The smoke clears to reveal a slightly balding tubby goateed ringmaster – his suit, ill fitting, red (naturally) with a rather disgruntled lion trying to escape from his chest. The lion stares at the ringmaster’s awful facial hair with a contemptuous look – facial hair, you’re not wanted here. He waddles forward struggling to deal [...]
Saturday 20th November 1976. Nottingham Forest v Chelsea. 36 years ago to the day before my day trip to Turin. A different world for Chelsea. Top of the Second Division with a young, exciting team but with the club completely skint, reduced to collecting ‘Cash For Chelsea’ on special trains and in the ground.
Saturday will mark the beginning of a sequence of games that will truly test the title credentials of Roberto Di Matteo’s emerging Chelsea side. Any aspirations of contesting the title this season will be thoroughly examined by a Tottenham team who are sadly finding themselves under ginger beard. A match that usually bristles with animosity [...]
Saturday 2nd July 1977. Close season, and up to that point a very happy one for Chelsea fans. After promotion back to Division One in May, Chelsea’s young team (Ray Wilkins, Steve Finnieston, Garry Stanley and the rest) were looking forward to the new season under inspirational young manager Eddie McCreadie, starting with an away [...]
The dust has nearly settled on the most tumultuous of seasons at Chelsea Football Club. The term European Champions still seems like it belongs elsewhere, to some other team and some other set of supporters. Just to confirm, Chelsea are the Kings of Europe. One more time. Chelsea have won the European Cup. The first [...]