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 [...]
Dear Mr Platini, First of all, can I please thank you and your organisation’s premier competition for giving me some of the greatest nights of my life this season. I watched my team beat Napoli at home having been 3-1 down, watched them beat Barcelona at home, watched them heroically defend their lead in the [...]