Peter Osgood, who died Wednesday at 59, was a talismanic figure in the Chelsea soccer club of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

By training a bricklayer, Osgood the center-forward was abundantly endowed with an ease and arrogance more usually associated with aristocrats; not for nothing was he dubbed by fans “the King of Stamford Bridge.”

Tall, graceful, and occasionally theatrical in his play, he seemed to embody the era when the boundaries between sport and show business dissolved. Teammates such as Alan Hudson and Bobby Tambling provided entertainment as thrilling as anything that could be seen in the West End, while celebrities regularly made the short walk from the King’s Road to Chelsea’s ground.

Osgood liked to tell the story of how, having been stuck for some time on 99 league goals for the club, he had finally scored twice in a victory over Everton. “I did a lap of honor, then raced down to the dressing room to be – as I thought – carried shoulder-high by the lads. I walked in and no one took a blind bit of notice. No wonder. Steve McQueen was sitting there.”

Arriving at Wembley, where he had dreamed of playing as a boy, he was disgusted to see that the pitch was heavily rutted and boggy; it had hosted the Horse of the Year Show the week before. Nonetheless, Chelsea and their opponents Leeds went on to provide one of the most exciting Finals of the century, with Osgood maintaining his record by scoring in the 2-2 draw. Then, in the replay at Old Trafford, his diving header helped the club to a famous 2-1 victory.

The following season the side won through to the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup.There they faced an aging Real Madrid team, but one that still boasted the talents of Gento and Pirri. Osgood scored the equalizer in the initial 1-1 draw in Athens, but felt the effects of a knee injury that would lead to severe arthritis in later life.The day after the game he had a cortisone injection, and the very next scored Chelsea’s decisive second goal in the replay victory over the Spaniards.

Peter Leslie Osgood was born at Windsor on February 20, 1947. After leaving Dedworth Secondary Modern, he entered the building trade, but on the recommendation of an uncle he had already had trials for Chelsea, and turned professional for them in 1964.

Soon afterward his manager caused a stir by moving the England forward Barry Bridges to the wing in order to accommodate Osgood up front. At the time, although he was good in the air and with both feet, much of his game was built around his natural pace. Then, in 1966, he broke his leg very badly in a tackle with Emlyn Hughes, then playing for Blackpool.

Some thought that Osgood’s career might be over, but although he eventually regained his place in the side, the injury robbed him of speed and forced him to change his style of play, so that he relied more on body movement. His manager, Tommy Docherty, who had once had to suspend Osgood for drinking into the small hours before a match, believed that he became a more responsible player after the accident, but also one who sometimes pulled out of tackles.

After falling out with Chelsea’s manager in 1974, he moved to Southampton. In 1976, he led them to a memorable victory in the FA Cup Final against Manchester United. Osgood made off with the trophy after the game and took it home with him (much to Lawrie McMenemy’s irritation), stopping off on the way to pick up a hamburger.

His career ended with a brief stint at Chelsea. In all he scored 152 goals in 380 matches for the club.

Thereafter he became a popular after-dinner speaker, and had been involved in Chelsea’s recent centenary celebrations.

Peter Osgood and his wife, Lynette, lived at Waltham Chase, near Southampton. He died after collapsing while attending a funeral at Slough Crematorium.