Chelsea legend Ron “Chopper” Harris has paid tribute to former team-mate Ian Hutchinson, who has died this morning following a long illness.
Harris, who played in the same team as Derby-born Hutchinson for several seasons, has spoken today of his respect and admiration for the long throw specialist of the 1970’s. 
“I knew he had been ill for quite some time and just recently he had got steadily worse,” said Harris.
“Ian was very much part of the side. He was big brave lad who was fantastic from a defender’s point of view because if you got a ball down the line he was that brave he used to go where other people feared to go.
“He was a 110% player and I think that was why he went down ever so well with Chelsea.
“He also scored the equalising goal for us at Wembley (in 1970) that took the game into a replay and he was responsible for the winning goal (in the replay) with a long throw which he took.”
Harris said that the news regarding Hutchinson had stunned a number of his former colleagues.
“At the moment I’m playing a golf tournament with a lot of the old Chelsea players and most of them are devasted,” he said.
Hutchinson was at The Bridge between 1968 and 1976 playing 144 games and scoring 58 goals. He was the type of player that Chelsea fan’s loved, passionate, strong and committed. He gave us all a lot of pleasure and good memories. He will be greatly missed.
He was a Chelsea legend.
stevefurlong@chelsea-mad.co.uk