This month ‘Natters With The Chels’ caught up with Chelsea Pitch Owners director Charles Rose, who was elected to the board late in 2012.

TC: Firstly Charles, what made you want to put your name forward for a directorship of Chelsea Pitch Owners?

CR: The debacle of the General Meetings in 2011 and 2012, where the interests of the club and its core supporters were mishandled and misrepresented. I felt that my experience could be useful to CPO in sorting out the issues that remained from that time and to get a positive consensus for the future.

TC: What was the process you had to follow and how long did it take?

CR: I applied in writing to the Chairman, submitted a CV and had a telephone interview with the current directors.

TC: How did you feel when you were elected?

CR: Delighted. I wanted to get started straight away

TC: Did you sense any personal hostility to your appointment as a director, or do you think it has been generally welcomed?

CR: Not so much hostility but scepticism. I monitored a few websites and responded where I found any comment about me. In one of my first General Meetings it seemed everyone speaking started with the line ” You may know me from” I started with “No one here knows me” and as far as I knew that remains. It is the same when you join any new organisation, you need to show what you can do and what you are about, so I did not expect anything else. As to actual hostility, CPO has been bedevilled with hostility for the last couple of years. We need to remove this and get rational discussion going so that we can play a positive role with the club and for our shareholders interests.

TC: How do you get on with the rest of the board?

CR: I would like to think well. We meet up for meetings otherwise not at all, but correspond on a very regular basis. What I can say is that you have to respect the differing skills that are apparent in our team, and the amount of time that is spent considering and answering questions and e-mails is considerable. I respect all of them for those reasons.

TC: Did you find your first AGM as a director difficult? Were you nervous? And how do you think it went?

CR: Not really. I have experience of dealing with meetings large and small so it didnt phase me. We had prepared for the meeting, and whilst there was some negativity, I felt that overall it was a positive meeting that took CPO forward. As I said before, we need to deal with the current contentious issues that we have discussed for over a year now and get a positive consensus for the future of CPO in the interests of the shareholders.

TC: What is your personal vision for Chelsea Pitch Owners?

CR: Wow, how long have you got! In short it is to be a seen as an credible part of the structure of CFC. In order to do this we need first to settle our internal differences over the difficulties of the “mis-sold shares” .

This in itself is a major task and is taking considerable time and money to do so. Whether we will ever be able to satisfy some people is questionable, but we will do everything within the powers we have to endeavour to sort the matter out.

Second, and at the same time as the first is to reinvigorate the company in terms of income and expenditure. The third aspect to this is to run meetings that are civil. There will be disagreements, but if we cannot meet without it becoming a full scale shouting match then we will never be a credible voice to the club. If we can undertake that then who knows what can be achieved. With the advent of the Chelsea Supporters Trust there should be opportunities to discuss mutual areas of interest. What is clear in my mind is that the dissolution of CPO as the club wanted in 2011 is not the way forward. We should look to remain as the owners of the pitch and the ground and be the security for the future of the club, whoever is the owner of the main organisation. If you look at the way in which the game is moving both in the UK and at European level there may be interesting opportunities or obligations set by either parliament or by UEFA that necessitate a bigger role for supporters. We should not forget that unlike many of our British rivals we fans do have a real stake in our club. It is down to us as directors and shareholders to ensure that we use this wisely and responsibly

TC: Turning now to on the pitch issues, have you been disappointed with the way the season has been panned out for Chelsea?

CR: I was listening to Rick [Glanvill] on The Chels podcast the other day talking about a transitional season, and to a large part I agree with him. Because of the way in which the club has been run, the team were ageing and running out of time together. Munich provided a full stop for not only Didier but for team as a whole. The club were therefore in the stages of a dramatic rebuild and in this context, winning or coming near being Champions was never realistic. The absolute bottom line is Champions League and getting 4th or 3rd. After that a cup would be fantastic and because we have never won it the Europa would be my priority, particularly as it would be the first time that an English club has won all of the European titles available. I know that the game doesn’t work like that but you can dream. Results will define the season in the history books, but for those of us who were there, it will be remembered as a turbulent, and unhappy season where we let go a favourite son and gained an highly disliked Uncle. Mind you love it or loathe it we all know that being a Chelsea fan is and has rarely been boring!

TC: What do you think a successful season would be for Chelsea?

CR: See my previous answer!

TC: Finally, the last question we are asking everyone for the remainder of the season is how will you be celebrating the first anniversary of the Champions League win on 19th May?

CR: By attending the CPO celebration with Frank Lampard on 17th May! 19.05.12 will remain with us all and there will forever be a part of Bavaria that is Chelsea Blue and forever be a part of all of our memories that will be in Munich!

Thanks to Charles for his time. If you want to be part of the CPO ‘Written In the Stars’ dinner on 17th May, you can find out more here, and you can follow Charles on Twitter @prettyfabguy.

During the run-in to the end of the season we’ll be taking a look at the parallel universe of 19th May 2012, gathering readers’ Munich Memories, and having a natter with the Chair of the Chelsea Supporters Trust Working Group, Tim Rolls. In the meantime, as always, you can follow me on Twitter @BlueBaby67

Chelsea’s Under-18s shared an entertaining five-goal affair with Bolton Wanderers on Saturday morning but unfortunately fell to a 3-2 defeat in snowy conditions at Cobham. 

Jesse Starkey had given the Blues a first half lead which was cancelled out by a controversial Tom Walker penalty. Bolton went ahead in the second half but were pegged back by Ambrose Gnahore’s strike before Walker clinched the points late on. 

Manager Adi Viveash was able to call upon some more familiar faces after last week’s inexperienced selection against Everton but internationals and injuries still depleted his player pool. 

Dion Conroy returned to partner Isak Ssewankambo at the back, with captain John Swift part of a midfield also featuring Starkey and George Cole. Full-back Fankaty Dabo was pressed into action in attack, joining Connor Hunte in flanking Chike Kandi.

As the snow fell relentlessly on the soggy playing surface, questions might have been asked as to how long the game would last but the ball moved freely and the players were able to express themselves comfortably. 

The away team had the first chance at goal when Saul Hamer somehow contrived to miss from six yards out moments after goalkeeper Ben Killip had done well to tidy up after a loose ball fell kindly for the forward. 

Chelsea responded through Kandi, who linked well with Cole before sending a shot spinning just wide of the post. 

Both outfits looked lively in attack but lacked a little cutting edge in the opening exchanges. Swift and Starkey both struck long shots straight at the keeper, whilst Walker and Tom Youngs had half chances go begging for Wanderers. 

Viveash was forced into an early change when Hunte appeared to hurt himself stretching to apply the finish to an excellent move. He was replaced by Gnahore.

The opening goal arrived roughly around the half hour mark and it did so with Bolton feeling rather aggrieved. Dabo, who had been fouled off the ball moments earlier, sought retribution and dispossessed his man with a strong but acceptable tackle. 

With the man in white laying prone, the Blues moved the ball quickly and Starkey was able to bend one home from the edge of the box for 1-0. 

Fast-forward five minutes though, and the two teams swapped roles as Bolton equalised in questionable fashion. Youngs appeared to have shoved Ssewankambo to the ground in the corner of the pitch, but was allowed to come away with the ball and advance into the box. 

His cross was intended for a team-mate who went down under the attentions of Kevin Wright, and Walker buried the resulting spot kick into the roof of the net. 

It was a fair scoreline heading into the interval based on the balance of play but Conroy might have given Chelsea a second lead shortly before the whistle when he saw a far post header saved and the rebound strike the post. 

The snow disappeared as the two teams resumed playing, but there was no shortage of passion or intensity on show. It increased as the game went on and three Bolton players found themselves issued with a yellow card (as did Starkey for Chelsea) whilst things threatened to boil over into unsavoury scenes for two arguing Trotters colleagues. 

Goalmouth action was scarcer to begin with, with Swift’s low shot the only notable effort before the hour mark, but it soon picked up and Bolton were ahead again midway through the second period. 

They had been pushing to seize the advantage for a short while before and were rewarded with a powerful low strike from their central midfielder which ripped past a helpless Killip and into the back of the net.

Chelsea’s response was quick and effective as they were once again on terms within five minutes. A cross from substitute Nortei Nortey skidded all the way through to fellow replacement Gnahore at the far post, and made up for the disappointment of seeing a header hit the bar earlier in the half by steering a composed
shot past the goalie.

The points were now entirely up for grabs and both teams knew it. Swift had a header cleared off the line whilst Starkey’s free kick for a cynical foul on Dabo was palmed away from the top corner. 

At the other end a mistake by Conroy allowed Hamer to sprint clear, but before the big forward could shoot he was accosted by Ssewankambo, who saved the day with an excellent tackle. 

Conroy then went close with a header as Chelsea turned the screw and the Blues looked the likelier winner, which will inevitably make Bolton’s late winner an even bitter pill to swallow. 

Youngs did well on the left side of the box to hold up play before playing a cheeky back heel to the blind side. Walker came steaming up around him to meet it and slammed a finish past Killip to ensure all three points went north. 

Cole, Swift, Kandi and Dabo were all excellent for a home side which definitely deserved to take something away from the game, but they’ll have a chance to make amends on Tuesday when the two reconvene in Lancashire for the return league fixture, weather permitting. 

Chelsea: Killip, Muleba (Nortey 67), Ssewankambo, Conroy, Wright, Starkey, Swift (c), Cole, Hunte (Gnahore 25), Dabo, Kandi

Subs not Used: Howard, Bangura, Seremba

Goals: Starkey, Gnahore
Booked: Starkey

A subject which has reared its head every few weeks since the turn of the year is supposed contract ‘situation’ Chelsea and Nathaniel Chalobah find themselves in.

The England Under-21 international has a deal which currently runs through to the end of next season. This has led to general speculation that the European Champions may lose the services of one of their most talented young players. with Arsenal purported to be ‘ready to step in’.

What these reports fail to note, however, is the context behind Chalobah’s current contract. Chapter IV, Article 18, Section 2 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players decrees thusly:

“Players under the age of 18 may not sign a professional contract for a term longer than three years. Any clause referring to a longer period shall not be recognised.”

In England, players do not become eligible to sign a professional contract until their 17th birthday. In Chalobah’s case, this came in December 2011, and he duly put pen to paper on pro terms shortly afterwards. The maximum deal permitted would have expired mid-season, so he signed a two and a half year contract which ran from January 2012 to June 2014. He could not have signed a longer deal even if it was on the table.

And it certainly would have been had Chelsea been empowered to do so. They’re more than aware of the player’s burgeoning talents and stories this week suggesting that they will offer him new terms are stating the extremely obvious. Expect a new deal to be sorted out this summer, almost certainly for the maximum length of five years, and for us to hear no more about it. It’s not a story.

Oh, and as far as the player thinking he might have a better chance of playing at Arsenal? This is a boy who has been with Chelsea his entire career and, as the picture below shows, continues to keep them closely in his thoughts whilst away on loan. It’s a non-starter, and merely gives us all another reason to smirk at the expense of our North London friends.

The challenge of becoming a professional footballer is fraught with peril. The dream of becoming a first team player with a top-flight side is even more precarious. Every year children as young as eight join club academies and work their way up through the age levels until a decision has to be made by academy staff as to whether they will make it to the 16+ group – in other words, those deemed talented enough to have a shot at a career.

I suppose training to become a professional footballer is like training for any specialised profession. If you want to become an actor, or a vet, or a doctor, you have to undertake specific training. Not many of our leading stars of stage and screen get where they are by busking it. Equally, if you ask anyone you know what they wanted to be when they were a nipper, it’s likely that very few will have ended up in the job they dreamed of doing when a child.

There’s a litany of players who have been touted as ‘the next big thing’. I’ve always found the Wayne Harrison story poignant as he is roughly the same age as I am. For those who are too young, or don’t remember, in March 1985 despite having played only two first team games for Oldham Athletic, Harrison, aged just 17, signed for Liverpool for £250,000; a record at the time for a teenager.

Liverpool loaned him straight back to Oldham and he played a further five games that season. When he joined Liverpool at the start of the 85-86 season, he was brought through the reserves and was on the verge of making the first team, when he suffered the first of a series of accidents and injuries which led to his retirement at the age of just 22, having endured no fewer than 23 football-related operations. He now earns a living as a driver for a brewery.

At the start of the Noughties, any use of the word ‘prodigy’ in connection with football would usually be followed with the name ‘Freddy Adu’. Born in Ghana in 1989, he moved to the United States, aged 8, with his family and became a US citizen. Soon after moving to the States, he was discovered by a local coach near the family home in Maryland, and began playing against boys several years older than him. At the age of 10, his mother allegedly turned down a six-figure offer from Inter Milan after he was spotted by a number of Italian clubs. At 14 he became the youngest American sportsman for over 100 years to sign a professional contract when he joined DC United of the MLS, was hailed as “the new Pele” and subsequently signed a sponsorship deal with Nike.

And after that ….. pffft. In 2006 he had a fortnight’s loan which Manchester United which came to nothing following his failure to gain a work permit, joined Benfica in 2007, had a season on loan at Monaco in 2008-2009, a loan deal with Greek side Aris in 2010, moved to Caykur Riezspor in 2011, returned to the MLS with Philadelphia Union later that year and this very week joined Bahia of Brazil.

With Adu it’s not difficult to describe the standard of football he’s played at as out of proportion to the hype generated. However, you wonder how much of the hype was driven by a US football system desperate to find its own home-grown hero in the years following the World Cup and in the genesis of the MLS, combined with the undoubted marketing push of Nike. Whilst it would be harsh to describe Adu at the age of 22 as not so much a has-been but a never-was, there is a real danger that he will never fully develop into anything other than a football nomad.

Meanwhile, at Chelsea FC we’ve had a long list of players who looked like the next big thing and never really fulfilled their promise. It seems a bit unfair to list the likes of Jody Morris and Jon Harley in this category as at least they’ve gone on to enjoy professional careers of reasonable longevity, albeit at a lower level.

But a classic case appears to be that of Leon Knight, whose most notable achievements in recent years would appear to be misbehaving on social media, being the originator of a ferocious and very public spat with notorious WAG Danielle Lloyd on Twitter and creator of the ‘Slag Alert Pictures’ hashtag where he encouraged men to post pictures of ex-partners.

The storm of opprobrium led to the Daily Mail not only labelling him a “journeyman footballer”, but adding “failed” to it. The New Statesman went one better, describing him as “ex-footballer and noted misogynist”. It is difficult to believe that Knight was once also described as “the new Pele” (how journalists love this phrase!). He has racked up an impressive (sic) fifteen clubs, if you include loan spells, and is currently without a team, having been released by Glentoran who invoked a clause in his contract in May after posting critical remarks, again on Twitter, on Barack Obama’s support for same-sex marriage.

Since the late 1990s, Chelsea have targeted not only the UK for youth talent, but much of Europe. Sam Dalla Bona and Luca Percassi were two early acquisitions in the Vialli era, both of whom made the first team. Mikkel Forssell was a Finnish international at 17, although he, too, has endured an injury-blighted career. However, it has been in the last ten years since the Abramovich takeover that not only have Chelsea sought the cream of Europe’s youth, but the cream of Europe’s youth have seen the academy as an attractive proposition.

No expense has been spared in trying to create the next John Terry. The supporters love a home-grown player, even if it’s one from abroad. However, no matter how high the hopes for Mbark Boussoufa, Sebastian Kneissl, Franco di Santo, and Miroslav Stoch, none of them have ever quite made it.

Indeed the dangers of the race to unearth the best global talent were exposed by the deal which brought Gael Kakuta to Stamford Bridge. Kakuta’s former club, Lens, claimed that Chelsea had induced the player to breach his contract. FIFA subsequently banned Kakuta for four months, Chelsea were banned from two transfer windows, and swingeing fines were levied. However, on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the punishments were overturned when CAS  ruled that Kakuta’s contract with Lens was invalid and therefore he could not have breached it.

The issue of home-grown players failing to progress is even more vexed, most notably in recent years in the cases of Scott Sinclair and Josh McEachran. Both have been unlucky enough to sustain serious injuries shortly after getting a few first team games, and loan spells at Wigan and Swansea saw Sinclair depart permanently. Whether the same fate befalls McEachran, currently at Middlesbrough, remains to be seen.

The club now seems to run a system whereby talent is identified, signed to prevent another club swooping, and then sending the player out on loan. UK born players seem to tend to join clubs at Championship level, with the remainder farmed out across Europe, notably  highly-rated goalie Thibault Courtois, who is in his second, highly-successful, season at Atlético Madrid.

And there appears to be further light at the end of the tunnel. Ryan Bertrand has emerged over the last 12 months as a fully-fledged member of the first team squad and has a Champions League winner’s medal to prove it. The Chelsea youth team are enjoying a period of unprecedented success.  FA  youth cup winners in 2010 and 2012, the team have again progressed through to the semi-finals this year where they will face Liverpool. The players in the Under-19 classification have made it through to the NextGen semi-finals following impressive displays against Barcelona and Juventus.

Furthermore, the composition of the under-21 and academy teams is interesting; the split between players qualified to play for England and those playing for other nations in the under-21s is 50/50, but in the 26 man academy squad, no fewer than 18 players have received England call-ups.  So are we now reaping the benefit of policies implemented ten years ago? Despite encouraging signs like Nathan Ake’s FA Cup replay appearance against Middlesbrough, how many of them will make the first team?  And there’s another issue.

In the light of Financial Fair Play, are Chelsea supporters willing to put their trust in a crop of youngsters, however talented, who might not win anything for a couple of seasons? Arsenal have tried this route and failed to win anything since 2005. Paul Lambert’s brave attempt at a similar system at Aston Villa this season has the potential to end in disaster.

And, finally, the killer question is this.  The stated aim of the academy on the Chelsea FC website reads “To produce home-grown professional footballers capable of competing with Europe’s elite players”. If a high percentage of this generation of young Chelsea players, given the most up to date training facilities and medical care, can’t make it to first team level, does there then come a point at which the club decides that further large-scale investment is an unjustifiable expense?

Of course, if you want the opinions of real experts, you can read them on TheChels.Net courtesy of our very own ChelseaYouth. You can also follow him on Twitter @ChelseaYouth. I’d also strongly recommend the work of Sam Poplett, aka @daspecial_1.  It’s difficult to think too highly of someone who drove all the way from London to Derby for an FA Youth Cup game on a Friday night.

We now turn to the latest news from The Chelsea Supporters Trust. As well as having the usual matchday presence on the cfcuk stall, where would-be Trust members can join up in person, the Working Group will be descending on SW6 en-masse before the Sunderland game as a part of the ongoing membership drive. Not only will they be handing out information leaflets all around the stadium, volunteers will also be visiting local hostelries in order to talk to fans face to face about joining the Trust.

However, if you’re not at the Sunderland game, or any other match, it goes without saying that you can still join the Trust by visiting the website. Membership costs just £5 per year and will entitle you to participate in the forthcoming Members’ Survey which will drive the policies and aspirations of the Trust, as well as enabling you to elect the Trust Board at the AGM which will be held in August.

As always, you can follow me on Twitter @BlueBaby67.

A busy international double-header is set to be packed into the next ten or so days and, as you might expect of a leading club, Chelsea have more than their fair share of players representing their countries across all age groups.

Here’s a rundown of who’s going to be where.

Senior Internationals

Gary Cahill, Frank Lampard, and Ashley Cole will be a part of the England squad which travels to San Marino and Montenegro for two World Cup Qualifiers.

Petr Cech is in the Czech Republic party for their matches against Denmark and Armenia.

Branislav Ivanovic will once again serve as captain for Serbia as they face off against Croatia and Scotland.

David Luiz, Ramires and Oscar are included in the Brazil squad which faces Italy in one friendly before taking on Russia at Stamford Bridge next Monday. Ramires is, however, reportedly an injury concern.

Cesar Azpilicueta and Juan Mata received calls from Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque as the World and European Champions prepare to face Finland and France. Fernando Torres was not selected.

The usual healthy contingent of Blues in the Belgium squad continues as Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois and Kevin De Bruyne will all likely start in at least one of their two dates with Macedonia in the coming days.

Demba Ba will make the long trip to Senegal for a qualifier at home to Angola, whilst John Obi Mikel, Victor Moses and Kenneth Omeruo will play as African Champions for the first time for Nigeria as they turn their attentions towards Brazil 2014 and a home date with Kenya.

Yossi Benayoun and Israel will face Portugal in a friendly and then Northern Ireland in a World Cup Qualifier later in the week.

Youth Internationals

Josh McEachran and Nathaniel Chalobah, who have both been sidelined through minor ailments lately, are in the England Under-21 squad for friendlies against Romania and Austria.

Jeffrey Bruma and Patrick van Aanholt are in the Dutch Under-21 party, Milan Lalkovic is with Slovakia’s, Thorgan Hazard is in Belgium’s, and Islam Feruz receives a second call into Scotland’s highest junior age party. He scored twice on his debut against Portugal last year and will be hoping to add to his tally.

Tomas Kalas is in the Czech Under-21 setup after a fleeting experience in the senior squad, for which is he is yet to debut. He remains on standby to join Cech and friends should he be needed.

Nathan Aké is in the Dutch Under-19 setup, whilst Andreas Christensen has received a maiden call into the same age group for Denmark. Alex Davey continues to develop for Scotland’s Under-19s and will once again join up with them to play Sweden in Ayr.

Lewis Baker was a late addition to the England Under-19 team which takes on Turkey in Telford.

Alex Kiwomya, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ola Aina and Charlie Colkett will be on England Under-17 duty as they bid to qualify for this summer’s European Championships in Slovakia. Charly Musonda Jr (Belgium) and Isak Ssewankambo (Sweden) will be doing the same in the coming weeks as well.

Finally, Dominic Solanke is a part of Kenny Swain’s England Under-16 squad travelling to France for the Montaigu Cup.

On June 14, 2001, Chelsea signed the then 22 year old, Frank Lampard. I remember the day quite clearly, as it had been reported on Sky Sports News that we were set to sign a West Ham midfielder and the rumours doing the rounds were that it was indeed Frank that we were buying. In my haste and excitement, I emailed Sky Sports News for them to come back to me quite quickly to indeed confirm that it was Frank we were purchasing.

At the time, I thought that Frank would be a good signing, but I also had the thought that would anybody be able to match Gus Poyet for the amount of goals scored from midfield. At the time, Gus was coming to the end of his Chelsea career and was a firm favourite of mine, until he signed for that North London outfit. 200 goals later and it’s incredible that such a fantastic footballer and a great man is now just three goals away from breaking Bobby Tambling’s all time Chelsea goal-scoring record.

Frank was very humble in coming from East to West London, quotes attributed to him at the time said “Chelsea have sold the club to me.” And “I think that I can take my game on from here and win a lot of medals with the club. Hopefully I can test myself against the best players in Europe and we can contest for trophies” – never a truer word spoken; Frank knew his Chelsea destiny, even then.

I have some fantastic memories of Frank’s goals, as I am sure that we all do: Here are five of my own personal favourites, which may have escaped other people’s memories.

March 8, 2003 versus Arsenal at Highbury FA Cup Round 5 – Chelsea drew 2-2

On this particular day I wasn’t at Highbury, but at Chelsea, in the Shed Bar.

My then ex-girlfriend and I had decided to go to Leicester Square that day, however, knowing that Chelsea were playing, I’d booked for us to stay at the Chelsea hotel for the night. The thing is, she didn’t know that the hotel I’d booked was at Stamford Bridge. We had a decent morning, but time was ticking on and getting nearer to kick off, so I said that we’d better go and check-in at the hotel. On the way to Fulham Broadway, the game had already kicked off, so I was desperate to know the score. Back then with no Twitter, or Facebook, I had to get a text sent to me. With us hardly ever winning at Highbury in those days, I was overjoyed when the text returned saying that JT had scored for us as early as the third minute. By this time I wasn’t particularly interested in the ex, she didn’t like football and she was nagging a bit, so I was walking at a pace to get to the hotel with her dragging behind.

Once checked in at the hotel and sorted it was approaching half time, my thoughts were of the 0-1, but unbeknownst to me, by this time, we were losing 2-1. I then had to explain to the ex that the game was being shown in the bar downstairs and I was going to quickly nip down to see the score.

When I got downstairs and saw that we were now losing 2-1, I was dismayed and thought that it was typical jammy Arsenal to be leading. Anyway, those few minutes of checking the score, turned into about two hours as I watched the second half. The best part of the second half was the late equaliser by Frank amidst beer flying around in the Shed Bar, me getting soaked and lots of singing of “Super Frank”

On my return to the room she was quite ‘troubled’ by my disappearance and wondered why I was soaked and smelling of beer. From that moment on, things were never the same between us, she was never the right person for me anyway, so the following morning at Fulham Broadway, I said goodbye and good riddance. I salute you for your 14th Chelsea goal, Frank and for a great couple of hours in the Shed Bar! Unfortunately we lost the replay, but I’ll always remember that 2-2.

September 13, 2003 versus Tottenham at Stamford Bridge, Premier League – Chelsea won 4-2

Neither the Arsenal, nor the Spurs goals rank in the echelons of Bolton, Bayern, Barcelona or Liverpool, but both goals have memories for me. This one against Spurs was a headed goal by Frank to put us 1-0 up, although as Frank said on Chelsea TV when summing up his first 100 goals, that it was more off of his nose than his head. However, nose, or head, It’s a goal I’ll remember, as it was our first fixture after I’d had major surgery. I wasn’t well enough to be at Stamford Bridge, but knowing that my surgery had been completed and I was on the right side of feeling better, then the goal by Frank and the 4-2 win was a fantastic boost to set me up on the road to recovery.

This was Frank’s 16th career goal for the club, on a beautiful warm Autumnal sunny day. Thank you so much for the boost Frank and for the end result, it was much needed.

April 30, 2005 versus Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium, Premier League – Chelsea won 0-2

No matter where you were or what you were doing on this particular day, it was the pinnacle of Frank’s career and the modern day Chelsea Football Club (With obviously more to come). The man who said that he’d come to Chelsea to win medals, had done just that. The iconic celebration standing in front of the Chelsea fans pointing down to say, “We’ve won it, we’ve won it, here” is legendary. Frank scored two goals that day, the 47th and 48th of his Chelsea career. I remember speaking to somebody that day that had lost his debit card and couldn’t get petrol money to get to Bolton, if I remember correctly he was stuck in Watford. So if that was you, you were talking to me while I was at work. I hope that you managed to get to Bolton to see the double scored by Frank, to achieve our first title in 50 years.

September 13, 2008 versus Manchester City at the Etihad, Premier League – Chelsea won 1-3

This was Frank’s 112th Chelsea goal for the club; five years to the day after he scored against Tottenham in the 4-2 win and five years to the day that I remember feeling rather ill from surgery, so again, thank you for the goal Frank.

This is another ex-story. My ex and I and her son, had gone to the game and we’d enjoyed an early morning drink, a pre-match meal and got a taxi to the ground from the station. Everything went smoothly, she actually liked football and supported Chelsea (A match made in heaven, or so I thought) this was the game where Robinho scored from a free-kick for City after we, as Chelsea fans, thought, until, the very last minute, that he was going to sign for Chelsea. This was also a second debut for Shaun Wright-Phillips for City, so expectancy was high.

During the game JT was sent off, but later had his card rescinded, however, here I was at the game wearing a Chelsea shirt with JT’s name and number on the back. Coming out of the ground I got one or three remarks from City fans and in the end, to protect our own safety, I had to flag down a taxi to get back to the station as the ex-girlfriend got a bit perturbed by the comments and started to worry. I actually blame her as she was the daft arse who wanted me to wear the shirt in the first place. At least she liked football and supported Chelsea though, credit where it’s due.

January 5, 2013 versus Southampton at St Mary’s FA Cup Round 3 – Chelsea won 1-5

This was a great day out at St Mary’s, no ex’s were involved and because of the large allocation, our support was in great voice, as it always is on away trips. The great Kerry Dixon had scored 193 Chelsea career goals for the club during the 1980’s and very early 90’s and prior to this game, Frank was on 192 career goals, so a goal would equal Kerry’s record and put Frank in equal second place. During the second half a penalty was awarded and Frank duly stepped up to lash the ball into the net, in front of the away support for his 193rd. I was proud to say that I was there that day and although I wasn’t at Stoke to see Frank reach 194, I will always have this Southampton goal in my heart to remember the day that Frank equalled Kerry’s record.

Of course, between 2008 and 2013 Frank has scored some important goals and I’m not missing years out on purpose, however, I decided to choose five goals that stand out for me and I’ll stick by that. The 200 that Frank has scored have all been important for Chelsea Football Club, for example, in Moscow to bring the game back to 1-1, or the late, late goal against Stoke under Scolari to win 2-1, or the penalty against Liverpool in the 4-4 draw in the Champions League, this just after Frank’s Mum had passed away, or, indeed, Frank’s 100th goal of his Chelsea career against Huddersfield Town.

The 200th goal of Frank’s glittering Chelsea career came on March 17, 2013 against his former team West Ham, when Eden Hazard crossed the ball for Frank to head past Jussi Jääskeläinen. The former Bolton Wanderers ‘keeper was in goal when Frank scored in 2005 when we landed our first title in 50 years – a very appropriate goalkeeper to score against.

Congratulations Frank! 200 great goals from a great man and a Chelsea legend.

In a new monthly feature, TheChels.Net are going to be talking to familiar names and faces among not only the Chelsea support, but trying to shine a light on those behind the news off the pitch in SW6. In the run up to the end of the season we’ll be talking to CPO director Charles Rose, and Chair of the Chelsea Supporters Trust Working Group, Tim Rolls, but we kick off by having a natter with CFCUK scribe and embryonic literary lion, Walter Otton, whose first novel, The Red Hand Gang, had a very successful launch party at The Star & Garter in Putney last week, attended by over 100 people, including many Chelsea fans.

The Chels: How did The Red Hand Gang come to be published?

Walter Otton: Well I wrote it in 2005 and I did it self-publishing on a site called Lulu but it never really took off. The publishers weren’t interested so I just let it hang, really. And then last year after meeting Mark Worrall – I’ve known him for a few years through Chelsea and through the fanzine – I re-wrote it cos I was off work for a bit. So I re-wrote big sections of it cos I probably felt that like I’d matured as a writer a bit. He read it and said ‘we’re doing this’, so he did it.

TC: And the book swings quite vividly from the poverty of South London and Kenya to the almost pastoral feel of ‘Three Men In A Boat’. Was that intentional?

WO: No, not intentional at all. In fact I’ve never even seen ‘Three Men In A Boat’, but I’ve heard about it! So that that kind of thing – I did choose to swing from the underground and the overground themes quite drastically. My intention was that the underground themes at times represented Hell on earth – poverty and injustice and abuse, and then when the main character gets off, the claustrophobia, or the prison feeling of the tube train, goes out of the tube station and out into fresh air, which represents Heaven, so different colours, justice, no poverty, no war and all the kinds of things that are the opposite to evil, really.

TC: And what, or who, has inspired you as a writer?

WO: I suppose I’d say I love Peter Benchley’s book, the guy who wrote Jaws, and I love Ben Elton’s stuff, especially his early stuff, and I think what triggered it for me was when I first read ‘The Football Factory’ by John King. It’s so easy to say ‘this is a book about hooliganism’ or ‘this is a book about football’ or ‘this is a book about violence’. It’s so much more than that and the themes that run through it – you know, political, stuff to do with war, and also his third book in that trilogy, which is ‘England Away’ – some very incredible things coming through there and so when I read that stuff, especially two of his later books, called ‘The Prison House’ and ‘White Trash’, I went and thought ‘this is the kind of groove that I want to get in’. And latterly I’ve been reading some Irvine Welch stuff – I saw ‘Trainspotting’ many years ago as everyone did, but predominantly one of his books called ‘Ecstasy’. And ‘Marabou Stork Nightmares’. Real genius, and I kind of want to mirror that style really.  Mario Puzo & Roald Dahl are also favourite authors and I’m also a big Michael Connolly fan.

(At this point, a certain well-known fanzine seller who is standing nearby, chips in ‘John King, Football Factory writer, Prison House and all that, he said of me I’m the best punk rock DJ in the West End of London! Trust me! It’s a famous quote from John King!’

Now back to the interview…)

TC: And have you always had very a vivid imagination?

WO: My mum says yes. My mum says that, you know, writing was – well, I knew this from a very young age, actually. I loved to write. My little girl’s now six. She just loves to sit down and write – letters, stories, pictures – and so my mum says it’s kind of been a lot like that. But I suppose some of the dream sequences in the book – I have been a bit of a semi-professional insomniac so I suppose some of that is probably reflected in the chapters where I’m in bed in the book.

TC: And as a writer, do you find it difficult to meet deadlines?

WO: Actually I don’t. If I’ve got a deadline, I meet it. If someone says to me ‘your next book has got to be finished in two months’, I’d finish it. I told myself I’d finish it by Christmas, it’s now 15th March, and I’ve only written one chapter!

TC: Can you tell us something about your next novel?

WO: Yeah – the next novel is called ‘Tales From The Clockhouse’. The Clockhouse Bar is my local and what I’ve done, there’s a character called Robert, who’s a barber and he’s a bit twisted and so that’s going to be one of the dark themes of the book. It begins a few years ago, and when Facebook comes into fruition he creates a pseudonym and hunts down the bullies who tortured him at school. So there’s going to be a bit of a dark side – linked with my CFCUK articles which I wrote about Barcelona, Munich and Monaco, so I’m going to adapt those and create a character called Henry, who is a bit of a nutter, a bit of a Class A drug taker, big boozer, big womaniser, and the book’s going to come to a head when Robert gets to cut Henry’s hair!

TC: You’ve developed a cult following this season following the epic away days at Brentford and Manchester Utd. How do you feel about that?

WO: I feel a bit embarrassed really! The thing about Brentford is that it was 19 years since the Shed terrace was knocked down at Chelsea and this was the first time I’d been on the terracing since, for the Brentford away game. Now one of the things that captured me when I was a kid, when I was going to the football on the Shed, was when the whole Shed would get down to sing ‘Ten Men Went To Mow’, and I just loved watching the crowd get up and sing. So at Brentford I got on Smiffy’s shoulders, and there was always a Choirmaster in the Shed who’d go ‘Down! Down!’ and everyone would get down for the song, and I wanted to do that, so I got on his shoulders,started ‘One Man Went To Mow’, was trying to get everyone to go down and no-one did! And then of course with YouTube, people put it on there and then the thing about Man U, I was trying to sell some ‘Rafa Out!’ badges so I get up on Smiffy’s shoulders to try and shout ‘There’s these badges, they’re three pounds’ and ended up singing the Demba Ba song, and Ivanovic, so yeah, it’s been coincidental, not planned. It’s a bit of a shambles really!

TC: And what do you think the rest of the season holds for Chelsea?

WO: We were talking about this on the way to Old Trafford on Sunday. We were on the coach, having a drink and no-one thought we’d win. People were saying ’3-0′, ’4-0′, ‘we might get a goal’. Obviously I’m not behind the manager, I’m not behind the board with the decisions that they’ve made, and so it’s a little bit like old school Chelsea. You go all the way to Old Trafford expecting to get a tonking, and then we come back and draw two all for a replay. I think that we’ve been lucky to get through against Prague, lucky against Bucharest, who knows what’s going to happen in the next round as far as Europe is concerned. I wouldn’t be surprised if we finished sixth, I wouldn’t be surprised if we finished third in the league. As for the FA Cup, you know I think Chelsea are unique in that we’ve always loved it. We’ve always put out a strong team. We’ve always taken big numbers to FA Cup games away. It’s part of our tradition, it’s part of our culture, so I’m more excited about the FA Cup than I am anything else.

TC: And finally, one question that we’re going to be asking everyone this season – how do you plan to celebrate the anniversary of the European Cup win on 19th May?

WO: Good question! I’m probably going to see if a few of the lads are going to come round. I absolutely loved the food when I was in Munich, and I’ve perfected my own currywurst, so I’m probably going to get Big Chris, Tall Paul, Smiffy, and a couple of others round, and I’ll cook a curry for all the boys.

TC: Excellent, many thanks Walter.

WO: Thank you. Up the Chels!

Walter Otton’s novel, The Red Hand Gang is available for Kindle through Amazon. There is now a limited paperback print run and if you’re looking for a copy your best bet might be the CFCUK stall opposite Fulham Broadway tube on matchdays. You can follow Walter on Twitter @WalterOtton and, as always, you can find me @BlueBaby67

There are some players that are synonymous with certain moments, a moment of brilliance, bravery, stupidity, madness or just something Proper Chels. These are moments are etched into the memory of every Chelsea fan and their story will be told for generations to come.

Some players have acquired cult status due to their loyalty and longevity. Others have made a short yet sudden impact (and not always positive). Below are a few examples of what I think of when I hear a player’s name (in order of appearance made).

* Still playing for Chelsea FC

If you liked this article then follow me on Twitter – @ChelseaChadder. Also feel free to comment on your own memorable moments for these players, or any others I have missed out.

The Chelsea Supporters Trust got off to successful, if somewhat chaotic, start on Saturday with a meeting attended by well over 100 people at the CIU Club in Britannia Road.

The day started with a mention for the Trust during Tim Rolls’ lunchtime interview on BBC Radio 5 Live, and members of the Trust Working Group were out on the streets surrounding Stamford Bridge prior to the kick-off against Wigan, in spite of the cold and rain, handing out flyers promoting the launch of the Trust.

By 5.00pm, the downstairs bar at the CIU was already filling up, and hundreds more eager to find out about the new venture were queuing on the stairs to gain admittance. While they waited, Working Group members handed out membership leaflets and contact cards. Unfortunately, by 5.15pm, the room was full, and approximately 200 people (although Martin Lipton of the Daily Mirror reported that it was as many as 400) had to be turned away from the venue due to it being over-capacity and to prevent a breach of license. Happily, however, this did not prevent many of those interested joining the Trust before they left, in spite of their understandable disappointment at not being able to attend the meeting, which they took in exceptionally good spirit.

Although the meeting was due to commence at 5.45pm, special guest Kerry Dixon was running late as he was completing host duties at Chelsea, and it was decided to start the meeting by explaining the purpose of the Trust. Kerry Dixon arrived just after 6.00pm to a rousing reception from the audience, and he warmly welcomed the initiative by the Working Group in starting the Trust and thanked them for their work.

Questions from the floor about the Trust were taken throughout the meeting, ranging from how it could help in lowering ticket prices, to how it would operate as a democracy, and a lively meeting concluded with Kerry Dixon’s participation in a Q&A, in which he answered questions including who was the best manager he played under (John Neal) and which player he would most liked to have played alongside (Gianfranco Zola).

Although the meeting ended at approximately 7.30pm, Kerry Dixon further cemented his reputation as a fans’ favourite by signing books and autographs and having his photo taken with supporters.

The launch of the Chelsea Supporters Trust subsequently received favourable coverage in both the Guardian and the Daily Mirror, as well as being extensively debated via social media, and to cap a busy weekend, members of the Trust Working Group attended a course at the offices of Supporters Direct on Sunday, together with supporters from other football trusts, in order to gain a greater understanding of the practicalities of running a Trust until the first AGM takes place, which is anticipated to be in August , when the Trust board will be selected by the membership. They will then be able to pass on their expertise to any newcomers elected.

Personal View of Saturday & the Chelsea Supporters Trust

As you’ll have guessed, the above is very much a traditional and factual view of Saturday’s CST Launch. However, everyone involved will have their own stories of a memorable day for those who have worked so hard since last summer to get the Trust off the ground.

Calorifically speaking, my Saturday consisted of a fry-up at 9am, and the next time I ate was a takeaway bag of chips from a certain well-known fast food shop in Kings Cross at 10.30pm.

In spite of the adverse weather conditions, it’s always great to get out and do leafleting. I love seeing people either smiling and trying to grab a leaflet or trying to pretend that I don’t exist. It’s fair to say that I’ve now cultivated a ‘barking’ voice almost on a par with one of He Who Must Not Be Named’s merchandisers.

One of the great things about Saturday was the number of people who were interested. I even spoke to some fans from Belgium just outside Fulham Broadway, and hopefully, as they now have a contact card and a flyer, they’ll be able to join the Trust and make their voices heard.

When I arrived at the CIU at 4.50pm, I was staggered by the numbers who’d already arrived, and I’m also extremely grateful for their patience and good humour when they were told they couldn’t gain access to the meeting due to the house being full.

I spent the meeting dodging in and out of the room as I had to liaise with the club secretary, the doormen, meet press, and ensure that anyone who turned up later and couldn’t get in got a membership form/was signed up, and it was certainly cooler in the corridor outside than in the bar, which resembled the Black Hole of Calcutta, with attendees crammed in so tight that some of them were right on top of the table where Tim, David, Cliff,  David Johnstone and Kerry were sitting. There is no truth in the rumours that the tagline for the Trust will changed from “One Life, One Love, One Club” to “What About Cortez [sic]?”

And I’d like to add something else about Kerry – he didn’t swan off straight after the meeting, but was totally brilliant about talking to supporters and signing stuff. And after that, he came upstairs to the ‘Members Bar’, which is one of my match day hang-outs, and talked to the fans upstairs. And in an utterly bizarre and surreal moment, we ended up singing ‘The Way We Were’ together. Until we forgot the rest of the words, that is.

Saturday was immensely tiring, but very rewarding. I can’t speak for anyone else connected with the Trust, but my own view is that everyone wants to help you, the supporters, but we can only help you if you let us know what it is you want. So get in touch with the Trust. It’s yours. You have a voice. Use it.

You can visit the Chelsea Supporters Trust website here (where you can see also see some fantastic photos of the event) and follow @ChelseaSTrust on Twitter.  The Trust also has a Facebook page.  In addition, if you’d like to talk to someone about the Trust in person, a member of the Working Group will be available to talk to fans on match days at the CFCUK stall opposite Fulham Broadway Tube.

As always, I’m @BlueBaby67 on Twitter and can often be found lurking at ahfcchat.com.

Whilst it might appear to be a futile exercise from the outside at least, it appears to be possible to at least make an educated projection as to the likely contenders for the Chelsea job.

It goes without saying that it would be a catastrophe of even grander proportions were Rafael Benitez to get the gig full-time, but for the sake of this exercise and our sanity, we shall presume that his Interim job title remains just that and nothing he can do this season will force Roman Abramovich’s hand otherwise.

By looking back at the hires made since he bought the club in 2003, however, we can begin to whittle down the contenders and come up with a relatively reasonable shortlist.

The Criteria

Abramovich has hired five permanent managers; Jose Mourinho, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Carlo Ancelotti, Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto Di Matteo. It’s necessary to exclude the four interim managers – Avram Grant, Guus Hiddink, Di Matteo and Benitez – because none of them were ever explicitly hired for a role beyond their initial remit.

Two of them were in-house promotions, and the other two were (on the face of it) steady, experienced hands required to guide the team towards the end of the season, primarily required because there was no obvious backroom team member appropriate for the job.

To start with, all five permanent hires can be linked together through various criteria. They had all won at least one major trophy in their careers; Champions Leagues (three of them), Europa Leagues (two of them), or the World Cup (Scolari). They had also all done so from a marquee position; big clubs or countries on the biggest stage with the stakes at their highest.

It’s one thing taking a middling club to decent success, perhaps picking up a domestic trophy or two along the way, but in order to be considered for the Chelsea job it appears that any prospective candidate must have produced significant silverware with a notable club or country (ideally a club, of course).

They stand an even better chance if they can achieve this feat directly before joining the Blues. Mourinho, Villas-Boas and Di Matteo all did exactly this, and whilst there were stages where each were considered an outsider for the job, they put themselves in pole position by guiding their teams to glory.

They were also all young, effervescent, charismatic and (from the outside at least) tactically astute. Mourinho was 41, Di Matteo a year older when he was made permanent, and Villas-Boas a relative baby at just 33. We can say with a degree of confidence that Abramovich’s primary targets are likely to fall into this age range, and when combined with on-field success and off-field personality, a prototypical character begins to emerge.

If none of these options are available, however, we’ve seen the Russian and his colleagues turn to their alternative measures. Scolari was hired in 2008 and Ancelotti followed him a year later. In those seasons, the Champions League was won by unattainable managers in Sir Alex Ferguson (a non-starter for obvious reasons) and Josep Guardiola (was sought to no avail), whilst the Europa League fell into the laps of two veterans very happy in their well-paid jobs in Eastern Europe in Zenit St Peterburg’s Dick Advocaat and Shakhtar Donetsk’s Mircea Lucescu. Had they been at other clubs, they might have been considered more strongly, but neither were easily removed from their jobs, so instead the job was offered to different ‘veterans’ with experience and a top CV.

In 2011, Guardiola won the Champions League again and was, as usual, the object of Abramovich’s eye. With a move still off the agenda however, Villas-Boas became the obvious candidate as the Europa League champion.

By understanding what Abramovich appears to want, based on recent history, and how the process is likely to pan out depending on the rest of the season and manager availability, certain people emerge as realistic candidates.

The Preferred Candidates

Jurgen Klopp, Borussia Dortmund – A trendy candidate in every sense of the word, he has moulded Dortmund into one of Europe’s most attractive and well-liked teams. A sprightly 46 at the start of next season, he has charisma to burn, real leadership qualities, and would be able to provide the sort of style Abramovich is said to demand.

Antonio Conte, Juventus – The former midfield stalwart has been chiefly responsible for Juve’s return from Serie B to the top European table in double quick time. He’ll be just 44 at the start of the 2013-14 season and is a superb tactician, but may find it tough to leave a club he made over 400 league appearances for.

Diego Simeone, Atlético Madrid – In a little over a season at Madrid’s second team, he has turned Atlético into a Europa League champion which is threatening to repeat as well as being Barcelona’s closest challengers domestically. He has built a defensively brilliant team which has the remarkable Falcao in attack and a second crowning glory in Europe will see his name on everyone’s lips.

Andrea Stramaccioni, Inter – A former youth team coach given the reigns at the end of last season, the 37 year-old has quietly impressed with a younger, cheaper and remodelled Inter team. Still well in contention for a top three finish in the league, steering the Nerazzurri to the Europa League crown would put his name up in lights.

Frank De Boer, Ajax – Has only been in the job at Ajax for a short while but fits like a glove, having come through the club’s revered academy and returned to continue the famous production line in his retirement. Like Conte, he may feel too attached (and perhaps too inexperienced) for such a move, but if he is to lead them to a European trophy in their home stadium, it will likely have to come by beating Chelsea along the way, and as such becoming a clear commodity to the Blues’ hierarchy along the way.

The Experienced Backup Plans

Manuel Pellegrini, Málaga – the 59-year old has plenty of big time experience, chiefly with Real Madrid but also with a Villarreal side which reached the last four of the Champions League despite being tiny in stature. Has done a fine job of nursing a Málaga side stripped of key assets due to financial strife and has them well positioned at home and in Europe. Would likely jump at the chance of a final ‘big’ job.

Luciano Spalletti, Zenit St Petersburg – Has previously been courted by Chelsea, but without ever being a serious contender. An impressive tactician, he hasn’t had the opportunity to manage one of Europe’s really big teams (Roma were on a major downward curve during his time there) and again, would likely be very interested.

Walter Mazzarri, Napoli – A little younger than the others at 51, he is nonetheless suitably experienced and perhaps befitting of the term ‘wily’. Has taken a very good Napoli team an extremely long way but might question if he’s peaked with them, and should the Partenopei go deep into the Europa League, he could look elsewhere.

Carlo Ancelotti, PSG – Never say never right? If he is unable to guide PSG to the title this season, it will represent two campaigns without the league crown for the Parisiens and with such ambitious owners in charge, the axe would likely fall. He remains a well-liked figure at Stamford Bridge and would be welcomed back by many.

The Outsiders and Others

There are plenty of other managers left in continental European competition who could come into the reckoning but a lot of things would have to happen and the stars would truly need to align for some of them. Nonetheless, it’s worth mentioning the names of Ernesto Valverde, Vladimir Petkovic, Remi Garde and Jorge Jesus to keep in the outer consciousness.

By the same token it’s safe to rule many others out for various reasons; too old (Juup Heynckes, Fatih Terim, Mircea Lucescu), no tangible experience (Jens Keller, Neil Lennon), or simply never ever going to happen (Ferguson, Wenger, Vilanova). Furthermore, Premier League managers such as Michael Laudrup, David Moyes and Roberto Martinez are regularly linked but Abramovich has never shown a serious inclination to consider them, and each would likely be intelligent enough to realise that they would be hard-pressed to succeed having seen the club operate at close quarters. Things could change, however, and Chelsea could consider a change of approach.

The Wildcard

There is, of course, one wildcard. Jose Mourinho. He’s 50, he might not win a single trophy this season and had an acrimonious departure in 2007. None of that would matter should he signal his desire to return though, for he would immediately become a leading candidate with his career record, and the fan reaction almost goes without saying. He doesn’t really fit into one of the above sections, but then what else should we expect from The Special One?

Some of these guys have been linked with the job already, others not so much. Mourinho and Klopp are regularly talked about, whilst someone like Simeone at 18/1 with the bookmakers represents good value as an outsider at this stage. It’s likely that the next manager of Chelsea Football Club comes from one of these candidates, and it makes the next three months of football across Europe all the more interesting.