Season: 1991–92

Notes

Ian Porterfield’s first season as Chelsea manager closed fourteenth of twenty-two in the First Division — 13 wins, 14 draws, 15 defeats, 50–60, 53 points (13×3+14). Home form was 7–8–6 (31–30); away 6–6–9 (19–30). Goal difference −10 left them level on 53 with Everton and Wimbledon but below both on GD. Leeds United were champions with 82; Manchester United 78; Sheffield Wednesday 75; Arsenal 72; Manchester City 70; Liverpool 64. Luton Town, Notts County and West Ham United went down. It was the last season of the Football League First Division — the FA Premier League began the following August — and fourteenth place meant no European football. Dennis Wise led the league scoring with 10 and the all-competitions chart with 14. Clive Allen, signed mid-season from Manchester City, hit 7 in the league (9 in all); Andy Townsend 6 and 7; Kerry Dixon 5 and 6. Vinnie Jones, Paul Elliott and Kevin Wilson each scored 3 in the league. Early promise — sixth in early February after a 2–1 at Anfield — faded to only three wins in the last fifteen league games. Highlights included 3–1 at White Hart Lane, 2–0 of Tottenham at the Bridge and 4–2 of Oldham; the lows were 0–3 at Hillsborough and at home to Sheffield Wednesday, and 0–3 at Elland Road. The FA Cup ran to the sixth round. Hull City were beaten 2–0 at Boothferry Park; Everton 1–0 at the Bridge; Sheffield United 1–0 in front of 34,447. Sunderland forced a 1–1 at Stamford Bridge and won the Roker Park replay 2–1. The Rumbelows Cup ended at the first hurdle: Tranmere Rovers held Chelsea 1–1 in SW6 and won 3–1 after extra time at Prenton Park — 4–2 on aggregate. The Full Members’ Cup — the Zenith Data Systems Cup — was the long cup run. Swindon Town fell 1–0 at the Bridge; Ipswich Town were edged 4–3 on penalties after a 2–2; Crystal Palace went 1–0 at Selhurst Park in the quarter-final. The southern semi-final against Southampton ended 0–2 at The Dell and 1–3 at home — 1–5 on aggregate. Crowds averaged 18,779 for home league games — high 30,230 against Liverpool on 19 October, low 7,148 versus Southampton on 12 February. Porterfield had taken over on 11 June after Bobby Campbell’s departure in May. Umbro’s royal blue home, white-with-red-diamonds away and yellow third, with Commodore across the chest, dressed the last First Division campaign before the Premier League era.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chelsea_F.C._seasons
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991%E2%80%9392_Chelsea_F.C._season
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991%E2%80%9392_Football_League
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991%E2%80%9392_Football_League_First_Division
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991%E2%80%9392_FA_Cup
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991%E2%80%9392_Football_League_Cup
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991%E2%80%9392_Full_Members%27_Cup
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Porterfield
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Wise
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chelsea_F.C._managers
• https://www.fchd.info/CHELSEA.HTM
• https://www.fchd.info/lghist/fl1992.htm
• https://www.bounder.friardale.co.uk/Summaries/1991.htm
• https://bounder.friardale.co.uk/Results/1991.htm
• https://www.bounder.friardale.co.uk/Managers.htm
• https://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Chelsea/Chelsea.htm
• https://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Chelsea/Chelsea-change-kits.html