Pensioner who dines out on tales of old Chelsea... at the restaurant in his name

The Roy Bentley interview: Hero of the Scoring Fifties has a soft spot for Zola. Nick Townsend meets a man with bittersweet memories of the Cup

It says much about Roy Bentley that Chelsea followers once dined out on tales of his goalscoring derring-do; now they dine out in the restaurant named after him and yearn for the championship trophy he held aloft to return once more. Nearly half a century on, Bentley's is not just an eatery at Stamford Bridge, but a challenge, one which poses the question: "Do you possess the appetite for success that we did?" to all those Chelsea captains who have passed down the Fulham Road after him.

It is why Bentley, Chelsea's former centre-forward, remains to this day a Blues icon, though you suspect he would have become one regardless of the fact that he captained a title-winning side and scored 21 goals in the process. What player now could boast a record of being leading Chelsea goalscorer in eight consecutive seasons? Which perhaps makes it a little insensitive to begin our wander down Nostalgia Mews (this is Chelsea, for heaven's sake) on the subject of the FA Cup. But then this is quarter-final weekend – when today his modern-day Stamford Bridge equivalents take on Tottenham – so he accepts it, even if it evokes some of the less palatable moments of his career.

He was in this position on no fewer than four occasions, with Newcastle, Chelsea (twice) and Fulham and progressed to within the very precincts of the famous old stadium. In the resulting semi-finals, Bentley played in a total of seven games, including three replays. Yet, to his chagrin, he never did take that exhilarating coach drive down Wembley Way.

Undoubtedly he experienced the most profound disappointment 52 years ago, when his two splendidly executed goals failed to eliminate Arsenal from the competition. The Gunners hauled themselves back to 2-2 and won the replay. "I think I'm better qualified than most to say that semis are definitely the hardest game to lose," says the unassuming Bristolian. "To get that far and be thinking, 'God, I'm going to Wembley', though you try not to, well, it can be heartbreaking."

Since those days, his successors have not only reached the final on five occasions, but raised the Cup on three of them. But never again have a Chelsea team combined the quality, the astute management of a Ted Drake, an almost military sense of discipline and a "family" spirit in the way Bentley's '55 team did to secure that elusive championship.

Now a youthful 77, Bentley still follows his beloved club's endeavours, mostly from his Berkshire home, where he lives with his wife, Vi, but occasionally from the Bridge, when invited back. He invariably receives a hearty welcome from chairman Ken Bates.

What the former centre-forward has not become is one of those jaundiced veterans who derides his counterparts of today. Broach the names of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen, and he enthuses: "Both great goalscorers. With the right people around them they can be a terrific pair. They'll always get goals."

But if he could have had any of Chelsea's current squad in his title-winning team, it would be Gianfranco Zola. Like many, Bentley could only sit and admire the diminutive Italian's impudent goal against Norwich in this season's FA Cup replay. "God, yes, what a player," he exclaims in his rasping Bristol burr. "When he's on his game there's not much the opposition can do about it, is there?"

Neither is Bentley one of those mean-spirited former players who condemn the rewards earned now, though he knows a few who do. Understandably, he finds it difficult to relate to today's million-pound- a-year salaries with his and his team-mates' earnings of £10 a week (and that including a £2 win bonus). "You get a bit envious of the kids today, but it doesn't get me as bad as some old team-mates of mine. They get upset and say, 'That so and so couldn't have kicked a ball in our time'. All I get upset about is that there's fellas getting a lot of money for cheating."

Not that, back in the Forties and Fifties, they were paragons. Far from it. "We had a little fella called Jimmy Bowie who could always get you a penalty," he recalls appreciatively. "But we never really had people who dived. Mind you, we had a few players that opponents would dive out of the way to avoid!"

Bentley was a natural athlete who, at school, excelled at the high jump, hurdling and sprinting. He had the chance to play cricket for Gloucestershire and could also have been a boxer. Crucially, he was blessed with an acute sense of timing. It would later aid his heading prowess and harness remarkable power from a man of only 5ft 10in.

The son of a rugby-playing, bare-fist fighter, he was taught from an early age the importance of self-defence. At Chelsea, that education continued from Billy Mitchell, who, according to Bentley, once laid out three players in a single game. As right-half, the Northern Ireland international played just behind Bentley, who was then an inside-forward. "If anyone went out to get me, Billy'd say to them quietly, 'Try that again and I'll have you off the field'. But on the whole they wouldn't try to do you with career-finishing tackles. Not like some you see today."

He adds, almost with relish: "In those days, you were up against some hard fellas, but they didn't complain if you sorted them out. West Brom had a wing-half called Paddy Ryan. We had our moments. I'm not proud of it, but on one occasion, at a corner, as we went up for a header, I just used my fist and whacked him one in the face. In those days, though, they didn't go down or go crying to the referee. Paddy was spitting blood, but he just turned to me and said, 'You bugger' and got on with the game. Can you imagine today's players doing that?"

Bentley was signed by Bristol City when still 16, just after the start of the Second World War. During the hostilities he served in the Navy and spent much of the time on board destroyers which escorted Atlantic convoys. They were hazardous missions, with the ever-present danger of submarine attack. When in port, Able Seaman Bentley sought out a game with the local professional club.

He once played for Liverpool under the name of Smith and, on another occasion back in his home city, turned out for Bristol City and scored despite being ordered not to leave the precincts of the port. He was caught out when the officer of the watch picked up a copy of the News of the World and saw the headline "Bentley scores for City". His denials cut little ice.

Initially a centre-half, Bentley had converted to inside-right by the time he moved to Newcastle in June, 1946, and was playing in an illustrious forward line which consisted of himself, Jackie Milburn, Charlie Wayman, Len Shackleton and Tommy Pearson. There was astonishment on Tyneside when, having contributed to Newcastle's promotion from the Second Division in 1947, he moved south to Chelsea as a £12,500 replacement for the legendary Tommy Lawton, who had departed for Notts County. "I had to leave because of the North-east air," he explains. "I was so fatigued and the doctor told me it would be better if I moved south. He said, 'If you stay and fight it you could end up with TB'."

Bentley's early days at the Bridge, in January, 1948, were troubled ones, under the then manager Billy Birrell. "I remember going down the tunnel and a fan shouting, 'What a load of rubbish. You're no bloody Lawton, Bentley. Get back to Newcastle where you belong.' It was the best thing he could have said. That really got to me. I thought, 'You bastard. I'll show you'."

By the end of that season, he had begun to silence his critics. "I had a lot of help from Len Goulden, our coach, and he convinced Billy Birrell to give me a try at centre-forward," says Bentley. "I had two good feet and it never bothered me whether the ball was on my left or right. My first game was against Everton and we beat them five-something. I scored two. I had a wonder game. Afterwards, Len actually walked into the bath to shake hands with me. 'Christ, I've never seen anything like it,' he said. 'Tell you what, you'll be in there for life and you'll be in the England side before two year.' "

In fact, his first of 12 caps arrived much sooner, in 1949, against Sweden, and he was an international until 1955, scoring nine goals. His fondest memory was scoring the winner against Scotland at Hampden Park in 1950; the one he'd prefer to forget the defeat by the USA the following year.

Drake transformed "The Pensioners" when he arrived from Reading in 1952. He built a team round Bentley and created a new environment, in which players felt they were part of an extended family. "When Ted arrived he was aware there was a group of lads, most of them single, who were easily led astray," says Bentley. "Quite a few were heavy gamblers. They might have been talented but they never had the character which Ted wanted.

"I remember one time we were playing at Liverpool and were 1-0 down. I went to get the ball for a throw-in near the dug-out, but one of my team-mates shouted, 'Leave it, Roy', and as he ran to pick it up I heard him say to the trainer, 'What won the 2.30?' At half-time, I said to Johnny Harris, then the captain, 'What the bloody hell's going on?' The trainer interrupted and said, 'Roy, he's won more money than what he gets paid in two weeks'."

He adds: "One or two possibly drunk a little bit more than they should, too, but not to the extent that they do today, and it ends up in court. This boy [John] Terry, whatever happens, it won't do his career any good at all. Who do you blame? Well, you can't put it all down to the money, but I think that plays a big part."

Drake wanted all of his players to be married men; Bentley had done the decent thing while at Newcastle. "The reason why we won the championship was that there was a family atmosphere throughout," says Bentley. "The win bonus was £2, and £1 for a draw. Some couldn't care whether you won, lost or drew, while others of us would battle to the last minute for that couple of extra quid for our families, for our kids. To win a championship you had to fight tooth and nail in every game you played."

The season after the title had been secured, Chelsea discarded half their team, Bentley included. "I couldn't believe it," he says. "I had been promised from my early days that I'd go on the coaching staff and never leave Chelsea. But it wasn't Ted's fault. Just before he died, he told me that if he'd had his way, I'd have stayed."

In fact, Bentley remained in London, playing for Fulham and QPR, where he finished his career, aged 38, before becoming manager of Reading. At heart, though, Bentley would never be anything other than a Chelsea man. For the club's part, even all these years later, they remain heavily in his debt.

Biography: Roy Bentley

Born: 17 May 1924 in Bristol.

Lives: Berkshire. Married to Violet; two daughters, six grandchildren.

Playing career: Bristol City (joined 1941 as apprentice); Newcastle (1946-47, 48 League apps, 22 goals); Chelsea (1948-56, 324 appearances, 128 goals); Fulham (1956-60, 143 appearances, 23 goals); QPR (1960-62, 45 appearances).

England career: 12 caps between 1949 and 1955, scored nine goals. Best memories include scoring winner against Scotland in 1950 and hat-trick against Wales in 1954.

Managerial career: Manager of Reading (1963-69), later returned to the club as secretary; manager of Swansea (1969-72).

Now: In retirement, plays golf and enjoys horseracing.