• Previewing Chelsea’s 2023-24 FA Youth Cup Challenge
  • Previewing The 2023-24 Chelsea Academy Season
  • The Chelsea Academy Class of 2023
  • The Loan Report: 2022-23 Season Review
  • Reflections On The 2022-23 Chelsea Academy Season

Football Through Formica Tinted Glasses

Mention the 1970s to those of us old to remember it (and unlike the 1960s, if you can remember it you were there), and it conjures up instant memories of space hoppers, glam rock, The Sweeney and – up until the explosion of colour which appeared to accompany the advent of punk – a palette of browns, beiges and greys. Cars were cream, brown, or occasionally rust. Flock was popular….

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Winless Weekend For Blues Youngsters

In returning to action after the recent international break, it was a weekend of struggles for Chelsea’s youth teams as both the Under-21s and Under-18s came away from trips to Wolverhampton without a win. Adi Viveash’s Under-18s were the first to try their luck on Saturday morning as they sought to extend their six-game winning streak – the country’s only 100% record – in their first away fixture of the…

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The Loan Report: October 18-21

Each week of the 2012-13 campaign up to this point has seen at least one Chelsea loanee find the back of the net, giving us a guaranteed headline act to focus upon in the weekly Loan Report. For the first time this season though, there was no goalscoring action to speak of, although it was hardly for the lack of trying. Therefore this week acted more as an affirmation of…

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International Round-Up: October 9-16

We’ve had another exceptionally busy international period over the last two weeks or so, with Chelsea players in action at both senior and youth level spread wide across the globe. Here’s a look at how they all fared. Senior Internationals Petr Cech saved a penalty as the Czech Republic beat Malta 3-1 in the first of two World Cup Qualifiers, before recording a clean sheet in a goalless draw with…

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Reflections On The Youth Season So Far

Since we’ve reached the halfway marker in the first half of the youth and development season (I guess that makes it the quarter pole overall?), it’s time for some reflections and musings on what we’ve seen so far in 2012-13. It’s a campaign which ushered in a ballyhooed new era, with the old reserve team structure making way for a new Under-21 league under the auspices of the Elite Player…

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The Loan Report: October 1-7

Kevin De Bruyne extended the impressive run of Chelsea loanees finding the back of the net this season with his third goal in Werder Bremen colours this weekend. It’s with the Belgian that we begin this week’s Loan Report. De Bruyne got the weekend off to a strong start on Friday night away to Augsburg, grabbing his team’s only goal in a 3-1 reverse. There was more than an element…

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Under-18s: Chelsea 2-1 Fulham

Chelsea’s Under-18 team completed a remarkable run of six successive wins in academy Group 3 so far this season with a dramatic 2-1 victory over rivals Fulham.  The Blues, in their final home game before embarking on a six-match road trip, retained their 100% record courtesy of a last-minute own goal from a Fulham substitute. It followed a similarly late win over Middlesbrough last weekend. Adi Viveash’s team selections have…

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Under-21s: Fulham 3-1 Chelsea

Chelsea’s Under-21 team suffered a 3-1 reverse away to Fulham at Craven Cottage on Friday night to extend their winless run to four games in a season which has seen just one win to date. The Cottagers frustrated their local neighbours for long periods but were rarely dominant; instead taking advantage of opportunities which were presented to them and making them count to full effect. Marcello Trotta’s brace added to…

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The Loan Report: September 24-30

As regular readers of The Loan Report will know, we like to highlight big achievements as and when they occur. Typically, this takes the form of a goalscoring performance by one of Chelsea’s young loanees, and more often than not it’s a big, recognisable name. However, every now and then it’s one of the more obscure faces who makes an impact and gets to stand front and centre. That’s the…

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Travels with The Chels – Napoli

Sadly the Travels are nearing their end. For various reasons I won’t make any of the away group games this season, so just a couple remain in the locker. So it’s time to go back to what, at the time, appeared likely to be Chelsea’s final Champions League game last season. I hadn’t originally intended to go Napoli. Indeed when the draw for the round of 16 was made in…

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