1990 - A NEW DECADE

As the curtain closed on the eighties, Tommy Williams may well have stayed up late one night and reflected on the decade at some stage. There would have been much with which to be pleased.
 
The Club had broken its senior premiership drought and followed up with a second flag and still possessed a strong playing group with the potential to bring more glory.
 
The clubroom renovations had been completed and, although the club had to dig deep into its resources to find  its share of the costs, rewards were forthcoming. The rooms were a showcase in the competition and the greatly improved amenities had the effect of increasing bar receipts and making the club more viable. These had been wonderful outcomes.
 
The good times continued to roll for the mighty Seagulls. Sure the Dales had proven themselves to be too good in 1989, but it was expected that they would lose some quality players as a result of financial limitations and Chelsea, having amazingly regained the services of highly respected coach Howard Tarpey, would once again resume their rightful place as the top team in the competition.

The dream was bolstered even further by the inclusion of several very capable players who wanted to play under such a highly motivated coach who was still feeling aggrieved at having lost the 1985 premiership.
Chelsea was able to put together a team that many claim was their best ever. They had great on-ballers and key position players who had already proven their worth with two premierships. The general, Dave Ritchie was leading a strong backline from full-back and Graham Savage remained a threatening presence in the forward line. Things were looking promising and so it proved to be, with the Gulls demonstrating their talents during an almost faultless home and away season. They followed this up with a dominant final series.
This was a very special team.

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