It is with great sadness that Chelsea Football Club has learned of the passing at the age of 88 of Wally Bellett, a defender at the club in the 1950s.

An east Londoner by birth, Bellett became a professional when he was signed by Ted Drake from Barking in September 1954 at the start of our first league championship-winning season. However, competing for a place against the formidable full-back pair of Stan Willemse and Peter Sillett, he did not make his debut until the following season.

That was at left-back in a 2-2 draw at Manchester City, with his home debut coming in a run in the side at the start of the following season. It was during that game, a 1-0 win over Preston North End in August 1956, that an iconic football photo was taken which featured Bellett, although he is almost entirely hidden.

Named the sports photograph of the year, the ‘splash’ image as it came to be known stars the legendary Tom Finney sliding on a waterlogged Stamford Bridge pitch, with Bellett behind the wall of water thrown up. It was the inspiration for a statue and fountain outside Preston’s Deepdale ground.

It was during the following season that Bellett played the most games, 20 in total, and scored his one Chelsea goal. That came in a December hosting of Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. He also played the next game when a fresh-on-the-scene Jimmy Greaves scored four times in a 7-4 Christmas Day defeat of Portsmouth.

A sharp and tough-tackling player, Bellett left Chelsea a year later having made 35 appearances. He joined Plymouth Argyle in a £12,000 deal that also included Len Casey moving to Devon. They helped Plymouth win the third division title.

All at Chelsea send our deepest condolences to Wally’s family and friends.