Chelsea 1981/82

If you use the map function on this site (‘Where were they from?’) you will have to zoom in on the map of the Caribbean to find the tiny specs that represent Anguilla and Dominica. These two islands are where Paul Canoville’s parents were born. Clearly Paul has inherited a ‘survivor’ gene from one, or probably both, of them; if he were a cat you would fear that he might have run out of lives. But they obviously make ’em tough on Anguilla and Dominica as Paul keeps bouncing back. At the time of writing (March 2021) he is recovering in hospital after another major health scare, we wish him a full recovery.

Paul made his debut for Chelsea on 12th April 1982. He records in his autobiography ‘Black and Blue’ (a book we can strongly recommend) that he was booed by Chelsea fans as he prepared to come on as a substitute late in the second half. Playing for Chelsea was a dream come true, to be booed by a section of the club’s own fans was a heartbreaking experience for him – but it certainly didn’t break his determination to make it as a professional footballer.

We don’t have the programme for Paul’s debut game at Selhurst Park but, a few weeks later, be made his home debut and here is the programme from that game.

Paul was substitute again that day and, in a sign that his name was still an unfamiliar one, the anonymous programme owner has misspelled his name as ‘Canovilla’.

Whether Paul was again booed by a section of the home support is not recorded but there is a fair chance that he was – Paul was really the only first black player in our book who was consistently booed by his own club’s fans. He appeared in Chelsea’s 1st team colours a total of 103 times in all competitions, scoring 15 goals but, in a truly bizarre expression of their ongoing hatred, some fans went so far as to create an alternative league table, one that took any goals he had scored out of the equation altogether.

This was Chelsea’s last home game of the 1981/82 season and the progamme’s editorial casts an eye back over the season. ‘Sadly’ the editor writes, the season is ‘most likely to be remembered by what has taken place off the field, rather than on it.’ This is clarified a little later ‘off the field, the good name of the club was dragged down once again by the actions of a few unwelcome thugs, causing a ban on our away support at a time when we needed it most,’ a ban that the programme notes ‘has now been lifted.’ John Neal, the manager at the time, commenting on the lifting of the ban in his own column, says that ‘it came out right in the end.’ Clearly this refers to the general issue of hooliganism rather than anything specifically racist – at this time the authorities and clubs turned a blind eye to racism on and off the pitch.

Later on in the editorial the arrival of Ken Bates as Chairman is noted, ‘his arrival causes us to look to the coming years with fresh optimism.’

Before we leave the Chelsea programme it’s worth having a quick look at the team photo of visitors, Luton Town.

The number of black faces is interesting and among them is a very young (17 year old) Ray Daniel (2nd from the right in the front row). Ray never made the 1st team at Luton but he did go on to become the first black player at Hull City in August 1986.