Four Years Today - Remembering Peter Osgood - RIP
King of Stamford Bridge
By Since66
March 1 2010
Four years ago today (is it really four years?) news broke that the King of Stamford Bridge had died at the age of 59. Ossie was attending a family funeral when he collapsed. He died a short time later in hospital. I was at work that day, at my work bench sorting out some bits and pieces when I stood motionless listening to the news report on the radio.
In the next minute I found myself in the loo, with tears streaming down my face, feeling shocked and very dazed.
Stupid really I didn't know the man, I just knew him as a player that I had adorned from the moment I started supporting Chelsea back in 1966.
Struggling to compose myself I had to return to work and no sooner had I walked out of the loo a few of the print boys asked me what was wrong. When I told them they were shocked too!!
I had been very fortunate to meet my idol and speak with him on a couple of occasions and my brother-in-law was lucky enough to be on the same football field as him, when Ossie was running football camps for the kids on the Isle of Wight. I wasn't so lucky as they wouldn't let me play in goal. Oh what I would have given to be between the 'sticks' and face a volley from the King.
Ossie and his striking partner and best mate, the late great Ian Hutchinson, once owned a pub in Windsor called The Union Inn. They were very hospitable and welcomed Chelsea fans with open arms - no wonder the pub went bust.
Ossie had style, skill, he scored an abundance of goals - 150 in total and made 380 appearances. He was flambouyant and played hard not only on the pitch but also off it. He had a superstar appeal down the Kings Road.
There are loads of memories I can recall about the King, but here are a few that really stick in the mind.
1970 Ossie scored in every round of the FA Cup including the final with his magnificent diving header from Charlie Cooke's run and chip.
1971 Scoring in the European Cup Winners Cup final against Real Madrid
Against Jeunesse Hautcharage, from Luxembourg. Ossie scored EIGHT times against the minnows over two legs including one with his knee at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea won the tie 21-0 and the aggregate score is still a European record today.
Scoring against Bob Wilson and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge with a thunderous volley.
There are so many more memories, so many stories of how Ossie touched the hearts of Chelsea fans and how many Chelsea fans wanted to be Ossie when they had a kickabout in the park.
Ossie's ashes are interred beneath the penalty spot at The Shed End of the Stamford Bridge pitch, I cannot think of a more appropriate spot for Ossie to lay.
'Out from the Shed came a rising young star,
Scoring goals past Pat Jennings from near and from far,
And Chelsea won as we knew that they would,
And the star of that great team was Peter Osgood,
Osgood, Osgood, Osgood, Osgood,
Born is the King of Stamford Bridge.'
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I didn't see the king in his early years unfortunately but i remember him coming back for a couple of seasons in the middle seventies thats when i first saw him play and he was still the governor.I miss peter around the bridge he would always stop and give autographs and shake your hand he was Chelsea through and through and i cried my eyes out when he died,the man a true legend and its comforting to know that when we come to the home games he is not far away from us because his ashes are buried under the penalty spot in front of the shed.Long live the king.
I asked him a question once - how did he feel watching the players run out the tunnel - did he still miss playing? "Of course - yes - I miss it".
I was lucky enough to see him play since the very early 70´s. Saw him score some great goals ...I was even there when Raquel welch waled down the line at half-time (well I could just about see!).
Excellent write-up Since 66.
"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.