Peter Osgood: In words, pictures and video

Peter Osgood: In words, pictures and video

feature Tue 1 Mar 2016

Using previously unseen images, footage of the era and contemporary words written about the King of Stamford Bridge, the official Chelsea website celebrates the great Peter Osgood a decade after his passing. 
It was 10 years ago today we suddenly and tragically lost one of the very best players to wear the blue of Chelsea, but memories of him, as a player and a person, will live on forever.
Here we recall his career in west London with freshly-digitalised photos, clips from British Pathe and Chelsea TV, and newspaper reports highlighting some of the forward's greatest moments, starting at the very beginning...

"The player who saved Chelsea’s faces was 17-year-old centre forward Peter Osgood, making his first-team debut. He got both goals."

The Daily Mirror reports above on our 2-0 League Cup win over Workington Town in December 1964. We had needed a Stamford Bridge replay to progress to the semi-finals where Ossie starred in his maiden Chelsea appearance.  

In front of a brand new West Stand in January 1966, Osgood's brilliance decided a tight London derby against Tottenham, as reported by The Times...

'It took Osgood to win the match,' they wrote. 'The way he did so, in pure style, with artistic footwork and shooting power, marked him as one who could yet lead England’s attack for the World Cup, providing he is not weighed down by the praise he deserves.

'Venables and Graham, in a flurry of inter-passing, seemed to have run themselves into a cul-de-sac. Into their moment of indecision strode Osgood. 

‘Robbing Graham of the ball he moved sideways to freedom in five swift strides and from 25 yards sent home a rising shot which to us was just a blur and to Jennings perhaps no more than a brush of wind. There is no defence against a stroke like that. There was an imperious Corinthian ring about it.’

Considered by many to be the finest goal Osgood scored in a Chelsea shirt, here The Observer describes his winning effort against Burnley later in January 1966.

 The 1965/66 season was indeed a breakthrough one for Osgood, who firmly established himself in Tommy Docherty's team and helped the Blues achieve a respectable fifth-placed finish in the league.

For the second season in a row we reached the FA Cup semi-final, too, beating Hull in the last eight with Osgood involved in two of the goals. You can watch footage of the game here courtesy of British Pathe.

https://youtu.be/o_ahmMJOVrU

Unfortunately we lost to Sheffield Wednesday at the semi-final stage though we would go one better the following season when Tottenham defeated us in the Wembley final. Ossie was missing due to a broken leg. Chelsea's and his FA Cup time would come...

Unfortunately we lost to Sheffield Wednesday at the semi-final stage though we would go one better the following season when Tottenham defeated us in the Wembley final. Ossie was missing due to a broken leg. Chelsea's and his FA Cup time would come...

https://youtu.be/o_ahmMJOVrU

Though best remembered for his dazzling footwork and balletic style, Osgood was a fine header of a football, as shown by his goal against Birmingham above. He also scored from the air in the semi-final against Watford at a very muddy White Hart Lane, pictured below.

Osgood opens the scoring in a 2-1 win against West Ham at Stamford Bridge in December 1970. Bobby Moore looking on is helpless to prevent our star striker netting. He would quickly get the second goal, too.

But Osgood's 1970/71 season would be interrupted not long after the victory over West Ham which is pictured above. After picking up six yellow cards in a year - back when they were much harder to come by - he was handed an eight-week ban from playing football.
He returned to the team for a Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final second leg against Club Bruges in March 1971, but not before Sexton said he would not start him because he didn't think he was match-fit. Only Osgood's obvious devastation changed the manager's mind. What followed was special...
'Osgood came into a Chelsea side desperate for his scoring flair as they set out to pull back from a 2-0 defeat in Belgium,' wrote The Daily Mirror.
'And he obliged in a way that 45,558 fans lucky enough to see this marvellous match will never forget. It was Osgood's goal in the 81st minute that made the aggregate score 2-2 and earned Chelsea extra time. 
'And it was Osgood's goal six minutes from the end of extra time that gave Chelsea the vital breakthrough for a 3-2 lead. Osgood signalled his delight by leaping the four-feet barrier surrounding the pitch, to be engulfed by excited fans.'
As Ossie wrote in his autobiography: 'In that moment the fans and I were one, united in euphoria.'
 
The quarter-final tie ended 4-2 on aggregate but injury prevented Osgood playing in the last-four win over Manchester City but he was back in the team, if not fully-fit, for the showpiece final against Real Madrid in Athens.
A 1-1 draw - Osgood getting our goal - meant once again a replay would be needed before Chelsea could lift silverware. Two days later the teams reconvened and Osgood, only playing his fifth match in four months because of injury and suspension, scored again to add to an earlier goal from John Dempsey. The Spaniards did get one back ensuring a nervy finish but we held on to spark delirious scenes in the Greek capital and in London. This is how The Guardian reported Osgood's strike, which he is pictured celebrating below, in the decisive replay...

"Osgood left his mark on the game with an elegant goal. He scored from Baldwin's pass after some good work at the rear from Harris."