Though one of the less-glamorous players in a famously flamboyant side, Tommy Baldwin was an important cog in the squad that regularly reached cup finals in the late 1960s and early 1970s and captured two prestigious trophies for the first time in the club’s history.

He moved across London to join Chelsea from Arsenal in September 1966, in part-exchange for another forward, George Graham, who made the journey the other way.

Despite having become a professional footballer at Highbury, Baldwin was born in Gateshead and was a rare Northerner in the Chelsea squad of that era. Having made the switch to Stamford Bridge, he enjoyed a goalscoring debut in October 1966, away at Manchester City where he netted the second goal in a 4-1 victory that sent his new team top of the league.

The scoring feat was repeated on his home debut when wearing the no.9 shirt, he notched the only goal although this time in a defeat by Burnley.

That was the game after the new young star on the scene, Peter Osgood, had his leg broken in a cup tie, and for the remainder of the season Baldwin was a fixture on Tommy Docherty’s team sheet, mostly sporting the no.8 and playing with Tony Hateley, a centre-forward signed to plug the Osgood gap, and Bobby Tambling who by this stage was playing out wide. Charlie Cooke was in his first full season. It was a new-look Chelsea attack.

League form was patchy compared with the preceding seasons (Chelsea were destined to finish ninth) but Baldwin’s prolific start continued with two goals in a home win over Tottenham in his fourth game. Also included in his overall total of 17 in his maiden season was a goal in an extraordinary 5-5 draw at home to West Ham and a somewhat freakish effort to beat Sheffield Wednesday late in an FA Cup quarter-final. Chelsea went on to make our first Wembley final in that competition. Baldwin started in what was also the first ‘Cockney final’ although ultimately suffered defeat to Spurs.

The following season, a year after Baldwin had joined, Dave Sexton replaced Docherty as manager but the player remained in favour, playing in all but five of the games. His ability to absorb hard work and tackles from opponents when on the ball, as well as soak up drink of different descriptions, including copious amounts of tea, led to his nickname ‘The Sponge’.

‘There’s a little bit of truth in all of them,’ he confirmed in interview, about the various reasons for the moniker, ‘but it did originally come from allegedly having a sponge in my stomach!’

Baldwin also established himself as a favourite with the fans, as evidenced by the terrace chant ‘His name is Tommy Baldwin, he’s the leader of the team’, still sung long after his departure from Stamford Bridge.

Though his goals-per-game ratio was good – 92 strikes in 239 appearances – he was also very adept at bringing others into play and creating chances. He was not fast but was smart and could occupy defenders and create space. He was also admired by coaches for his ability to execute a tactical plan and his high stamina. In his first season under Sexton, Baldwin’s 16 goals were just one short of the topscorer Osgood.

Unsurprisingly, England recognition came aged 22 at Under-23 level on a summer 1968 tour when he was selected by manager Bill Nicholson (also of Spurs) to play alongside Blues team-mates Ron Harris and Alan Birchenall against Italy and Germany. Sadly, the selectors did not call again.

In the 1968/69 season Baldwin was again second-highest scorer, despite almost four months out of the team. He scored twice, including with a back-heel, in a famous 4-0 win away against Manchester United, a big shock to the recently crowned European champions and the second season running he had hit the target in a win at Old Trafford. He also netted the first of his three hat-tricks in a win at home to Leicester (another came in the famous 13-0 demolition of Luxembourg side Jeunesse Hautcharage in 1971).

The 1969/70 and 1970/71 campaigns were momentous ones, even if Baldwin’s involvement was reduced. Ian Hutchinson had been signed and proved a great foil to Osgood, meaning a sometimes altered role for the Tynesider.

He scored against Burnley en route to the 1970 FA Cup final, and was selected in the starting XI for both the Wembley match against Leeds United on a dreadful pitch, and the iconic win as the replay played out as the Battle of Old Trafford. His industry and ball-retaining qualities were certainly suited to those challenges, as the most famous of trophies was brought back to Chelsea for the first time.

As was a European trophy 12 months later. Injury problems for Hutchinson during the season and a suspension for Osgood had seen Baldwin back in central attack for spells including the Cup Winners’ Cup final in Greece to conclude the campaign. Although he was a late substitute against Real Madrid in the initial game, injury forced Sexton to make tactical switches for the second game and Baldwin was brought in as support striker to eventual matchwinner Osgood. It was he who brought the ball under control and advanced before passing to Ossie to score the second goal in a 2-1 triumph.

Those two seasons were a high-water mark in that era for the club. Baldwin featured in another cup final in 1972 but Chelsea missed out on lifting the League Cup when defeated by Stoke. He had scored a hat-trick at Bolton in an earlier round.

With Sexton’s Blues on the slide, he was the team’s topscorer in 1973/74 with nine goals but was part of the break-up of that side when he left initially on loan, afflicted at this stage by injury problems. He also became one of a host of players from England who ventured to the North American Soccer League in the mid-1970s before taking a coaching role at Brentford.

In more recent times Baldwin still lived close to Stamford Bridge and worked as a matchday host – always happy for the chance to reunite with team-mates with whom he shared such glorious times and meet fans who had enjoyed them so much.