When David Webb, while manager of Southend United, returned home from a family friend’s New Year’s Eve party in the early 90s, his heart sank as it quickly dawned on him that he had been the victim of a burglary. Windows were ajar, bedroom drawers open. “The first thing Dad checked was the medals,” says his son Danny, now assistant manager at Chesterfield. David, a former defender, won the FA Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup with Chelsea but his silverware was stolen. “He put a brave face on but it was horrible for him. He was devastated. We were all devastated as a family.”
At least this is a harrowing episode with a heartwarming ending. A few days after the burglary David received a call from a small jewellers in Covent Garden. “The bloke said: ‘I’m just making sure these medals are supposed to be in my melting pot,’” Danny says. “So they got saved at the last minute. I wish I remembered the man’s name because I’d like to give him a shout-out because he did the right, honest thing. They’re safely in the bank somewhere. Chelsea would like put them in their museum but I think Dad wants to keep them to himself for the next few years.”
