 The late 1970s through to the 1980s was a turbulent period for Chelsea . An ambitious redevelopment of Stamford Bridge threatened the financial stability of the club , star players were sold and the team were relegated . Further problems were caused by a notorious hooligan element among the support , which was to plague the club throughout the decade . In 1982 , Chelsea were , at the nadir of their fortunes , acquired by Ken Bates for the nominal sum of £ 1 , although by now the Stamford Bridge freehold had been sold to property developers , meaning the club faced losing their home . On the pitch , the team had fared little better , coming close to relegation to the Third Division for the first time , but in 1983 manager John Neal put together an impressive new team for minimal outlay . Chelsea won the Second Division title in 1983 – 84 and established themselves in the top division , before being relegated again in 1988 . The club bounced back immediately by winning the Second Division championship in 1988 – 89 . 
