During the 1992–93 English football season, Chelsea F.C. competed in the inaugural season of the FA Premier League.

The season was the club's 88th year in existence since their foundation in 1905. It was their 58th season within England's highest tier of football and their fourth season of their current top-flight spell following promotion at the end of the 1988–89 season.

Season summary Chelsea started the season well and stood second after 19 games, but went into freefall after that, going 12 matches without a win, a run that pulled Chelsea down to 12th, replacing hopes of a title challenge with relegation fears. Manager Ian Porterfield paid for the team's poor form by becoming the first manager to be sacked in the new Premier League on 15 February. He was replaced by David Webb, the scorer of the Chelsea winner that won the 1970 FA Cup Final. Webb managed to steer Chelsea to safety, but his contract was not renewed by the board. Instead, they appointed former Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle, who had just taken Swindon Town to their first ever top-flight campaign, as player-manager.

The club ended the season with 56 points, having won 14, drawn 14 and lost 14 matches. By finishing 11th of 22 clubs, it was Chelsea's first top-half finish since coming 5th in 1989–90. With 54 goals conceded, this was Chelsea's best defence in the top flight, a record broken next season as well.

Chelsea went out in the third round of the FA Cup this season, beaten 2–1 by Middlesbrough away at Ayresome Park.

Kit Chelsea retained the previous season's home kit, manufactured by Umbro and sponsored by Commodore. It featured a geometric pattern on the players' right shoulder, repeated on the left leg of the shorts, an Umbro trademark of the time also used by Everton and Manchester United's home shirts of the same time. For this season, Chelsea re-introduced white socks as first choice for the first time since 1984–85. White socks had been introduced by Tommy Docherty for Chelsea in 1965, to make Chelsea stand out among other clubs wearing blue shirts, white shorts and blue socks.

The away kit was based on football kits of the game's early days as part of a nostalgia craze following the 1990 World Cup.'True Colours' by John Devlin It was a white shirt with red pinstripes, red shorts and socks. Its laces were also worn on the Umbro home kits of Aston Villa and Sheffield United. The Chelsea lion badge was included in a blue shield; the kits for next season retained this style. The kit was the final one in which Chelsea wore a red garment, the colour having been a popular away kit throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Chelsea wore a third kit of all-yellow with a blue collar and pattern on the front, also worn by Everton. The kit was from an Umbro range called Porto.'True Colours' by John Devlin

Transfers

In No. Pos. Player From Date Fee Summer DF Mal Donaghy Manchester United 1 July 1992 £100,800 FW John Spencer Rangers 1 July 1992 free transfer GK Nick Colgan Drogheda United 1 July 1992 undisclosed FW Robert Fleck Norwich City 1 July 1992 undisclosed

Final league table

Results Chelsea's score comes first

Legend WinDrawLoss

FA Premier League DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 15 August 1992 Oldham AthleticH1–120,699Harford 19 August 1992 Norwich CityA1–215,164Stuart 22 August 1992 Sheffield WednesdayA3–326,338Jones, Stuart, Newton 26 August 1992 Blackburn RoversH0–019,575 29 August 1992 Queens Park RangersH1–022,910Harford 2 September 1992 Aston VillaA3–119,125Fleck, Newton, Wise 5 September 1992 LiverpoolA1–234,199Harford 12 September 1992 Norwich CityH2–316,880Harford, Townsend 20 September 1992 Manchester CityA1–022,420Harford 26 September 1992 Nottingham ForestH0–019,760 3 October 1992 ArsenalA1–227,780Wise 17 October 1992 Ipswich TownH2–116,707Hall, Harford 24 October 1992 Coventry CityA2–115,626Harford, Stuart 31 October 1992 Sheffield UnitedH1–213,763Townsend 7 November 1992 Crystal PalaceH3–117,141Shaw (own goal), Stuart, Harford 21 November 1992 EvertonA1–017,418Fleck 29 November 1992 Leeds UnitedH1–024,345Townsend 5 December 1992 Tottenham HotspurA2–131,540Newton (2) 11 December 1992 MiddlesbroughA0–015,599 19 December 1992 Manchester UnitedH1–134,464Lee 26 December 1992 SouthamptonH1–118,344Newton 28 December 1992 WimbledonA0–014,687 9 January 1993 Manchester CityH2–415,939Stuart, Spencer 16 January 1993 Nottingham ForestA0–323,249 27 January 1993 Queens Park RangersA1–115,806Spencer 30 January 1993 Sheffield WednesdayH0–216,261 6 February 1993 Oldham AthleticA1–311,772Harford 10 February 1993 LiverpoolH0–020,981 13 February 1993 Aston VillaH0–120,081 21 February 1993 Blackburn RoversA0–214,780 1 March 1993 ArsenalH1–017,725Stuart 10 March 1993 EvertonH2–112,739Stuart, Spencer 15 March 1993 Crystal PalaceA1–112,610Stuart 20 March 1993 Tottenham HotspurH1–125,157Cascarino 24 March 1993 Leeds UnitedA1–128,135Donaghy 3 April 1993 MiddlesbroughH4–013,043Donaghy, Spencer, Stuart, Barnard 6 April 1993 Ipswich TownA1–117,444Spencer 10 April 1993 SouthamptonA0–115,135 12 April 1993 WimbledonH4–213,138Wise (pen), Hall, Spencer, Shipperley 17 April 1993 Manchester UnitedA0–340,139 1 May 1993 Coventry CityH2–114,186Spencer, Cascarino 8 May 1993 Sheffield UnitedA2–424,850Lee, Townsend

FA Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR32 January 1993 MiddlesbroughA1–216,776Mohan (own goal)

League Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR2 First Leg 23 September 1992 WalsallA3–05,510Wise 15', Newton 28', Townsend 78'R2 Second Leg 7 October 1992 WalsallH1–0 (won 4–0 on agg)7,646Fleck (pen) 73'R328 October 1992 Newcastle UnitedH2–130,193Sinclair 59', Harford 82'R42 December 1992 EvertonA2–214,457Harford 28', Stuart 79'R4R16 December 1992 EvertonH1–019,496Townsend 19'QF6 January 1993 Crystal PalaceA1–328,510Townsend 18'

First-team squad

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Left club during season

References