1960–61 Chelsea F.C. season
Introduction The '''1960–61 season''' was '''Chelsea Football Club''''s 47th of competitive football, and their 35th in the English top flight.Chelsea's performances and results were erratic throughout the season, typified by large victories over Arsenal, Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion and heavy defeats against Manchester United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley, culminating in a sixth consecutive mid-table finish since their Championship success in 1955.The club were also victims of an upset in the FA Cup, losing 2–1 at home to Fourth Division side Crewe Alexandra.The season was nonetheless a watershed in the club's history; frustrated at the club's lack of direction, Chelsea's star player Jimmy Greaves joined AC Milan at the end of the season. Manager Ted Drake, his position weakened by the Crewe result in particular, would also leave the club early into the next season.Despite the lack of tangible success, the season produced a series of records. Chelsea scored 98 league goals, a record that stood until Chelsea's record breaking 2009–10 season and conceded 100 goals – another club record. Greaves scored 41 league goals, plus another two in the League Cup for a seasonal total of 43, which has never been bettered by another Chelsea player. Greaves also notched six hat-tricks (another club record for a single season), and during the campaign scored his 100th career league goal; at the age of 21, still the youngest ever player to do so.
Results ===First Division===DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 20 August 1960 Aston VillaA2-343,776Brabrook, Gibbs 24 August 1960 Leicester CityH1-324,691Bradbury 27 August 1960 Wolverhampton WanderersH3-341,681Greaves (3) 31 August 1960 Leicester CityA3-121,087Sillett, Greaves, Brooks 3 September 1960 Bolton WanderersA1-421,609Greaves 7 September 1960 Blackburn RoversH5-223,224Greaves (3), Livesey (2) 10 September 1960 West Ham UnitedH3-237,873Greaves, Livesey, Blunstone 17 September 1960 FulhamA2-337,423Livesey, Blunstone 19 September 1960 Blackburn RoversA1-321,508Brabrook 24 September 1960 BlackpoolA4-126,546Greaves (2), Livesey (2) 1 October 1960 EvertonH3-331,457Greaves, Blunstone, Livesey  15 October 1960 Birmingham CityA0-122,337 22 October 1960 BurnleyH2-629,080Brabrook, Greaves 29 October 1960 Preston North EndA2-014,174Tindall, Tambling 5 November 1960 Newcastle UnitedH4-230,489Brabrook, Tindall (3) 12 November 1960 ArsenalA4-138,666Mortimore, Greaves, Tindall, Tambling 19 November 1960 Manchester CityH6-337,346Greaves (3), Tindall (2), Tambling 26 November 1960 Nottingham ForestA1-222,121Brabrook 3 December 1960 West Bromwich AlbionH7-119,568Brabrook, Greaves (5), Tindall 10 December 1960 Cardiff CityA1-221,840Greaves 17 December 1960 Aston VillaH2-423,805Greaves (2) 24 December 1960 Manchester UnitedH1-237,601Brabrook 26 December 1960 Manchester UnitedA0-650,213 31 December 1960 Wolverhampton WanderersA1-628,503Anderton 14 January 1961 Bolton WanderersH1-120,461Livesey 21 January 1961 West Ham UnitedA1-321,829Blunstone 4 February 1961 FulhamH2-139,185Greaves, Bridges 11 February 1961 BlackpoolH2-221,993Sillett, Greaves 18 February 1961 EvertonA1-134,449Greaves 25 February 1961 Sheffield WednesdayA0-121,936 4 March 1961 Birmingham CityH3-227,727Greaves, Tindall, Tambling 11 March 1961 BurnleyA4-419,435Greaves (2), Tambling (2) 18 March 1961 Preston North EndH1-122,031Tindall 25 March 1961 Newcastle UnitedA6-128,975Greaves (4), Tindall (2) 31 March 1961 Tottenham HotspurA2-465,032Brabrook, Tindall 1 April 1961 Cardiff CityH6-122,697Greaves, Tindall (2), Tambling, Harrison, Harrington (o.g.) 3 April 1961 Tottenham HotspurH2-357,103Blunstone, Greaves 8 April 1961 Manchester CityA1-227,720Tambling 15 April 1961 ArsenalH3-138,233Tindall, Tambling, Neill (o.g.) 22 April 1961 West Bromwich AlbionA0-317,691 26 April 1961 Sheffield WednesdayH0-224,258 29 April 1961 Nottingham ForestH4-322,775Greaves (4)===FA Cup===DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 7 January 1961 3Crewe AlexandraH1-232,574Blunstone===League Cup===DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 10 October 1960 1MillwallA7-115,007P.Sillett (2), Evans, Brabrook, Greaves (2), Brooks 24 October 1960 2WorkingtonH4-25,630Mortimore, Brabrook, Nicholas, Tambling 6 November 1960 3Doncaster RoversA7-09,951J.Sillett, Brabrook (2), Blunstone (2), Tambling (2) 4 December 1960 4PortsmouthA0-113,054
References * Soccerbase*Hockings, Ron. ''100 Years of the Blues: A Statistical History of Chelsea Football Club''. (2007)