Ray Wilkins MBE

[the wes 7,212]

RIP  Butch

[Azpinator 2,325]

Rest In Peace. 💔

[zakhov 253]

Gutted.

Always thought he was the ideal assistant manager (former player, skipper and a fan), was let go unfairly by the club in 2010-2011 but to his credit was never bitter and handled it with class.

[coolhead23 1,147]

R.I.P

[Kieran. 6,317]

Rest in Peace Butch.

[KevinAshburner 1,270]

RIP Ray Wilkins.

Thanks for all you have given and done for Chelsea FC.

 

Lot's of Love from me.

 

That's the worst thing about life is dying.

 

I hope you are in a better place.

 

Blessings and love to all who knew you well.

 

I know they will be feeling lots of pain for the next few months.

 

The last few moments before dying, scarey feeling.

I hope there is no hell for us.

We humans don't deserve this.

 

 

 

 

 

[DDA 9,924]

Genuinely gutted about this. Ray was a good egg. He was always positive when talking about our club. A Legend in my eyes. R.I.P fella.

[Amblève. 4,995]

In light of the today's news I'm more than ever disgusted by the way he was let go in 2010. A club legend should never have to leave on such terms ffs.

[Fulham Broadway 17,299]

1 hour ago, Iggy Doonican said:

My childhood hero along with Peter Osgood. Captain at 18 a Chelsea legend who when he played for England there was enormous pride amongst Chelsea fans as we were short of star players back then. Thoroughly decent bloke no ego at all and always had time for the fans RIP Butch.

Exactly and I am a bit angry with the club - sacked for allegedly saying to Roman and Gourlay ''Well if you ever played the game you'd know differently''. Booted out the next day. His heavy drinking started soon after. 

Anyway I was privileged to see him play loads of games -as were you Iggy ? Fuck me if you think we are a one man team with Hazrd, you should have seen us when we were with Wilkins. Midfield maestro. Never forgotten.

[Fulham Broadway 17,299]

Interview with 18 year old Ray

 

[Johnnyeye 7,501]

what a sad day to be a Chelsea fan, terrible terrible news, this came out of nowhere, i dont know what to say, im shocked. Gone too soon R.I.P. Ray  , my condolences to his family, there is so much more to life than football, and at the end of the day we are all humans, life is just so fragile  KTBFFH wherever you are Ray 😞

[Johnnyeye 7,501]

13 minutes ago, Fulham Broadway said:

Interview with 18 year old Ray

 

what a lovely lad back then, very down to earth and with class. RIP

[manpe 10,861]

20 minutes ago, Fulham Broadway said:

Interview with 18 year old Ray

 

Looked a proper man in that interview. Rest in peace Chelsea legend and what I bet was a decent man, wish I'd seen him play as some great memories shared here.

But... is it true there was only 1 substitute back then?

[OhForAGreavsie 6,057]

How sad.

As a schoolboy, I was in the away end at White Hart Lane watching an eighteen year old Butch Wilkins captain Chelsea in a crucial late season relegation four-pointer. (Two points for a win in those days.) Near the end he missed a chance which would probably have earned a point that could, perhaps, have seen us avoid the relegation which followed a couple of weeks later. Three and a half years after that, I stood opposite The Shelf and watched him dominate a game in which recent Word Cup winners Ossie Ardieles & Ricky Villa featured for Spurs. (Check out Brian Moore's post match comments in the video below.) In between I stood week after week in The Shed chanting, "Wilkins, Wilkins ... born is the king".  He was our captain, our leader, a part of the furniture. So much so in fact that he married the Chairman's daughter. He was Mr. Chelsea, the true heir to Ossie's throne.

In later years I was not always able to agree with his comments as a pundit but today, and forever more I hope, Chelsea fans will remember the club legend. Thank you Butch.

 

[Fulham Broadway 17,299]

15 minutes ago, manpe said:

Looked a proper man in that interview. Rest in peace Chelsea legend and what I bet was a decent man, wish I'd seen him play as some great memories shared here.

But... is it true there was only 1 substitute back then?

Yes -known as 'the reserve'. When men were men . Sometimes it wasn't unusual to see a game where one or both teams would end up with 9 or 10. But they also used crude steroid injections on in play injuries so they could carry on. Quite a few ended up crippled later in life.

Yeah Ray was exceptional. Played pinpoint accurate across the field passes, quite Fabregasesque, but with a better work rate.