Webb 2.0: Chesterfield and the link to a stolen FA Cup winner’s medal

06-Jan-2023 10:14:33 | The Guardian

National League side, who face West Brom in third round, have 1970 Cup hero David Webb’s son Danny as assistant manager

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 shoutout 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.”