True Blues — Chelsea FC
ΕΛ

Season: 1938–39

Football League First Division

League

Leslie Knighton’s sixth and final season was Chelsea’s last completed peacetime campaign before the Second World War.

Division
Football League First Division (Tier 1)
Manager
Leslie Knighton (until 19 April) Billy Birrell (from 19 April)
Top scorer (league)
Joe Payne (17)
Top scorer (all comps)
Joe Payne (19)
Avg. league attendance
30,953

Cups & Europe

FA Cup
Quarter-finals
League Cup
—
Europe
—
Other
London Challenge Cup: Round 2 (drew West Ham United 2–2, 3 Oct 1938; beat West Ham United 2–1, 10 Oct 1938; drew Queens Park Rangers 2–2, 17 Oct 1938; drew Queens Park Rangers 3–3, 24 Oct 1938; lost to Queens Park Rangers 1–3, 31 Oct 1938)

Notes

Leslie Knighton’s sixth and final season was Chelsea’s last completed peacetime campaign before the Second World War. The side finished 20th of 22 in the First Division on 33 points (12 wins, 9 draws, 21 defeats, 64–80) — one point above relegated Birmingham — after a year spent mostly in the bottom half. Joe Payne, signed the previous March, led the scoring with 17 league goals and 19 in all competitions; George Mills added 12 in the league, Dickie Spence 11, and Harry Burgess and Alf Hanson 8 apiece. Payne scored Chelsea’s only goal in each of the last six league matches. The FA Cup brought the season’s best nights: Arsenal were beaten 2–1 at Stamford Bridge, Fulham 3–0 in front of 69,987, and Sheffield Wednesday only after a 1–1, a 0–0 replay and a 3–1 second replay at Highbury. The run ended in the quarter-finals with a 0–1 home defeat to Grimsby Town. Home league gates averaged 30,953 (high 64,443 vs Arsenal; low 6,801 vs Liverpool on Christmas Eve). In the London Challenge Cup they went out in the second round to Queens Park Rangers after two draws and a second replay. On 19 April Knighton stepped down and Billy Birrell took over for the final four league games.

Kits

Home
Away
Third—

Home stayed on the classic royal-blue rugby-collar look through the mid-1950s (HFK has finer panels including Sept–Oct 1934 hooped-sock experiments, Nov 1934–1944, wartime 1944–46, and 1946–48 / 1948–49 / 1949–55). Away remained red with a white collar from the 1933–34 switch; the 1955 champions wore this era’s home look.

Illustration from hex colours (not official kit photography).

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History

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Sources

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