Overview

From over-the-top tackles and predatory paedophiles to a club in such financial crisis that players had to chip in to pay the coach driver, life at Chelsea FC in the 1970s was not for the faint-hearted. Yet for lifelong Chelsea fan Steve Wicks, it was a dream come true. Having arrived as an apprentice during the club’s most glamorous era, it wasn’t long before things started to fall apart; the sales of Alan Hudson and Peter Osgood and the resignation of manager Dave Sexton led to relegation and to make matters worse chairman Brian Mears had started to build a new East Stand at Stamford Bridge in the middle of a recession. One morning, Steve and his team-mates in the reserves turned up to find their kit was in the first team dressing room and, like a scene from The Dirty Dozen, Chelsea chairman Brian Mears announced that they had just two seasons to save the club and gain promotion. Thrown into the man’s world of the Second Division it was a case of sink or swim. Ray Wilkins was made captain at the age of 18 and they embarked on one of the most remarkable few seasons in Chelsea history, winning promotion in 1977 in the nick of time and holding their own in the First Division. In January 1979 Steve was forced to move with the club’s administrator telling him, “If you don’t move we cannot fulfil our fixtures.” Spells under wise-cracking Tommy Docherty at Derby and QPR followed before the arrival of Terry Venables at Loftus Road transformed both the club and the English game, while a second spell at Chelsea under new owner Ken Bates saw the club in crisis yet again, Steve played his last game in the infamous promotion play-off defeat to Middlesbrough. Then he retired rather than go along with Bates’ plan to hoodwink Spurs into signing him despite a career-ending back injury. This is the unvarnished truth of life behind the scenes at one of the biggest clubs in English football.

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9781915616241

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Steve wicks began his football career at Chelsea in 1971 aged just 15. Spells at Derby, QPR followed before a return to Chelsea where he ended his professional career. Steve then moved management and found success in Malaysia with Selangor. He also contributed to the New Order football anthem ‘World In Motion’. Harry Harris has written about 20 books on Chelsea, including FOUR tomes on José Mourinho, THREE on Ruud Gullit, plus biographies of Franco Zola, Luca Vialli, Antonio Conte, and an autobiography of Kerry Dixon. He took part in a documentary about “Battle of the Bridge” behind the scenes conflict between Ken Bates and Matthew Harding which he turned into a best selling book. In fact Harry has written a record 90 football books in his distinguished career. As a young journalist at the London Evening News Harry ghosted a column for Chelsea manager Danny Blanchflower and was close to many of the Chelsea players. Harry went on to become a double winner of the British Sports Journalist of the Year award and was presented with the British Variety Club of Great Britain Silver Heart for ‘Contribution to Sports Journalism’ and is the only journalist ever to win the Sports Story of the Year accolade twice. Harry has a total of 24 industry awards. One of the most influential football columnists for three decades, Harry is one of the most acclaimed investigative journalists and news gatherers of his generation. He is currently Sports Development Director for SmartFrame Technologies. Paul Trevillion is the genius behind Roy of the Rovers and ‘You Are The Ref’. Nicknamed ‘The Leonardo Of The Line’ Paul is still drawing at the age of 94!

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