this link

Transcription

this link

cfcuk
cfcuk - published in memory of Matthew Harding
1
Sponsored By POWERDAY plc
Issue 165
£1 (UK) €2 (Europe) $2 (USA)
April 2015
This publication is Blue tinted, Carefree and 100% unofficial – guaranteed!
Within Touching Distance...
cfcuk is published in memory of Matthew Harding
2
3
The announcement that Chelsea FC has given John Terry a year’s extension to his current contract
is great news both for him and the Chelsea supporters. Throughout his career, John has always
given 100% for the team and the ‘Captain Leader Legend’ label truly befits the player. As well as
recently becoming the player with 3rd highest number of appearances for the club (behind Ron Harris
and Peter Bonetti), the League Cup win against Sp*rs at the beginning of March meant that he also
became Chelsea’s most decorated player, winning 13 major honours along with a couple of Charity
Shields. On the same day that the club broke the news that he would be playing for Chelsea next
season, John attended a fund raising event for Chelsea Pitch Owners that was held in his honour.
Interviewed by Jason Cundy and with some 280 attendees hanging on his every word, John spoke
eloquently about his career at Chelsea and some of the teammates he’d played alongside who had
been a major influence on his game and from whom he’d learned plenty. Talking openly and
honestly, he also referred to some of managers he’d played under since he joined as a 14-year old.
He spoke of his desire to ‘make the grade’ and explained that, although he wasn’t the most gifted of
footballers, he was determined to become a Chelsea player. He didn’t have to say that he worked
extremely hard to become the player he is today – it was patently obvious and that fact was
underlined when he recounted the time he spent on-loan at Nottingham Forest. With the City Ground
club giving their players a rest day on Wednesdays, John didn’t relax during his time off but rather
chose to return to Harlington to train with the Chelsea players in order that he would not only
improve his game but also keep in touch with things at his parent club. At one point during his
interview with Cundy, John remarked – somewhat ruefully – that some of the youngsters currently
within Chelsea’s youth set-up leave Cobham as soon as training has officially ended. If those
players do want to make it ‘big’ in the world of Chelsea and football, perhaps they should look at
players such as Gianfranco Zola and Frank Lampard who, like John Terry, were renowned for
staying behind after training and putting in extra work to improve their game.
That said, it’s congratulations from all at cfcuk and I’m sure, all Chelsea supporters for the
achievements of the U18s side who, in a remarkable second-leg FA Youth Cup Semi-Final tie at
Stamford Bridge against Sp*rs, overturned a three-goal deficit to reach their fourth consecutive FA
Youth Cup Final and their fifth in six years. Whilst the regime at Cobham is undoubtedly producing
footballers who will go on to become professionals in years to come, we at cfcuk hope that some
who played in the game against Sp*rs and who will feature in the final go on to become 1st team
regulars at Stamford Bridge.
Yet again, the thanks of the Chelsea supporters should be extended to those in charge of the club
for their generosity in knocking £10 off the price of match tickets for the recent game against Hull
City and also for providing another ‘£10 train’ (as well as coaches) to help enable supporters to get
to the rearranged (now) midweek fixture against Leicester City. By the end of this season, the club
will have provided subsidised coaches to 17 away games and trains to 6 matches, charging those
using them just £10 as well as reducing the cost of match tickets to Sunderland and Stoke by £10.
Whilst the Premier League gave each side £200,000 to help them subsidise the cost of away travel,
for their fans, the amount that Chelsea have spent on their supporters this season far exceeds that
which the PL gave them. Nice one Chelsea and thank you!
The Sheditor
This publication is written by Chelsea supporters who are either season ticket holders, members, Chelsea Pitch Owner shareholders and
otherwise committed Blues. We, the Sheditorial staff and contributors, hope you enjoy what you find within these pages but, if you don’t, well
that’s tough! We’re here to have our say, and we also offer a platform to anyone who has something that they'd like us to publish. You can
contact us via either the postal or email addresses below.The current aim of the people who both contribute to, and sponsor this fanzine is to
help bring about a Chelsea Football Club built and run according to the principles of Chelsea Fundamentalism. We also offer all possible
assistance to Roman Abramovich in the running of Chelsea Football Club.
cfcuk
PO Box 26066
London SW10 OXP
Email; [email protected]
ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT © cfcuk 1999-2015 ISSN 1740-5947
cfcuk - published in memory of Matthew Harding and in honour of Mr Abramovich
4
No Time For Losers?
Walking away from the Bridge after the PSG game, the attitude of my fellow Blues struck a
chord. Far from the frothing boiling anger we felt on previous such occasions as Barcelona
in 2009, it was a quiet reflective mood summed up by the acceptance that PSG deserved
their berth in the Quarter-Finals and we did not. L’Equipe the next morning described the
Parisians as heroic. Spot on.
Failure can come at an acceptable price. In the end someone has to lose. In sport more so
than in life itself the brutality of one person or team being above the other is the nub of the
whole exercise. Without it it would be pointless, a panoply of pre-season friendlies without
bite or real excitement. There is no shame in losing. If we knew for sure that every time we
watched the team that they would win, where would the fun be?
Yet go to any final, and somewhere sometime, that lugubrious and not to say tedious
Queen anthem “We are the Champions” is blasted out at usually ear splitting volume to a
generally half empty stadium with only the victors remaining to enjoy the spoils of victory. It
is probably the best known of their some 165 recorded tracks and yet it contains that
second line that betrays the very essence of why we go and why we support. I regret the
trend of leaving the ground if your team loses (yes I am guilty in this regard), because it is
precisely at that point that the losers need your time and indeed your support to show
appreciation for getting there in the first place.
As the governing bodies of sport preach endlessly for respect and sportsmanship, it seems
either thoughtless or just plain hypocritical to be singing a song that includes the sentiment
of having no time for the losers. Surely a rethink and a change of playlist needed.
Taking this as a theme, I recall a couple of years ago on Twitter, some surprise that I
mentioned a losing game as one of my all time favourites. That goes all the way back to
1970 and the home league game against Leeds. Yes, that Leeds team.
Until then I had been lucky enough to come to The Bridge only on the odd occasion. My
first game against the Champions of that year, Manchester City was of course exciting
enough. We won, Johnny Boyle got sent off and everyone was happy. However it was only
a couple of years later that I felt the thrill of a really big game.
Chelsea v Leeds, the league leaders vs the challengers, the ruthless Northerners vs the
artisan Southerners. The build up to the game went on for most of the previous week.
Bremner v Ron Harris, Clarke v Peter Osgood, Revie v Dave Sexton. Everywhere you
looked a titanic battle awaited. The game itself did not disappoint. Alan Clarke scored first
before Johnny Hollins and then Ossie put us 2-1 up at half-time. In the second half it is fair
to say that we were taken apart in a display of masterly football from the outstanding team
of its era. They scored 4 times without reply.
But there is the thing. It was a great and gutsy display from us and a great and skilful
display from them. Two sides going at it (and how), no quarter asked or indeed given. A
superb atmosphere with thousands locked out, and the anticipation of seeing it all again
later that night on Match of the Day. Sometimes it is better to acknowledge that we were
beaten by the better side, accept the disappointment and move on. The key is to keep the
hope alive that next time it will be different.
In the case of Leeds in 1970 it was most definitely different.
Charles Rose
@bedfordramble
Charles is a Director of Chelsea Pitch Owners. This article is expressly his own opinion and
not those of CPO
5
6
7
Stacey’s Stats
LONDON IS BLUE, CHELSEA WE LOVE YOU (=^_^=) Just to start by pointing out the mistake that I
made in the last issue where I said it was John Terry's 60th goal :(… it was in fact his 63rd – sorry for
any confusion I may have caused. That said, congratulations to our Captain on signing his new
contract. You can not put a price on what JT brings to Chelsea ;) So, first up was the 1-0 away win
against West Ham where José Mourinho kept up his incredible record of 7 league wins and no
defeats (=^_^=) Eden Hazard scored the all important goal from a header, his second headed goal of
the season ;) West Ham have now failed to score in five matches in a row against super Chels! Onto
our next game and our last game in this seasons Champions League was the 2-2 with PSG at
home :( Congratulations Captain Leader Legend on becoming Chelsea's highest ever appearance
maker in European competitions, and also on making his 300th start for the Blues at Stamford Bridge
(=^_^=) Congrats also to Ramires on making his 50th European appearance for Chels ;) Meanwhile
back in the Premier League, Chelsea drew 1-1 at home to Southampton. Congrats to Diego Costa
who scored Chelsea's goal to take him top of the Premier League goal-scoring chart ;) Also congrats
César Azpilicueta who made his 100th CFC domestic appearance. Next up was the 3-2 away win at
Hull City ;) Well done to Magic Box Eden Hazard who has scored in our last three Premier League
meetings against Hull. Big Congrats to John Terry who made his 450th league appearance and
congratulations also go to Gary Cahill who made his 150th appearance in all competitions for The
Blues. Well done Loïc Rémy who scored the vital winning goal against the Tigers and has now
scored four goals in four league appearances against Hull. Onto our game against Stoke back at the
Bridge ;) In our last five games against The Potters at home we have Drawn 0, Lost 0, won 5 (=^_^=)
Stoke have failed to score in six of the last seven league games against Chelsea. It's the west
London derby for Super Chels, QPR away and in our last 5 games at Loftus Road we have lost 2,
Drawn 2, Won 1. Next up is Man United at home and in our last five games against the Red Devils at
the Bridge we have Drawn 1, Lost 1, Won 3. However, we are unbeaten in our last 7 games against
United in all competitions winning 4 and drawing 3. London derby time again as we face Arsenal
away and in our last five games at the Emirates we have won 2, drawn 1 and lost 2. That said,
Special One José Mourinho has never lost against Arsene Wenger in any competition, winning 7 and
drawing 5. Following the visit to The Emirates, Chelsea travel to Leicester City away. In our last 5
games away to the Foxes, Chelsea have won 3, drawn 1 and lost 1. Our final London derby of the
season is against Crystal Palace at the Bridge and in our last 5 games against the Eagles at home,
we have won 4 and drawn 1. ONE LIFE ONE LOVE ONE CLUB KTBFFH AND REMEMBER WHEN
WE MAKE IT, IT WILL BE TOGETHER ;) MERRY XMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR CFC FAMILY
(=^_^=) UP THE CHELS x x x
Stacey Atkins
@staceyprincess3
8
The Thoughts Of Chels Guevara
All who trade on the FULHAM Rd and those who collect
CHELSEA badges will mourn the loss of JOE KENNETH
SMITH aka JOE THE BADGE who died aged 94. Well liked
by everyone who knew him, JOE had worked both STAMFORD
BRIDGE and Craven Cottage for more than 60 years and he
was a friend to THE CHELSEA INDEPENDENT, RED CARD
and also to this fanzine. He leaves behind his wife BARBARA.
JOSEPH KENNETH SMITH 08/09/1920 – 23/03/2015 RIP
It is with sadness that I report the death of ANDREW ROWE, a
CHELSEA SUPPORTER who was born in east LONDON but
moved to Yorkshire a boy. A friend of KEITH STEVENS,
ANDREW was taken to Elland Rd as a youngster but hated
it, the experience reaffirming his liking for CHELSEA. ANDREW
was looking forward to watching CHELSEA win the Premier
League this season but, just 9 days after being cleared of
ongoing health problems by doctors, he passed away as a result
of a chronic heart-attack. Over 200 people attended his funeral.
Our commiserations go to his family and friends.
ANDREW NICHOLAS ROWE 03/01/1962 – 31/12/2014 RIP
All concerned with this fanzine wish the best of luck to cfcuk statistician STACEY
ATKINS and her daughter CHELSEA who are raising funds for Cancer Research
UK by taking part in The Race For Life. Whilst STACEY and CHELSEA have set
themselves a comparatively modest goal as far as their financial target is concerned, I
am hoping that the generosity of cfcuk readers will help the pair exceed it by a long way.
If you wish to help STACEY and CHELSEA make some money to aid what is extremely
important research, you can donate by clicking on their ‘Just Giving’ website page, the
link being;
http://www.justgiving.com/staceyatkins?
Birthday mentions now and it’s a belated ’Many Happy Returns’ to BEN, the son of TOM
’NORVERN MUPPET’ BROADBENT who was 15-years old on March 21st. JAYNE
BUGLIONI, wife of GAETANO ‘BULLY’ BUGLIONI, marked her birthday on March
22nd. Also celebrating a birthday that day was Belfast’s most tattooed CHELSEA
SUPPORTER and long-time friend of this fanzine CRAIG McCALLISTER. MARK
MEEHAN’S daughter NIAMH was 16 on March 24th. Well-known Cypriot home, away
and European CHELSEA SUPPORTER AKIS KYRIAKOU (pictured below) – better
known as AGGY or, by those who know of his reputation at CHELSEA’S European
jaunts, SHAGGY – was 61 on March 26th whilst ROBBIE BEER will celebrate his 51st
birthday on April 8th. MATTHEW HARDING LOWER SUPPORTER TONY MORRIS will
be 19 on April 5th. Meanwhile, I’m pleased to mention a ‘birthday’ of sorts as, on April
3rd, HOME, AWAY and EUROPEAN CHELSEA SUPPORTER BRIAN GACHES will
remember the first time he went to STAMFORD BRIDGE some 50-years ago to the day.
My thanks go to his son KEVIN who, like his father, attends EVERY CHELSEA match.
9
On March 17th, MATTHEW HARDING SEASON TICKET HOLDER NICK GIRDLER
married LESLEY. We here at cfcuk, MARTIN ‘ZIGGER ZAGGER’ GOGGINS and his
fellow CHELSEA SUPPORTERS wish, via this column, to send the pair their very
warmest congratulations.
When ROBERT AUSTIN – known to his friends as
OSCAR (pictured centre) – had been given a lift to
watch CHELSEA in the LEAGUE CUP FINAL by fellow
NUNEATON BLUES member IAN HARRIS (pictured
left), little did he know that, prior to the game, he would
meet MADNESS DRUMMER WOODY, a regular cfcuk
reader and attendee at the cfcuk match day stall. With
OSCAR’S day having already been ‘made’ by meeting
the musician, it got even better when he cheered his side
on to VICTORY against Sp*rs. Following the game, IAN
strapped OSCAR’S wheelchair – with a CHELSEA FLAG
attached – into the back of his pick-up truck and the pair drove back up the M1
accompanied all the way home by a cacophony of noise created by fellow motorists
tooting their horns in appreciation. Both OSCAR, IAN and ALL who attended the pre
and post LEAGUE CUP FINAL party at a Wembley based warehouse would like to send
their thanks to their lovely and genial host, none other than the very gorgeous MORGAN
TODD.
A ‘well done’ and ‘let’s have more in the future’ go to LEIKA, a band that describe
themselves as influenced by the ‘post-punk’ and punk movements, who have had news
that their music will feature on the CBS network during NFL (American football) games.
The band’s drummer – CHELSEA SUPPORTER BRIAN O’CONNELL – tells me that
they have some gigs coming up at the following venues; Bread and Roses, Clapham,
London Friday April 25th, Alley Cat, Denmark Street, London May 1st, The Scolt Head,
Islington, May 7th. BRIAN has asked me to mention that FUZZ, the sound engineer
from Camden venue The Dublin Castle, a CHELSEA SEASON-TICKET HOLDER, will
be ensuring that the punters hear LEIKA at their best during these gigs. With an album,
two singles and two EPs to their name, LEIKA can be heard via https://soundcloud.com/
leika-the-band and you can catch up with the latest news through their website,
the address of which is https://leikamusic.wordpress.com and they will also be featured
on the Chris Hawkins show on BBC Radio Six in the first few weeks of April.
CHELSEA SEASON-TICKET HOLDER and regular cfcuk reader
JASON MARCO, a LONDON black cab driver who is known as
@chuckles1025 on Twitter, couldn’t believe his luck when, the
day after CHELSEA had drawn 1-1 with Southampton at
STAMFORD BRIDGE, he was hailed by none other CESC
FABREGAS at Cadogan Square and drove the Spain
midfielder the relatively short distance to the KINGS ROAD.
However, after telling him that he wasn’t too impressed with the
way he’d playing in recent matches, it wasn’t surprising that CESC
only gave JASON a 60p tip… now there’s a lesson to be learned if
ever there was one...
Trust Me… I’m A CHELSEA
SUPPORTER
10
Football, Life And Deathth
West Ham 0-1 Chelsea. Wednesday 04 March 2015
West Ham Paul accelerated left and pulled onto the A24 – right-hand lane – the engine
roaring but not protesting – trees flashing past are to my left, traffic travelling in the opposite
direction speeds to my right, I ease my back into the seat and rest my head - I'm tired and
deflated, my aunty getting worse, the cancerous lump in her throat growing quickly, too
quickly, the week I have been in a daze, just like the green leaves blurring as we speed
along, my mum's in pieces - her and my aunt are twins but my aunt never married or had
kids of her own so she is like my second mum - she agreed to come and live with me so I
could care for her, but then three days later she changed her mind – told my sister to tell me my sister passed it on – I was angry and frustrated – ultimately I respected her decision but I
was nevertheless left deflated – an old football in the corner of the garden, a tennis ball
punctured by the chewing of a dog.
I wake up an hour later as Paul pulls into West Ham Nev's driveway. We have a coffee and
Zac turns up. Three Irons and me. I stand outside and smoke a cigarette, I dwell on the fact
my aunt has never smoked but has cancer in her lungs, her neck and her throat and as guilt
floods me I flick the cigarette into the road and pull myself together, stretch out the niggles in
my shoulders and shout at the lads, “We're top of the league!” and they come out of the
house singing “Stick your Blue Flag up you’re a*se!” and we have a bundle and off we set for
Upton Park, all mates together just supporting different teams.
On the tube, my chest tightens. Nev was 41 yesterday so he tells me all about his birthday, it
takes my mind off my chest as I count the stops down, much later I found out all about the
tube delays – hundreds didn't make kick off – I would've had to somehow get off, I wouldn't
have handled that well at all, a crush of bodies, claustrophobia taking its grip, fear prickling
my brain, the tube going nowhere, needing the toilet, sweat and anxiety mixing in the angry
atmosphere, gulps of fresh air needed, thinking about my aunty struggling to breathe,
nebulisers and oxygen masks, pegs in the stomach to feed her because she can't swallow,
drips in the vein, death creeping closer, stuck on a tube, chest tightening some more, panic
attack setting in, thank goodness that wasn't me.
My Irons’ friends and I avoided the tube problems because we'd all left early to go for a curry
in Green Street. I swerve any alcohol with my meal, I know it won't heighten my mood, I eat
what I can, I hand Paul some cash on the quiet and tell him to sort Nev out for his birthday
present. We plan to meet after the match on the corner by the Chinese where Green Street
meets Tudor Road, Smiffy and Big Chris have texted that they're both caught in the traffic
issues so I leave the restaurant and make my way towards Upton Park. I wait outside the
away end, chatting with those I know, flicking through the fanzine, the end of my toes cold,
no sign of my pals, annoyed I didn't put two pairs of socks on, time to get in or I'll miss kick
off.
Stock Check Dave arrives half way through the first half. Winston even later. Big Chris gets in
right on half-time. The game agitates me because we need that second goal. I lost count of
the hundreds of crosses that Downing seemed to whip in down Branislav Ivanovic's side, the
ref keen to keep his cards in his pockets, we're all used to that now, the final whistles blows,
most the away end are singing about winning the league, maybe I needed a few beers to
share their enthusiasm – I'm a pessimist, me – I don't join in – I'm in one of those reflective
sombre moods where win, lose or draw it doesn't take a priority in some ways – I needed to
be lost in the ninety minutes, take my mind off things, and it did just that, grateful for the three
points though, of course.
Chelsea 1-1 Southampton. Sunday 15th March 2015
My flu hasn't gone but I'm back to work tomorrow whatever. I don't work, I don't get paid, and
after three days off I need to get back in. I sit on the train shivering, and I tell myself I'll shiver
in my seat at the Bridge too, but I'd rather be out than in, had enough of my four walls, had
enough of my duvet, had enough of all that shit, proper fed up I haven't been able to see my
aunty, couldn't have risked passing this illness on to her. Smiffy is meeting me in the boozer,
its good to be here, I can't remember the last time I saw these faces in the Finborough, my
head is all fuzzy, I try and work it out and decide it was before the City game at the end of
January.
11
I thought the second half we played brilliantly. We put them under so much pressure, but we
just couldn't break through. Juan Cuadrado came on and lost the ball about three times.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah is having the time of his life on loan at Fiorentina. Football, eh? I
thought Clyne was quality for them, and maybe the song of the season from their fans: “St
Johnstone's paint trophy – you’ve never won that.” I have a check. It was only four years ago
that they won it, now their pushing for Europe with a manager that will be at Sp*rs or Man
City in two seasons. At full-time my good friend Blanco (a Saints ST holder) sends me a
message referring to the second half: “No-one has battered us this season as much as
you.... Hazard is unplayable!”
Smiffy and I walk back to the Finborough. Slowly. I feel shattered. I have a double Jameson’s
to chase the shivers away and manage to eat half a pizza. On the train on the way home, my
mum texts me to say my unty has taken a turn for the worse, her breathing isn't great. The
train seems to crawl home. An hour felt like a day. I get home, tidy up, and the Doris and I
drive to the hospice. Everything goes in slow motion. My dad is staring vacantly at a painting
of a vase of flowers hanging on the corridor wall. My sister rings saying she'll pop down first
thing. A nurse with a clipboard smiles as she walks past me. I push into my aunty's room.
She smiles when she sees me and I kiss her forehead. Her hair is greasy and smells but I
don't care. Seeing her in so much discomfort cuts me deep. Helplessness. I hug her from the
side, careful not to knock the equipment to her right. I kneel down and try to hold her hand,
but she is uncomfortable, she can't settle. I move to the other side of the bed and sort out the
reclining chair for my mum who will be stopping the night. I suggest to my dad to go home
and get an overnight bag for mum. I get a blanket out the cupboard for her. My wife is
chatting gently, telling aunty about the kids and stuff, I look into my auntie’s eyes and I can't
see hope in them. She has always had hope in them, ever since her diagnosis back in 2003.
It hits me. It is inevitable. I attempt to blink away the tears but they fall silently anyway. I
move over, pushing down the ache in my heart, I tell her I've been to the football, a 1-1 draw,
she smiles, I kiss her head again and tell her I'll come and see her after work tomorrow, she
nods before one of her growling coughing fits kick in again. It was the last thing I said to her,
she passed away at half two in the morning, my mum holding her hand, twin sisters for sixtyseven years, I thank God for a fitting end, if there is such a thing.
@WalterOtton
12
A Lack Of Leaders Is A Worrying Sign For Chelsea
With most of the 'old guard' gone from Chelsea's first team squad, there
really is a lack of leadership in the Stamford Bridge dressing room. Having
signed a new one year contract extension, John Terry confirmed he'll be
the only remaining member of that Chelsea old guard next season.
While Chelsea have a very exciting young team, you do need the blend of
experience to help you pull through tough situations.
At the most and in my opinion, Terry has two seasons of Premier League
football left. Although Terry seems to get better with age, the pace and
physical requirements of the Premier League will soon be too much. Then,
when Terry does retire, it really will lead a void in terms of leadership.
For all of Terry's footballing ability, he can be replaced. However, Terry
brings so much more on and off the pitch that cannot be so easily
duplicated.
Within the current squad, nobody really jumps out the page as the ideal
candidate to take over from Terry. Petr Cech and Didier Drogba will both
not be part of the playing squad after this summer, so who else is there?
Gary Cahill was touted as a potential England captain after Steven
Gerrard's retirement is probably the most likely candidate.
However with Kurt Zouma's sparkling form and a rumoured bid for Real
Madrid's Raphael Varane, Cahill could find himself out of the starting 11
next season. Likewise Branislav Ivanovic who is another of the senior
players. He has come under increasing scrutiny, especially after his
performance at Hull.
He too could be second choice next season. In the midfield Nemanja
Matic doesn't possess the leadership skills required, and then we have the
question of Cesc Fàbregas. The Spain international is the most qualified
candidate having captained Arsenal before his move to Barcelona.
However, his heart will always be with those two clubs and not Chelsea.
Terry has been at Chelsea since he was a kid, he understands the club
and understands the supporters. That's not something you can develop
overnight, it takes a lot of time and effort.
That's not the fault of Fàbregas of course, it's not something you can
coach, it just happens. We need a captain that is Chelsea through and
through.
There is of course, one other player who can inspire his fellow teammates.
Who, when he goes into battle, knows his teammates and supporters go
with him.
But with limited English and the inability to keep calm in any situation
means Diego Costa would be a calamity as team skipper. .
So what are we looking for in a captain? Somebody who can inspire his
13
fellow teammates. Somebody who is a role model on and off the pitch and
somebody who understands the club and it's supporters.
For that, we have to look at the Academy players who are on the verge of
a breakthrough.
The one name talked about recently is Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who
according to José Mourinho, will be part of the starting 11 next season.
He has been with the club since he was 8-years old and knows all about
the club. He has captained the U19 side to FA Youth Cup glory and won
the U21 Premier League.
The only downside is, Loftus-Cheek will only be 21 by the time Terry calls
it a day.
Is that old enough to command the respect of teammates so will have won
and experience a lot more than him?
We should win the Premier League this season, but next year the club will
be expecting even more.
Should Terry pick up an injury who is there to lead the club in those big
moments, because there's no Frank Lampard to rely on now.
The influence of Terry on the pitch cannot be underestimated and I hope
the club take that into account during the summer transfer window.
Dean Mears
@DeanMears
[email protected]
14
Young Starts Run Free?
And so it begins again. FA head honcho Greg Dyke publicly bemoans the lack of young
English players coming through to Premier League teams and how, when they reach the age
of 19, young English players suddenly lose their way. This gnashing of FA teeth happens at
least every two years, after England's latest tournament underachievement. There is some
sympathy for this view in the press, who are understandably keen to have hot domestic talent
to write about in an increasingly globally sourced Premier League. Witness the coverage of
the rise of H*rry K*ne.
K*ne is an interesting case, as he has spent much of the past few seasons on loan to lower
division clubs, but has broken through this season to the extent where he is a serious
contender for footballer of the year. I would personally give it to Eden Hazard or Branislav
Ivanovic but then I am possibly biased.
He is interesting because the Chelsea model – ‘develop young talent, put it out on loan to
develop and gain match experience, come back to Chelsea' – then seems to take a less
productive path from the 'compete strongly for a first team place, become a first team regular',
final steps that the likes of K*ne and M*son have taken. But P*chettino identified expensive
overseas duds that needed replacing, so possibly had more motivation than José Mourinho.
K*ne is much mocked by the sheep of social media because of the way he supposedly talks
and looks. Laughable, particularly as it is football talent that matters. Whether he has a long
term future at the very top time only will tell but I for one would love to see a young star come
through at Chelsea as he has done, and I am pretty sure I am not alone.
Lauded Chelsea academy talents of recent years – Josh McEachran, Nathaniel Chalobah seem to be on a permanent loan treadmill, which is a great shame. I was in Marseilles in 2010
when McEachran seemed to be exactly what Chelsea needed in midfield. Four years on he
seems to be going backwards or, at best, treading water. Those who know far more about our
young stars than I tell me Lewis Baker, Jeremie Boga, Dom Solanke, Izzy Brown, Ruben
Loftus-Cheek etc are all potential top stars but there must be concerns at the club that they
will fail to make that final step up at Chelsea.
Between 1958 and 1961 eight young players broke through and became first team Chelsea
regulars. Between 1972 and 1975 another nine did the same. Sadly, both teams were broken
up and hence probably underachieved – one because Tommy Docherty chose to, the other
because financial constraints forced the sale of the heart of the team.
Two cases in point. Peter Osgood. In the Chelsea team at 18. Given his head by Docherty
who was rewarded in the early part of 1966 by a string of brilliant performances. A more
expansive manager than Ramsey may have picked him for the 1966 World Cup squad, Ossie
certainly had the press on his side and but for a broken leg could easily have been the biggest
English star of the late 60s. Ray Wilkins. Chelsea captain under manager Eddie McCreadie at
18, England international at 19. Accepting these are both exceptions, it is very hard to see
how any young player will get in the first team for league games whilst a teenager.
The fearlessness of youth can reap dividends, as lack of experience of failure creates a
positive attitude. Add this to a core of 'been there, done that' proven stars and, in theory, you
have the perfect balance. The problem is, the weight of expectation means that young
players, no matter how talented, have to have a robust mental toughness to deal with the very
real pressures that sudden stardom can bring.
Young players will create a special bond with supporters, possibly one reason why John Terry
has had support from so many fans during his various tribulations. Personally I don't
particularly rate Jack Wilshere as a very top level player, but clearly one reason for his
popularity with Arsenal supporters is that he has come through their system. The same
applies to Mark Noble - not international quality, maybe, but palpably the heart and soul of the
West Ham team for years, someone that the support could relate to among the mediocrities
and mercenaries.
John Terry, over fifteen years ago, is the last first team regular to come through the ranks.
This is one reason he is so well regarded by many Chelsea supporters. You could argue the
15
same with regard to Steven Gerrard at Liverpool, both home-grown boys made good and
eulogised by supporters for that. It could equally be argued, though, that the latter's attempts
to rage against the dying of the light have been increasingly desperate and counterproductive
(sendings off, shots from absurd distances etc) whereas Terry has possibly become more
disciplined on the pitch as he has aged. Replacing him, as player and leader, must though be
a significant long term concern.
Nobody is arguing that the very top overseas players do anything but light up the Premier
League – Gianfranco Zola, Didier Drogba and Hazard are illustrative cases from a Chelsea
perspective. Chelsea and a few other clubs are fortunate in that they can buy the best, and
the best want to go there, but this attractiveness is no help to bringing through young talent.
José Mourinho makes the right noises about bringing young talent through, but is primarily
judged on success in terms of major trophies won, not the number academy players playing
first team football. I assume the highest echelons of the club would be delighted to see homegrown first team players given the academy investment but it is not easy to see a matching
decline in their desire for the club to keep winning major trophies.
Chelsea have cleverly turned their academy into a money maker through astute purchases,
loans and sales, very handy at a time of Financial Fair Play regulation, and I am sure other
clubs are looking closely at what Chelsea have achieved in this area.
Young, home produced players would get an enormous amount of goodwill from match-going
supporters and I am sure would be given every chance to succeed by much of that support.
We have seen how there is an identification and bond between such talent and the crowd that
is unlikely to happen in the case of imported talent, no matter how successful they become. It
is wholly unrealistic to expect the Chelsea first team to contain the number of home-produced
talent that The Doc’s and Eddie Mac’s teams did but wouldn't it be great to see a couple in
there in 2-3 years time, supplementing the wealth of imported talent.
There is a risk involved in playing young talent which seems to put many managers off.
Interestingly, many of those same managers seem happy to risk spending millions on
overseas players who are quietly disposed of 18 months later having failed to make any mark
except on their clubs bank balance.
Ask yourself this question. Would I, as a supporter, accept a season or two (or three) without
any trophies if it meant three or four young players became first team squad regulars. The last
Chelsea Supporters Trust survey showed members saw the development of young players as
important but it is not clear how the wider instant gratification generation would react if the
club adopted an overt policy of short term pain, long term gain. Those in the supporter base
who are on speed dial to The Samaritans every time the club drop points may well not
appreciate the short term impact of such a policy.
There is no easy answer, and handwringing by the FA is unlikely to achieve much tangible.
Quotas of home-produced players in first team squads are fine as far as it goes, though the
definition of 'home-grown' seems a bit elastic and having only eight in a squad of 25 does not,
of course, mean they have to be picked for Premier League games. It is hard to see the PL
apparatchiks agreeing to an increased quota which they would probably feel could devalue
the 'product' and 'brand' (their words not mine) if the standard of play was seen to fall. UEFA
are now making similar noises about quotas, and the imperative of creating a framework
where young talent can flourish, and concerted action across Europe is almost certainly
needed. Whether that will happen, or whether the leagues will fight it (or employment law
allow it) is another matter.
Tim Rolls
I would love to see young players being blended into the Chelsea first team over the
next couple of years, but, sadly, I am not holding my breath.
Tim Rolls is still surprised the early 1970s Chelsea scouting network failed to spot
his potential as a foraging reverse pivot in a flexible 1-3-2-2-1-1 formation.
16
Cesc Fabregas… STILL on Top Form!
I found it of interest that there had recently been some talk of a decline in
performance of Cesc Fabregas of late. Firstly I thought it laughable that anyone
would even consider looking at what he has done this season and questioning his
consistency and importance to the side. Even if he does not provide another assist
this season, he will comfortably be leading that particular table for Chelsea, the
Premier league, and quite possibly Europe. To put into context what he has done
this season, Eden Hazard supplied our highest number of assists last season with
thirteen, Fabregas had twenty-six in the first week of February.
I decided to research our last five matches, all of which Fabregas has started, to
provide the true picture, as this is over a period he is supposed to have ‘lost form’.
The 1-1 draw at home to Burnley is the first of these. Fabregas had an 80% pass
completion rate and completed 23 of 31 passes in the final third. Second only to
Hazard in both categories. Not often given the credit he deserves for his defensive
work, he recovered the ball ten times, the most of any Chelsea player, and made five
successful tackles out of five.
Against West Ham in the next match Fabregas made and completed the most
passes 51of 66, and had the most in the attacking third of the pitch. The next two
matches put the nail in the coffin as far as any drop of in form goes. PSG at home.
Motta and Verratti were the top two in passes made and completed, Fabregas was
third with a 93% success rate from 80 passes. The only other Chelsea players in the
top ten were John Terry and Hazard with twenty passes less than Cesc. It isn’t as
though these were backwards passes either, only 17 of the 80 weren’t played
towards the opposition’s goal.
The 1-1 draw at home to Southampton was where he has come in for the most stick,
and his stats here are nothing short of astonishing and will embarrass anyone who
slated his performance here. Fabregas made 122 passes of which 103 were
successful. This was the best of any player by a mile. To give this context Nemanja
Matic made 29 passes and Fabregas completed over double the amount of passes
Hazard attempted in the whole match. One of his best attributes is that he always
wants the ball and wants to create. The top three player combinations in the match
were Fabregas to Cesar Azpilicueta 17 times, Azpilicueta to Fabregas 25 times, and
Fabregas to Hazard 22 times. He also created four of our shooting opportunities in
this match.
Finally the away win at Hull, he once again made and completed the most passes,
84 of 98, got yet another assist and created another four goal scoring chances. To
show that he is the whole package, he also made the most tackles of anyone, seven
out of ten attempts. Again for context, our designated defensive midfielder Matic
made two. This shows that they are both responsible on the defensive side.
So I think this puts to bed the talk of Fabregas not performing lately, and really goes
to show the lack of research from some journalists before they roll out a story and
hope that everyone believes what they read.
Here’s hoping that Cesc Fabregas continues in the same vein of form as lately, and
as he has done over the whole season.
Michael Martin
17
Ward Antique Fireplaces
With the largest collection of fully restored antique fireplaces in the UK,
Ward Antique Fireplaces is the place to buy yours!
Telephone; 020 8650 9005 / 020 8697 6003
Web; www.wardantiquefireplaces.co.uk
Email; [email protected]
Hunof orig-
tique fireplaces to choose from
Come in with this advert for a 10% discount
dreds
inal an-
18
Shed End Atmosphere
We have started a supporter movement in The Shed called Shed End Atmosphere
(@Shed_Atmosphere). Basically, we are an active group (currently of about 30 odd members) that
are working towards creating a better atmosphere in The Shed. We have a strong connection and
regular dialogue with the club and a solid, hardworking core of members. If you want to get
involved, e-mail the address at the bottom of this page.
The group have been active since the last three games of last season. That was, you may recall,
when the Shed End started using a crowd surfing flag for every game. Overall, the aim of the group
is to improve the atmosphere visually, both before and during the game, and vocally. We are also
interested in pushing various supporter related issues such as the cost of tickets, safe standing and
more, and we have a close relationship with the Football Supporters Federation who pushes on
these issues country wide. The group will also act as a channel through which supporters who sit in
the stand can address certain issues to the club.
Regarding the visual side of things, we are looking to get a new, larger crowd surfing flag for the
start of games, more personalised banners to hang over the side of the Shed Upper and to place
onto the wall at the back of The Shed Upper. We also want to make a greater visual impact during
games and bring some colour and life into the stand. With regards to potential stand displays/
demonstrations, these are all discussed by the group and paid for by the group. This is a supporter
led movement.
The vocal side of things is a harder and a longer-term issue to tackle. In an ideal world, we would
have a designated singing section in The Shed Upper which was composed of the most active and
vocal supporters. This is an issue we are currently and constantly addressing with the club.
However, work needs to be done external from any hope that we will get a singing section. The
group aims to also create pockets of supporters who know each other, and who are on the ‘same
page’ and who will ‘back up’ one another in getting the noise going, in a bid to create smaller
‘singing sections’ across the entire stand.
We are aware there have been attempts in the past to improve the atmosphere, which leads many
people to immediately drop any notion of getting involved as they feel ‘it will never happen’. This
group is different. It is made up of Shed End season ticket holders specifically, meaning we can
make an organic effort week in, week out on top of everything else. We have a strong, hard working
core of like-minded supporters who meet regularly to discuss and plan for upcoming games. We
have a structured and a strong working relationship with the club and we are not going to stop.
Whether you decide to join or not, for the next 1,3, 5, 10 years this will be the group that is working
towards improving the atmosphere in The Shed End in all the ways mentioned above.
If you want to get involved, drop a line to us on Twitter (@Shed_Atmosphere) or via e-mail on
[email protected]. Don’t wait until you get home, or until you’re on the tube, or until
tomorrow… If you’re busy, then just drop an email with your name on now. I will get back to all of
you within a few days and you can start to get involved in what we do. Similarly, if you just want to
know more, please still do get in touch.
As always, KTBFFH,
Richard Weekes
Shed End Atmosphere
Cliff Auger
Painter And Decorator
[email protected]
Mob: 0772 927 6510
Tel: 0208 841 4304
19
Steeno’s Quiz Corner
Robin Parker from Ashford, Middlesex was the winner of the competition set in cfcuk
164. The answers to those questions and the ones set for this issue are below.
1; On what date did the press first announce that Mr Abramovich had bought
Chelsea Football Club?
30th June 2003
2; When and against whom did Steve Finnieston make his 1st team debut for
Chelsea?
Leicester City away 1st February 1975
3; Guy Thill played against Chelsea in a European competitive match. For whom did
he play and why was he an unusual opponent?
Jeunesse Hautcharage ECWC 15th and 29th September 1971. He had one arm.
4; Who scored Chelsea’s first hat-trick in a competitive European match against
whom and when?
T*rry V*nables v Roma Inter Cities Fairs Cup 22nd September 1965
5; The first ever Charity Shield was played at Stamford Bridge. Who were the clubs
and what was the date?
QPR v Manchester United 27th April 1908
6; Two Chelsea players were ever present in the victorious League campaign of
1954/55 with 42 appearances each. Who were they?
Eric Parsons and Derek Saunders
To win a selection of Chelsea publications and other Blues related items,
answer the following questions correctly. One winner will be drawn at random.
1; Who was Chelsea’s first non UK-born Captain and what nationality was he?
2; Which Chelsea players played in both the 2000 and 2002 FA Cup (including
playing substitutes)?
3; Dave Sexton was Chelsea Manager from 1967-1974. Since that time which
manager has held that position for the longest period in a single stint?
4; How many times and when have Chelsea won the League Cup?
5; How many goals did Gianfranco Zola score for Chelsea in the victorious 1997 FA
Cup campaign and against whom?
Send your answers to;
[email protected] (Mark your emails ‘Steeno’s Competition’).
or by post to;
cfcuk
PO Box 26066
London
SW10 OXP
20
Cheer Up… And Enjoy It!
It’s been a bit of a strange time of late at Stamford Bridge. With the team performing so
well in the first part of the season and expectations subsequently raised to frankly
unrealistic levels, it seems as though some people are strangely underwhelmed at the
prospect of adding a League Title to the League Cup already safely in the cabinet,
particularly given some of our recent performances haven’t exactly been vintage ones.
I think it’s hugely unfair to be too critical of how the season has panned out. Of course,
exiting the Champions League in the first knockout stage and in the manner we did, is
disappointing. But it is a cup competition and anything can happen, and at that level
against top opposition, such minor details can decide the way the tie falls. The measure
of a team is how you do over the season and the fact we’ve led from the start and go
into the business end in control of our destiny, says much more about the manager and
his team than one tie which we narrowly lost on goal difference. As José has said, he
wasn’t going overboard with praise in the early stage of the season when some
sections of the media and supporters were resorting to hyperbole and now that we’ve
had a slight dip in form with the high standards we set ourselves, we shouldn’t now be
morose.
Maybe I’m alone but I didn’t really feel like the Champions League exit was that huge a
disappointment. I’ve said pretty much all season that the focus should be on the
Premier League and a European run would merely be a bonus (if not actually a
distraction, given we’ve a relatively small squad thanks to FFP restrictions and some
fringe players not quite living up to our high expectations). I also mentioned over
Christmas and New Year how the punishing schedule, whilst a great & traditional
spectacle for supporters, was far from ideal for the squad and it’s not too surprising that
we’ve not quite hit those early heights since that period.
I put it to fellow posters on the excellent RivalsFootball forum, prior to the PSG games
and the Sp*rs Cup Final, that if we had to choose to either win the League and League
Cup or the Champions League on its own, the overwhelming majority agreed with me
that we’d prefer the former. Champions of England and beating Sp*rs in a Wembley
Cup Final, that’s the stuff of dreams! That looks like it’s going to happen now and it will
be a brilliant campaign if that happens. I certainly don’t take any success for granted;
it’s easy to become spoilt and take these things for granted but expectations need to be
based on realism. Every trophy we win means the world and the reality is that teams
very rarely win more than one a season, let alone Trebles and Quadruples, so it’s
important we keep perspective about this year’s achievements and not to lose sight of
the fact that every bit of silverware we win is precious and hard-earned. I remain
convinced that we will win the European Cup again before José leaves us but it is the
most difficult competition in world football to win, for a very good reason.
Of course it’s disappointing to lose, especially when we don’t play well and the odds
are stacked in our favour. But we can’t have it all our own way, all of the time. At the
time of writing, we’ve still only lost three games this season and that is pretty
extraordinary. Any one of the 91 other clubs in the country would kill to be in our
position at the moment. And the exciting thing is, we’re surely only going to get better
after this summer. So I implore people to cheer up and start enjoying these days
because there were also moaners during José’s first spell and fans should be mindful
that they were arguably the greatest days we’ll ever see here, so if people can’t find a
way to see past some of the very few minor flaws we currently have then I fear they’ll
never be happy! After all, if there isn’t some room for improvement then what is there to
look forward to? If you’re perfect now then there’s only way to go and that’s down. We
are still in the early stages of a new era and personally I’m finding this an exciting time
to be a Chelsea supporter. It needs to be remembered at times that it isn’t easy to win
21
trophies at this level and that competitiveness and constant need to adapt, innovate
and improve means football remains the most unpredictable and exciting sport in the
world.
We have one of the greatest managers of all time at the helm, one of the best players
in the world at the moment in our team and one of the strongest squads in Europe,
which is only going to improve and win more honours over the next few seasons. So
cheer up, sing up and enjoy what is still panning out to be one of the most glorious
seasons in our 110 year history. Up the Chels!
Carefree!
Famous (@BecauseWeMust05)
http://www.rivalsfootball.net/chelsea/
22
Drawing The Line On Price
I've started to realise over the last few weeks that I'm not going to be able to continue
following Chelsea the way I have been in recent years. In my last article, I praised the club
over their recent freezing of ticket prices and spoke about other prices in general. However,
as I write, we are at the business end of the season now and a very exciting time to be a
Chelsea supporter as we have a dominant lead at the top of the league with 9 games left to
play! As with any match-going supporter, I want to be there for every moment as this Title
charge unfurls and hopefully cheer Chelsea over the line to premier league glory once
again. Upcoming London derbies against QPR and Arsenal at this stage of the season are
whetting the appetites of match going Chelsea supporters left, right and centre, yet I have
made the decision not to attend either, something which is unheard of for me in recent
years. This is purely down to the issue of price. I don't want to bore you all with a repetitive
article regarding the price of going to football, as we all know we've read a billion and one
of those in the last few years. But what I am writing about is personally drawing the line
somewhere and sticking to it regarding pricing. It's something I've spoken about for a few
years now. Back in 2012, I gave up my domestic away season ticket after Chelsea won the
Champions League, in favour of spending that money, plus more on the trip to Japan for
the Club World Cup.
Whilst I haven't overly missed out on tickets for any aways I've wanted to go to since giving
it up, I have however tried to stick with a maximum price I'd fork out for an away game. £50
maximum for a ticket is what I set myself a budget of after Munich.
The first hurdle, Arsenal away, £60 at the time. I crumbled at this first hurdle! As Chelsea
became the first team in London to win the European Cup, I just had to go there and let
them know about it! With falling at that hurdle and forking out the £60 for Arsenal away
came doing exactly the same for Sp*rs, Manchester City, Manchester Utd etc. Since then,
I've promised myself the same thing every year and crumbled at the first or second hurdle
again, and again. At the start of this season, I managed to get to Liverpool away in
November before paying the £50+ for a ticket. Pretty good going by my standards.
But this season has made me realise, the amount of clubs charging over £50 for a ticket is
slowly creeping up! Pretty much every London club is charging that for when we visit these
days. So if I am to stick with my promise, then that rules London derbies out. Often the
most lively and passionate affairs, the ones match going supporters tend to enjoy most.
Still, at least I can go to most of the aways at 'smaller' clubs then? Think again. Even clubs
outside the top 5 and even outside the top 10 are hiking their prices for the visit of the 'big'
clubs. Look at our recent visit to Hull, if the club hadn't knocked £10 off the price for us, it
would have been £50 to visit the KC stadium. A newly promoted team charging £50 for a
ticket! And they are not the only ones who see promotion to the Premier League as a
chance to make a couple of extra quid from the supporters of 'big' clubs. With these sorts
of clubs upping their prices to the £50 mark, I would be left seriously bereft of away games
left to go to, should I finally stick to my £50 limit.
Turning 24-years old in a few weeks and starting to look at the bigger picture in life, moving
out to my own place eventually, I've come to the realisation that I simply cant afford to keep
up attending nearly every Chelsea match anymore. Not only with regard to ticket prices,
but
the added expenditure that comes with it. £50 a ticket easily becomes a £120-150 away
day with travel, food and of course booze. It's an expensive hobby to keep up for 9 months
a year! Coming into the business end of this season, I will opt for watching both the QPR
and the Arsenal away games in the pub, cutting my matchday expenditure by half or even
more! When next season gets going, hopefully with Chelsea defending a League Title! I
intend on making the full season sticking to my £50 limit and finally drawing the line on
price. I fear
that if I don’t do it now, at what stage will I and other supporters finally say 'that's enough'?
23
QPR at £55 and Arsenal at a ludicrous £65, but how much longer will it stay at these prices
if everyone keeps paying it? My decision to stop now is a hard one to make, but I do feel
that if I set myself a limit, then other supporters may follow suit, leaving it only a matter or
time until clubs realise that they are charging more than most people can afford.
Of course, I'll still be attending all home games on my season ticket. You would have to pry
that from my lifeless fingers before I gave that up! Going into the final 9 games of the
season, there are some tasty affairs coming up with both Liverpool and Manchester United
yet to visit Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are evidently going to do things the hard way in the
run up to the end of the season, as shown in our recent 3-2 away win at Hull City. 2-0 up
after 20 minutes should have been a routine victory, but a few mistakes and some
lacklustre football for over an hour meant that we had to do things the hard way to earn our
3 points from a match winning position early on. Let's hope we can up the tempo in the
coming games, really go for the kill against opposition early on and cut this laborious
constant passing across the edge of the box, queuing up to do something. We as
Supporters can make the difference! Let's get right behind the team, keep making noise
and help carry them over the line on these final few games!
Up the Chels!
Roger England
24
A Question Of Sport
My old mate F*ck Off Colin hasn’t been in the best of health recently.
Emphysema, frequent bouts of gout and a pacemaker that giddies him up far
too often for his liking have made his 65th year less than memorable but,
despite these problems, his enthusiasm for life and all things Chelsea remain
unencumbered. Like many pensioners, he’ll admit to having too much time on
his hands -- time that he puts to good use dreaming up fiendishly challenging
football questions. Of course he knows the answers -- and the mischievous glint
he gets in his rheumy eyes when he grabs a pint of San Miguel with both hands
is always a surefire sign that he’s going to be taxing my failing grey matter to
the max. Having a tenner on the side has proved costly of late as he’s forever
catching me out.
Chelsea’s 1-1 home draw with Southampton last month wasn’t notable for
much. The saving grace was the fact the 1.30pm kick-off time made it possible
to get home at a decent time to show respect for Mother’s Day. The following
evening, I met Colin for a beer and I could tell immediately he had a question for
me. “Southampton son, we missed a trick there I reckon,” he quipped as I
ordered a round in. “We’ll be alright, you’ll see,” I replied. “Decent side we had
out as well,” he continued, winking at me and smirking. “José always puts a
decent side out,” I countered, sensing the question was coming.
“John Terry and Gary Cahill, the only Brits.” Somehow, I knew he was going to
mention the Blues central defensive duo, so I kept a straight face. I also thought
I knew what the wily old goat was getting at and what his question was going to
be. Southampton being the opponents, and him mentioning Terry and Cahill
could only mean one thing. On Boxing Day 1999, after 111 years, three months
and 17 days of Football League history, then Blues boss Gianluca Vialli did
something no other manager had achieved in over 150,000 fixtures. He chose a
starting XI without a single British player.
“Tenners?” I asked. “You aint heard the question yet,” replied Colin, licking his
cracked lips as he eyed the pint of San Miguel I’d just placed in front of him.
“Make it a score if you like, you old spunker.” Colin placed a £20 note on the
table. “Double it if I can answer your question without you asking it.” Colin isn’t
known as F*ck Off Colin without good reason. “F*ck Off!” he exclaimed. “You
aint psychic.”
I took a hearty slug of Spanish cerveza and chinked my glass with his before
speaking. “Ed De Goey, Dan Petrescu, Celestine Babayaro, Frank Leboeuf,
Didier Deschamps, G*s P*yet, Roberto Di Matteo, Albert Ferrer, Gabriele
Ambrosetti, Tore Andre Flo and Emerson Thome.” With a look of triumph on my
face I picked up his £20 note. Colin snatched at my wrist and laughed. “Too
obvious son. Put it back on the table.” “You’re kidding.” “No I aint. You’re on the
right lines though. My question is… name the last all British Chelsea starting
XI?”
I was crestfallen, what a great question. I’d never heard this one before. I
handed my £10 note to Colin. I knew I wouldn’t be able to answer the question
without a few clues. Funnily enough, I figured out the Chelsea manager in
question would be Gl*nn H*ddle. He was the Blues bonafide transitional
25
manager. Ken Bates masterstroke appointment. The catalyst. Without H*ddle,
would Chelsea have evolved in the cosmopolitan way they did? Probably,
eventually -- but not quite in the same way… and not as quickly. H*ddle begot
Ruud Gullit, who begot Vialli and the rest as they say is history.
So anyway, that last all British starting XI – over the course of several pints, I
got close – but one player’s name eluded me. The date of the game was given
to me. May 6th, 1995 – an away match with Leicester City. Kevin Hitchcock
who’d played second fiddle to Russian Dmitri Kharine for much of the campaign
kept goal. Steve Clarke a Scot and Scot Minto an Englishman lined up with
Anglos David Lee, Frank Sinclair, Nigel Spackman, Gavin Peacock, Paul
Furlong, Mark Stein and Scots, Craig Burley and David Hopkin. Hopkin’s name
it was that escaped me, and my eventual answer of ‘the Scottish winger with
ginger hair and tattoos was deemed not good enough. For the record, the
match with Leicester ended 1-1 with Furlong netting for the Blues – Colin told
me that as he laughed and trousered my cash.
Fair play to old FOC, he’d got me again. Funnily enough though, two days later
I read an interview with Frank Sinclair. Remarkably, at the tender age of 43,
having had spells after Chelsea with Leicester City, Burnley, Huddersfield
Town, Lincoln City, Wrexham, Hendon and Colwyn Bay (where he also enjoyed
a stint as manager) he is back playing occasionally for Vanarama Conference
North outfit Brackley Town. Of significant interest to me was Frank’s recollection
of playing international football for Jamaica. Despite being a born and bred
Londoner, Sinclair was one of a posse of native-English players who took up
the Reggae Boyz World Cup 1998 cause. 28 Jamaica caps in his display
cabinet means that technically he is not classified as an British player.
Technically can mean a lot of things – my personal interpretation of technically
was that technically Colin had been wrong about Frank Sinclair’s nationality. I
rang him up and told him the illuminating news. I was as happy as Colin was
angry – I asked him for my tenner back, no prizes for guessing his reply.
All of this begs the question, if Frank Sinclair is technically not a British player
then what was the last Chelsea starting XI to feature only British players? If you
think you know the answer, email it to [email protected] - the sender of
the first correct answer received that matches the answer provided by Blues
historian Rick Glanvill will win a copy of Making History Not Reliving It signed by
John Terry. The closing date for competition entries is April 23rd and the winner
will be announced in the next issue of cfcuk.
Mark Worrall
twitter @gate17marco
Mark Worrall is the author of cult terrace classics ‘Over Land and Sea’, ‘Blue
Murder’, ‘One Man Went to Mow’ and the ‘Chelsea Chronicles’ series and the coauthor of ‘Chelsea here Chelsea there’ and ‘Making History Not Reliving It’.
Copies are available to buy with a discount of up to 60% and free postage within
the UK at www.gate17.co.uk
26
50 Years A Blue
Season 1970/1971 (part 1)
On 8th August 1970 (my 13th birthday) the new season started with Chelsea, as FA Cup
holders, hosting reigning 1st Division Champions Everton for the Charity Shield at
Stamford Bridge. Unfortunately, Chelsea could not add to their (then) short honours list,
losing the game 1-2.
Chelsea’s squad had undergone a couple of changes with the main signing being Keith
Weller, a ‘wide forward’ from Millwall. Derek Smethurst, a young permit player from South
Africa was another forward and these two signings balanced out the loss of Alan
Birchenall and the legendary Bobby Tambling who had both joined Crystal Palace. The
new season was also to see a regular first team spot for Paddy Mulligan an adventurous
full back signed from Shamrock Rovers the previous winter.
With my brother Pete now firmly ensconced in the North Stand with a season-ticket, my
new standing spot was now standing right behind the north goal in front of the old
greyhound totaliser. For some matches it was home and away supporters around me
whist for some matches I was surrounded by the opposition with the Chelsea ‘boys’
goading them from underneath the North Stand. I was never going to get into too much
trouble though as I was a very small 13 year old with glasses and hardly ‘King of the
North End’.
The league campaign began with a 2-1 (Ian Hutchinson 2) win over an emerging Derby
County side before three draws against Manchester Utd, West Ham (Weller 2 goals) and
Everton. The next home game was against Arsenal, the side that were to go on to win
the Double that season and it saw what has been possibly the greatest goal ever seen at
Stamford Bridge. It wasn’t a rocket shot or a dribble through players or a great team goal,
but simply grit and determination that got Johnny Hollins this accolade. Running forward
at full tilt, he killed a Ron Harris pass and swerved left past Arsenals hulking back,
Roberts. Still in full stride he clipped the ball over the advancing Bob Wilson, only to see
it hit the bar. Somehow, Hollins sprinted on a half-circle and with his back to goal,
swivelled and cracked the rebound into the back of the net. It was, truly sensational and I
have never seen another goal like it in my life.
The autumn and early winter proved that once again Chelsea were a ‘nearly team’ as far
as the league went. At no stage did they string three wins together and equally, they
never lost two consecutive games. Chelsea’s record from the Arsenal win up to
Christmas was DLDWWLDWWDWLWDWDWLDLW. All this meant that although
Chelsea were 3rd in the table, they were never in with a serious chance of the
championship. A lot of this was down to the fact that Peter Osgood and Ian Hutchinson
only scored 10 league goals between them in the entire campaign whereas the previous
year they had been prolific. Fortunately Keith Weller had hit 11 by the turn of the year
which won the side some points.
The team had several injuries as well to contend with (notably John Dempsey and Alan
Hudson) but usually lined up like this; Peter Bonetti, Paddy Mulligan or John Boyle, Ron
Harris, Hollins, Marvin Hinton, David Webb, Weller, Charlie Cooke, Osgood, Hutchinson
or Tommy Baldwin and Peter Houseman.
I have three outstanding memories of this period of games, the first being on 26th
September when Alan Hudson scored a ‘ghost goal’ against Ipswich. Leading 1-0,
Hudson hit a right foot shot from outside the area towards the north goal. The ball
narrowly went outside the post, smacked the back stanchion, and rebounded into play.
The referee gave a goal as he thought the ball had gone inside the post, cue
pandemonium from the Ipswich players who were, rightly, incensed. I was sitting in the
North Stand with the offending stanchion farthest away from me. Everyone in the stand
27
thought it was a goal and couldn’t make out what all the fuss was about but TV and photos
proved that it was indeed ‘the goal that never was’.
On 24th October 1971 I went off to the Bridge to watch the Reserves in action whilst the
first team were at lowly Blackpool. John Phillips, Chelsea’s new reserve ‘keeper, was
making his debut and when the side went in for half-time trailing 0-3, the score remaining
the same with 20 minutes to go, you can imagine the discontent. However, to everyone’s
amazement, Chelsea stormed back scoring 3, then in the last minute, an own goal gave
them a 4-3 win. In the days before mobile phones, I actually heard this result waiting
outside the old ivy-clad Club office between the Shed and the old East stand.
The third memory is of 14th November and, although I didn’t go to the match, it was the
day that a report came through that the North Stand ‘shook’ during the game. Over 61,000
had crammed into the Bridge to see arch-rivals Sp*rs and in a fantastic see-saw match in
teeming rain and near-impossible conditions the game was goal-less after 90 minutes. In
additional time the North London mob scored not once, but twice and it was after the
second goal the reported ‘shake’ took place. It was probably 5,000 Chelsea supporters
standing up at the same time and shouting “B*llocks” that caused it!
Back on the pitch, Chelsea went out of the League Cup after having first disposed of
Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough. The next round saw Chelsea drawn against
Manchester Utd and lost 1-2, George Best scoring a magnificent goal despite Chopper
and Webby’s best efforts to cut him in half.
Meanwhile, in Europe. Chelsea progressed through the first two rounds of the CupWinners Cup. A trip to Greece (where the journey would end in May) saw Chelsea play
Aris Salonika and in the first-leg they played every dirty trick in the book to bring The
Blues down to their level. The English press were full of praise for the restraint that the
Chelsea players showed under severe provocation as they came away with a 1-1 draw on
a dusty, rutted pitch. The home leg, on smooth grass, proved to be a formality with a 5-1
victory with a brace for Hutch, 2 screamers from Hollins and a first goal for 5 years from
Marvin Hinton.
The second round saw Chelsea drawn against CSKA Sofia from Bulgaria. Behind the Iron
Curtain, they gained a great 1-0 win (Baldwin) and became the first ever European team
to beat them on their own pitch. The second leg was also tight with a Webb goal securing
a 1-0 win to put Chelsea through to the Quarter-Final in March.
David Gray
Next issue; Season 70-71 (part 2)
CHELSEA PROGRAMMES WANTED!
Steve Smyth
Independent Programme Dealer and Specialist
Kishmish Restaurant, Fulham Rd (Chelsea matchdays)
Tel 01749 831040
Email [email protected]
28
1986 And All That
There is a cheeky little tagline doing the rounds on social media which has caught my eye
recently: Before Russian Money.
Circulated in the main by supporters of English clubs with no recent record of success - so
everybody except the two Manchester sides - the Before Russian Money line is usually
complemented by a photo which depicts a miserable defeat for Chelsea or a match when we
had a disappointing attendance. By manipulating matters in this way, the myth continues to
perpetuate that Chelsea Football Club barely existed for the best part of its first century.
Following our latest high-profile defeat of Sp*rs at Wembley, I saw one such Twitter post from a
supporter of the League Cup runners-up which carried a photo from a match played on Easter
Saturday 1986, with the Stamford Bridge scoreboard showing 'Chelsea 0 West Ham 4'. It would
have been lost on the little cherub who uploaded the post through teary eyes, that despite the
scoreline on show, the match against our East-End rivals was indeed played Before Russian
Money infiltrated our club - and yet there we were as the game kicked off, fourth in the old
Division One league table, with games in hand on the teams above us which, if won, would see
Chelsea go top of the table as the season entered its final furlong. Sp*rs, by the way, were 11th.
And then Easter 1986 happened.
Before Russian Money, Chelsea had won major trophies in the 1950s, 60s and 70s; but the
unforeseen catastrophe of the East Stand redevelopment, allied to some typical behind the
scenes shenanigans, had seen the club fall into disarray from the mid-70s and for much of the
next decade. However, following two spells in the second tier, a return to the top flight in
1984/85 saw the Blues consolidate their place with an impressive top-six finish. As that season
closed, manager John Neal was asked to step aside - apparently due to ill-health - and his
coach, John Hollins, took the reins. Sensibly, Hollins did little tinkering initially with the
successful squad he was handed, and the effect was that his team built on their exploits of a
year earlier with a string of stellar performances which left them on the brink of going top at
Easter, with just five weeks of the season remaining.
Easter came early in 1986, the last four days of March to be precise. Buckingham Palace had
just announced the engagement of Prince Andrew and Sarah
Ferguson, while Cliff Richard and The Young Ones were at
number one in the charts with their genuinely amusing take on
Cliff's ‘Living Doll’. But what is given with one hand, is taken
away with the other, and as Living Doll gave way at the top of
the charts to George Michael's ‘A Different Corner’, so
Buckingham Palace's next announcement was that we wouldn't
be getting a day off work in lieu of the forthcoming royal
nuptials. Annoying, on both counts.
In the lead up to the Easter fixtures, Chelsea had lost
inspirational goalkeeper – and eventual Player of the Year –
Eddie Niedzwiecki to a knee injury which brought his season to
an end. Leading 1-0 at home to QPR when the Welshman was
forced off the field, the match ended in a draw after David
Speedie – all 5ft 9in of him – took the gloves and was promptly
lobbed for the visitors' equaliser.
The following weekend, Chelsea faced two games in the space
of 24 hours, playing Southampton at The Dell on the Saturday
and then facing Manchester City in the inaugural Full Members
Cup Final the following afternoon. Steve Francis, a first-teamer
at the age of 17 but who had failed to dislodge Niedzwiecki since his arrival in the summer of
1983, took the gloves and kept a clean sheet in Hampshire, on the ground where he had made
his debut in 1981. However, at Wembley the next day – on an afternoon when, Before Russian
Money, Chelsea took 50,000 supporters to a minor cup final - he shipped four, including three
29
in the last three minutes, as Chelsea clung on desperately to win a game they had led 5-1 as
late as the 87th minute. Sadly, it was a sign of things to come.
The skies were forebodingly gloomy on the afternoon when West Ham dealt a shattering blow
to Chelsea's genuine Title hopes, but there had been real optimism in the Blues camp
beforehand. John Hollins, in his rarely interesting programme notes, said he saw no reason
why the League Division One trophy shouldn't end up at Stamford Bridge at the end of the
season, while Captain Colin Pates told supporters to 'keep the Charity Shield date free next
season because we're really going for that League Championship now.'
There seemed little cause for panic when 7th-placed West Ham took the lead through a
sensational Alan Devonshire strike, and the only real nervousness around the stadium as the
Irons took that lead into the break was in not knowing if you had a handful of ICF lads
surrounding you. However, none of that really mattered after the re-start, as Frank McAvennie
and Tony Cottee combined to great effect, scoring between them three goals in twenty minutes
past the shell-shocked Francis and his defence. By the time the final whistle blew, the young
stopper had conceded seven goals in 93 minutes, and there were more, many more, to come
two days later.
After humbling Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, West Ham went on an impressive run which saw
them go into the final day of the season as one of three teams who could still win the Title.
They ultimately finished third, with the Blues typically being the team who ultimately destroyed
their hopes when, less than three weeks after the match in SW6, goals by Nigel Spackman and
Pat Nevin – a far post header no less – gave Hollins' team a measure of revenge for their
earlier mauling.
What happened at Loftus Road on Easter Monday 1986 is something I can barely bring myself
to write about. It's not the same over in White City, of course, where the plucky minnows still
hold commemorative dinners and events to celebrate a league win which although impressive,
was still worth only three points. As a Shepherds Bush boy, losing to my then-neighbourhood
laughing stock in such a manner really was beyond the pale.
The beating by West Ham left Chelsea on the ropes, and QPR delivered the final blow with a 60 win which featured the obligatory Gary Bannister hat-trick. Humiliated in front of 18,000
spectators, approximately 5,000 of whom were supporting the home side, the spiky David
Speedie took out his frustration on the Hoops' Wayne Fereday, and the Blues – playing in red –
ended the game with the same amount of players on the pitch as goals conceded over the past
48 hours. Steve Francis, once described by a renowned football writer as 'the natural
successor to Peter Shilton and R*y Cl*mence in the England goal', would never don the gloves
for Chelsea again. He did, of course, do so against Chelsea for Reading and turned in a man of
the match performance, but that's how it works at Chelsea.
The 1985/86 season petered out in a wave of mediocrity. The win at West Ham, which followed
a similarly impressive triumph at Old Trafford a week earlier, sent the Blues back into the top
three, but a run of four straight defeats to end the season left them back in sixth place as the
campaign ended. The following season they flirted with relegation, and a year later they
achieved it. A record-breaking points haul saw Chelsea, now under the management of Bobby
Campbell, return to the top flight at the first attempt, and that's where we've been ever since.
The promotion under Campbell came in 1989, 14 years Before Russian Money. In the years
between, Chelsea won two FA Cups, one League Cup, one European Cup Winners Cup, one
Charity Shield and qualified twice for the Champions League. We also won a Zenith Data
Systems Trophy and the Cross Channel Cup. Been there, seen it, done it. Before Russian
Money we were pretty good. But Easter 1986 and all that, well that still makes me shudder.
Come on you mighty Blues
Kelvin Barker
30
Ceching Out Time For A Legend
Peter Schmeichel, Edwin Van der Sar and David Seaman. Three of the finest goalkeepers to grace
the Premier League. But there is one name missing from that list, a name that probably trumps all in
the category of the ‘Best Premier League Goalkeeper Ever’. Petr Cech was near enough a nobody
when he came to Stamford Bridge in 2004, as a tall and relatively awkward looking 21-year old.
Fast forward 11 years and the Czech Republic international can rightly claim to have been one of
the greatest signings in the history of the club. The £9 million paid for his signature now seems one
of the biggest bargains in footballing history.
But as we are so often reminded, especially in football, all good things must come to an end. It
appears that Cech’s affiliation with Chelsea, at least as a player, is coming towards that end. As I
write, reports were rife that the 32-year old would probably be leaving Stamford Bridge at the end of
the current campaign. These reports came after an interview with Cech was published in ‘Idnes’
newspaper. Speaking on the current situation of being number two behind the increasingly
impressive Thibaut Courtois, Cech was resigned to suggest that while he has still enjoyed this
season, he cannot experience another one like it. The giant has given his all for the club, putting his
body, and indeed career on the line for the Chelsea cause. And that is why the club should not put
up any fight, nor stand in his way should a summer departure be what he desires.
There is more than a touch of irony about the way in which Cech has lost his place as Chelsea’s
‘Number One’. At the beginning of this season he was displaced by a young goalkeeper who had
impressed on the continent, with José Mourinho opting to neglect sentimentality and go with who he
deemed the better option, regardless of Cech’s stature at the club. Rewind back to the beginning of
the 2004-2005 campaign and it was a similar scenario. C*rlo C*dicini had firmly secured his place
as one of the finest ‘keepers in England, and yet a young upstart managed to force him out of the
side. That upstart was Petr Cech.
Despite largely being out of the side this season, Cech has displayed the same capabilities as have
always been present in his game when called upon. This is particularly evident when evaluating his
stats for the season. In the 14 games he has appeared in during this campaign, Cech has illustrated
that he can still produce at the highest possible level, keeping seven clean sheets in those 14
games. In the Premier League alone, the 32-year old has avoided conceding in four of the five
appearances he has made. Many will point to the high quality defence Cech had in front of him in
those games, but the truth still remains that he has played a large part in repelling opposition
attacks. This was particularly clear in the game against Everton in which Cech made two saves that
ultimately won the game for Chelsea. His importance was particularly apparent when Mourinho
went straight over to Cech at the full-time whistle.
The stats from this season are matched across the entirety of Cech’s time at The Blues, a spell in
which he has always been dependable and consistent. Standing between the posts on 491
occasions, he has kept a clean sheet 228 times. Focussing again on the Premier League, Cech’s
clean sheets to games ratio represents remarkable reading, with 166 clean sheets in 331 games,
practically a clean sheet every other game. No other goalkeeper in the country can boast such an
impressive record. Cech has the most clean sheets in the history of the club, with there being 220
games in which he has not conceded. It is also worthwhile to note that on 168, Cech is just two
blanks from joining David James as the goalkeeper with the highest number of clean sheets in the
history of the Premier League. Should he get the chance to reach that milestone he will have
achieved it in considerably less games than James.
While these personal milestones (which can be added to with three Premier League Golden Glove
awards, two appearances in the PFA ‘Team of the Year’ and one Chelsea ‘Player of the Year’
award) will have been important to Cech, his selfless attitude would suggest the team has always
been the most important thing. And boy has he given his all.
There have been so many match winning performances by the Czech Republic international that it
is particularly difficult to pick some out ahead of the rest. But if there is to be one game for which
Cech’s name will go down in history it was that famous night in Munich, when Chelsea finally
secured Champions League glory. Cech on that night, simply put, was imperious. Keeping Chelsea
in the game for large portions he came to the fore in extra time, when he saved a penalty from Arjen
Robben before delivering a match winning performance in the subsequent penalty shootout.
Add this Champions League trophy to the Europa League, three League Cups, four FA Cups and
three (perhaps soon to be four) Premier Leagues that Cech has won and it is clear that he has been
part of an incredibly successful era in the history of the club. Not just as a member though, but a
31
key component. While many team-mates have come and gone, Cech has remained a vital part of
the team’s core, offering excellent consistency in a position in which many other clubs struggle. The
frequently outstanding performances and the success they have brought are indicative of why Cech
has become a club legend.
As a legend he should be treated with the respect that the status commands. The current situation
can not be an easy one for a ‘keeper who is still world class and is used to starting week in week
out. Truthfully, and rather unfortunately, Chelsea are one of perhaps three clubs at the moment
where based on talent and ability alone Cech would not walk in and immediately claim the starting
spot. Thibaut Courtois and Manuel Neuer are currently in front on their own in fighting it out for the
accolade of the world’s best goalkeeper, while David De Gea has this season shown the sort of
form that would suggest he is making his way to joining those two. While the likes of Joe Hart and
Hugo Lloris are both talented individuals, they are no better than Cech, who still remains very much
in an elite group of ‘keepers.
As such he is far too good to spend the last years of his career sitting on the bench. At 32, some
might even suggest he is at the peak age for a man in his position, though it is difficult to see how
Cech could surpass the high levels he has set himself. That aside he still remains one of the best
around and is more than capable of playing between the sticks at any number of top European
sides. The likes of Arsenal and Manchester United have been mentioned as potential destinations,
but the possibility of Cech moving to Real Madrid or PSG might sit more comfortably with Chelsea
supporters. Should he decide to leave though, few would begrudge him wherever he decides to go.
And that is key, after all the service and quality Petr Cech has provided Chelsea over the last ten or
so years, he has earned the right to have the say on what he does next. Just like Frank Lampard,
wherever he ends up, Petr Cech has firmly cemented his place in folklore as a Chelsea legend.
David Morris
32
Month In Preview
Stoke City (h) – Premier League – Saturday April 4th April 17.30
Chelsea entertain Stoke City, now managed by boyhood Chelsea supporter and former
Stamford Bridge cult-hero Mark Hughes. Earlier this season in a fixture played on a
Monday evening at the start of Christmas week, goals from John Terry and Cesc
Fabregas gave Chelsea a 2-0 victory at The Britannia Stadium. Last season’s
corresponding game at Stamford Bridge saw Chelsea defeat The Potters 3-0, the goals
scored by Mohamed Salah, Frank Lampard and Willian.
QPR (a) – Premier League – Sunday 12th April 3.30
QPR, now managed by Chris Ramsey following the resignation in February of H*rry
R*dknapp, currently look like certainties for the drop. This after a triumphant day at
Wembley last May when they returned to the top-flight with a last minute winner in the
play-off final. The last time Chelsea met their Hammersmith & Fulham Borough
neighbours at Loftus Rd was in the 2012/2013 season when the game ended 0-0. The
reverse fixture that term marked what was probably the most embarrassing defeat
Chelsea suffered under the then temporary manager Rafa Benitez, a 1-0 defeat at
Stamford Bridge. That season, QPR finished bottom of the table with a meagre 25 points.
Earlier this season at Stamford Bridge, a goal from Oscar and a penalty from Eden
Hazard enabled Chelsea to beat QPR 2-1.
Manchester Utd (h) – Premier League – Saturday 18th April 17.30
Earlier this season, Chelsea earned a point at Old Trafford in a 1-1 draw. However,
despite taking the lead in that match thanks to Didier Drogba, The Blues just couldn’t hold
onto the lead and a last minute Van Persie strike denied José Mourinho’s side all three
points. Last season, a hat-trick scored by Samuel Eto’o saw José Mourinho’s side collect
all three points with a 3-1 victory. With Manchester Utd fighting for a top four Champions
League spot this season, Mourinho will not take this fixture lightly as it is certain that Louis
van Gaal’s side will lift themselves for this meeting.
Arsenal (a) – Premier League – Sunday 26th April 16.00
Earlier this season when the two sides met at Stamford Bridge, José Mourinho maintained
his unbeaten record against Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger thanks to goals from Eden
Hazard via the penalty spot and a superbly taken strike from Diego Costa which gave
Chelsea a 2-0 victory. It was a game notable for the Arsenal boss pushing Mourinho, the
Frenchman escaping without sanction. Chelsea played Arsenal twice at The Emirates last
season, once in the League Cup when The Blues won 2-0 thanks to goals from Cesar
Azpilicueta and Juan Mata and once in the Premier League, a match that ended without
either side scoring.
Leicester City (a) – Premier League – Wednesday 29th April 19.45
Chelsea travel to the King Power Stadium for the first time since the 2003/2004 season
when goals from Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink, Adrian Mutu, Celestine Babayaro and an own
goal scored by Leicester’s Nikolaos Dabizas ensured a 4-0 victory for the then manager
Claudio Ranieri. Earlier that season in the league meeting at Stamford Bridge, an owngoal from Lilian Nalis and a strike from Adrian Mutu on the stroke of half-time gave 10man Chelsea – Geremi was shown a red card – a 2-1 victory. With Leicester City
struggling for Premier League survival, Chelsea will be hoping to repeat or even improve
upon the result at Stamford Bridge earlier this season when goals from Diego Costa and
Eden Hazard secured a 2-0 victory.
The Reserve
Oscar’s on the ball,
Oscar’s on the ball,
He cuts inside, He drifts out wide,
He can beat them all,
1000s come to watch him,
They stand and gaze in awe,
From minute 1 to 90,
Oscar’s on the ball!
33
34
The Return Of Football’s Ugly Face
The beautiful game… watched every week by millions of fans from all round the world. Exciting
players, unforgettable games, magic moments, breathtaking football, unbelievable goals, outstanding
saves and of course plenty of that pre-match ‘ice cold liquid amber refreshment stuff’ all add up to a
memorable day at the football!
Unfortunately, over the last couple of seasons our national game has again displayed its
unacceptable ugly side. It just feels like bribing officials and players, match fixing, biting, faking injury,
cheating and player scandals have dominated the headlines over the recent years. We appear to be
witnessing more abuse of the officials than ever before and players and managers look like they are
determined to get fellow professionals sent off. Over the top tackles are on the increase and so are
ticket prices. Kick off times have become more outrageous than ever and we are still being treated
more like animals than people when we visit the majority of grounds.
More recently, the outbreak of recorded racism and the sexist abuse subjected to Eva Carneiro and
the female officials has really tarnished the image of our game. It just feels like we have made too
many steps backwards over the past few months especially when you add to the ‘ugly pot’ the
accusations of illegal payments for the Qatar World Cup bid, even more reports of corruption from
those dishonest people at Fifa and Uefa, arrogant referees, abusive internet tweets by certain
players and also that disgusting spitting contest between Evans and Cisse! Then I guess there’s
Dave Whelan, who had done so much for Wigan during their rise from the bottom tier to FA Cup
glory and then forced to resign as Chairman after giving his heart and soul to the club because of
alleged racist language. The apparent increase in football violence could also become a massive
problem. Unfortunately, it really looks like we have gone back a few decades with that one, with the
recent problems witnessed in Egypt, Russia, Greece and the Ukraine to name just a few countries.
At home, the violence looks to be on the increase with problems at quite a few grounds this season
up and down the leagues. I was really horrified to hear about Watford fan Nick Cruwys being critically
injured after a gang attack in Wolverhampton and I hope he recovers quickly.
In football, we appear to suffer from the same problems every season. We just don’t learn from
things that have happened in the past. In Egypt recently, 74 people were killed and more than 250
were injured when fans broke onto the pitch attacking players and rival fans. Its 2015, so why are
people still losing their lives at football matches?
On 11th May this year, it will be exactly 30 years ago since 56 football fans lost their lives and over
260 suffered serious burns in the Bradford City fire disaster. Less than an hour after lifting the Third
Division Championship, the party atmosphere at Valley Parade turned into one of panic, horror and
then tragedy after a discarded cigarette end ignited the old wooden main stand at the ground. The
blaze spread so rapidly that the structure was engulfed by flames in a matter of minutes. The nation
was horrified by the images witnessed that day and especially later on when it became clear that so
many had died as they were trapped in that narrow alley way at the back of the stand because the
fire exits had been locked shut. It is great for the club that they have had such an outstanding FA
Cup run this season and it’s heart-warming to hear that the Premier League and the Sky Bet League
will mark the 30th anniversary of the Bradford fire with a minutes silence before each game on the
weekend of 25th April. However, even Bradford’s exciting cup run was marred in the end by those
few ‘so called’ fans determined to bring disgrace to the club after a series of incidents at the Reading
game.
Unfortunately, the history of the game we all love is littered with disasters from all around the globe.
In England during the 1945-1946 season, 33 people died and hundreds where left injured as disaster
hit the FA Cup tie between Bolton and Stoke at the old Burnden Park ground. Unbelievably, the
game was allowed to continue after that deadly crush had claimed those poor souls and the only real
safety improvement to result from that disaster was a report which recommended more rigorous
control of crowd sizes.
The football seasons between the mid 1960s and the turn of the millennium appeared to be cursed
by disaster for the game worldwide. In 1964, during a mass riot, 318 people were killed following a
match between Peru and Argentina and in 1968 the game witnessed the deaths of 71 people during
a stampede again involving Argentina. In the early 70s, 66 fans died during a Rangers and Celtic
game at Ibrox when barriers on one of the exit stairways collapsed causing a crushing ‘pile up’ that
left many dead and injured. In 1982, 66 fans perished in Moscow after a UEFA Cup game between
Spartak and Haarlem and during the 90s, 80 fans were trampled to death in Guatemala and 93 fans
along with police were crushed to death during yet another stampede in Nepal. The turn of the
35
millennium saw a vast improvement in stadium safety in England after the introduction of ‘all-seater’
stadia for top-flight sides. However, elsewhere in the world, football still appeared to be living in the
dark ages. Too many times we heard reports and witnessed TV images of rioting and people being
injured during matches. In 2001, 126 people died in Ghana during rioting at a football match and
there appears to be great unrest now-a-days at the majority of games in Turkey, Egypt and Greece.
I suppose that as the TV supremos began to take control of our game, more and more incidents and
disasters began to be seen on the small screen. TV cameras at Bradford meant that the whole of the
fire and the following horror was caught for all to witness. As if that horrendous fire at Bradford wasn’t
enough for this football loving nation to stomach, before the month was out another 39 people would
perish in a stampede caused by Liverpool fans at the Heysel Stadium. Coverage of the bigger games
also saw endless camera viewpoints and we all watched in horror as the Heysel disaster and then a
few years later the Hillsborough disaster both unfolded.
The Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985 witnessed the death of 39 people mostly Juventus fans live on
television. I clearly recall watching in horror that evening as Liverpool fans attacked the Italians a
good hour before the start of the European Cup Final in Belgium. The pictures of those pressed
against that wall which eventually collapsed was shocking and the violence that followed involving
both teams was disgraceful. Unbelievably, the game was still played in order to prevent any further
violence!
The 1989 Hillsborough tragedy witnessed the death of 96 football fans. Since that day families and
survivors have fought to discover the truth about what really happened. With the original verdict of
accidental death quashed in 2012 we are now witnessing the inquests into the deaths at Warrington.
I guess that the fingers are now pointing at the police and the way they handled everything that day. I
suppose that they were the people in charge on the day, so they will have a lot to answer to. It was
their responsibility for monitoring the terrace and the turnstiles and will have to take the blame for the
overcrowding. They had the power and control to delay the kick off or even called the game off. A
South Yorkshire police office has informed the inquest that he considered that ‘pen 3’ at the Leppings
Lane end to be full as early as 2pm. It was the police that ordered the opening of the gates to allow
the supporters in shortly before the kick-off to ease crushing outside the ground. The police have in
turn have tried to transfer the blame onto the supporters and I guess that they must take their share
of the blame for what happened on that dreadful day. Fans without tickets and those ‘fuelled’ by drink
had obviously played their part in the disaster. Inquest reports state that many stewards in the West
Stand had left because of the aggression shown to them by Liverpool fans before the kick-off. I
believe that the blame rests with those Liverpool fans that rushed onto the Leppings Lane terrace as
well as the police and the stewards.
I don’t know what the families are expecting from the inquest but I really hope they can find some
peace of mind after over a quarter of a century of grief. Clearly, that day was a mixture of unfortunate
and horrible events.
The images of all three tragedies still haunt me whenever I come across them. Kids suffocating
against the fences at Hillsborough, fans watching in horror as the stand burns at Bradford and those
Italian fans crushed underneath that crumbling wall at Heysel. The real victims of these football
disasters are the fans that left home just to watch the team they loved and ended up never returning.
It’s important that we learn from the terrible loss of life that we all witnessed during those dark days
of the seventies, eighties and early nineties. We must remember all of those fans that have lost their
lives over the decades just because they supported a different team or where just in the wrong place
at the wrong time. No one deserves to die just because they wanted to watch their team play a
football match. At Chelsea, we must remember all of those fans that have died in the past at places
like Preston, Birmingham and Huddersfield. Too many supporters from too many clubs have all lost
their lives in the past especially during that period of our history when the football hooligan was ‘king’.
Please never forget the true victims of Hillsborough, Bradford and Brussels because they are all
football supporters just like us. Sadly, recent events in Egypt, Greece and at home have proved that
we haven’t really learnt anything from past tragedies.
BlueBear
36
Geno Blue’s Guide To Chelsea Skinhead Reggae
Part 26 – Gregory Isaacs
1982 – Night Nurse
Gregory Isaacs’s greatest musical moment came in 1982 with his international best-selling
hit ‘Night Nurse’ – a tune that was driven by the mighty engine of Sly and Robbie on drums
and bass. In many ways, the success of that record was also the ruination of Gregory’s life
because it was to spark years of cocaine addiction and a descent into gun totting criminal
encounters that even a stretch in jail could not break. The years of drugs and drink took
their toll on Gregory’s voice with the result that much of his output in the 1990s and up to
the time of his death in 2004 is pretty wretched stuff. But Gregory in his prime was
something to savour and a lot of his music from the late 1960s and the early 1970s stands
as some of the finest reggae ever produced.
Two killer ‘Boss’ tunes
It may come as a surprise but Gregory made some great skinhead reggae tunes – ‘Don’t
Let Me Suffer’ and ‘Another Heartache’ are killer tunes. ‘Another Heartache’ was issued in
the UK on the Nu Beat label (an imprint that Pama set up for Laurel Aitken’s output).
‘Another Heartache’ was a duet with Winston Sinclair and the Nu Beat release (NB-026)
was in fact a Byron Lee production. Gregory gets no mention on the label of the record but
his distinctive voice is clear for all to hear and the tune received further exposure when it
was included on the sought after Pama compilation LP ‘Hey Boy, Hey Girl’. ‘Heartache’
was a version of the rhythm of The Slickers hit ‘Frying Pan’ (a killer Blue Cat release (BS154) released in the UK in 1969). Just as an aside – in the skinhead reggae record
collecting circles fans would follow their favourite labels – some opted for Collins (with their
distinctive plum coloured labels) some for Nu Beat and some for Blue Cat (with their
distinctive canary yellow labels). The ‘Blue Cat’ label is championed to this day by DJ
Oxford Paul whose ‘Blue Cat’ reggae nights at the Swan in Ayelsbury were a highlight of
the scene for many years.
The Concords
Shortly after the release of ‘Heartache’ came the 1969 formation of a trio called The
Concords in which Gregory recorded with two other vocalists, namely Penroe and
Bramwell. It was in that incarnation that ‘Don’t Let Me Suffer’ was released which had a
distinct ‘Pressure Drop’ flavour to it. Gregory re-recorded the number in later years. The
Concords worked with several producers but from the Chelsea skinhead perspective, the
best of their work was with Rupie Edwards and it’s on his Success label that ‘Suffer’ was
released as a 45.
Birth of the ‘Cool Ruler’
By 1970 Gregory had finished recording with the duet/trio approach and was now starting
to record as a recognised solo artist. Gregory experienced well-received recordings in the
shape of his solo recordings ‘Too Late’ and ‘Lonely Man’. Sporadic releases on the Escort,
Success and Love labels convinced Gregory that he needed a home of his own to release
the best of his work and that meant collaboration. 1972 had seen the release of ‘My Only
Lover’ on Bullet (BU-497) – a critically important record in defining Gregory’s career and
said to be the first ever ‘lovers rock’ recording. ‘Lover’ got Gregory noticed and it had the
additional advantage of backing by the Wailers band. 1973 came and Gregory went into
business with Errol Dunkley and together they founded their own ‘African Museum’ label.
Then the real quality began with a series of truly great singles that ran until the early 1980s
and includes favourites such as the 1976 release ‘Black A Kill Black’, a reference to
political violence that was rife in Jamaica in that year. 1974 saw the release of a song that
would be regarded as one of his top three recordings and be a staple of Gregory’s live
show through the rest of his career titled ‘All I Have is love’. 1974 also saw Gregory
working with Alvin Ranglin and having a hit with ‘Love Is Overdue’. The success of
‘Overdue’ lead to Gregory releasing his debut solo album ’In Person’ which was on the
37
Trojan label in its UK form. 1976 saw the release of another Geno favourite ‘Mr Cop’ on the
Micron label, a song with lyrics that refer to ‘cooling down’ – with the Cool Ruler inviting the
Jamaican police to take the pressure off the people. ‘Mr Cop’ is a wonderful Lee Perry
production and showcases Gregory’s voice and lyrical delivery to perfection. By 1978,
Gregory’s international success lead to his being signed by Virgin and the big budget
albums that this permitted included the ‘Cool Ruler’ set.
1979
1979 saw the release of a number of great singles including ‘Secretary’ on African
Museum, ‘Poor And Clean’ and ‘Mr Brown’ both on Cash and Carry and ‘Soon Forward’ on
the Taxi label. The last of those singles was the start of the relationship with Sly and
Robbie. Although ‘Night Nurse’, released in 1982, would in the fullness of time become a
huge hit, it didn’t translate into huge sales on initial release. Matters were not helped by
Gregory being imprisoned for firearms offences for six months in 1982 thereby limiting
Virgin/Island’s ability to exploit this next wave of success.
1980s
The contract with Virgin ended in 1984 but Gregory’s continued public success rolled on. In
my opinion, the highlight of the post-Virgin work was the Gussie Clarke produced ‘Private
Beach Party’ LP. Nearly all of Gussie’s productions are worth a listen and they include
some epic work with the DJ toaster I Roy. 1988 saw a fantastic success with the hit single
‘Rumours’ which followed on from 1987’s ‘Red Rose For Gregory’ LP which was a lovers
rock album that for many was the best of that genre. Gregory was to work with Gussie for a
full ten years.
Final Days
Gregory was only 59 when he died of lung cancer in London in October 2010. Gregory had
travelled a long way from his birth-place of Feltcher’s Island in Kingston in 1951 but his
health had been compromised by an addiction to crack cocaine that caused him to loose all
of his teeth. Gregory left behind a great canon of work that exemplified his emotional and
moving voice. For most however, it was his romantic work that drew them in. For others, it
was his political and social commentary songs but the quality of his voice rang through in
all genres of song and style.
April and August mentions – Friday 17th April – Cockney Rejects @ The 100 Club
then Symarip !!
I urge all readers of this column to head for the 100 Club on Oxford Street on Friday the
17th of April when those fun loving pranksters over at Human Punk present their ‘Night of
Herbert Punk’ in the company of the Cockney Rejects, The East End Baddoes, Morgellions
and 15 Guns. DJ sounds will be provided by John King, Andy Atticks and myself so a top
night is ensured!
Symarip
Club Ska is also proud to announce that on Saturday the 1st of August 2015 they will bring
the legendary Roy ‘Mr Symarip’ Ellis & The Moonstompers to the 100 Club – with the band
likely to include Mr Roddy Radiation of The Specials fame and special guest King
Hammond & Skaville UK. Tickets are flying out for the Symarip gig so book early !!
Geno’s Top 5 Gregory Isaacs selections – ‘Don’t let me suffer’, ‘All I have is Love’,
’My Only Lover’, ‘Mr. Cop’, ‘Night Nurse’
Geno Blue
38
Youth, Youth, Youth!
In March, Chelsea’s Under-18s secured their 4th FA Youth Cup Final appearance in a
row by coming back from a 2-0 first leg deficit to beat Sp*rs 5-2 on the night; 5-4 on
aggregate. For Chelsea and in fact for many clubs this is unprecedented. I remember
going to one of the previous Youth Cup Finals only to realise that the last time Chelsea
had won the Youth Cup was back in the early 1960s with the team that became
Docherty’s Diamonds!
Of course, this continued success at youth level begs the big question of when or if any
of this talented bunch of players will break in to the first team, or more pertinently become
a fixture at least or a club legend at best, taking the mantle from John Terry, infamously
the last Chelsea youth player to do so.
Many in the media, and in fact I suspect quite a few Chelsea supporters believe it is more
likely to see legendary cfcuk scribe Walter Otton run on to the Stamford Bridge pitch
wearing nothing but pink fluffy knickers than it will be to see a youth player break in to the
Chelsea first eleven and have the same level of success enjoyed by John Terry!
If that is the case, it does bring in to question the point of having such a superb academy
and strategy of nurturing talent, apart from some clever method of getting around UEFA’s
Financial Fair Play rules and generating income with which to buy more players from
overseas.
Interestingly, José Mourinho appears to be both sensitive to and in tune with this
dilemma. He pretty much nailed the conundrum that both he and the Club face in
interviews recently.
He admitted that he has to take a pragmatic view when introducing young players in to
the first team. To be fair to him, we have this season seen Jamal Blackman, Nathan Ake
(now loaned to Reading), Andreas Christensen, Isaiah Brown, Ruben Loftus-Cheek
added to the First team squad, with Dominic Solanke and Lewis Baker there or there
about. Incidentally, Brown and Solanke were instrumental in Chelsea’s Youth Cup SemiFinal win with 3 goals between them.
It seems frustrating for many supporters that the youngsters get so few opportunities, but
does José have a point?
Mourinho’s view is that if he believes they are good enough then they are ready and he
will pick them. But the problem is that playing for a club like Chelsea, at the level we play
at, with the expectation and pressure of competing to win in all competitions (and with
José that means every match!), it represents too much of a risk.
I am inclined to agree although I think that view is somewhat double edged. I mean, risk
for whom – the players or the manager? It is a good question.
I don’t for one minute doubt that the mental pressure and responsibility of playing a
crucial game for Chelsea could break a young player, hinder their development and
mean that we destroy that talent before giving it a chance to blossom. But one also has
to bear in mind that the pressure on Mourinho to win is also great, and I can understand
why he would be reluctant to take that risk with his own career and future. Having said
that, when he had no choice in last season’s seminal and somewhat slippery match
against Liverpool at Anfield, both Christensen and Kalas, thrown in at the deep end, put
in great performances. It seemed to me that they could handle the pressure, although to
be fair, in a run of games they may well have been prone to a few mistakes, and
mistakes can and will cost you games.
Of course, another side of the coin is when some of the more peripheral members of the
squad got opportunities, such as Mo Salah, they did not exactly set the world on fire.
Would it not have been better to have tried one of our own, such as Loftus-Cheek,
Solanke or Brown? They could hardly have done any worse.
39
On a positive note, it seems that José has earmarked Loftus-Cheek as likely to get more
first team football next season. Let’s hope that this will be the case, and that he will not
be the only one! But what of the others, will they be loaned out and not seen again, and
what about the current loanees such as the very promising goal scorer Patrick Bamford,
will they get a chance?
Whether or not to play the youngsters seems to occupy the minds of Chelsea supporters
more than many other subjects, and I often wonder why this is.
I can understand that there is a great sense of pride when a youngster, brought up locally
and developed by the club, makes it in to the first team and goes on to do well. After all,
in these modern football times of globalisation and the loss of the local identity of the
club, that is something that we should all embrace, and furthermore, many of the current
youngsters were born within 20 miles of Stamford Bridge.
However, I think it may also be down to a misty eyed, rose tinted view of Chelsea and
football, something which my generation is particularly guilty of!
There have been periods in the Club’s history when it had little or no choice than to trust
in the youth. As I mentioned earlier, Docherty’s Diamonds rose like a phoenix from the
ashes of Ted Drake’s 1955 Championship winning side. They emerged from Division 2 in
the early 1960s to come close to winning the League, FA and League Cup in 1965, and
developing players such as Ron Harris, T*rry V*nables; Peter Bonetti; Barry Bridges and
Bobby Tambling.
In the meltdown of the financial crisis caused by the building of the East Stand; the
dismantlement of the ‘Kings of the Kings Road’ side and relegation from the first division
in 1975, Eddie McCreadie’s ‘Blue & White Army’ was also a side built on youth. Ray
Wilkins (the 18-year old skipper) and players such as Tommy Langley, Steve Wicks, Ian
Britton, Gary Locke, Super Jock Finnieston, Garry Stanley and Ray Lewington had all
come through from the youth ranks. They played exciting and entertaining football and
helped get Chelsea back to the First Division in 1977 with aplomb. They are still one of
my favourite Chelsea sides, especially the Umbro kit… and they were mainly youngsters!
So, this celebration and desire to see youth players make it in to the first team is nothing
new, but the examples of Docherty’s Diamonds and Eddie McCreadie’s Blue & White
Army tells us that sometimes you have to experience the downside before you reap the
benefits. Both these much loved sides were allowed to come together and learn their
trade in the less pressurised environment of the Second Division.
Things at Chelsea are very, very different now. As José says, it is far more pressurised
and the expectations are very much greater. For those of you constantly shouting for the
youth to be given a chance, I wonder how many would genuinely accept the poor results
and lack of trophies that might just come with that.
Considering that, I am quite happy to trust José to get the balance right, after all, he
knows a little bit more about football players and coaching than me. Only a little bit mind!
(This article was brought to you by Bauhaus!)
Stamford Chidge
‘Stamford Chidge’ presents the award winning Chelsea FanCast podcast which
can be heard live every Monday at 19.00 at mixlr.com/chelsea-fancast/ or
downloaded from ITunes, Soundcloud or chelseafancast.com Follow us on twitter
@StamfordChidge and @ChelseaFanCast
40
Champions League You’re Having A Laugh
So that’s it then is it. The Champions League is over for another year. We are out despite
being undefeated and top scorers in the group stage.
I have to say for me this was the one of the dullest tournaments from our point of view I
can remember.
Without cheating who did we play and what were the scores? Apart from the PSG games
and the annihilation of Schalke in Germany the rest of the games were totally forgettable.
Two games against Maribor, one a romping home win where they really did look like a
pub team and then an inexplicable draw against them away. A scrappy 1-1 draw against
the aforementioned Schalke and two forgettable games against Sporting Lisbon, albeit
two wins. More of that later.
They say familiarity breeds contempt and personally I think the tournament is now stale.
The same suspects every year. There is rarely a shock in the group stages and you can
write the Arsenal script every year. The tournament is a bloated cash cow and will not
change for the foreseeable or until the much vaunted European league ever arrives. The
original format of champions only with two-legged knockout rounds was much better but
we were never in that format. No way will the Turkeys vote for Christmas so we have the
group stages for the foreseeable.
The Champions League was the Holy Grail. Every year we’d watch some English team or
other win it or come close. Back in those days, we actually wanted English sides to win.
We watched from a far like a kid with it’s face pressed up against the toy shop window
knowing they couldn’t afford the prized toy. We eventually entered the tournament and the
first game we knew we’d ‘arrived’ was AC Milan at home and the hair on the back of my
neck stood up when the anthem came on. The return trip was very special.
As for winning it, ridiculous. Chelsea don’t do that. Well we did and on that night in Munich
I stared in disbelief. All I’d ever seen were red shirts holding that trophy aloft but there
were our players gallivanting on the turf sitting on crossbars and playing with the cup with
the big ears. Champions after all those years of being shafted, we were having a laugh.
So where are we now? As I said it may just be me but this was the most uninspiring
campaign yet. It started with the game against Schalke at home. We started well, an early
goal, we rested and got caught a frustrating start. The next game was away against
Sporting and we absolutely ripped them but only scored one and nearly gave it away.
So 4 points from the first 2 games always a respectable return especially with back to
back games against the weakest team in the group. The home game against Maribor was
a romp 6-0 I had to look up the scorers, although I remember Eden scoring a ridiculous
goal at the end. So all we needed was a victory away from home and we were through.
Somehow we went one down and contrived to draw against a poor team missing a
penalty near the end.
Our next game was one of the best performances of the season a 5-0 demolition of
Schalke. I could be cynical and say José fancied teaching a lesson to the man who won
the Champions League before him for Chelsea but he wouldn’t do that would he? With the
exception of Swansea, we have not had such attacking intent away from home. We were
ruthless and qualified top of the group that night.
Our final game was home to Sporting Lisbon, a dead rubber. Encouragingly, José
produced Rueben Loftus Cheek at the press conference. He was to get playing time, after
all it didn’t matter as the group was won? Wrong – our manager is the ultimate competitor
and hates to lose. Consequently, RLC came on at 3-1 up with 8 minutes to go. I for one
was mightily disappointed. I couldn’t honestly see the downside of bringing him on at half
time and giving him some genuine game time but hey what do I know?
The PSG draw was always going to be a tough one but I am not sure before the 2 games
41
any of us expected we’d be knocked out. In many respects the game in Paris was more
disappointing. I hate the passive nature of some of our away performances in Europe. We
are not yet at that level where one goal is enough. We have one of the world’s greatest
players in our midst and I’d like to see us go for teams more. Sadly when Eden did get the
ball that night he got no protection. That being said a draw at PSG was a very good result
and should have taken through with an away goal.
The game at the Bridge was a complete mystery and ultimately we didn’t turn up. It
happens and we need to move on but can anyone say they enjoyed this years European
campaign from a footballing perspective?
I really do not want to sound like a spoilt brat of a supporter, yawning at yet another
Champions League campaign, especially as so many fallen ‘giants’ are fighting to get
back in. We are sitting at the top table of European football’s elite, which is something that
certainly didn’t cross my mind when I left Stamford Bridge in the 82/83 season having
watched Rotherham follow up their 6-0 demolition of us with a 4-0 home thrashing. I will
never take our position for granted.
Something was a bit flat this year and it may be that José is really concentrating all his
efforts in getting back the Title and that suits me. It’s the trophy I want more than any
other and if we do win it (which I’m sure we will) then I’ll start looking forward to Europe
again. Hoping that one day we may get to play Real Madrid a game which has eluded us
in this competition. Perhaps the Special One will target that completion next year. We’ll
have to wait and see.
Clayton Beerman @goalie59
Clayton is a regular blogger on the Chelsea Fancast website chelseafancast.com . He can
sometimes be heard on the Podding Shed and the London is Blue podcasts.
42
Seven Top Titles From John King
Available through
all good bookshops,
[email protected],
or via at the cfcuk stall
Signed copies of all
John King’s novels
are available by post.
For details, please
email us here at
[email protected]
or at the cfcuk stall on
Chelsea home
matchdays
43
44

this link

Transcription

Similar documents

DAYS OF OUR LIVES - Michael Fairman On-Air On

Settecento - Chelsea PIB

Chelsea Primary School Blog

The Colbert Report Photo Retrospective and More

UviLux UV Fluorometer: Applications

25 Cheyne Place Brochure

News from the Principal - Chelsea Primary School Blog

Word experiments - Thinking with Type

Annual Report - the Chelsea Senior Center