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16 October 1948: the programme from the 3–3 with Blackpool and 77,696 at the Bridge

By True Blues · 1948-10-16

The official programme for Chelsea v Blackpool, 16 October 1948

Photo: private archive. Cover: official Chelsea FC programme, 1948.

Threepence. That’s what this programme cost at Stamford Bridge that Saturday — and almost seventy-eight thousand people were already inside the ground.

The cover

Navy blue on cream paper. At the top, inside the belt crest, the Chelsea Pensioner: “THE CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB”. Below, clean lettering: Football League Division I, Season 1948-1949, Chelsea v Blackpool, Saturday, 16th October, 1948, Kick-off 3-0 p.m., Stamford Bridge Grounds, London S.W.6. At the bottom: Official Programme · Price 3d.

The match

Billy Birrell’s Chelsea hosted Joe Smith’s Blackpool — with Stanley Matthews and Stan Mortensen in the visitors’ XI. Half-time finished 1–2. It got worse: in the 47th minute Blackpool made it 1–3.

Then the Bridge refused to leave empty-handed.

  • 17′, 1–0. Jimmy Bowie opens the scoring.
  • 25′, 1–1. Mortensen levels.
  • 39′, 1–2. Andy McCall turns it before the break.
  • 47′, 1–3. McCall again; Chelsea two goals down.
  • 80′, 2–3. Bowie again, inside the final ten minutes.
  • 90′, 3–3. John McInnes snatches the point at the death.

Two goals in the last ten minutes; a point salvaged. The scorers — Bowie 2, McInnes for Chelsea; Mortensen, McCall 2 for Blackpool — now line up cleanly across Bounder, Bygone and 11v11.

The 77,696

The gate of 77,696 is the second-largest league attendance in Stamford Bridge history. Only the 82,905 for Chelsea v Arsenal on 12 October 1935 sits above it. Rank every Bridge crowd and the FA Cup tie with Swindon in 1911 (77,952) edges above Blackpool — which is why we say second-largest league gate, not second overall.

Threepence for the programme. Nearly eighty thousand voices. And a 3–3 rescued on the line.

For the whole season — 13th place, Bentley top scorer, FA Cup to the fifth round — see the 1948–49 archive.

Sources: Bounder results 1948, Bygone Chelsea, 11v11, stamford-bridge.com Top 50 league attendances, Transfermarkt.