Chris HUTCHINGS

Chris Hutchings was working as a bricklayer when Geoff Hurst paid non-league part-timers Harrow Borough £5 000 to take him to Stamford Bridge in July 1980. Although predominantly a left-back, it was in a midfield role that Chris made his Chelsea bow at Cardiff in November of that year and he was an instant hero as his 8th minute goal proved enough to beat the Welshmen. That win came in the tenth game of an eleven-match unbeaten run as Chelsea raced to the top of the Division Two table but an error-strewn performance at home to Derby brought both club and player crashing back to earth, the Rams winning 3-1 and Hutchings being culpable for one goal when his woeful back pass was pounced upon. Chris made eight starts and four substitute appearances during his first season but his career truly took off after John Neal replaced Hurst in the manager's chair the following summer. Two bleak seasons followed for the Blues but one of the rare constants was Hutchings' resolute defending and marauding sorties up the left-flank in support of his attackers.

He made 35 League appearances in 1981/82, and played in all ten of Chelsea's cup ties including the memorable 2-0 FA Cup win over European champions Liverpool (the photo above was during that game). A further 36 League appearances came during the following campaign, Chris again proving his value to a team who underachieved woefully in 1982/83, finishing just two points above the Division Two relegation zone. Hutchings reward for his consistency was that he avoided John Neal's player cull at the end of that season and he was in the side ahead of Joey Jones when the new campaign kicked off with a 5-0 triumph over Derby in which Chris struck with a low shot from the edge of the box. Indeed, he was a solid, consistent performer again in the early weeks of that season as Neal's transformed side surged into the promotion places, but a head injury suffered at Blackburn in September gave Jones the opportunity to stake his claim to the left-back spot and the effervescent Welshman made the job his own throughout the remainder of the Blues' title-winning campaign.

An appearance in place of the injured Jones in a 1-1 draw at Charlton in the autumn of 1983 proved to be Hutchings' last for the west Londoners. Joey's form and the impending emergence of youngster Keith Dublin gave Neal the confidence to believe that Chelsea had suitable options in the left-back slot, so when Chris voiced his dissatisfaction with reserve team football to the manager in November 1983 a deal was done within days which took the left-back to Brighton and Hove Albion for £50,000. (Kelvin Barker)