Chelsea history: One-eyed Bob Thompson

In 1911, Chelsea signed striker from Croydon Common.

What was remarkable about Thompson was that he only had one eye; however, this did not stop him from playing an important part in Chelsea’s history.

Thompson did not let the fact that he only had one eye affect his life or football career. When asked how he managed when the ball went to his blind side, he simply replied “I just shut the other eye and play from memory.”

Thompson was one of the key players in the run to Chelsea’s first FA Cup Final, scoring six goals in eight games to help Chelsea reach the 1915 FA Cup Final. This final was the last before formal competition was suspended due to the First World War, which was to limit the formal element of Thompson’s career.

Thompson continued to play for Chelsea during the First World War in unofficial campaigns where he was prolific.

Playing in five “official” seasons, he scored 25 goals with estimates that he scored more than 100 more goals for Chelsea during the unofficial games played during the First World War.