As the 1960s rolled into the 1970s, Chelsea had ridden the crest of the wave like no time before in the club’s history. In terms of sustained success, star players, national news interest, and colour and fervour from our supporters, this was unprecedented.

No wonder chairman Brian Mears and the directors were electrified with the same ambition that had enthused his own ancestors who had formed the club at the start of the century. They had constructed what was then described as a ‘stadium to stagger humanity’. Now the board decided on a complete reconstruction to make Stamford Bridge ‘a stadium in keeping with the magnificent potential of our team’.

Fully covered, close to the pitch instead of the wide-open spaces of the original oval-shaped ground, and even with the potential for warm-air to be piped under the seats to keep winter at bay when the fans were inside, it was certainly a grand design.

First was to be the overdue demolition of the old, original wooden grandstand and its replacement with a huge concrete-and-steel cantilever East Stand that would be, on opening, the largest single grandstand in Britain.

Financial margins were tight however and what the board could ill afford, and had not budgeted for, was any decline in the team’s performance or wider problems in the UK economy. They were hit hard by both.