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Glenn Hoddle might well have joined Chelsea in the spring of 1991 when
he returned to London from a spell in France and was allowed to use the
club's facilities in order to restore his fitness. He featured in a
reserve match for The Blues and manager Bobby Campbell was so impressed
that he offered him a playing contract. Unfortunately Glenn also caught
the eye of the Swindon chairman and was offered the job of
Player/Manager at the County Ground. Two years later, having led the
Wiltshire club to promotion to the Premiership, he joined Chelsea in the
same capacity. His performances for Swindon were such that Chelsea were
forced to pay an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be in the region of £500,
000, to secure the services of the 35 year-old. He made his League
debut in a 2-1 defeat by Blackburn at Stamford Bridge on the opening day
of the 1993/94 season.
The Blues' early season form was unconvincing
but in true Chelsea fashion the disappointing results were interspersed
with outstanding home wins against Liverpool and Manchester United,
Hoddle looking particularly impressive against a United side who were
destined to win the domestic double that year. After 14 games, most as a
sweeper but a handful in midfield, Glenn dropped out of the team and
started only two more matches that campaign. He appeared as a substitute
on three occasions, including a 2-0 victory over West Ham in which he
scored the clinching goal. In the relegation zone at Christmas, Chelsea
eventually avoided relegation comfortably. However, a fine FA Cup run
saw The Blues reach the final against Manchester United and gave Hoddle
the opportunity to lead his team out at Wembley at the end of his first
season in charge. He picked Craig Burley in the starting line-up ahead
of himself and replaced the young Scot after United's second goal, The
Reds eventually running out 4-0 winners. Hoddle restricted himself to
just three starts and nine substitute appearances throughout the
following campaign.
Always a big game player, the matches he selected
himself for just happened to be home clashes with Manchester United,
Liverpool and Arsenal! The match against the Gunners came on the final
day of the season and marked his final appearance as a player. Turning
back the clock, he created the opening goal for Paul Furlong with a
sublime pass as Chelsea beat their London rivals 2-1 to end the season
in 11th spot, their highest League placing during his tenure. When he
was substituted midway through the second period, he received a standing
ovation from both sets of supporters. Having reached the semi-finals of
the European Cup Winners Cup in 1994/95, Chelsea had another impressive
cup run during Glenn's final season in charge, reaching another FA Cup
semi-final but again finding Manchester United too tough a nut to crack.
At the end of that season, with Chelsea still in mid-table but with a
far more solid infrastructure now in place, Hoddle accepted the poisoned
chalice which is the England job. (Kelvin Barker)
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