GARETH HALL - Ex- Chelsea Pro

Gareth Hall

Having only recently turned 18, Chelsea's youth and reserve team captain, fresh from leading the youths to a South East Counties Cup win just a matter of weeks earlier, made his much anticipated debut in a league match at Plough Lane in May 1987

Given the opportunity to show what he could do, Gareth performed admirably, even scoring his first goals for the club: a one-yard tap-in which gave Chelsea three points against Manchester United, and a neat finish to help send the Blues to Wembley at the expense of Crystal Palace in the much-maligned Zenith Data Systems Trophy. At the end of March, Gareth was a member of the side that lifted the trophy in front of 76, 000 fans, as Chelsea beat Middlesbrough 1-0. (Kelvin Barker)

He began the following season in an unfamiliar left-back role, where he performed solidly before Clarke succumbed to injury in September, allowing Gareth to spend much of the remainder of the campaign back in his preferred position on the right.

He was a goal scoring hero in a 2-1 victory over Ipswich in October, and was equally popular with the home supporters when, after picking up a red card for a dreadful challenge in a League Cup victory over Everton, he responded to the taunts of the Toffees' manager, Howard Kendall, by pointing to the Stamford Bridge scoreboard which was showing 'Chelsea 1 Everton 0'.

However, perhaps Gareth's most memorable spell in the Blues' first team came during David Webb's three-month tenure at the helm, after Porterfield was relieved of his duties as the Blues slipped down the table. Webb astonished everybody by installing Hall as a midfield playmaker, and Gareth responded in style. Against Middlesbrough, as the Blues ran out 4-0 winners, so inspired was the Welsh international's performance that one Chelsea fanzine ran the headline 'Gareth Hall is a Midfield Genius'.

And he continued to play the role of midfield genius for the remaining six weeks of the campaign, even finding the time to net a fine goal in a 4-2 victory over Wimbledon.

INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 

Welsh Caps 1988-92
23/03/88 v Yugoslavia (H) L 2-1 (F) sub
01/06/88 v Malta (A) W 3-2 (F)
04/06/88 v Italy (A) W 1-0 (F)
14/09/88 v Netherlands (A) L 1-0 (WCQ)
19/10/88 v Finland (H) D 2-2 (WCQ)
08/02/89 v Israel (A) D 3-3 (F)
28/03/90 v Rep. Ireland (A) L 1-0 (F)
06/02/91 v Rep. Ireland (H) L 3-0 (F)
29/04/92 v Austria (A) D 1-1 (F)
Career Record: P9, W2, D3, L4

CHELSEA FC : 1986-1996

POSITION

Right Back

DATE OF BIRTH

Wednesday, 12th March 1969

PLACE OF BIRTH

Croydon, Surrey, England

LEAGUE DEBUT

Tuesday, 5th May 1987 as a sub in a 2-1 defeat at Wimbledon (Aged: 18)

CLUB CAREER

120 League apps (+18 as sub), 4 goals.