On this programme overview, we are going through the Chelsea programme against Rotherham on Saturday 30th 1983. This was at the time Chelsea FC was in Division Two and really struggled financially.
This was not a good season for Chelsea FC just about finishing above the relegation zone though travellers Rotherham United did get relegated.
This programme contains a section on John Neal talking about his team. This is the first section of it.
‘I was reminded in our last match here, how important it is to have players of the right character in your side. The little man who brough this thought to me was Keegan of course.’
The programme also contains a section on the travellers, Rotherham. It shows their history of how they were founded in 1884 and are at Millmoor ground and their record transfer fee being Ronnie Moore 3 years prior to this game for £100,00 and their record selling fee also being £100,000 but 10 years before their record fee in 1970 for Dave Watson to Sunderland.
The programme has a section called In Off The Post, which is about the Chelsea fans opinions on the season.
‘Now we must win most or all of our remaining 5 games to remain in the Second Division next season and I think the players can achieve this with more effort and faith; remember the lowest position Chelsea have finished in their history is 12th in this Division.’ A section from a Chelsea supporter.
Sadly for the Chelsea supporter they ended up finishing 18th and to this day the worst finishing position for Chelsea FC.
Normal to every programme is the statistics page in which for Chelsea we can see through the season they kept dropping from 4th at the start of the season to an eventual 18th.
Other sections included Bridge Biography, Gordon’s Gossip and the Commercial Scene for all the sponsors and mascots.
Now the game itself ended in a 1-1 draw to Rotherham with 8,674 people watching the game.
Some famous players from that game included, David Speedie, Colin Lee, John Bumstead and many others for Chelsea. And for Rothrham they had Ronnie Moore, Paul Stancliffe and also many more. The Lineups followed.
| Chelsea | Rotherham | |
| 1 | Steve Francis | Steve Conroy |
| 2 | Joey Jones | Gerry Forrest |
| 3 | Chris Hutchings | Paul Friar |
| 4 | John Bumstead | Gerry Gow |
| 5 | Micky Droy | Paul Stancliffe |
| 6 | Colin Pates | Nigel Johnson |
| 7 | Mike Fillery | Billy McEwan |
| 8 | David Speedie | John Seasman |
| 9 | Colin Lee | Ronnie Moore |
| 10 | Peter Rhoades-Brown | Bob Mitchell |
| 11 | Paul Canoville | Joe McBride |
