Season: 1992–93

Notes

The first Premier League season opened with Ian Porterfield still in charge and closed eleventh of twenty-two — 14 wins, 14 draws, 14 defeats, 51–54, 56 points (14×3+14). Home form was 9–7–5 (29–22); away 5–7–9 (22–32). Goal difference −3 left Chelsea level on 56 with Arsenal but below them on GD. Manchester United were champions with 84; Aston Villa 74; Norwich City 72; Blackburn Rovers 71; Queens Park Rangers 63. Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest went down. Eleventh was the club’s first top-half finish since fifth in 1989–90, and with no European place on offer from that finish Europe stayed empty. The Full Members’ Cup had been discontinued. Chelsea stood as high as second after nineteen games — a 0–0 at Middlesbrough left them there in mid-December — then went twelve matches without a win and slid toward the bottom half. Porterfield became the first manager sacked in the new Premier League on 15 February 1993; David Webb, the scorer of the 1970 FA Cup Final winner, took over the same day and steered the side clear. Webb’s caretaker spell ended on 11 May; Glenn Hoddle arrived as player-manager in June. Mick Harford and Graham Stuart shared the league scoring with 9 each. Harford led all competitions with 11 (two in the Coca-Cola Cup); Stuart finished on 10. John Spencer, signed from Rangers, hit 7 in the league after arriving mid-campaign as a regular; Eddie Newton 5 and 6; Andy Townsend 4 and 7. Robert Fleck (£2.1m from Norwich) and Harford (£300k from Luton) were the headline summer arrivals; Kerry Dixon left for Southampton and Vinnie Jones returned to Wimbledon. Highlights included 3–1 at Villa Park, 2–1 at White Hart Lane, 1–0 of Manchester City at Maine Road and 4–0 of Middlesbrough at the Bridge; the lows were 0–3 at the City Ground and Old Trafford, and 2–4 at home to Manchester City. The FA Cup ended at the first hurdle: Middlesbrough won 2–1 at Ayresome Park on 13 January. The Coca-Cola Cup ran to the fifth round. Walsall were beaten 3–0 and 1–0; Newcastle United 2–1 at the Bridge in front of 30,193; Everton forced 2–2 at Goodison and fell 1–0 in the Stamford Bridge replay. Crystal Palace then won 3–1 at Selhurst Park. Crowds averaged 18,755 for home league games — high 34,496 against Manchester United on 19 December, low 12,739 versus Everton on 10 March. Umbro’s royal blue home with white socks restored for good, the white-with-red-pinstripes away and yellow third, Commodore across the chest, dressed the first Premier League campaign.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chelsea_F.C._seasons
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992%E2%80%9393_Chelsea_F.C._season
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992%E2%80%9393_FA_Premier_League
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992%E2%80%9393_FA_Cup
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992%E2%80%9393_Football_League_Cup
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Porterfield
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Webb_(footballer)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mick_Harford
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Stuart_(footballer)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chelsea_F.C._managers
• https://www.fchd.info/CHELSEA.HTM
• https://www.bounder.friardale.co.uk/Summaries/1992.htm
• https://bounder.friardale.co.uk/Results/1992.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