Sad Chelsea fans ready to pay tribute to Osgood

LONDON, Mar 10 (Reuters) To Chelsea fans, he was simply the best. To others, he evoked comparisons with George Best, Franz Beckenbauer and Alfredo Di Stefano.

Peter Osgood died from a heart attack last week aged 59 and Premier League champions Chelsea will pay their respects by holding a minute's appreciation before the game against Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow.

Osgood emerged as a 17-year-old, scoring twice on his League Cup debut in 1964.

His league debut proved a struggle but Chelsea manager Tommy Docherty told the fans the teenager would have 10 games to prove himself.

After 15 matches, Docherty said: ''He is definitely the greatest, the best I've seen in Britain.'' The momentum of Osgood's fledgling career was cruelly halted when he broke his leg in a tackle with Blackpool's Emlyn Hughes.

Osgood showed his developing sense of humour when the ambulance arrived at the hospital.

An attendant began the form-filling session by saying: ''Name?''.

''Peter Osgood,'' he replied. ''I'm the best centre forward in the country, or was. You'd better change that. Put me down as Was-good.'' He missed the 1967 FA Cup final defeat by Tottenham and when he eventually returned, the cockiness he had shown before his injury had vanished.

Dave Sexton had taken over from Docherty and he began using Osgood as a midfielder.

In 1968, Sexton said: ''Peter is that rare player, so good at both ends of the field. Di Stefano had the same quality.'' Joe Mercer, who briefly managed the England team, saw something else in Osgood.

''The English Franz Beckenbauer,'' said Mercer. ''He's so good at coming in from behind.'' MORE REUTERS PM PM0935