In celebration of the 1970 FA Cup win, Chelsea wore the distinctive commemorative 1970 FA Cup Winners shirt throughout the following 1970-71 season.
FA Cup holders Chelsea began the season hosting First Division Champions Everton at Stamford Bridge in the Charity Shield. A 1-2 victory for the visitors saw The Toffees lift the season's first domestic honour.
Chelsea finished 6th in the First Division, exited the League Cup away to Manchester United in the 4th Round when George Best scored one of the greatest individual solo goals ever seen at Old Trafford. Manchester City knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup in the 4th Round 0-3 at Stamford Bridge.
Keith Weller, a £100,000 preseason signing from Millwall was the leading goal scorer with 14 goals in all competitions, and Blues legend John Hollins was Player of the Year for the second season running.
If domestically 1970-71 was underwhelming, Europe was a different matter, and if there's an iconic match involving Chelsea wearing the 1970 FA Cup Winners shirt, it took place at Stamford Bridge on the evening of Wednesday 24 March versus Club Brugge in the UEFA European Cup Winners Cup Quarter-Final 2nd-Leg.
45,558 were at Stamford Bridge to see if Chelsea could recover from losing 2-0 in the 1st-Leg. Peter Houseman scored at The Shed End after 22 minutes to halve the deficit, and Peter Osgood, brought the tie level in the 81st minute. In extra-time Osgood again, and Tommy Baldwin completed a 4-0 win on the night, and Chelsea were through 4-2 on aggregate, and were on their way to the 1971 UEFA European Cup Winners Cup Final in Athens where they'd meet and eventually overcome Real Madrid to win the club's first European trophy.
SCORE DRAW Official Retro Shirt Match:
Chelsea 4 v 0 Club Brugge (aet).
Wednesday 24 March 1971.
UEFA European Cup Winners Cup Quarter-Final 2nd-Leg.
Stamford Bridge.
Attendance 45,558.
Chelsea Team: 1.John Phillips. 2.Ron Harris . 3.Eddie McCreadie. 4.John Hollins. 5.John Dempsey. 6.David Webb. 7.Tommy Baldwin. 8.Charlie Cooke. 9.Peter Osgood. 10.Alan Hudson . 11.Peter Houseman. 12.John Boyle.
