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When Chelsea agreed to pay Aberdeen £150,000 to sign defender Doug
Rougvie in the summer of 1984, they acquired a player who's CV from his
time in Scottish football made impressive reading. A member of Alex
Ferguson's team who had beaten Real Madrid to win the European Cup
Winners Cup a year earlier, 'Big Dougie' had also won two Scottish
Championship medals, three Scottish Cup winners medals and had just been
awarded his first international cap. Making his debut at left-back
against Arsenal on the opening day of the 1984-85 season, Rougvie's
Chelsea career got off to an impressive start as he gave a stirring
exhibition of tackling against Arsenal's international stars, one
ferocious 50/50 challenge on right-back Viv Anderson, which catapulted
the England man into the air, being met with rapturous applause from the
Chelsea following.
The cheery Scotsman quickly attained cult status on
the terraces with some solid displays but it was on his next visit to
north London that the flaws in his game became apparent as Tottenham's
speedy winger John Chiedozie tormented him mercilessly, exposing in the
process a lack of pace and a tendency to make impetuous challenges when
left exposed. Clearly affected by the experience, Dougie was dropped
from the side three weeks later and when he returned in the new year he
was again the fall guy as he conceded a needless last minute penalty in a
League Cup quarter-final tie at Hillsborough that enabled Sheffield
Wednesday to snatch a draw after Chelsea had fought back from three
goals down.
A month later Dougie's torrid season took a further twist as
a facial injury received in a clash with Southampton's Joe Jordan left
him on the sidelines for a further six weeks. Although he regained his
place in the team as the following season began, Rougvie never
recaptured his best form and was soon dropped again, effectively being
consigned to the role of bit part player thereafter. He did, however,
return to the side in time to play at Wembley against Manchester City in
the inaugural Full Members Cup Final. He scored too, beating his own
goalkeeper Steve Francis with a neat header! After another fruitless
season, making just thirteen appearances in 1986-87, Chelsea signed the
England under-21 left-back Tony Dorigo and Dougie brought the curtain
down on his eventful Chelsea career when he signed for Brighton the
following summer for £73,000. (Kelvin Barker).
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