1984 - TAKING VIOLENCE TO A NEW LEVEL

Chelsea has been involved in some very torrid games over the years but the final game of 1984 must rate amongst the most violent played. 

It was at Seaford and the Tigers were playing for the McLelland Trophy for the best performed club, whilst Chelsea was chasing a final’s birth. Chelsea needed to win by a twelve goals to progress through to the finals.
 
Someone, other than the coach, must have pushed a few buttons and decided that the only way to thrash the Tigers was to ‘go the knuckle’. And the Seagulls were quick to let the Tigers know exactly where they were coming from as they started the aggression prior to the start of play with abuse during the warm-ups. Once started, the game quickly degenerated into a free-for-all with the Tigers on the receiving end of most encounters. Supporters were witnessing a genuine ‘bloodbath’ as the violence escalated.

Tarpey pulled pretty hard on the reins at half time, but the damage had already been done and there was little let-up in the second half as the hammering continued. Some players seemed unable to back away from the path they had chosen.
In the end, Chelsea’s 38 points victory was insufficient to gain a place in the finals. The irony in all this was lost on no-one. Had Chelsea’s misguided tactics somehow succeeded in them achieving their goal, their stay in the finals would, no doubt, have been short lived as several key players were about to receive extended holidays courtesy of a tribunal that was tiring of the unsavoury behaviour of the team and some of its supporters.

Whilst several players would miss the start of the new season, there was a higher price to be paid as Chelsea’s reputation was left shredded in the sand of the Seaford oval.

Fourth placed Mornington went on to win the premiership. Seaford’s weakened side exited the finals with consecutive losses. This was not a match that would be quickly forgotten at ‘Tigerland.’

RUSSELL ‘SNAKE’ FORSYTH

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