Two of our greatest goalscorers began their careers at Stamford Bridge - before plundering 474 goals in Lilywhite.
As we take on Chelsea on Saturday (5.30pm), here's a rundown of the goalscoring exploits of Bobby Smith and Jimmy Greaves...
Bobby Smith
A big, burly, classic old-fashioned forward from Yorkshire, Bobby Smith joined the Chelsea groundstaff in 1948. He scored a hat-trick in the 1950 FA Youth Cup Final (against Spurs) and made his debut against Bolton on 4 September, 1950. He scored on his second senior appearance, a 2-0 home win over Fulham on December 9 and went on to score 30 goals in 86 games for the Blues before Spurs came calling in 1955. Signed for £16,000 on 21 December, 1955. He was named captain in the final game of his first season - celebrating with a hat-trick against Sheffield Wednesday - and wore the armband until Danny Blanchflower took over in March, 1959. Bobby's 36 goals in 1957/58 equalled a club record set almost 30 years earlier by Ted Harper. Clive Allen now holds that record with 49 in 1986/87. Top scorer in the double season (33 goals in 43 appearances), Bobby scored in the 1961 and 1962 FA Cup Finals and became the first player to score 200 goals for the club with a header against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 21 September 1963. His 208 goals were a club record until overtaken by Jimmy Greaves in 1968/69.
Jimmy Greaves
Arguably the greatest striker ever to grace the game, ‘Greavsie’ set countless records during an incredible playing career. Having overtaken Bobby Smith's 208, his 266-goal haul stood for 53 years before being toppled by Harry Kane in 2023. Born in East Ham on 20 February, 1940, Jimmy was a goalscoring phenomenon from his early days. He signed professional forms at Stamford Bridge aged 17 in 1957 and scored on his debut against us at White Hart Lane in August, 1957. A star was born. Jimmy scored 132 goals in 169 appearances for the Blues before a transfer to Italy and AC Milan in 1960. His stay in Serie A was brief and after nine goals in 14 appearances, Bill Nicholson brought him back to England, joining our double-winning squad for a famous £99,999 fee in December, 1961. He hit a hat-trick on his debut against Blackpool and went on to score 266 goals for us in 379 appearances (all competitions). He scored in the FA Cup Final as we defended the trophy in 1962, twice in the Cup Winners’ Cup Final against Atletico Madrid as we became the first British team to triumph in Europe in 1963 and lifted the FA Cup again in 1967. He eventually departed for West Ham in 1970.