Chelsea in Meltdown !!!

[THE FLASH]

http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/MatchCentre.asp?MatchID=19890127

Dave Geddes on the bench......sheesh...

Hazard and Mitchell for them....

[THE FLASH]

Isn't the 'you've got no history' goading you hear about Chelsea's relative lack of success pre-Abramovich mainly a Premier League thing?  I can't honestly say I know much about Chelsea's history/past, and care even less.  We're not rivals in any sense.

As Bassett Boy says, it's a different sport practically; a different world.  Tomorrow's game is a novelty game: fun if we were to make a contest of it, but very quickly forgotten if we don't.  The derby win on Saturday was much more important in the scheme of things, to me at any rate.  Certainly the game I was focussing on more during the last week.

Interesting stat about the 1911 game, by the way.  And verified by our very own unofficial club archive:

Chelsea vs STFC, March 1911

Word...I would take a win over city any time...

[Bovis Messroom]

Thanks for the post however STFC are what i would call a real football club and to me the Prem league has become everything that is wrong with English football that is not a pop at Chelsea just the Anti Christ league in General
Apart from you and the 2 manchester clubs no one will else win the league success is seen as being in the European comps or lower down staying in the league

I do understand what you mean as would most of our more senior support.  I don't agree on what is perceived as a "real football club".  As a Chelsea fan we get it in the ear a lot more than most. It seems that when your club is bought by a Russian billionaire who pumps money into the game that club somehow becomes 'soulless' and we sold out as if we as supporters had any say in the matter.  Bizzarely other clubs who equally have mega rich owners who are basically in it for personal profit are not tainted with the same slur. It's all bowlarks anyway, the real 'soul' of a club isn't to be found in a boardroom but in the characters who've worked around the place for donkeys years, often not for money but love of the club. The familiar faces in the pubs around the stadium on matchday. The old and much loved past players that come back as Bobby Tambling did on Saturday when there were genuine worries if he would still be with us last year. Hardly a dry eye in the house. These are amongst the constants and even proper fans of PL clubs recognise them.  I miss quite a lot of things about football before all seater stadiums,  Sky and the Premier League and part of me would like to see it all crumble. Also you'd find a great swathe of our support backs the 'Safe Standing' campaign and follow the german example of cheaper tickets as well as closer,  more pro-active relationship between clubs and their supporters.  Other aspects I don't miss at all.

[Bovis Messroom]

Hi Bovis
Would really like to know
How long have you followed Chelsea ?

I think I started to take an interest in them about 1966 when I was a nipper.  My old man wasn't into football at all so I must have nagged him to death for him to take me to The Bridge. My first match was early 1971 vs Huddersfield.

[bassett boy]

I think I started to take an interest in them about 1966 when I was a nipper.  My old man wasn't into football at all so I must have nagged him to death for him to take me to The Bridge. My first match was early 1971 vs Huddersfield.

Ok thanks for that hope you enjoy tomorrow but not too much

[Reg Smeeton]

 I once met an old Town fan who cycled up for the 1911 game with his mates....Town were a pretty big draw back then for the neutral, having won the Southern League and fielding Harold Fleming.

A more accurate reflection of the status of the 2 clubs was in 1915, when in a cup game at the CG the crowd for the 1-1 home tie was 22,944 and replay 18,610. Bit like when we played them in the Prem.

[bassett boy]

I once met an old Town fan who cycled up for the 1911 game with his mates....Town were a pretty big draw back then for the neutral, having won the Southern League and fielding Harold Fleming.

A more accurate reflection of thn status of the 2 clubs was in 1915, when in a cup game at the CG the crowd for the 1-1 home tie was 22,944 and replay 18,610. Bit like when we played them in the Prem.

[leefer]

http://www.11v11.com/teams/swindon-town/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Chelsea

Sure there was about 70,000 for the 1911 match.

[Bovis Messroom]

Isn't the 'you've got no history' goading you hear about Chelsea's relative lack of success pre-Abramovich mainly a Premier League thing?  I can't honestly say I know much about Chelsea's history/past, and care even less.  We're not rivals in any sense.

As Bassett Boy says, it's a different sport practically; a different world.  Tomorrow's game is a novelty game: fun if we were to make a contest of it, but very quickly forgotten if we don't.  The derby win on Saturday was much more important in the scheme of things, to me at any rate.  Certainly the game I was focussing on more during the last week.

Interesting stat about the 1911 game, by the way.  And verified by our very own unofficial club archive:

Chelsea vs STFC, March 1911

The 'no history' stuff was started by Liverpool and quickly aped by other fans.  I dunno, it shouldn't wind me up because it's a ridiculous jibe and should be laughed off.  Because it's basically saying that 'only winning titles and cups = history'.   It's the sort of nonsense the worst type of gloryhunter would come out with when you think about it. If Chelsea has no history what do these people think of all those clubs that have won less than us even before Roman? If I get truly riled I will counter that we were competing in European competition some four years before Liverpool and won our first euro trophy before them too.  Should be above it really.  

[Bovis Messroom]

I once met an old Town fan who cycled up for the 1911 game with his mates....Town were a pretty big draw back then for the neutral, having won the Southern League and fielding Harold Fleming.

A more accurate reflection of the status of the 2 clubs was in 1915, when in a cup game at the CG the crowd for the 1-1 home tie was 22,944 and replay 18,610. Bit like when we played them in the Prem.

Hmmm.  My 'Full Statistical History 1905-1985' book on CFC says it was the CG game was the replay and the crowd was 18,.610. The first game at SB attracted 28,000. We went on to reach the final that year getting stuffed by Sheffield Utd.  There was understandably a fall off in general attendances as there was a slightly bigger theatre of conflict well underway on the continent although  we got close on 60,000 for the visit of Newcastle in the quarters.

[Abrahammer]

There's only one team on who the "no history" jibe carries any weight and it certainly isn't Chelsea.

[Simon Pieman]

What about the game in 1904 at the County Ground when there were 200,000 town fans and only 92 Chelsea?

[suttonred]

The only thing that irritates me about Chelsea is the fact that when I moved here, all you saw were Palace shirts, Since the Russian bought in, everywhere is Chelsea, and do any of the fuckers go to watch? Well a few do, but the centres of Croydon, Sutton, Banstead and wallington are thick with Chelsea shirts when they are playing, but none of them seem to know who against if asked. Petty I know, But it gets my goat. Couldn't watch them now on tv, but did enjoy the old 70's side, and even the 80's side when you were pretty rubbish by your standards.

[@mwooly63]

The only thing that irritates me about Chelsea is the fact that when I moved here, all you saw were Palace shirts, Since the Russian bought in, everywhere is Chelsea,

Same everywhere I think
More than a few around the town these last few years

Dont bother me either way Chelsea,
Personally would have thought with all the investment ploughed in the league would have been won more ( would like to know how much has been paid out in compo for management sackings  )
Aside from buying every available player they can and loaning most out ( 33 on loan last year IIRC ) they just seem too inconsistent.
You cant argue with the quality players they have tho - even those well down the pecking order.

Expect nothing from tomorrow so am prepared to be proven wrong 

[Bovis Messroom]

The only thing that irritates me about Chelsea is the fact that when I moved here, all you saw were Palace shirts, Since the Russian bought in, everywhere is Chelsea, and do any of the fuckers go to watch? Well a few do, but the centres of Croydon, Sutton, Banstead and wallington are thick with Chelsea shirts when they are playing, but none of them seem to know who against if asked. Petty I know, But it gets my goat. Couldn't watch them now on tv, but did enjoy the old 70's side, and even the 80's side when you were pretty rubbish by your standards.

It's the same with anyone who has an era of success.  Bleedin' Tottenham 'Holsten' shirts all over the place when they were winning those back to back cups in '81 and '82. And that was in West London.  Places like Sutton and Banstead have always been pretty solid Chelsea supporting areas, just that back then probably not so proud to wear the colours. What I could say is that when we played at places like Selhurst Park and Loftus Road even back then, we made a good fist of taking their grounds over, numbers wise.