstances
when he was forced out of the club in a swap deal involving Wayne Bridge. For me Wayne Bridge is currently Chelsea's
best left back albeit quite injury prone. Excellent in attack and the scorer of that goal in the Champions League at
Highbury, he is a firm favourite among the Chelsea faithful. At the time of writing he is out on loan to Fulham to get his
fitness back and looks their best player! He would probably be England's first choice left back if it was not for Ashley
Cole's consistency.
In 2005 we signed Asier Del Horno - the only non British left back we had for a long time apart from Babayaro. He has
played well for Chelsea but I am yet to be convinced. I do not see him as being any better than Bridge, whom he also
appears to resemble! He seems to be injured often although this season he has caused the sending off of Tottenham's
Mido, as well as scoring in the same 2-0 win at White Hart Lane so he can't be all that bad!
Well, I thought it was about time I expressed my love for Chelsea on the Interweb.
Originally I just wanted to display my Chelsea Badge Collection. In the end I feel this may turn into something bigger.
It took me nearly a month to scan all my badges and put them up on here.
I hope you enjoy this site and any feedback about text size etc is much appreciated. But please bear in mind that my
technical knowledge is limited.
So, why "The Left Back" then?
Chelsea has always had this part of the field as a problem area. Since I first watched Chelsea in 1987 we have had four
superb left backs (Le Saux, Bridge, Dorigo, Wilson); two good left backs (Babayaro, Del Horno) and 11 left backs who,
how can I put it, I was less than impressed with. I will never slag off a Chelsea player who I felt always gave his best -
these latter bunch always gave 100% (as the cliché goes) but were really not the class of player we needed. This list
does not include Eddie Mccreadie. I cannot judge him as he was before my time but feel he should be included on this
site as he is seen as a Chelsea legend. I have also decided not to include players who had to play in that position due to
injuries of others, although having seen Gallas' performances in this role he is better than most left footed left backs in
the world!
I always found it hard to take how other teams managed to get great left backs. Liverpool, Manchester United and
Arsenal have always seemed to be blessed in this position. It seems obvious that the left back role is key to any team,
and if you have a great left back he is worth two players. United had Phil Neville, Silvestre, Denis Irwin, and now Heinze.
Arsenal had Winterburn, Silvinho and now have Ashley Cole. Liverpool had Byornebye and now Riise, although this has
arguably been evened out with the signings of Traore and previously Babb, who famously smashed his nuts into the
post of the goal in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Anfield in 1998.
Even though I saw Rougvie and Wilson play, my memories of both of them are hazy at best. For me, the most
outstanding left back I saw play in my early days was Tony Dorigo. In one particular game he ran up the wing like
lightning and backheeled the ball to a Chelsea player. The opposition player marking him had not seen him do this
nimble flick and continued to follow him down the wing even though Dorigo no longer possessed the ball. We sold him to
Leeds where he won the title. He was too good a player to remain at what was, at the time, a mediocre Chelsea side. His
successor was supposed to be Gareth Hall. Unfortunately for him he would never live up to Dorigo's class despite
having good reviews from the reserve side.
After this period we seemed to have inherited a clutch of Chelsea players who were left footed and were placed in the
left back role. Andy Myers is one I will always look back on with affection. One of the youth team players who came into
the squad alongside Stuart, Matthew, Cundy, etc he was a grafter. I went to Liverpool to see them annihilate us 5-1.
Unfortunately one of my memories will be of him scoring an own goal. I don't think his career recovered after that game
and he went on to play for Bradford City. Despite being at the club for 8 years or so he only averaged 10 appearances
per season.
In and around this time Chelsea also had two more players that had risen through the ranks. Darren Barnard and
Anthony Barness. Both mediocre players at best while at Chelsea - not only did they have similar surnames but looked
related too. Barness went on to play regularly for Charlton and Bolton. Barness went to Bristol City and played for Wales.
Tommy Boyd was another left back who was solid if nothing special. He left Chelsea to win trophies at Celtic and
establish himself as a legend there. He was just one of those players who didn't seem to fit in at the club, especially
when he was sent off in a match at Luton in 1991.
Then we had the piece de resistance in Andy Dow. Never in my life had I ever seen something so weedy put on a
Chelsea shirt. By far the worst left back I had seen in my life at the Bridge. It seemed we had come to the stage that we
were giving anyone who was left footed a chance to play in the left back role. How noone broke him in half going in for a
tackle I will never know. (If you are reading this Andy by the way - please don't take it personally). Luckily enough we
had Scott Minto to replace him. He seemed to have been signed to attract the female support because of his good looks
and "lovely thighs". Again, he gave 100% but didn't really resemble a footballer to me. The way he ran and crossed
looked unnatural. Although he will hold one special memory. He scored a magnificent lobbed goal against Bolton the
same evening as Matthew Harding was tragically killed in a helicopter crash coming back from that game which we lost
2-1. I still have the unused ticket stub from that game which I couldn't attend due to work reasons.
In 1994 during the Hoddle era it seemed we had signed the left back we had needed all along. I had always rated Terry
Phelan, and now he was coming to Chelsea from Manchester City. Faster than the speed of sound - but at Chelsea an
expert at crossing the ball into the North Stand, he suffered injury after injury. He went on to play for Everton.
Jon Harley also seemed a lightweight player but did his job adequately. He too was fondly remembered by Chelsea fans
and currently plays at Sheffield United. He had to fight for his place with Danny Granville who has found his place in the
division below at Crystal Palace. I wish them both the best in their careers.
At that time we also managed to obtain a decent enough player in Celestine Babayaro. He appeared to be lazy at times
but did a good job overall. Nevertheless, even for a left back he had a terrible right foot. Off the field problems meant he
was surplus to requirements for Jose. For some reason the only specific thing I can remember about him was his
sending off against Barcelona in 2000 and giving a penalty away simultaneously. That's a bit unfair, so I apologise Baba.
Graeme Le Saux was one of our few quality left backs. He left Chelsea originally in acrimonious circumstances having
thrown his shirt to the ground after being substituted by Ian Porterfield. He went on to win the league with Blackburn
Rovers, had a punch up with David "takes it up the" Batty and returned to Chelsea for £5 mio. He truly is a Chelsea
legend, although some Chelsea fans are still lukewarm towards him. For someone so apparently intelligent his
temperament did get the better of him at times and probably cost him further England caps. He was a superb tackler and
put in a decent cross half the time, which was not a bad ratio for a defender. He left in somewhat sad circumstances
when he was forced out of the club in a swap deal involving Wayne Bridge. For me Wayne Bridge is currently Chelsea's
best left back albeit quite injury prone. Excellent in attack and the scorer of that goal in the Champions League at
Highbury, he is a firm favourite among the Chelsea faithful. At the time of writing he is out on loan to Fulham to get his
fitness back and looks their best player! He would probably be England's first choice left back if it was not for Ashley
Cole's consistency.
In 2005 we signed Asier Del Horno - the only non British left back we had for a long time apart from Babayaro. He has
played well for Chelsea but I am yet to be convinced. I do not see him as being any better than Bridge, whom he also
appears to resemble! He seems to be injured often although this season he has caused the sending off of Tottenham's
Mido, as well as scoring in the same 2-0 win at White Hart Lane so he can't be all that bad!