A “Travels” is a rare visitor at this time of the year; however as we have reached the Final of Europe’s premier club competition what better way than to mark it with recollections of what was, for many of those who went, a very favourite European trip.

The 2010 – 2011 Champions League campaign began with exceptionally smooth progress through a first stage comprising Marseille, Zilina and Spartak Moscow, ending with Chelsea topping the group on 15 points, having won 5 games and lost 1, the latter in a tough visit to Moscow, and, when the draw for the Round of 16 was made, there could have been few fans unhappy with a pairing against FC Copenhagen, a tie from which the club could be fairly confident of progressing.

Having sourced possible flight and hotel combinations for every other team we could have been drawn against, but improbably omitted Copenhagen, the usual scramble to secure a flight and a hotel ensued.  So it was that I found myself on a BA flight from Heathrow Terminal 5 on the morning of Monday 21^st February.  Over the years, I’ve tended to find myself flying out of Gatwick more than Heathrow (although as I’m now living in the heart of London, I now try and arrange to fly out of there in preference to anywhere else).  T5 is light years away from the rest of the Heathrow monolith, being airy and having a feeling of space.  The shopping is also rather good, and flying with BA has all the advantages of a reserved seat and free baggage.

This trip was the furthest I’d been north, and as the plane started its approach to Copenhagen, it was possible to see from my window that the country’s coast was not only bleak and sepia-tinted, it was also literally freezing. The weather forecast for the week had promised sub-zero temperatures, so I had invested in a thermal vest and socks, and planned to attend the game in many more layers than is my norm.

Copenhagen Airport is brilliant to get to and from.  None of your getting on a airport bus here, but a rapid train ride from the airport to the city centre in about 15 minutes for the equivalent of £7.  I’d travelled out to Denmark on my own, but was meeting up with a party later in the evening, having declined an invitation to visit a brewhouse almost as soon as I landed, when all I felt like doing was finding my hotel, having an orientation walk and getting a square meal. 

I’d managed to get quite a good deal on a hotel in the centre of town, and speedily located it. Having checked in, dumped the luggage, and been charmed by the fact the room even had a kitchenette, I set off for a walk into the biting cold dusk.

I remain quite sad that due to the fact it was the middle of winter, I didn’t see as much of the city as I’d have liked, and certainly didn’t see the royal palace, which I’d hoped to do, and the famous Tivoli Gardens on Hans Christian Anderson Boulevard are closed in February.  However, the walk took me past the Tivoli and on towards the Radhus, as it got darker and colder.  After a brief perusal of the main shopping thoroughfare, where I pondered and rejected the possibility of buying another sweater (a decision I later regretted), I decided to find my dinner.  Having walked back towards H.C. Boulevard, I found rather a nice looking Italian restaurant and walked in. 

 As readers of the Travels will recall, I have a very poor grasp of most European modern languages, but my Danish extends no further than “Tack”.  So in order to get over the language difficulty in Ristorante Vesuvio, I decided I might as well give the Italian a run out.  And surprisingly, it was rather successful, and I had an extremely enjoyable meal of bruschetta, tortelloni melanzane e zucchini, and sorbetto Vesuvio (lemon sorbet with limoncello liquor).  Once fortified, I headed off towards the train station, to meet another member of the party, who was arriving on a later flight.  Just as I was saying hello to H., it so happened that Dazza A. (whose prophecy regarding the Milanese coleslaw was so accurate – see Travels with the Chels – Milan), who was also joining the trip, was short-cutting through the station with his half-brother, Kim, who was over from Norway for the game.  Our final renegade, Mr E.,who’d escaped the carnage of the Milan lurgy, was also in town and, as a real ale buff, had reluctantly agreed to meet the rest of us in the Old English Pub in Vesterbrogade, but had retreated to his lodgings to change his frock.

 It’s usually the case that any English/Irish pub you wander into on a European trip will be stuffed full of Chels, but Copenhagen seemed to be the exception.  We found this slightly strange, but settled down for an evening with reasonably priced alcohol, a band playing U2-type numbers, and Sky Sports News on the TV.  About 9pm, not having had any dinner, H., Dazza and Kim went out to the conveniently-located Burglar King next door. When they returned, it was with the news that the reason that the Old English Pub was so quiet was that everyone was probably in the Cafe Guldhornene on Vestegarde, which had heavily promoted itself as the home of Chelsea in Copenhagen, and who were said to be running promotions on drinks.  Mr E. decided he was feeling his age at this point (about midnight) and wanted to be up at the crack of dawn for his day-trip to Malmo, so he left the rest of us wastrels to make our way to the proposed den of iniquity. 

 As we left Vesterbrogade and crossed over to HCA Boulevard, it seemed to have got even colder.  And as we reached the Rathaus, we felt the first flakes of snow drifting gently to the ground.  Although old enough to know better, this was the signal to caper around the square shouting “It’s snowing! It’s snowing” (like we hadn’t had enough snow in London during that winter).  After a slight disagreement about the location of the Guldhornene, as is usually the case, a colossal drunken roar signalled that we were in fact near the venue, so we followed the noise down a side street.   The bar appeared to be subterranean, and we could see a fairly crowded looking room through the basement windows.  However, we weren’t ready for the heat and the noise which hit us.  It was obvious that a fair proportion of those who had travelled to Denmark were in there.  The Tuborg, at the equivalent of just £2.20 a pint, was fairly flowing, and so were the bawdy songs, in particular one coined especially for this trip to one of those Euro-type tunes:-

“We’re in Denmark

We’re in Denmark

We’re on the p..s

With Abramovich*

We’re in Denmark”

 (*in general terms presumably, I certainly didn’t see him in there).

In spite of the heaving crowd, the bar staff were very efficient, but after we’d had a couple of drinks we decided to call it a night and returned to our respective hotels, having arranged to meet again at the Old English pub the next day for a drink before a pre-match lunch.

I shall never forget the next morning. Having turned on the TV for some local news, in particular hoping to see pics of Chelsea fans out and about in Copenhagen, most of the coverage was, justifiably, about the awful earthquake in New Zealand.  However, further down the news was indeed unintelligible reporting which appeared to have taken place outside and around the Guldhornene, and much to my amusement, I saw various face I recognised cavorting around in the background – however, happily not mine nor my friends, the camera crew must have bailed out before we arrived.

Having breakfasted on an excellent buffet spread, in spite of having said I’d meet the others at the pub, I whistled up H. and asked if a walk was in order. Meeting outside the Rathaus, we wondered if we could make it as far as the Carlsberg factory for the free tour, but decided it was probably too far away so we did the photo ops by the lovely statue of Hans Christian Anderson and the town hall, and then headed down towards the river. It was a brilliantly sunlit day but bitingly cold, even more so than the previous day and, pausing by the river before we turned back towards the Rathaus, we were astonished to see it was freezing over. Heading back towards the pub, we passed the Tivoli Gardens and I peeped through the railings for a proper look. It looked extremely attractive clad in its winter mantle, and again I felt disappointment that I wasn’t able to visit.

The team congregated at the pub, and although it was midday by this time, all I wanted was coffee. I was feeling sleepy due to the extreme cold and managed to nod off whilst the others watched England getting mauled by Holland in cricket’s World Cup. Mr E. joined us about 12.30, having spent the morning on a train between Copenhagen and Malmo where he’d managed to avoid getting detained by border control in spite of not having taken his passport with him.

I had sourced what seemed a suitable venue locally for a cheap lunch, but Mr E. thought it sounded ghastly, so he decided to go and visit another brewhouse, where we would meet him later whilst the rest of us headed to a restaurant call Ad Libtorv. This sounded rather a fun place where you buy a space for roughly 15 pounds, but then you could eat and drink whatever you liked from a buffet which included hot and cold dishes, breads, salads and soups. The drinks even included wine and beer as well as soft drinks.   En route, H. decided he fancied a bag of crisps or similar for the match, and we spotted a likely looking shop called Tiger.  This turned out to be a magical cross between Poundland and Primark and we wandered around the aisles examining local delicacies.  H. found a massive bag of the equivalent of Kettle Chips for about a pound.  Then we headed towards the restaurant, grabbed a table and were soon stuffing away. H. thought the beer rather watery, but managed to drink a half a pint of white wine, a tremendous achievement. I merely sipped a glass of red. Dazza A. and Kim tried the wine and the beer, as well as the coke. Whilst we were enjoying our meal, the skies had grown ever more cloudy, and again the snow began to fall. Whilst the boys were sitting in the restaurant, I went back to my hotel to put on a number of layers as the weather forecast had threatened that the temperature could be down to -6 by the time the game started. I returned to the restaurant to rejoin the boys, and as we were heading out the door, the bus we needed to take us to the brewhouse pulled up over the road. We travelled through the streets of Copenhagen which were growing increasingly snowy, and upon alighting walked to the brewhouse which was probably a mile and a half away from the ground and which Mr E. proposed walking to. In the snow. And sub-zero temperatures.

In Stephen Fry’s film of Vile Bodies, “Bright Young Things”, near the beginning the heroine, Nina, says to her cousin Miles “I’ve never been so frantically bored in all my life”. Which pretty well sums up those three hours. I love to travel and I like to meet the locals, but my idea of pre-match hell is being stuck in a pub with real ale enthusiasts and no Chelsea fans. Eventually the time to depart arrived and we headed off towards the ground, with the thermometer now in the region of -8. In order to get to the ground, we ended up having to cross a park. In civic, civilised, environmentally friendly Copenhagen, cyclists have priority, even over pedestrians and we found ourselves having to dodge them as they speeded around us as I dragged myself with frozen feet towards the welcoming lights of the Parken, cursing that I hadn’t insisted on a cab.

However, we finally got there, and were searched by friendly stewards who happily didn’t manage to find H’s hip flask (tucked inside my bra) or the packet of B U M (delicious fruit and vodka drink from Germany, provided by my nephew) hidden under my hat.

Once waved through, we made our way into the bright, modern stadium and I decided a loo visit was definitely needed due to the cold.  Carlsberg don’t do ladies’ toilets, but if they did, they’d probably be like the ones at Parken.  Having rejoined the rest of the class (who’d obtained some Carlsberg that was suspiciously light on alcohol), we found seats together and warmed up vocally.  I have to say most of what was a solid, albeit fairly pedestrian game, warmed only by a brace from Anelka, taking him to six goals in seven Champions League games and the presence of dear old Jesper Gronkjaer in the home side, passed me by.  I have never been so cold in my life, and I shall always be grateful to the Police and stewards for not implementing the usual CL lock-in after the game.  Chances are, if that had happened, many of the travelling fans would have ended up with frost-bite.  My toes were absolutely numb by this time, and, having managed to lose Dazza A. and Kim along the way, Mr E. and H. ended up dragging me back across the park towards the brewhouse.  Proof, if it were needed, of the bitter frost was provided on the way  back when we passed occasional pint of lager, abandoned and frozen.

By the time we arrived back at the brewhouse, they were winding down for the evening, but we were welcomed in for a drink and the chance to warm up, and it was interesting to see that Danish CL television coverage was being hosted by none other than Peter Schmeichel.  It was literally one drink, however, and we bade farewell to the owner and trekked back to the bus stop.  Luckily we only had to wait a couple of minutes and within another 15, I was back at my hotel, having said goodbye to the chaps, who were flying back to London on the first plane.  I crawled into bed, where I slept soundly due to the cold and the evening’s perambulations.

As I wasn’t flying back until mid-afternoon, the next morning afforded a brief opportunity to pick up some souvenirs, so, having left my holdall with reception, I ventured out into another snow shower and not only visited a tat shop for local gifts, but also popped into Tiger and bought a purse and a note book.    On my way there, I’d bumped into a Mantle twin.  In spite of the cold and snow he was sweating profusely and drinking water, having been in the Cafe Guldhornene until 5am!

After picking up my luggage, I caught the train back to the airport, and found the time for an authentic, delicious smorgasbord of smoked salmon on rye bread.  Probably the gastronomic highlight of what was a hugely enjoyable trip.

And I’m sure we all hope and pray that this week’s trip is just as enjoyable.  I’m off with my party (including Dazza A., Mr E. and H.) to Stuttgart on Friday for an overnight stay, prior to arriving in Munich by train about 10am on Saturday morning.  I’ll be wearing my now-lucky oldish shirt with Blue Baby on the back, so feel free to say hello.  I’ll also be wearing my lucky hoody, my lucky jewellery, my favourite lucky jeans and my lucky underwear.  My hair will be in its lucky bun (I’ll be glad to get it cut), and I’ll be listening to the lucky songs (Three Little Birds and The Liquidator) on the i-pod.  And know this; in my 10 European away trips, I have travelled from Heathrow to four of them.  And my record? 100% – see, lucky airport.  And if we win, there’ll be a special edition of Travels next week.

Wherever you are watching the game, whether it’s in the Allianz Arena, in SW6, in a hostelry local to you, or in the comfort of your own home; whether it be on your own, or with an army of friends, I sincerely hope that we all enjoy the most wonderful night in our club’s rich history on Saturday. 

I’ll be here sporadically throughout the summer, but in the meantime you can follow me on Twitter @BlueBaby67

Didier Drogba affirmed his status as the King of Wembley on Saturday with his eighth goal in as many competitive appearances under the new arch.

Keen statisticians will have noted that the decisive effort came courtesy of his supposedly ‘weaker’ left foot, and in fact, exactly half of his Wembley goals have come in that manner.

In honour of the goal and of another fantastic moment in his Chelsea lore, we present five of the best left footed Didier Drogba strikes:

Chelsea vs Liverpool, 17th September 2006
Drogba receives a long pass on the edge of the area before turning and rifling an unstoppable effort past a helpless Jose Reina.

Stoke City vs Chelsea, 12th September 2009
Drogba latches onto an exquisite reverse pass by Frank Lampard and shoots first time on the turn into the top corner.

Chelsea vs Everton, 12th December 2009
Ricardo Carvalho wins possession back in the Everton half and feeds Lampard, who simply touches the ball towards Drogba, and the first-time finish is exemplary.

Chelsea vs Arsenal, 3rd October 2010
Of his thirteen strikes against Arsenal, a number of have been impressive left-footed strikes but few surely as impudent and deft as this backheeled effort after fine approach play by Ramires and Ashley Cole.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea, 15th April 2012
One of the strikes at Wembley, Didier dominates for strength against William Gallas and sends a quite sensational shot rocketing past Carlo Cudicini.

Feel free to suggest your own left-footed Drogba classics, and let’s hope there’s one more special one saved up for Munich on the 19th.

Goals in consecutive Wembley FA Cup ties. An astonishing chip and key assist in home and away clashes against Barcelona. Relentless enthusiasm and energy impacting game after game.

Chelsea fans hardly need to be told about the impact of Ramires on the 2011/12 season, but as the campaign reaches the business end it has become more and more apparent that the Blues have another amongst their ranks who produces when the stakes are at their highest.

As Didier Drogba added to his Wembley lore and as Frank Lampard continued to extend his remarkable legacy, the Queniano Azul was busy at work affirming his status as one of the club’s best footballers.

It’s not just in the last month that he’s turned up when it matters most either. En route to the big game in Munich in a fortnight’s time, Chelsea faced win-or-bust ties at Stamford Bridge against Valencia, Napoli and Benfica, and on each occasion Ramires put in a sterling performance with a decisive impact.

He was directly involved in Branislav Ivanovic’s spectacular extra-time winner against the Italians, and his trademark lung-bursting running was there for all to see with the second goal against Valencia in December.

The Brazilian ensured that the road to Wembley got off to a good start with a brace against Portsmouth a week after grabbing a stoppage time winner away to Wolves at a time when the club’s league results and performances were decidely shaky.

He took some time to settle, and there were more than a few doubters during his first few months at the club, but as last season wore on he began to show signs of being the player he has been all season.

A superb solo effort against Manchester City was voted the club’s Goal of the Season and it’s a title he could well retain this time around with his exquisite chip in the Nou Camp.

Versatile enough to have been used in almost every midfield position required by Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto Di Matteo, he has been your prototypical box-to-box midfielder yet has also been the tactically adept winger able to retain shape and nullify the pronounced threat of attacking full-backs like Daniel Alves.

Unfortunately, the man with no song will be missing in Munich and whilst Branislav Ivanovic, Raul Merieles, and John Terry are all big omissions in their own right, it speaks volumes that Ramires is considered to be the hardest loss of all for Chelsea fans.

The way he’s played of late, it’s not hard to understand why.

In the second edition of the Chelsea ‘IF’C series we travel back to the turn of millennia and imagine “What if… Lionel Messi had been found by the Chelsea scouts and was signed by the Blues”

Yes, he probably would’ve been sold to Huddersfield Town or shipped off abroad only to shine on international waters and make the fans wonder “why have we let another one go?” But what if he managed to replicate his progress at Barcelona and even have his size overlooked (This really is a fictional tale). Well he’d obviously struggle on a rainy day in Stoke… but let’s face it, who doesn’t?!

It’s the year 2000 and the Chelsea scouting system has been busy, the club have had little funds to spend on bringing in new players, so bargain buys and talented youth players have been the focus of the club’s transfer policy. After an extensive search reaching as far wide as Rosario in Argentina, where the scouts report they have found a gem, a diamond in the rough, excited by the prospect Chelsea sign the youngster and in the summer there is a new face at the Harlington training ground.

The youngster is reserved and even for his age (13) he is diminutive in size. He doesn’t speak English but he doesn’t need to, he amazes those in attendance with his skill on the ball, he lets his feet do the talking. Staff and players alike turn to each other and a buzz is already being created but there are worries about his size. For all the skill in the world, the Premier League, the competition he will have to grow up competing in is physically draining. To make matters worse he suffers from a growth hormone deficiency, but Chelsea are prepared to finance his medical costs. Of those watching the little Argentinian, one Chelsea player has taken particular interest, Gianfranco Zola approaches the youngster and asks him what his name is, to which he replies “Lionel Messi”.

Messi finds his first few years are a struggle to adjust, the coaches say that his ‘footballing brain’ is far too advanced for this level and that others around him find it difficult to keep up. Individually his star shines brighter than anyone they’ve seen. I got the chance to interview him as his English had improved.

When asked what he thinks has gone wrong he answers “What, they call this…’Route one’ football, it is just not for me. I’ve tried to adapt but I prefer playing with the ball on the ground” he is humble and from what I can tell hungry to learn and yearns to improve. Maybe we can make a player out of him yet.

It’s 2004. His goal scoring records in the youth and subsequently the reserves are frighteningly good. Not known for its production of youth in its recent past, the Chelsea academy has long awaited Lionel Messi’s chance at the big time and his performances have been noted by new manager Jose Mourinho and the self proclaimed ‘Special One’ is prepared to give Lionel Messi his debut at the age of 17. He plays on the right of a front three and immediately impresses, his first game is against Arsenal and his ability coupled with new signing Arjen Robben are too much for the gunners to handle down the flanks. Chelsea win the game 3-1. In his next few games, Messi fails to have the same impact. His physical presence comes into question with the media claiming that he is too weak for the Premier League. (If only they looked at actual talent, eh?)

A long winter was to follow, fans wondering if it would be better for Messi to go on loan or if his style was better suited to a team like Barcelona (They must have been having a laugh, right?). Mourinho still stuck with his guns and kept the young 17 year old at the club but performances went from bad to worse. A poor work rate on the field was met with trouble off it. Messi was living every 17 year olds dream life, but was he throwing it all away? Kept out the team by Robben and Duff, he failed to make his substitute appearances pay and remained on the sidelines.

Despite all this, he had built a relationship with manager Jose Mourinho and the pair seemingly shared a more father/son relationship rather than player/manager.

“He’s not one from the bottle. He’s like me, special,” said Mourinho when asked about Messi.

Was the manager really prepared to throw away the title bid, to accommodate the player he loved as a person? Thankfully for Chelsea they didn’t have to find out. A knee ligament injury ruled Messi out for the season and the team seemed all the better for it. They raced to the league title without their promising youth player, who unfortunately had only played 9 games in the season and therefore missed out on a winners medal.

Messi now 18, was maturing slightly on the field but his off the field antics worsened. Pictured clubbing before match days, the Argentinian was doing his best impression of Brazilian legend Ronaldo, however his performances weren’t good enough to excuse his behaviour. Which wasn’t far off him receiving an ASBO.

Finding first team opportunities hard to come by and showing that he was far too good for the reserve league in the country, Messi was loaned out to Ajax, a team renowned for its upbringing of youth. He raised eyebrows in the Eredivise, playing an integral part in their bid for the title, in which victory was sealed on the last day of the season. He racked up 12 goals and 14 assists in his 30 appearances. His form in Holland saw him called up to the Argentinian national team for the first time and although early days in his career he was drawing comparisons with former great Diego Maradona. Not convinced by his achievements in Holland many still question whether he can pull of the same back in the Premiership for Chelsea who won their second straight Premier League title.

On his return to Chelsea, Messi is told he is being loaned out to Championship side Nottingham Forest to get a feel for the English culture and its style of football. Reluctantly he accepts but when told for the first game of the season he will start on the bench, Messi packs his bag and goes on a vacation to Argentina, reports circulate that he spends most of his proposed 3 month loan period at Forest, playing golf.

Not one for tough love, Mourinho defends his star pupil and puts an arm round his shoulder after convincing Messi to return to Stamford Bridge. With ten games left in the season, Chelsea’s attacking options have been limited through injury and their title hopes hang in the balance, Chelsea need Messi to step and to fulfil the potential everyone has seen in him. Next stop is away to Stoke on a Tuesday night, the recently promoted side have built a fortress at the Britannia Stadium. Pouring down with rain and the pitch in almost unplayable condition, Mourinho names his team sheet with the little Argentinian in the starting XI.

“He could never do it on a rainy day in Stoke…” The phrase became history after an incredible one man display, Messi scored 4 and set up the other in a crushing 5-0 victory. To quote a line from a Hercules song “You can shout it from the mountain top, A STAR IS BORN.” The little boy from Argentina became a man tonight.

In a magnificent turnaround, Messi’s attitude has been changed. First in, last one out at training he seems to have now understood what it takes to be the best in the world.

Chelsea are propelled up the table in the following games, relying on his incredible talent alone to take the game by the scruff of the neck. Never has a 19 year old shown this much promise in the Premier League. Going into the final day of the season Chelsea are one point behind leaders Manchester United and prior to the game, Alex Ferguson has a few words to say about the new sensation.

“They told me I couldn’t win anything with kids, now I’m hoping it’s true. We have a couple of young talents here in Rooney and Ronaldo, but this lad plays like he’s not from this world.”

As the line ups are announced, what seemed an unlikely event a few months ago is now reality (It’s reality within a dream, inception style). Messi is the source of the biggest cheer from Chelsea fans, he has scored 13 goals in his previous 9 games. From kick-off the United team look frightened of him, he’s everywhere like an energiser bunny from the adverts. The crowd are reminded of a young Zola but even better. As he goes on what has become one of his famous dribbling exhibitions, he leaves Rio Ferdinand flat on the floor and the rest of the team chasing shadows as he lobs the ball over keeper Edwin Van Der Sar… who was still on his line!

Chelsea win the game 2-0, they’re champions once again but more importantly so is Lionel Messi. He picks up the award for young player of the year for his contribution to the champions.

Oh and just before you thought the fairytale story was over, Messi would go on to become the World’s best player an unprecedented five times and lead Argentina to World Cup glory. Not to mention win successive Champions League titles for Chelsea (Still Pele argues that he scored 600 more goals in his career). Claims that he was the greatest ever, mooted by Spanish reports that he couldn’t pull off such performances “On a sunny day in Malaga…”

Investment in the youth has gone a long way and history has been rewritten.

This piece originally aired on Mowing Meadows.

In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was print. James A. Catton was the earliest significant figure in football journalism, writing for the Preston Herald in 1875. Forty years later, he recalled “”In days long ago when Association football players wore beards and breeches, instead of being clean shaven and donning shorts or running pants, newspapers, as a whole, took very little notice of matches.

The reports were brief, and there were none of the personal paragraphs, garrulous items, and more or less sensational news which are now part not only of weekly periodicals, but of morning and evening newspapers.” In 1886 James A. Catton began to write for the weekly “The Athletic News” under the pen-name “Ubique”, later calling himself “Tityrus”. He subsequently became editor of The Athletic News and was acknowledged as the most important football writer in Britain.

As interest in Association Football increased, so did the coverage. One of the most important sources of information for supporters were the Saturday evening “pinks”, with their emphasis on local teams. Sadly now a dying breed, these were often the only way of finding out how other teams got on and were usually printed within minutes of the final whistle being blown at games.

A technological revolution was born in January 1927 when BBC radio broadcast its maiden commentary, featuring a game between Arsenal and Sheffield United, with the FA Cup Final being broadcast for the first time that same year. By 1931 the BBC was broadcasting over 100 games per season. Radio ownership was in its infancy at this time, with only approximately 30% of households owning a “wireless”. The Alan Green of that era was George Allison. He devised a system to help listeners understand what was going on, consisting of a diagram with a football pitch divided into squares which was published in the Radio Times.

Allison’s broadcast assistant would call out the number of the square where the ball was being played, and when the ball was deliberately passed back to the goalkeeper (a legal if time wasting tactic up until 1992, for the benefit of younger readers), Allison would announce “and it’s back to square one”, thus originating a phrase which would become part of the English language.

The horrendous economic conditions and poverty of the late 1920s and early 1930s led to a fall in match going, and radio coverage of league games was blamed. As a result, the Football League banned live commentary of their games, a dictat which continued until after the Second World War. However, the FA Cup Final continued to be broadcast throughout the 1930s, with the fixture becoming part of the fabric of the nation, due in part to increased ownership of radios, with over 70% of households owning a radio by 1939. Football broadcasting resumed after the Second World War, with the BBC showing the first non-Final FA Cup game between Blackpool and Bolton in the 1947 5th round.

The early 1950′s saw British audiences treated to their first taste of overseas football at the 1954 World Cup, and in 1955 the fledgling Independent Television broadcast games from the first season of the European Cup, which might have featured Chelsea, had it not been for the club caving into the FA over their participation. In the same year, BBC started showing highlights from First Division games for the first time in Soccer Special.

It was however in 1964 that a seismic shift took place with the birth of a national institution – Match of the Day on BBC2. Originally broadcast in black and white, colour transmissions of football hightlights started in 1969 and by the time Chelsea faced Leeds in the 1970 FA Cup final, the game was played out before a record audience of 20 million. By the early 1980s the Football League had signed a contract for regular live games on TV, but the broadcasters weren’t to know that the decade would see an unparalled era of crowd trouble, and that poorly maintained grounds all over the country would eventually claim the lives of scores of fans.

By the middle of the decade, football fans were generally perceived as scum, especially by the Government. The Minister for Sport, former Olympic rower, Colin Moynihan, and originator of a proposal to bring in compulsory ID cards for supporters, described fans as “the effluent society”, and a leader in The Times of 18 June 1985 described the game as “…a slum sport, watched by slum people”.

It was around this time, inspired by the culture of music fanzines which had sprung up in the 1970s and early 80s, the first football fanzines emerged. “When Saturday Comes” was launched in 1986 and is still going strong over 25 years later, with the same editor. Suddenly, if you had opinions and had access to a photocopier, you could start a fanzine yourself. All you needed was a few mates to help distribute it. And some of the titles were, and remain glorious – WSC used to list those available such as Gillingham’s legendary Brian Moore’s Head Looks Uncannily Like London Planetarium, which is still going, albeit online these days. There used to be a wonderful shop in the Charing Cross Road called Sportspages, where you could buy fanzines, and whenever I was in London in the late 80s, I’d go there simply to read.

And as befits a club which has long had a creative, imaginative, talented fanbase, Chelsea fans were swift to embrace the concept of the fanzine. “The Chelsea Independent” was launched in 1987 and was a fixture on the Fulham Road until 1999, being replaced in 2000, in the very early days of the internet, by CFCNet. However, after the print version of The Chelsea Independent ceased, help was at hand for those seeking a physical fix for the tube or the train with the launch of Matthew Harding’s Blue & White Army, which subsequently became the legendary and much loved CFCUK (which is, as everyone knows, is still available on match days for only a pound. Urry up).

At the dawn of the digital era, one of the single biggest changes in how football fans interact was created by the BBC. In 2003, they put together a collection of internet forums for each club in the Premier League, togethe with forums for the lower divisions and Scottish football via the BBC website under their “606″ banner. This provided a first opportunity for many football fans, including myself, to publicly put forward their views, not only on their club, but on other clubs too. It is fair to say that 606 changed my own life as I started writing about football for the first time since my early teens, when I used to sit down at my Corona typewriter on a Saturday evening and write my own slant on the day’s scorelines.

However, due to the BBC’s strict moderation rules, and the fact the boards closed at 10pm, just minutes after midweek games, dissatisfaction set in quite early, and as a result those fans with the necessary technical know-how began to drift away to start their own forums, where membership could be denied to those perceived as “numpties” (numpties of course being the forerunners of trolls). With relatively low running costs, independent forums, run for fans by fans, sprang up all over the place. CFCUK launched their own website, as well as remaining in print. CFCNet remains the behemoth of Chelsea forums, with membership running into thousands. The After Hours Football Club was one of the first descendants of 606, started by an enlightened Gooner, but with sections for individual clubs.

This site hosted a particularly lively Chelsea forum, many of whose members congregated in the So Bar on matchdays, at the end housing the toilets, dubbing themselves “Bog Enders”. The BBC 606 forums sadly closed their doors for the last time on 31st May 2011, at a time when blogging has become increasingly popular. Organisations such as “Word Press” have made it possible to produce highly-professional websites at minimal costs, and “TheChels.Net” is one such blog that’s benefited. The beautifully-titled “Plains of Almeria” is the home of the cerebral blogger, attracting some of the highest calibre Chelsea writers around, and the fledgling “Mowing Meadows” has in a short space of time become a hugely-respected part of the blogging scene.

And of course, it’s not just the written word that’s available to Chelsea fans. Regular readers will recall that I spent a memorable evening in Putney recently with the Chelsea Football FanCast team (other pods are also available), and coupled with the club’s own in-house TV channel and media outlets, you have to ask yourself where the future lies for traditional media.

If you’re a Chelsea fan, with all the above options open to you, why should you waste your time on old media? Why listen to the bile on TalkSport when you can listen to your fellow-fans talk about the action on a podcast?

Why should you read what are still known, even online, as “the papers”? Why subject yourself to the bile of, say, Patrick Barclay, when you can read Joe Tweeds or Tim Rolls? The latter gentlemen are as informed about the club as Barclay, and what’s more, they care. And they’ll have paid for their own match tickets.

Why is Martin Lipton more relevant than Dan Levene of the Fulham Chronicle? Dan is a paid journalist, but at least he genuinely cares about the club and is the only professional worth following on Twitter.

Basically the difference between a journalist and a blogger is money. A journalist gets paid. A blogger does it for love and enjoyment, in their spare time.

The problem with the self-appointed righteous brothers of the former Fleet Street is that they believe they are still running the game. Hence the witch-hunts against those they perceive as sinners (certain players, certain club) and the paeans of praise for their favourites (again, certain players, certain clubs).The sole remaining area in which the hacks still have any kind of real influence is the England team, simply because there’s fewer new media resources dedicated to the national teams. The traditional journalists are dinosaurs, and extinction is coming. Another 50 years, and like the Saturday evening “pinks”, they’ll be consigned to history.

Acknowledgements
Contrary to popular belief, I do occasionally research these articles and I’m grateful to the following resources:

Spartacus Educational for background on the early history of football journalism and broacasting

The next web.com for a potted history of the now-sadly defunct 606

Soccerlens.com for Hugo Steckelmacher’s excellent article on the evolution of the fanzine on March 27th, 2008

Recommended Links

There’s a lot of good reading out there:-

 plainsofalmeria.co.uk

mowingmeadows.wordpress.com

www.cfcnet.co.uk

transparentsport.com/cfcuk

Recommended Forums

ahfcchat.com

chelseafancast.com/forum

Social Media

AHFC and ChelseaFancast are both on Facebook. ChelseaFancast are also on Twitter, where you can find bloggers referred to above (@mowingmeadows @JoeTweeds @tim_rolls ) and many more, together with Dan Levene’s account, @BluesChronicle.

You can also follow me @BlueBaby67

Chelsea are only one perfect performance away from heading to Munich. One performance away from having a chance at finally lifting the UEFA Champions League.

This more than anything is what we want most. It’s the one Terry and co. haven’t won. The one that has eluded us through refereeing ineptitude, wild controversy and plain old bad luck. The side that progresses will be the one that wants it more.

We’ve been here before. We have shown that we are capable, if any side in europe is? We can beat Barcelona. We did it last week, and without allowing Barca an away goal. And that means we don’t have to win on this most vital of Tuesdays.

Let us put the past behind us though, but who can forget the most impressive opening of any Chelsea side with Duff slotting home. Or the sublime goal of the ever impressive Frank Lampard from an impossible angle that he maintains he did intend. Or even Ashley Cole crossing to Drogba who spun and smashed the ball home. Maybe we shouldn’t forget the past, lest we doom ourselves to make the same mistakes.

It doesn’t take a talismanic Ivorian forward to know that we’ve been robbed in the past against this over-hyped Barcelona side, and ‘f***ing disgracefully’ at that. That doesn’t matter though. We can only try control what we actually can control. We can’t control the fact that commentators the world over will fail to objectively report the game. We can’t control the referee. For large parts of the game we won’t control the ball.

Chelsea haven’t changed much from the side that saw Iniesta steal that goal in 2009, but neither have they. Barcelona play through the middle. They have no real width. They have no true striker. They lack a truly world-class goalkeeper. They have revolutionised football without ever having a plan B.

Messi can be stopped, he has never scored a goal against Chelsea. Xavi can be stopped, I call it the Mikel effect. Before the first leg Pep Guardiola, who is no Special One, just very familiar with the Catalunyan way, admitted difficulty in formulating how to create scoring opportunities against Chelsea. He wasn’t bluffing. He now claims he has no doubts they will prevail.

Now he is bluffing, as even the happiest married couple will tell you, there are always doubts. It won’t be easy, as playing any great side is never easy, but we are a great side too. Even if we aren’t thought of as such. If we lift The Champions League trophy in Munich that might change though.

We must be dynamic. We must be at the top of our game. Barcelona will play their pretentious form of anti-football that monopolises possesion, but we have to play the Chelsea way. The defensive discipline, the decisiveness in front of goal and the refusal to lose. Cech and Mikel have returned to form. Mikel’s interception of Robin Van Persie’s little disguised pass on saturday was nothing short of brilliant.

Gary Cahill and John Terry need to be immense again, and continue displaying a solidity that must have the english FA licking their collective lips. Ivanovic cannot be caught out as often as he was in the first leg. Didier Drogba’s one man campaign of terror must continue, on his day he is simply unplayeable. Ashley Cole must allow the world to see he is the best left-back on the planet, yet again.

Mata cannot drift out of the game completely for long periods. Frank Lampard must once again prove ageist sceptics wrong; yes, he is a better player than Steven Gerrard. Ramires must put in a yet another player-of-the-season performance. If we play to our strengths and do what we must do, we can do what too many don’t believe Chelsea can.

If we can somehow nick a goal and maintain our shape for the entirety of the match we will go through to the final, but we can’t play for a scoreless draw and we can’t waste possession when we do have it.

The team that wants it the most will progress. Has the Barcelona bubble popped? Are they about to experience the joy people have in tearing down heroes and making them villains? Will we have a shot at ultimate glory come the final or will we once again rue what might have been? I think the final result will be 0-0 in the Camp Nou.

Mission Possible. As always blue is the colour. See you in Munich.

TheChels.net welcomes Mowing Meadows and the Chelsea IF’C series; taking a look at what could have happened IF an event in the past occurred differently at Chelsea FC and how events would unfold there on after.

In the first of a regular series to be serialised on this website, we begin our first instalment with a look at ‘what if’ Nicolas Anelka wasn’t banished from the club and exiled to China. ‘What if’ Nicolas Anelka remained at Chelsea and after the sacking of Villas-Boas, the player nicknamed ‘Le Sulk’ was made the interim manager.

Not many would’ve bet on Nicolas Anelka ever becoming a manager, he never looked the managerial type. Yet, football is an unpredictable game on and off the field and Nicolas Anelka finds himself as player/manager at his current club Shanghai Shenhua to the surprise of many in the footballing world I’m sure.

Rewind, it is March 4th and Chelsea have parted ways with Villas-Boas after his rocky tenure. In a surprise move, Roman Abramovich has bowed down to player power and installed Nicolas Anelka as player manager. His fellow colleagues are delighted at the appointment. Anelka prefers a more Laissez-faire approach compared to the more autocratic style of his predecessor and the players couldn’t be happier. The decision has left fans somewhat bemused but a situation like this requires outside of the box thinking. A criticism of AVB was the lack of playing experience, the same cannot be said for Mr. Anelka.

In his first press conference, Anelka is asked what he thinks owner Roman Abramovich saw in him in terms of managerial qualities and why he decided to take on the role?

“I have always thought that there was a manager in me. I knew it was something I wanted to do ever since I told that fool Domenech where he could go, if he could manage then so could I!” Anelka responded. “As for the qualities I bring… well I get along with the players, I’m a man of the people. I’ve learnt many things from those who have coached me and I will look to impart that knowledge on those that have now become my students.” (For those unaware that means teaching laziness and excellent hold up play)

After one too many questions however the Frenchman decided that he was bored of the media’s enquiries and left the press conference in a blaze of glory.

On the training pitch, Anelka’s attempts in boosting team morale mean more sessions playing ‘hide and seek’ and less time focusing on the nuances that are involved in the game of football. He claimed that as a footballer you either have “it” or you don’t. One thing is evident, the players seemed to be enjoying their time under Anelka more than any other manager. For a man nicknamed ‘Le Sulk’ he sure knows how to bring a smile on other people’s faces.

First game in charge. Birmingham Vs Chelsea – FA Cup replay. The blues line up in their traditional 4-3-3 formation with a return of the old guard apparent. Chelsea go on to win the game 3-0. Man of the Match Daniel Sturridge was interviewed on the impact of the new manager and how he thinks it will change his game. “The boss has done a marvellous job in the few days he’s been here. He made us play FIFA and every player had to control themselves on the game and play how they wanted to in real life, I think I managed to do that today.” (Well, at least we have an explanation for his solo play) It would appear that Gary Neville was on to something when he claimed that David Luiz was reminiscent of a player being controlled by a 10 year old kid.

Anelka and Chelsea face their biggest task in the return leg of the Champions League against Napoli, The Blues face a 3-1 deficit after the first leg. It’s nights like these were people find out if a manager is worth their salt. In an incredibly open affair the score stands at 4-2 in the 85th minute, with Chelsea on the verge of elimination via away goals. Growing tired and frustrated at the lack of attacking threat since their fourth goal. Player/Manager Nicolas Anelka subs himself on, a scene reminding Chelsea fans of another former manager Gianluca Vialli. The 33 year old striker comes on with immediate impact, latching on to a flick on from Didier Drogba, Anelka rounds the keeper and slots in the winner. Pandemonium in the stands and Chelsea are through to the Quarter Finals. Chants of “There’s only one Nicolas Anelka” echo into the night, a truly memorable day for the club.

In the league, Chelsea have enjoyed a rich vain of form and occupy 4th spot after a brilliant month. 4 wins out of 4 for Anelka’s boys including a crucial victory over Champions League hopefuls Tottenham result in a manager of the month award for the man being labelled as “Le spécial” has taken the league by storm and earned the plaudits from managers around the league.

“He’s a breath of fresh air, I’m thinking of putting some of his methods to use myself,” said Sir Alex Ferguson

“We French people are brilliant at getting the best out of players and he certainly is no different,” Arsene Wenger added.

Any doubts the fans had over the appointment of Anelka have now been expelled, banners around Stamford Bridge now crying out for Abramovich to make the role permanent for the man who only a few months ago was on the fringe of the squad, but he has never looked back since turning down the Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.

“It’s great to see the team playing with such style and you can tell they’re enjoying themselves. The unity they show is always on display when everyone does Nico’s butterfly hand celebration,” one Chelsea fanzine editorial noted.

Having breezed into the Semi-Finals of the Champions League after dismantling Portuguese side Benfica, Chelsea set up a clash with European rivals Barcelona. Whilst domestically the club are set for another trip to Wembley having easily dispatched of a Tottenham side suffering a catastrophic collapse in the Semi-Final of the FA Cup (Harry Redknapp was sacked after the game and the FA declared they would be looking elsewhere for their England manager vacancy. A crying shame that).

With their Champions League place virtually secured in the league, the Frenchman’s focus is solely on the upcoming Champions League clash with Barcelona and he does not have fond memories of the club that knocked Chelsea out in controversial fashion only three years ago.

“They’re cheats. Nothing more, nothing less.” Anelka roared in the pre match press conference. “We come into the match with great form and self belief, we haven’t lost a game during the time I’ve been in charge and I think we can avenge the demons that haunt us from those years back.”

In a fierce battle during the first leg at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea marched out victorious. A 3-1 lead is what they take to Catalonia, it would’ve been 3-0 but for an incredible solo effort from Lionel Messi in the 90th minute has given the Spanish giants hope with an all important away goal.

April 24th, Barcelona. The two teams walk out on to the field in front of a packed Camp Nou. The omens aren’t kind on Chelsea, astonishingly UEFA have appointed Ovrebo as referee for the game to the dismay of the fans and club as a whole. 10 minutes in, Jose Bosingwa is sent off for an ‘elbow’ on Busquets, typical. Barcelona make their numbers advantage count and have a 2-0 lead at half time. Anelka and Chelsea have their work cut out, but in an awe inspiring half time team talk, one that Mike Bassett himself would’ve been proud of, Anelka rallies his troop for a monumental effort. The next 45 minutes would go down in history, as Chelsea played at a level few thought capable, especially given the fact they were a man short. In an epic comeback, Juan Mata scored a second half hat trick in a game that finished 3-3, the few Barcelona fans left in the Camp Nou gave the Spaniard a standing ovation as the final whistle blew. A Champions League final visit awaits against former boss Jose Mourinho.

Munich, Allianz Arena. Champions League final. Chelsea finished the season in fourth place after taking their foot off the gas towards the end of the season but bagged silverware along the way with an FA Cup final victory over the red half of Merseyside, courtesy of an Andy Carroll own goal and Torres brace (You couldn’t make this stuff up). Main event time! Anelka faces the team that made him a champion of Europe and wants to recreate the feat as a manager, Mourinho’s team have recently been crowned La Liga champions, with any luck the team will be suffering from a hangover effect from their domestic dominance. This is a ‘what if’ that grabs that notion by the horns and runs with it. Chelsea are the superior side in the final and it’s a fairytale story for the club that seemed doomed at the beginning of March, they go on to win the match 2-1 but the scoreline flatters Real Madrid who were never really in the game.

“Champions of Europe” the Abramovich dream is fulfilled and all thanks to a stroke of genius by the Russian to employ one of his players as manager. History has been rewritten.

This piece originally aired on Mowing Meadows.

For the last few weeks I’ve been intending to publish a piece on the merits of keeping Roberto Di Matteo as Chelsea manager.

Doing so now might appear reactionary after the excellent result against Barcelona, but if I begin by prefacing the entire article with the notion that his body of work as manager – at least in terms of ‘just’ results – isn’t close to being top of the reasons why, it might go some way to assuaging those notions.

Undoubtedly though, he is riding the crest of a wave after a sensational past few days and now, more than ever, Chelsea fans will be firmly backing the 41 year-old Italian to become a permanent fixture in the Stamford Bridge dugout.

His record is eerily similar to that of Guus Hiddink when the Dutchman acted in the same capacity a few seasons ago, with just one defeat to his name, a strong performance in the Champions League and a spot in the FA Cup Final.

Few would have a problem with Roman Abramovich handing the job to Hiddink, but when you consider the work Di Matteo has done with what is arguably a weaker squad, he certainly stacks up on this front.

Nicely juxtaposed with the charlatan Andre Villas-Boas, rather than attempt to assert his own style and demands upon the team from day one, Di Matteo knows the value of remaining understated, and more importantly understands the strength of the tools at his disposal.

Yes, Chelsea have some players who are getting older, and perhaps they’re not quite what they once were. However, that does not, in any circumstances mean that they have nothing left to offer.

Di Matteo has brought cohesion, balance, unity and a collective direction back to the club when it was most needed. These are simple qualities easily adhered to and ones which are easily continued should he get the permanent stewardship of the club.

The process of ‘overhauling’ the first team squad has been underway for two seasons now, and will continue this summer. Critics will level a lack of experience in the transfer market against Di Matteo, but at Chelsea, this is less of an issue as it might be at other clubs.

It’s well known that a group of half a dozen or so men working under the title of the ‘Football Board’ drive the club’s transfer activity and whilst the manager has a certain input, he is, for most intents and purposes, a coach.

If Di Matteo has been able to achieve short-term success with this squad, it stands to reason that he is well placed to take the next step with new players to work with.

His time at West Bromwich Albion also may apparently work against him, but previous accomplishments should be well down the list of criteria to be considered. A former World Cup winner failed spectacularly in 2008, whilst Villas-Boas fared little better despite very recent and relevant success.

Mourinho and Ancelotti came very well qualified and proved to be just that, but equally, the club somehow found itself in its sole European Champions League final under Avram Grant of all people. The right person will be the right person because of their leadership and coaching qualities, not what they might have won before.

Pep Guardiola at Barcelona is a perfect example of someone who was very clearly the right hire despite having almost no notable coaching experience. Whilst it would be foolish to suggest that one example speaks for everyone, Guardiola in particular leads me into my next point, one which is worth considering for the long-term future of Chelsea.

Guardiola understands Barcelona. He grew up there, he played there, he has been a Culé for almost all of his adult life. Managerial longevity is growing scarcer by the season, and whilst the days of a reign like Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger or David Moyes may no longer be relevant, the former player may very much be the way of the future.

Di Matteo understands Chelsea. He is one of very few people involved in the playing side at the club who have experienced pre-Abramovich and current Chelsea. It might sound clichéd and it definitely isn’t something which is always positive, but it helps create an identity, something the club has lacked since Mourinho (and arguably still identifies most with his approach).

Managers with a connection to their club appreciate the small details; the use of the academy, the development of home-grown players as a part of the team’s core, the importance of the backroom staff. Eddie Newton’s return may have been a secondary story but he is an excellent coach who has played a big role in this season’s revival.

Mourinho’s entourage were all adept in their roles and brought something to the table, something their manager would often take on board. Christophe Lollichon aside, those who have filled the seats on the bench since 2007 have either been promoted to fill a gap or have been sycophantic yes-men with little remit but to agree with the boss.

How valuable Steve Clarke appears in his absence. How appreciated Newton has been since his return. Di Matteo didn’t have to bring his long-time assistant with him, but he appreciates the value of colleagues and appears to believe that a collaborative effort is a successful approach.

At the end of the day this is as speculative as it gets, but if we come back down to the raw facts, we’ve seen that Di Matteo has gotten exceptional results in a short period of time simply by utilising players in their best roles.

Football can be as complicated as you want to make it, but is at its most successful when simplified as much as possible. There is a lot to be said for that, and it’s something that the Italian’s predecessors have apparently forgotten.

Yet at the same time, subtle tactical nuances have been evident throughout his brief spell, displaying a learned understanding of the modern game and where each opponent’s threat lies. Utilising Ramires as a left winger last night to dampen the threat of Daniel Alves is the most recent example of a seemingly small move going a long way towards success.

If Di Matteo is prepared to go forward as he has done since March, he’s arguably favourite to keep his job. He’s certainly a leading candidate.

Plus, he’d come cheap. That’s always worth a point or two in his favour…

Introducing Campaign55 – A New Initiative from Chelsea Pitch Owners’ Shareholders

I’m sure that the events of last Autumn connected with Chelsea Pitch Owners are only too fresh in the minds of most Chelsea fans.

One of the reasons that the proposal put before CPO shareholders at October’s EGM failed to be carried, was the efforts of a group of CPO shareholders who banded together under the name Say No CPO. 

After the EGM, Say No continued to put pressure on the board of Chelsea Pitch Owners in connection with outstanding issues such as the disputed/misold shares, which are the subject of a report currently being compiled by Gray Smith of the CPO board, and also the “marriage value” of the ground and the shares.

However, over the last couple of weeks, following extensive correspondence and meetings, members of Say No have decided to launch a fresh initiative in connection with Chelsea Pitch Owners called Campaign55.

SNCPO stalwarts Clint Steele and Dave Spring have stated their intention that going forward Say No’s position is intrinsically opposed to any disbanding of CPO, and any move away from Stamford Bridge.  However, Campaign55 is intended as a progressive movement. And here I must declare my hand. 

Who are Ya?

I’ve reported and blogged on CPO issues for TheChels over the last couple of years and have been a member of SNCPO.  One of the most frequent allegations against SNCPO (mainly by CFC Truth, themselves a shadowy group with no public spokesperson) was that the group was faceless and “not transparent” – something I have certainly taken issue with, never having sought to hide my identity, save for the nickname I’ve always used in blogs. 

Campaign55 has a steering group of three – myself and fellow CPO shareholders Darren Mantle and Adil Pastakia.  However, we want this group to represent as many fans as possible and we are looking to affiliate with as many supporters’ groups as possible.  We might be the shareholders, but we want to get views of the fans in the street, the pub and the blog, and pass these on to the board. 

A Twitter account, Facebook page and an email address have  been created, and a mission statement prepared. The website is now live at http://www.campaign55.org/ . and an appearance on the Chelsea Football FanCast is planned in the weeks ahead.

What’s It All About, Then?

The choice of Campaign55 as a name took a lot of deliberation and involved not just the steering group, but members of the wider SNCPO group.  It’s our belief that the club should ideally be looking to expand Stamford Bridge to a capacity of 55,000.  We genuinely feel that the 60,000 capacity being mentioned in recent communications from the club is not a realistic ambition.

With the exception of the true marquee games like Manchester United and Barcelona, it’s becoming easier and easier for fans who can still afford tickets to pick up the inevitable “spares”.  Even for games like the recent match with Tottenham, tickets were available for those with nil loyalty points.  Five years ago, that wouldn’t have happened. We’ve seen plans which show how the ground could be extended without disturbing the historically significant, and difficult to dismantle, East Stand, and leaving the relatively new West Stand intact.

However, if, after full consultation with Chelsea Pitch Owners and Hammersmith & Fulham Council, it can be proved beyond all reasonable doubt and economic viability the ground can’t be extended, then Campaign55 would support moving to a new 55,000 seater stadium within the historic Chelsea FC catchment area, i.e. Earl’s Court or Battersea.

Clubbing Together

We are serious about this endeavour, and as a result letters of introduction will be sent to Bruce Buck, the Chairman of Chelsea FC, together with the Board of Chelsea Pitch Owners.  We are also taking steps to liaise with Hammersmith & Fulham Council in order to make the voices of our fans heard.

Just the Beginning

Campaign55 is in its infancy, but all of us involved are determined to use the movement as a conduit between the fans, the CPO organisation and the club to ensure that in the crucial medium to long term ahead, the interests of all Chelsea supporters are represented.  This is just the beginning.

The Twitter account address for Campaign55 is @Campaign55, you can access the Facebook page via http://www.facebook.com/campaign55 and email the team at campaign55cfc@gmail.com.

I’m also happy to answer questions about Campaign55 on the comments thread here, or through my own Twitter account @BlueBaby67

A couple of weeks ago, I sent an email (In fact, all-in-all, I sent four emails) to the Football Association with regard to our FA Cup Semi-Final. I was annoyed at the fact that without common sense prevailing, Chelsea had been given Sunday April 15 as the date for our FA Cup Semi-Final against Tottenham Hotspur.

As a background to my original email, which was written prior to our Champions League Quarter-Final first leg game against Benfica, I pointed out that should Chelsea qualify against the Portuguese team, which we did, the club would only get a couple of days to rest and recuperate before playing in a huge match against the possible winners of Milan versus Barcelona in their Quarter Final of the same competition.

I also pointed out in the email that other football federations i.e. Italy, Portugal and Spain looked after their domestic clubs when it came to vital Champions League games. For instance, when Chelsea played Napoli in both legs of the last sixteen of the competition, the Italians were allowed to play their domestic games on a Friday evening and when we played Benfica, they were able to play on the Friday evening before we travelled to Lisbon.

In the email, I alluded to the fact that if the FA wanted English clubs to succeed in Europe they should be more flexible and I asked them to consider Chelsea playing on the Friday evening, rather than the Sunday.

Without me being connected in any way to Chelsea Football Club, apart from a supporter, later in press conferences, all of these points were pretty much backed up by the club in some way or another, which lead me to think that if our FA were going to be flexible, then they would take more notice of the club, than of me.

A few days later after sending my original email, I received a reply:

Dear Mr …

Thank you for contacting The Football Association.

The FA has confirmed the dates for the semi-finals, with Liverpool playing on Saturday and Chelsea on Sunday. All of these dates have been agreed with clubs, who are happy with the format for the weekend of the semi-finals.

The FA believes it is important to respect the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster and is happy with its decision in relation to this weekend.

Kind regards

Alex Burkwood
Customer Relations Officer Customer Relations

Personally, I felt that this didn’t answer the criteria of my original email, it actually made me quite angry and annoyed that as a customer, my original questions had not been answered. Personally, I could have answered that myself, it was total drivel and a load of rubbish. So I replied and asked for the matter to be taken to a higher authority.

I also suggested that I hoped that nobody purchased any merchandise whilst at Wembley and that England do extremely poorly in the European Championships, thus making the FA as little money as possible. (By that point I was very angry!)

For quite a few days I heard nothing, so I wrote again asking if they were ignoring me. Then on April 2, I received my final email from the Football Association, I also got a duplicate from a Tracey Bates too.

Dear Mr …

Thank you for contacting The Football Association.

The FA Cup Semi Final dates have been scheduled to take place on these dates for more than a year and have been fixed and agreed with all stakeholders. The confirmation of kick-off times followed detailed and lengthy discussions, which have involved all the relevant stakeholders, broadcasters and the Metropolitan police. In addition, when considering the scheduling of fixtures, The FA must consider the impact on fairness to all clubs who have equally important fixtures at this congested time of the season.

I realise that the above may not ease your frustrations. However we do appreciate all of the feedback we receive from supporters. This feedback is collated and used to build a picture of public opinion and is subsequently fed back internally within the organisation. Please rest assured your comments will form part of this feedback process.

Thank you again for contacting us.

Kind regards

Gary Stonehouse | Customer Relations
Communications Division

Well, that answer was absolutely bonkers. Take this line for instance – “In addition, when considering the scheduling of fixtures, The FA must consider the impact on fairness to all clubs who have equally important fixtures at this congested time of the season.”

WHAT? What other team in the FA Cup has congested fixtures? Are Liverpool, Everton and Tottenham in the Champions League Semi-Finals masquerading as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich? What other competitions are they in apart from the FA competitions? (FA Cup and Premier League) had this been another English club and I’m thinking, Manchester United, would the FA have accommodated them?

In my opinion these emails from the Football Association show how blind they are to the reality of football. Our club have players who will be playing at 6pm on Sunday, 7.45pm on Wednesday against Barcelona, 12.45pm on April 21 versus Arsenal and then they travel to Barcelona for a game at 7.45pm on April 24.

What other clubs in the FA Cup have such congested fixtures, yet the Football Association states that they must consider ALL clubs. I also believe that the players could be risking their own health by playing these fixtures crammed together, should it not be the responsibility of the Football Association to make sure that these fixtures are spread out so that players have time to rest and recuperate between fixtures?

In most people’s jobs a key word is flexibility, I see no flexibility whatsoever in this scenario. Flexibility here should have meant that our national federation, the FA, being flexible and helping the only ENGLISH team left in Europe by, in my opinion, saying that they could play this coming Friday evening, or arranging a time much more suitable than at 6pm on Sunday evening.

In 2002 we also had problems with the blinkered Football Association when, as venue of choice, they chose Villa Park for our FA Cup Semi-Final against Fulham. It meant that fans of both London clubs had to travel to the Midlands when a far easier choice of venue would have been in London.

The Football Association are the most laughable organisation in world football, whose aim for their customers and more notably, in this instance, Chelsea Football Club, is to stick their heads in the sand and do sweet FA.