Ewell CFC

Was round my brothers yesterday- same as but different detail in the corners

Nice one Tom. Shame the bloke who promised to put online his 100’s of original photos got cold feet

Early days yet but you may well be right.

A mob of them did venture into the West Stand Seats circa 86- A known Chelsea face whose dead now was knocking them over like skittles. When we played them at home 84/85- it was a freezing day and the game shouldn’t have been played- the ball was bouncing around off a rock hard pitch ( Bates had covered the pitch with straw the previous week and bits of it were blowing around during the game) Before the game we were mulling around the Fulham Rd - noticed half a dozen teenage black lads hanging around- ( obviously Arsenal). Standing next to us was an older geezer who was about 20 stone and was eating a burger he’d bought from one of those trolleys. He either got fed up with eating it or made a point by throwing half of it at the feet of the black lads and pulling a face. They trundled off......

I kind of disagree. “ All that matters is winning titles.” Watching your team is supposed to be enjoyable, not just a stepping stone towards silverware in May. Ive seen some really boring dross served up by title winning Conte and Mourinho teams, and if push came to shove would rather us play consistently attractive football and fall short, than dour defensive stuff that might win trophy’s. Hopefully we can combine style and success- if we don’t, no big deal- we’ve alteady won every trophy out there.

Anyone remember the time probably mid 90s when we had a couple of hundred in the East Lower seats at Highbury. It was during the all ticket era- went there on a whim sniffing for a ticket- was directed to a bookies on Gillespie Rd I think which was full of touts. Remember looking for somewhere to have a drink and hopefully catch up with some mates ( pre mobile days). Walked into the Gunners Pub; soon as I entered I heard “ Oh North London, is full of sh*t” There was more Chelsea than Arsenal in there but it didn’t kick off. No idea what the score was but we no doubt lost- never saw us win there till the league cup game in 98/99

1994 the Makita Tournament at Highbury- we were placed in the new Clock End-it kicked off in one of the executive boxes above, next thing people from the adjoining boxes jumped over these partition rails and joined in. Pretty sure we were playing in that rotten orange and grey away kit. We’d qualified for Europe via the back door virtue of loosing FA Cup finalists to Man U- remember very noisy “ We didn’t win the football league we didn’t win the cup, but we’re all going to Europe”

Anyone know what the capacity of the Clock End was? The ground still held 58-60,000 back then. I stood in the North Bank with an Arsenal mate a few years earlier last game of the season when they played Villa, who won the league there- Arsenal also qualified for Europe. No Way was the Clock End as ram jammed that day as us in 84, yet the gate was nigh on capacity. The only other time I stood on the North Bank was the New Years Day game in 85, when West Ham away got froze off, and loads of us ended up watching Arsenal v Spurs. It kind of went off in the clock end which made Chelsea’s presence obvious, but there were loads Chelsea scattered around the ground keeping a low one.

Aaron Lincoln was another burly background figure. He started off as Kitman then became John Terrys agent. I think he had a touchline barney with Gordon Strachan once. Someone else who seemed to popular with the players was one of the physios “ billy the rub”

Don’t think the England team of that era ever played at the Bridge- is this a training session? Not a lot in the way of grass where they’re standing!

Think it might be Gary Staker.

One of the biggest punch ups I’ve ever seen at football was the same fixture 2 years later at Wembley. A good few Chelsea involved ( the tunnel end for most of the first half) Didn’t go to Hampden the next year but that apparently was another free for all. I think that was a big part in the Home Internationals getting scrapped.

It’s approaching the 20th Anniversary of The Super Cup v Real Madrid in Monaco, which was a fantastic trip. Like a lot of Chelsea we spent a few days sunning ourselves in Nice, got the train to Monaco. It was pretty low key but even so I remember thinking we’ve just beaten Real Madrid in a gorgeous place- it’s not gonna get much better than this ( beat the sh*t out of Rotherham away in 82) Other live in the memory ones for me were Man City, Pompey, and Grimsby in 84, and maybe Arsenal first game 84/85.

I never did own a “ You can’t ban a Chelsea fan” T-Shirt, but my mate did. I remember him wearing it on our first lads holiday in Cornwall in 82 . They were grey with I think blue writing and the rampant lion. That was our second travel ban after the one in 77, which didn’t work either!

John Neal used to smoke in the dug out. Did Ancelotti while he was with us? There’s pictures online of him enjoying an oily rag on the touchline?

Good read. He was a decent manager John Neal, and like Sari was partial to puffing on a fag in the dug out.

It’s been suggested several times but keep the East and West Stands, and build some .... off new ends ( the new ends can be built one at a time) That should get us in the low 50,000 range with increased corporate capacity, because that’s where the dough is.

They’ve got an entirely different fan base to us. No yuppies or day tripping Johnny Foreigners. Posh people don’t sing because they get embarrassed and day trippers don’t know the words.

He got his early bath for calling the ref a ....... disgrace.

I’ve seen other footage of this game before, where you can hear to travelling Chelsea support singing “ Strolling.” I think that was our signature chant for a bit, but kind of got given up on come the 70s.

It’s gotta be 30 years plus since Wembley banned banners- health and safety killjoys put pay to that. That naff one at the Bridge made me squirm- WE OWN LONDON, with a silhouette of Tower Bridge. Obviously the product of some in club marketing idiot. Naff as hell IMO. A few years back a Man Utd fan got badly cut at Everton. When they played later that year Everton took in a banner which read “ Jobe. How’s your arse” Charming....

How times change. Only seems like yesterday he was the most in demand manager in the world. He exuded confidence. A shadow of his former self.

That and.... That Mitchell and Webb Look Blue Peter ( Borota) A Touch of Frost Speedie Gonzales Dixon of Dock Green Walker Texas Ranger Anymore for anymore...

The only footballer with a TV show named after him. Pet Rescue

When Real Madrid come knocking it turns the head of just about every player out there.