Chelsea 1908/09

Chelsea Football Club — 1908/09

Founded only three years earlier in 1905, Chelsea Football Club were already establishing themselves as one of the most distinctive and ambitious clubs in English football by the 1908/09 season. Playing at Stamford Bridge and competing in the First Division, Chelsea had rapidly built a reputation for professionalism, strong attendances, and a bold visual identity centred on their now-iconic blue shirts.

The 1908/09 campaign came during a formative period in the club’s early history. Chelsea had gained promotion to the First Division in 1907 and were working to consolidate their status among the country’s elite clubs. The squad of this era blended experienced Football League professionals with emerging talent, overseen by a structured backroom staff that reflected the club’s modern outlook for the Edwardian game.

This official team photograph, produced by Dorrett & Martin of Upper Tooting, captures Chelsea at the height of the pre-war football era. The players are shown wearing classic early-20th-century association football attire: long-sleeved blue jerseys with simple lace-up neck openings, white shorts, and dark stockings with contrasting bands. The heavy leather football resting at the front of the group and the carefully arranged seated and standing rows are hallmarks of formal Edwardian football photography.

At the centre of the image is team captain McRoberts, a key figure in Chelsea’s early First Division years, flanked by teammates whose names are recorded beneath the photograph in period typography. The presence of trainers, officials, and even the club dog reflects the relaxed yet ceremonial nature of squad photography at the time — a snapshot of football before the upheaval of the First World War.

This 1908/09 Chelsea print represents more than a team portrait; it is a visual document from the dawn of Chelsea’s top-flight history. It captures a club still defining its identity, colours, and place in the national game — foundations that would later underpin Chelsea’s rise into one of the most recognisable names in world football.

Product details:

• You will only pay shipping/postage for 1 item, no matter how many items you purchase.
• Discounts are given for multiple purchases.
• Size: A3, A4, A5
• Single Sided
• Paper: 400gsm premium art stock
• Print quality: Museum-grade, high-resolution
• Finish: Unframed
• Watermark shown in images does NOT appear on the final print
• Carefully packaged for safe delivery

A striking piece of football history — ideal for collectors, historians, and lovers of our national game.

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