jimmybog

Agree, the trees between the two sets of buildings on the left side of the photo are roughly at the junction of the high st and Kensington church street

First, have to say what an excellent forum this is. Second, just to clarify I am not a Chelsea fan but due to many visits in the eighties and nineties to London to friends who lived in Earls court, I used to try and visit Stamford bridge and some Chelsea London away games as often as I could. . Here are some of my memories (apologies if the details aren’t correct as my memory is not the best these days) of Chelsea games I experienced during this period: Chelsea v Liverpool – FA Cup – Very early eighties: Fazy memory from this one but remember it being the best atmosphere I experienced at SB as Chelsea beat Liverpool 2 – 0 (Think that was the score). And the only time I saw any trouble at SB as a mob of Chelsea in the North stand terrace got through a gate to attack the Liverpool supporters. Think this was the game when some supporters tried to get into SB via the Brompton cemetery and over the train tracks (crazy thing to do). And I’m sure Chelsea lost to Spurs in the next round? Chelsea v Liverpool (Late eighties / maybe early nineties) – not sure if a league or FA cup game: I know Chelsea lost but remember the Scousers firing a flare into the West stand near the end of the game. And if I’m not mistaken didn’t they fire a second flare also at the West stand after the game finished as the Chelsea fans were leaving? Think near the end of the game I remember a Chelsea fan from the benches in the west stand climbed up onto the fence and proceeded to walk along the top of the fence towards the Scousers in the away terrace. He was eventually pulled down by the stewards/police just before he got to the away section. Can’t imagine what would have happened to him otherwise. Spurs v Chelsea – 1987/1988 This was the match which has already been mentioned where Chelsea fans packed the terraces and some had to be let out into the overspill terrace. I was one of the ones who got out and went into the overspill terrace. This section as I remember was in the lower part of the Shelf terrace right near the corner. I remember there being police right at the front of the terrace section above us who were filming the Chelsea fans with a video camera. I know Spurs won that day but even though there were Spurs right next to and above us in the Shelf, I don’t recall them giving any abuse to the Chelsea in our overspill section. I remember the walk back to seven sisters afterwards and the entire road was just full of Chelsea who were still singing even though they had lost. I was also at the game the previous year when Chelsea won 3 – 1 or 3 nil but can’t remember much about that game apart from the brilliant atmosphere. And I don’t recall any trouble at either of these games as once the games ended the Spurs supporters just seemed to disappear. I do remember the price to get into this (or the previous seasons game) was £4 for the park lane terrace. How times have changed!!! Arsenal – Chelsea – 1984 – First league game of the season This was Chelsea’s first game of the season after being promoted. I remember the tube train pulling in to Holborn and being rammed. Managed to squeeze on somehow and thinking no one else will get on this train all the way to Arsenal. How wrong I was. At Kings cross there were hundreds waiting on the platform. We were jammed in like sardines all the way from Kings cross to Arsenal. Once outside the tube the entire street leading down to the Clock end was full of Chelsea. We managed to get in ok and stood near the corner of the clock end and the West stand. At the start of the game there was a large mob of Chelsea in the North bank/West stand corner singing Chelsea, Chelsea. The police then lead them onto the pitch and down into the clock end. There seemed to be a never ending stream being led down and I’d estimate several hundred in total. Remember Dixons equalizer and the celebration went on for ages. Also remember the bar being open at half time underneath the stand and lots of us were drinking beer on the terrace in the second half. That was a huge away following that day for a 11:30 am kick off. Think the attendance was around 45,000 and newspaper estimate was that 20,000 were Chelsea. This was also the only day I ever went to two matches in the same day as I went to watch QPR and West Brom in the afternoon. Think quite a few Chelsea went to Wimbledons game with Man City in the afternoon as I remember reading reports of trouble at that game. Arsenal – Chelsea – late eighties: Can’t remember the year or the score but remember a mob of Arsenal tried to get in to the clock end from the clock end/west stand gates. The police intervened and led the Arsenal mob out. There looked to be at least a hundred of them and I was surprised that they tried this as there was a good Chelsea away following that day as well. QPR v Spurs – Mid eighties wintertime I know this wasn’t a Chelsea game but this game was the only one played in the Capital that day as QPR had their plastic pitch and all other games were called off due to the weather. I’m sure that quite a few supporters from all the other London clubs descended on Loftus rd that day and I recall trouble happening in every part of the ground except for the Spurs away terrace. Also remember the crush in the away terrace being that bad that a lot of Spurs were taken out and put in the side terrace either side of a bunch of home fans. Were any of you Chelsea fans there on that day? I recall it being quite lively on Shepherds bush green after the game. I have read a few accounts of that day years later which suggested that some firms went to that game to settle old scores but I don’t know how true this was.