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Remembering John Hollins

By Anna Welsh

Picture credit: The People

Described as a “talented and hard-running player at the heart of one of Chelsea’s greatest

sides” (The Telegraph, 2023), “clean-cut, articulate and polite” and “possessing a football

brain and work ethic that were second to none” (Tesser, 2013, p.219), John William Hollins

was born on the 16th of July 1946 in Guildford, Surrey.


His early years were spent growing up on Foxburrows Avenue in the Westborough area of the town and he attended Park Barn School, later renamed King’s Manor School, now King’s College Guildford (The Guildford Dragon, 2023).


John and his three brothers were a third generation of footballers on his father’s side. John’s

older brother eight years his senior, Dave, who was born in Bangor, also became a

professional footballer, playing in goal eleven times for the Wales national team (The

Telegraph, 2023). Dave was also a popular goalkeeper at Newcastle, making 121 appearances between 1961 and 1966, and during this period he lived with his wife Jackie in Powburn Gardens (Chronicle Live, 2022). Roy, another one of John’s brothers, played for Brighton until a knee injury ended his career. John’s father, Bill, played for Stoke and Wolves (Daily Mirror, 1964, p.31).


Picture credit: Sunday Mirror

John married Linda Barnes in Bexley, Kent, in March 1968. The day before, Chelsea had

been knocked out of the FA Cup by Birmingham (Daily Mirror, 1968). They had a son, Chris, and a daughter, Liz. Chris played for Queen’s Park Rangers and Aldershot. He then became a sports presenter for BBC News 24, and later the main sports presenter on BBC Breakfast between 2005 and 2012. Chris also won Strictly Come Dancing in 2009 with his professional dance partner, Ola Jordan (BBC, c.2023).


Picture credit: Daily Mirror

Speaking of his arrival at Chelsea in a 1994 interview, John said “I joined the club in 1960/1 and they all told me the peg I inherited was belonging to Jimmy Greaves. Jimmy Greaves had not long gone to Italy when I arrived. When I joined, I was a country boy from Guildford, five feet four high and they must have thought I was there as a ball boy. On my first day I spent the day chipping balls at Ewell Training Ground for Ron Tindall to head past Peter Bonetti. That was my first day at training” (Meehan and Regan, 1994).


John made his first-team Chelsea debut at the age of 17 on the 25th of September 1963 against Swindon Town at County Ground in front of a crowd of 17,916 (Stamford-Bridge.com, c.2023) in a match where manager Tommy Docherty relied on a “mixture of youth and experience” (Daily Mirror, 1963, p.30). John made his mark early at the club. At the age of just 18 in October 1964, he captained Chelsea against Nottingham County at Stamford Bridge, where they won 4-0 (Birmingham Daily Post, 1964, p.15). Following this, for Boxing Day the same year, manager Tommy Docherty then invited John and Jim McCalliog, also 17, to be part of the team travelling to their match against Blackpool due to their commitment and promise (Daily Herald, 1963, p.9).


John continued to impress. In August 1964, Sam Leitch of the Sunday Mirror wrote of John

in his match report of Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Sunderland “Above all, there is a young man

called John Hollins. Remember the name of this latest Chelsea starlet. He is the right half

who at 18 is the youngest player in a team where the oldest is 24. There is football class

stamped on every inch and ounce of his 5ft 7 ½ inch, 10 stone 11lb frame.” (Leitch, 1964,

p.38).


In a 4-1 victory over Northampton in January 1965, John was hailed by Steve McGill of The

People “John Hollins was outstanding. What a player this boy is! Attacking, defending,

shooting, scheming – Hollins does them all with immaculate ease and polish. Northampton

had no one to compare to this mercurial menace.” (McGill, 1965, p.23).


In 1965, John won his first trophy at Chelsea – the League Cup. The final, with the opponents

being Leicester City, was split over two legs, John played in the first leg in March but was not

in the line-up for the second leg at Filbert Street in April (The Telegraph, 2023). Later that

year, John and a few of his teammates got into some mischief in Blackpool. After being out

on the town the night before their match, they got back to the hotel in the early hours. Tommy Docherty recalled going into the room where John was staying “I went into one of the rooms, and there was John Hollins pretending to be asleep, but when I pulled the cover back, he was still wearing his jacket and tie!” (The Telegraph, 2023). John and his teammates did however face potential disciplinary action from the club, and they put out a statement, whilst trying to meet with the club Chairman, Joe Mears prior to a board meeting to explain their side of the story (Torbay Express and South Devon Echo, 1965, p.1)


Other teams showed a strong interest in signing John during his time at Chelsea. In 1966, it

was reported that Tottenham had put forward a bid of £80,000 for him. Interestingly, John

was turned down by Tottenham after he went for a trial there as a 15-year-old as they

believed that he was “too small” (The People, 1966, p.24). Although interest from other clubs was there, a new contract was signed by John in October 1967 following his 21st birthday in July of that year. Tommy Docherty, who had by then departed as Chelsea manager, was pushing for the club to keep him (The Daily Telegraph, 1967, p.6). John’s new contract was reported to have made him one of the highest paid footballers at the time (Evening Standard, 1967, p.31)


In April 1970, John was part of the FA Cup winning team – the first for the club. His assist

for Ian Hutchinson’s last-minute goal resulted in extra-time. With no extra-time goals, the

replay at Old Trafford was set, with John again being in the line-up (The Telegraph, 2023).

The conditions on the Wembley pitch made the first match a struggle. John commented at the time “The crowd and viewers had no idea how difficult it was for the players. Towards the

finish, it needed a superhuman effort to drag your feet. It’s tragic when you think what

Wembley used to be like.” (Daily Mirror, 1970, p.17).


Reflecting on the FA Cup win in 1994, John said “On the way back from Manchester the

following morning we had the train to ourselves, just us, the Cup and our supporters. I

remember having breakfast with the FA Cup, and all the photographers, and at every station

we stuck our heads out the window shouting and cheering that we had won the cup. Then we arrived in London and this bus picked us up at Euston station and took us (don’t ask me

where) all over London and then it really hit home. That was the impact on hitting London

and I was thinking “Christ we have won it!” (Meehan and Regan, 1994).


John was ruled out of the 1971 Cup Winners’ Cup final replay in Greece after suffering a

knee injury and having to go off during the original match on the 19th of May. He was given a pain-killing injection and manager Dave Sexton said a “miraculous recovery” would be

needed. (Birmingham Daily Post, 1971, p.15). In the same year, John was described as

“industrious” and “one of the most consistent players in the First Division for several

seasons. His work rate has helped Chelsea keep their hopes high of winning something”

(GOAL, 1971, p.5). Although John was praised for his performance, the season started with

criticism of Chelsea. At the time, Ian Hutchinson was out with a broken leg and Chelsea had

taken one point from three matches. John hit back at the criticism, saying that “Everybody is

jumping on us too much, too soon. Championships are not won or lost in the first couple of

weeks of the season.” (Daily Mail, 1971, p.22)


John was popular amongst his teammates and the fans, being crowned Chelsea’s Player of the Year in 1970 at Fulham Town Hall (Fulham Chronicle, 1970, p.2). He was also the recipient

of the award in 1971, shortly after being injured. The day after this, he won London

Weekend’s ‘Golden Goals’ trophy for his goal against Arsenal in August 1970 (Fulham

Chronicle, 1971, p.2). A profile of John by Football Monthly in 1971 noted that the

flamboyant players of the era such as Peter Osgood and Ian Hutchinson tended to

overshadow John, but in the eyes of the fans, he stood out for his “sheer consistency” and “all or nothing effort” (Bradley, 1971)


At the end of the 1971/72 season, John took over as captain from Ron Harris. In August

1972, under John’s tenure as skipper, Chelsea were hailed as “an exciting side to watch” and

“adaptable – you can shuffle the team like a pack of cards and still deal a winning hand”

(Westminster & Pimlico News, 1972, p.7). In February 1973, John captained Chelsea to their first point at Elland Road in seven years. He called it their “best performance of the season” (Daily Mirror, 1973, p.31).


In September 1974, John was described as having had a “tremendous run” for Chelsea. At

that point, he has not missed a match since injury forced him out of the 1971 Cup Winners’

Cup final replay (Powell, 1974 p.35). The consequence of this is that he had then suffered a

knee injury again, which the Daily Mail noted had been “affecting his play” meaning that he

hadn’t been able to “Do himself justice”. It was also reported that the new East Stand, which

opened at the beginning of the 1974/75 season put pressure on Dave Sexton to deliver results and this resulted in John alongside Ian Hutchinson, Mickey Droy and John Sissons being dropped from the line up (Powell, 1974, p.35).


Picture credit: Daily Mirror/Harry Prosser

In spring 1975, John was aware that Chelsea wanted to sell him. He commented in late April of that year “It was obvious after I had been left out of an important match like the Spurs game that my future was not at Stamford Bridge. Now I want to get everything sorted out as

quickly as possible. The sooner I can get fixed up at a new club the better” (Daily Mail, 1975, p.39). Coventry were hoping to sign John in the summer of 1975, however, they were beaten by Queen’s Park Rangers who proposed a bid of £75,000, which was accepted by Chelsea in June. At the time, Dave Sexton was managing QPR, setting up a reunion between the two (Coventry Evening Telegraph, 1975, p.24). John commented at the time “If the terms are

right, I will be delighted to join Rangers. It means I would not have to move house - and that’s an important consideration” (Daily Mirror, 1975, p.32).


John’s stint at QPR was followed by a move to Arsenal in July 1979. Norwich and Luton also

showed interest. At the time, although there was no guarantee that he would have a place in

the first team, John said he felt he was still capable of playing football in the First Division

(Coventry Evening Telegraph, 1979, p.4).


John’s significant contribution to the sport did not go unnoticed. It was announced in the

press on the 12th of June 1982 that John, who was playing for Arsenal at the time, would

receive an MBE for his services to football (Belfast Telegraph, 1982, p.3).


In March 1983, John was approached by Colchester with the proposition of becoming a

player-manager, who at the time were in the fourth division (Daily Mirror, 1983, p.31).

However, despite this offer, John returned to Chelsea. Upon John’s return, manager John Neal spoke of his enthusiasm for football which had not waned despite his lengthy career (Dixon, 1983, p.15). In the season that John returned, Chelsea secured promotion back to the First Division. His last match as a Chelsea player was the one which confirmed this, a 1-0 win on the 12th of May against Grimsby Town at Blundell Park. As a Chelsea player, John scored 64 goals in 592 appearances (Johnny Neal’s Blue and White Army, 2022, p.75).


John signed a new three-year Chelsea contract in 1984, with Ken Bates saying at the time he

wanted him to take over from John Neal when he retires (Hammersmith & Shepherds Bush Gazette, 1984, p.24). Following John Neal’s retirement in June 1985, John, who was already

part of the coaching team, became manager. Initially, under John, the team were at the top of the table, (The Guardian, 2023). John also led the team to victory in the Full Members’ Cup in March 1986 (The Telegraph, 2023).


Just before the three-year anniversary of his tenure, in February 1988, uncertainty was

circulating about John’s future at the club. Chelsea had not won a league game since the end of October 1987, and they had lost their fourth-round FA Cup match against Manchester

United in January. Adding to this was rumoured clashes with the players. Despite the poor

run in form, players Mickey Hazard and Joe McLaughlin put their support behind him,

although Chairman Ken Bates’ patience was diminishing (The People, 1988, p.44). John was

sacked on the 22nd of March 1988, which was announced by Ken Bates, after “months of

dressing room unrest and depressing results” (Aberdeen Press and Journal, 1988, p.20). John was reportedly paid £65,000 whilst Ken Bates commented “On behalf of all at Chelsea, he goes with my best wishes for the future.” (Manchester Evening News, 1988, p.1). Following John’s sacking, player Tony Dorigo commented “I’m greatly shocked. In my books John Hollins was a good manager” (Aberdeen Press and Journal, 1988, p.20).


After his departure from Chelsea, John had managerial stints at QPR, Swansea City,

Rochdale, Stockport County, Stockport Tiger Star, Raith Rovers, Crawley Town and

Weymouth (The Telegraph, 2023).


Although John was a talented and reliable footballer, he only received one senior cap for

England. In May 1967, he was invited to join the England team tour which went to Greece,

Bulgaria and Turkey (Westminster & Pimlico News, 1967, p.8). John’s only appearance for England was on the 27th of May that year in an end-of-season friendly at Wembley against Spain with a 2-0 win, with goals from former Chelsea player Jimmy Greaves and Roger Hunt (England Football Online, 2023).


Picture credit: Daily Mirror/Monte Fresco

John sadly passed away in June 2023 at the age of 76. His death was mourned by many across the world of football which demonstrates how genuinely loved and respected he was not just as a player but also as a person.


On the passing on his father, Chris Hollins wrote on Twitter/X “My hero, best friend and dad left us today. He was so modest but I will say it. He was a great player, brilliant team mate and one hell of a person. My Mum, sister and all his grandchildren will miss him so much”

(Hollins, 2023).


Daniel Finkelstein, a member of the Chelsea board, paid tribute to John through a statement which said "He was a hero to the fans of this club, and very much that to me. He was at the heart of one of Chelsea's greatest teams and, as well as contributing to its trophy success, he expressed its spirit. He lifted up the team with his play and lit up the Bridge with his smile. He gave a life of service to this club, as a player, as a manager and as a matchday ambassador. He was greatly loved and will be much missed." (BBC, 2023).


David Speedie who played alongside John and was also managed by him said "Long before the days of big money, social media and billionaire owners, John cemented his place as an all-time Chelsea FC legend. He'll be missed by everyone who knew him." (BBC, 2023).


Tributes also came in from the other clubs that John was associated with. Swansea City called John “a popular and much-loved figure” (Swansea City, 2023). Arsenal said in their tribute “it was always a joy to welcome John who was universally loved for his zest of the game a warmth of character” (Arsenal, 2023). Stockport County called John “Popular and highly respected” (Stockport County, 2023). The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) said John “had an illustrious career both on and off the field, leaving a lasting mark on the fans and clubs he represented” (Professional Footballers’ Association, 2023).


John’s contribution to our club was invaluable. He was part of an era which is fondly

remembered by the older fans and increasingly acknowledged by the younger ones. As with

many of his peers, he is part of our club’s history which has contributed greatly to its success.

His dedication to Chelsea and to the sport was second to none and his special legacy will live on. He will be greatly missed.


Rest in peace, John.


Picture credit: Fulham Chronicle

Article reproduced with kind permission of Anna Welsh from her own site The Little Blue Chelsea Blog and can also be found on X as @AnnaLauraWelsh



Some Chelsea fans have kindly shared their memories of John:


Steve (@stevecr64387885)

“A real gent and as with all those who played at that time always stopped and chatted to us

kids who hung around the car park after school. He didn’t change either as I had the pleasure of chatting to him several times around the bridge.

“I was chatting to him and his son Chris at the Bridge not long after he’d won strictly. A

young lass asked for his autograph, John reached for his pen, not you, Chris came the reply to much amusement by both John and Chris. Lovely guy, RIP John.”


Robert Rea (@robertrea)

“The day another Chelsea legend Peter Osgood died, I was working in the BBC newsroom.

Ossie was an absolute titan of my childhood, my first ever hero, and I was devastated. But.

You don’t have time for emotions on a breaking story and my job was to get as many Chelsea and football names, past and present, on to the News Channel to pay tribute to the great man. I got a lot of people on, but my best get was his former team-mate and friend John Hollins, who agreed to come into TV Centre to do a live interview in the studio.

When John arrived, I went down to reception to pick him up. I can’t remember exactly what I

said to him - something anodyne like “it’s such a sad day” - but for some reason it just set off

all the emotions I’d been keeping back, and I burst out crying in front of him.

Holly wasn’t thrown by that though. He just came over and hugged me, in the middle of TB

Centre reception, said “I know, I know” and started crying too. We just stood there hugging

and crying and consoling each other for, well, probably only a few seconds, but it felt like

ages. No embarrassment, nothing. And then well, that’s it. I walked him to the studio, he did

his interview, which had me in tears again, and went off. But I’ve never forgotten that one

moment when this humble, lovely man just opened himself up to a stranger and - through that strange connection of football - put aside his own grief, or rather united it with another’s, to help that stranger deal with the sadness of losing part of his childhood. What a great, good man. RIP Holly. My thoughts are with Chris and his family.


Ashley (@ralpha060461)

“I met him on the No.11 Bus after a game. It was a route master, so it was a while back and

he jumped on between stops while in stationary traffic. We were both coming home from a

game. Nobody recognised him except me as most people on the bus were the younger

generation. We engaged in conversation, and I asked him about his famous goal against Arsenal where he ran through the defence after a long ball from Ron Harris, chipped Bob Wilson only for the ball to rebound off the goal frame. Undeterred he ran back to the ball while the defence froze, turned, and smashed the ball into the net. I said to hear how good that goal was and surely was his best one ever for Chelsea. He turned to me, winked and said nonchalantly “I got lucky” then jumped off the bus with a wry smile that was John very modest, but a lovely person and he’ll be sadly missed”


Rugrat3108 (@Rugrat3108)

“He scored our 2nd at the very 1st game I went to v Burnley (68-69 lost 2-3). Amazing man -

tough as old boots, heart and lungs of an ultra-marathon runner and skilful with a rocket of a

right foot. Unlucky not to play more for England.”


Carol Ann Wood (CFCPinky)

“I was fortunate to have met John several times in recent years which compensated for me

not having met him when he was a player.  The last time I met him struck a chord with me and illustrates one of many reasons why he was so well respected, even though his managerial spell with us wasn’t successful. It was after the home game in Sarri’s season-long reign. Arsenal were playing a later kick off. We had won our game, but needed Arsenal to drop points so that we’d get CL football. Maurizio Sarri was striding about outside the East Stand apparently without a care in the world. Holly, who was proudly introducing his young grandson to us all, was continually checking the Arsenal score and getting excited. ‘We need them to lose!’ he was shouting.  I immediately wondered if Sarri had even understood the implications of the late game. He’d worked in a bank. Surely he could do the maths! I sadly concluded that he just wasn’t as bothered as John, who had played his best football at Chelsea, but yet had also spent a spell at Arsenal. No doubt as to where John’s heart lay. He was a charming and genuine man whose blood was forever blue.”

 

Thank you to Steve, Robert, Ashley, Rugrat3108 and Carol for sharing their memories. You

can follow them on Twitter/X


What are your memories of John– did you ever meet him? I would love to hear from you.

You can write in the comments section below or contact me on Twitter/X: @AnnaLauraWelsh



Notes

Thank you to Tim Rolls (@tim_rolls) for sharing some interesting resources about John,

which has helped me to write this blog post. Tim has written a few books about Chelsea in

John’s era and you can see the details/purchase them here on Amazon:


Thank you to Mark Meehan (@eddiemacbawa) for sharing the 1994 interview he and Andy

Regan conducted with John in 1994.


For the research behind this blog, I also found The British Newspaper Archive in partnership

with the British Library a valuable source. You can create an account and view three articles


Chelsea have opened an online book of condolence for John, which you can sign here:


Chelsea F.C. Lookback’s YouTube channel have created a compilation of some of John’s


Here is footage of John recording ‘Blue is the Colour’ with his teammates:


Spencer Vignes’ book about John’s brother, Dave, and fellow Newcastle goalkeeper Eric Gill,

‘Eric and Dave: A Lifetime of Football and Friendship’ can be purchased here on Amazon:


I always ensure to the best of my ability that the factual information in my blogs is correct

and referenced. If you feel that any inaccuracies have been made, please let me know.


References

*Denotes that the article is a physical clipping of a magazine/newspaper and the publication,

publication date, and/or page number has not been established.

**Johnny Neal’s Blue and White Army consists of Mark Meehan, David Johnstone, Kelvin

Barker, Neil Smith, Richard Schaller and Mark Worrall.


Aberdeen Press and Journal (1988) ‘Exit Hollins with £100,000’, 23 rd March 1988, p.20.

Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000578/19880323/428/0020


Arsenal (2023) John Hollins 1946-2023. Available at: https://www.arsenal.com/news/john-

hollins-1946-2023

BBC (2023) John Hollins: Former Chelsea Player and Manages Boss Dies Aged 76.

Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65904644

BBC (c.2023) Chris Hollins. Available at:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/L5tnpzWcKHCwsvZF4HjZXn/chris-hollins

Belfast Telegraph (1982) ‘An OBE For Arthur’s Appraisal’, 12 th June 1982, p.3. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002318/19820612/040/0003

Birmingham Daily Post (1964) ‘Smith’s Winner’, 27 th October, p.15. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002135/19641027/791/0033

Birmingham Daily Post (1971) ‘Real and Chelsea Fight Injuries’, 21 st May, p.15. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002135/19710521/434/0025

*Bradley, R. (1971)

Chronicle Live (2022) The 1960s Newcastle United Who is The Subject of a New Book.

Available at: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/history/1960s-newcastle-united-

goalkeeper-who-24852116

Coventry Evening Telegraph (1975) ‘Now Hollins Set for QPR’, 12 th June 1975, p.24.

Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19750612/396/0037

Coventry Evening Telegraph (1979) ‘Ticket Boom for City’, 4 th July, p.4. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000769/19790704/099/0008?browse

=true

Daily Herald (1963) ‘Chelsea Boys Get Their Reward’ 18 th December, p.9. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000681/19631218/157/0009

Daily Mail (1971) ‘Hollins Hits Back’ 24 th August, p.22.

Daily Mail (1975) ‘Sadness Night for Unwanted Hollins’ 23 rd April, p.39.

Daily Mirror (1963) ‘The Doc’s Mixture’, 25 th September, p.30. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19630925/214/0030

Daily Mirror (1964) ‘Hollins Will Have a Family Cheer Party’, 23 rd October, p.31. Available

at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19641023/205/0031

*Daily Mirror (1968) ‘The Big Match of The Season’, back page, 1 st April.

Daily Mirror (1970) ‘Battlefield’ 13 th April, p.17. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19700413/134/0017

Daily Mirror (1973) ‘Garner the Star as Chelsea End Seven-Year Jinx’, 19 th February, p.31.

Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19730219/280/0031


Daily Mirror (1975) ‘Hollins for Rangers?’, 13 th of June 1975, p.32 Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19750613/212/0032

Daily Mirror (1983) ‘John Wants More Time’, 15 th March, p.31, Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19830315/207/0031

Dixon, K. (1983) ‘It’s a Whole New Way of Life Here’, Reading Evening Post, 13 th August,

p.15. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002471/19830813/080/0019

England Football Online (2023) John William Hollins MBE. Available at:

http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamPlyrsBios/PlayersH/BioHollinsJW.html

Evening Standard (1967) ‘Hollins Signs New Contract’, p.31, 13 th October.

Fulham Chronicle (1970), 10 th April, p.2. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001984/19700410/018/0002

Fulham Chronicle (1971) ‘Hollins is Player of Year’,30 th April, p.2. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001984/19710430/025/0002

GOAL (1971) ‘Hot Shot Hollins’, December 4 th , p.5

Hammersmith & Shepherds Bush Gazette (1984) ‘Hollins Stays but Davies is on His Way’,

31 st May, p.24. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002481/19840531/225/0024

Hollins, C. (2023) [Twitter] 14 th June. Available at:

https://twitter.com/chrishollinsTV/status/1668945853619290112

**Johnny Neal’s Blue and White Army (2022) Come Along and Sing This Song. Gate 17.

Leitch, S. (1964) ‘Champion, Chelsea’, Sunday Mirror, 30 th August, p.38. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002137/19640830/393/0038

Manchester Evening News (1988) ‘Quids In’, 25 th March, p.1. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004985/19880326/041/0041

Meehan, M., Regan, A. (1994) John Hollins Remembered. Available at:

https://www.chelseaheritagepartnership.com/post/john-hollins-remembered. This was an

interview which was originally published in 1994 in the Chelsea Independent Fanzine and

shared again via the Chelsea Heritage Partnership in July 2023 on what would have been

John’s 77 th birthday.

McGill, S. (1965) ‘Hail Hollins, The Kid with Everything’. The People, 10 th January, p.23.

Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000729/19650110/327/0023

Powell, J. (1974) ‘Now Chelsea Drop Hollins Under Pressure From That Half-Empty

Grandstand’, Daily Mail, 28 th September, p.35.

Professional Footballers’ Association (2023) PFA Deeply Saddened by Passing of John

Hollins MBE. Available at: https://www.thepfa.com/news/2023/6/14/pfa-deeply-saddened-by-

passing-of-john-hollins


Stamford-Bridge.com (c.2023) Match Database-All First-Team Matches For Season

1963/64. Available at: https://www.stamford-

bridge.com/results.php?comp_id=99&sid=64&season=1963/64

Stockport County (2023) Rest in Peace, John Hollins. Available at:

https://www.stockportcounty.com/rest-in-peace-john-hollins/

Swansea City (2023) Swansea City Saddened by the Passing of John Hollins. Available at:

https://www.swanseacity.com/news/swansea-city-saddened-passing-john-hollins

Tesser, G. (2013) Chelsea FC in the Swinging ‘60s: Football’s First Rock ’n’ Roll Club.

Stroud: The History Press. Please note that I am referencing the Ebook version.

The Daily Telegraph (1967) ‘Chelsea Happy Again as Hollins Signs’, 14 th October, p.16.

The Guardian (2023) ‘Hero’ John Hollins, Former Chelsea Player and Manager, Dies aged

76. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jun/14/john-hollins-former-

chelsea-player-and-manager-dies-aged-76

The Guildford Dragon (2023) RIP John Hollins, a Guildford Footballing Legend. Available

at: https://guildford-dragon.com/rip-john-hollins-a-guildford-footballing-

legend/#:~:text=Former%20Chelsea%20footballer%20and%20manager,pupil%20at%20Park

%20Barn%20School.

The People (1966) ‘Spurs Bid 80,000 for John Hollins’, 20 th November, p.24. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000729/19661120/270/0024

The People (1988) ‘Hollins Shivers’, 7 th February, p.44. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003632/19880207/044/0044

The Telegraph (2023) John Hollins, Talented and Hard-Running Midfielder at the Heart of

One of Chelsea’s Greatest Sides – Obituary. Available at:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2023/06/14/john-hollins-chelsea-arsenal-hero-died-

obituary/

Torbay Express and South Devon Echo (1965) ‘Chelsea Eight Fly to see the Match’, 24 th

April, p.1. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001329/19650424/004/0001

Westminster & Pimlico News (1967) ‘Hollins for Tour’, 5 th May, p.8. Available at:

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003293/19670505/100/0008

Westminster & Pimlico News (1972) ‘Chelsea’s Squad is the Key to Their Success”, 11 th

August, p.7. Available at:

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