Stamford Bridge
Most soccer teams have an emotional link to their home stadium,
but the history of few teams and stadiums are as intertwined as
that of Chelsea FC and Stamford Bridge, their London home. Built
in 1877, Stamford Bridge was an athletics track until 1905 when
two brothers (HA and JT Mears) purchased it with the intention
of attracting an existing team to play there. When this plan
failed, they decided to take the bull by the horns and create
their own team - Chelsea FC.
And so began 100 years of soccer history with many ups and downs
along the way.
The Story Of The Blues
Chelsea Football Club was officially formed on March 14 1905 in
The Rising Sun public house opposite the main entrance to the
current stadium. A few weeks later, the team joined the Second
Division of the growing Soccer League, and they played their
first game (against Stockport County) on May 29, 1905.
A long, uneventful period followed and it was not until 1955
that Chelsea won their first league title. Initially nicknamed
"The Pensioners" after the nearby Royal Hospital (home of army
pensioners), an early manager thought it gave the wrong
impression - and ever since, Chelsea have been known as "The
Blues".
The swinging 60s made Chelsea the fashionable heart of London,
but the success of the surrounding area was not duplicated on
the field at Stamford Bridge. The team did become known off the
pitch for their fashionable clothes, accessories, and celebrity
lifestyles and the club enjoyed a certain celebrity in the media
during this period. The trophy cabinet however remained largely
empty, and although Chelsea came close with an FA Cup final loss
in 1967, the only major success of the decade was winning their
first League Cup in 1965.
Things Can Only Get Better
Matters did not improve during the 1970s and 80s, with the
team dipping in and out of the Second Division and serious
financial difficulties leading to the sale of star players. At
the club's lowest financial point, the Mears family were forced
to sell the club to new owner Ken Bates for a price of $2 USD
(yes two dollars!). The passionate supporters of Chelsea stayed
loyal however, and some of the players from this troubled era
ranked among the best in England. Notable among the players of
this period are the team's famous goalkeeper Peter Bonetti, who
played for the team 729 times between 1959 and 1979, and striker
Peter Osgood who scored 150 goals in 380 appearances between
1964 and 1979.
Although Jimmy Greaves became better known for his later career
at Tottenham Hotspur, he started playing soccer at Chelsea,
scoring in his debut game (a feat he repeated with every team he
subsequently played for). In 1960, aged 20, Greaves became the
youngest player ever to score 100 English league goals, and his
1960-61 tally of 41 league goals remains a record at Chelsea to
this very day.
Turning Point
The 1990s saw Chelsea slowly but surely establish themselves as
a major force in English and European soccer as Ken Bates funded
the purchase of several world-class players including Dutch
superstar Ruud Gullit (from Sampdoria) and goal-scoring supremo
Mark Hughes (from Manchester United). With Gullit in his first
season as player-manager, Chelsea won their first trophy for 26
years when they beat Middlesborough to win the FA Cup in 1997.
The shock departure of Gullit in 1998 led to the appointment of
another player-manager, the Italian striker Gianluca Vialli, and
the development of the squad continued to bring some success
with an FA Cup win in 2000, shortly followed by Vialli's
dismissal. Consequently, his successor, Claudio Ranieri, was in
charge of a squad that many commentators felt was of good
quality and depth, but under performing, when the turning point
in Chelsea's fortunes occurred.
The new dawn for Chelsea broke when the club was purchased by
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in 2003. He immediately
opened his sizeable check book to the club management, who
spent over $150 million on an injection of new talent including
Claude Makélélé, Glen Johnson, Joe Cole and Damien Duff.
Unfortunately, the investment produced no trophies, and new
manager José Mourinho was drafted in from Portugal for the 2004
season. Mourinho made an immediate impression, not only on the
Chelsea team but on English soccer in general, and his drive and
ambition combined with Ambramovich's fortune have transformed
the fortunes of Chelsea.
Chelsea Today
Today, Chelsea boasts an amazing array of top players: Echoing
the early popularity of Peter Bonetti, goalkeeper Petr Cech is
rated by many as the #1 'keeper in the Premiership and one of
the best in the world. Still aged only 23, he made his debut in
his native Czech Republic when he was only 19. Captain John
Terry is respected as one of the most tenacious defenders in the
Premiership and his dedication and consistency earned him the
PFA (Professional Footballers' Association) Player of the Year
award. At only 24, Chelsea hopes he will be around to carry on
the good work for a few years yet.
In the midfield, Frank Lampard is a massive favourite with the
fans. A tireless midfielder of great stamina, Lampard plays 90
minutes of end-to-end soccer every game and opposition teams
know he can pop up anywhere on the pitch at any time, moving the
ball up field from defence one moment, then scoring goals - 13
of them last season - the next. Although Lampard has been with
Chelsea since 2001, it is only in the last two seasons that he
has really developed into a world-class player - a change that
manager José Mourinho can take credit for. While vice-captain
Lampard narrowly missed out on the PFA Player of the Year award,
he has had the satisfaction of being Chelsea's own Player of the
Year for 2004 and 2005.
A Record Breaking Season
Hardly surprising then that 2005 saw Chelsea win only their
second-ever League title, a mere 50 years after winning their
first! But this was just one element of what was the most
successful year in Chelsea's history, with them also winning the
League Cup and breaking a number of records for a 38 game season:
Highest points total for a Premiership season (95)
Most wins (29)
Fewest goals against (15)
Most games with no goals against (25)
While it will be very difficult for Chelsea - or any other team
- to produce a season that can rival 2004-5 in terms of trophy
wins and records, there can be no mistaking the intention of the
club's owners, management team and players to stay at the very
top of the English Premiership for as long as possible, and they
have started this year with the kind of passion and success that
is likely to lead to another great season for fans of "The
Blues".
A Force To Be Reckoned With
No matter how unsuccessful the team has been in the past,
Chelsea has always enjoyed the loyal support of local fans, but
the recent success of the team means that today Chelsea is an
internationally recognized soccer team and a major business with
many facets.
The Chelsea FC online megastore now ships Chelsea-related soccer
apparel, leisurewear, souvenirs, books and videos around the
world. Their multi-lingual ordering hotline is just one
indication of how internationally successful the Chelsea "brand"
has become.
The club's sponsorship deal with Samsung is even bigger than
Manchester United's Vodaphone deal, bringing additional income
to a club that is already generously funded by its owner and
benefactor. Indeed, some commentators are now expressing concern
that perhaps the Chelsea squad is too dominant, that perhaps the
team is too well funded. But after so many years in the
doldrums, you can be sure that today's Chelsea fans are
delighted they have "The Blues".
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