Bovis Messroom

A pedant writes actually Stamford Bridge is, as are about three other London clubs grounds, nearer to Bow Bells than Upton Park. They haven't rung since the blitz anyway, I believe. Also The Slug and Lettuce pub has thankfully reverted to its original name, The Kings Head. :(

Unfortunately many of the town centre pubs are 'home only' and doormen ask to see your match ticket as proof. On our last visit The Wheatsheaf Inn in Market Street was welcoming. It's just by St. Georges metro station so any Chelsea fans arriving on the trams from Birmingham Snow Hill head for here. There's a big car park in Fold Street, just off the ring road. It's only three or four hundred yards south of Molineaux and is also handy for the town centre.

We've got more than enough players who have title winning experience and the know how of what it takes. So we are totally unlike someone like Newcastle who famously cracked up, including their manager, when it mattered. The Champions League campaign resumes soon and I believe we have the strongest squad to cope when the games are coming thick and fast. The Arsenal match? Just hope there's less fingernail biting and plenty of vocal support to drive the lads on. It's still in our hands.

Memories of Cardiff? Good and bad. Got talking to a doorman at one of the pubs there at one of the cup finals and he was a old member of their mob. Was very complimentary about us. There was a major 'off' in their main stand in 81/82, a mob of cardiff got cornered by a load of our lot. Underestimated how many we had in the stand when they appeared near the away end. There were Chelsea charging over the seats as well as climbing up from the paddock in front. Plod eventually came in, took them out and led them round the side of the pitch and put 'em in the big side terrace through a gate down in the far corner. Their last visit (83/84?) left a bit of a bad taste, booing the minutes silence for the Chelsea fan who'd been killed up in Huddersfield the previous week. The late comeback in the 3-3 draw there comes to mind too. All in the past now of course and really looking forward to this one, Should be a cracking atmosphere.

Do we not also have 800 to 1,000 people on the away fans scheme and they are obliged to purchase tickets for every premier league away game?. Seems like some of these pick and choose which matches they actually attend hence there's always spares being offered about even before the 'Sold Out' signs go up.

Ian Wright broadcasts on Talksport and writes for The Sun so his remit is to be contoversial and to hell with integrity. He often in the past actually complimented the Chelsea crowd, saying we used to give him stick during games but applauded him at the end because he had handled it all well. And he is right, that did happen. He seems to have forgotten all that now. He lambasts our entire support because he had a few whingers near him as if any other crowd doesn't have them. The booing at Anfield has been clearly audible in recent matches even though they're still in a top seven position. It's easy to be portrayed as 'loyal' when your team hasn't suffrered relegation. been in the bottom half of the table for decades or indeed not gone more than 5 years without winning some sort of trophy. Todays kopites probably regard themselves as 'diehards' :)

That's very kind and don't mind if I do.... :) My shout.

Thanks mad_mac. Just seen your profile and must compliment your taste in music too. Bit of a rock nut myself. Will add to my profile info in a bit.

Will do Cooke and thanks for the welcome.

Cheers mate Yep, I'm no quitter.

Thanks for the welcome, Mikstaw, Glad to be here.

Cheers bluevale2. Wished I'd signed up ages ago now. Some great stuff on here. Especially liking the nostalgia.

Probably started supporting Chelsea from the 1967 final. Was definately getting blues stuff, annuals, scarves, dodgy knitted royal blue jumpers from aunties the following year for birthdays and christmas. I had no older relative who supported Chelsea and my old man wasn't into football at all so I must have nagged him rotten for him to take me to my first match. March 1971 against Huddersfield and probably the least glamorous home game of the season. I didn't care. Don't remember much of the game sitting in one of the rear rows of the old west stand, although it was only a few years old back then. This game was inbetween the two Bruges ECWC ties and we had Leeds the following week so there was no Osgood, Bonetti or Hudson, presumably rested. Finished 0-0 so my dad probably thought that might put me off wanting to return, Ha, just being at The Bridge was enough for me. Last memory of that day was standing outside a pub opposite the tube station (must have been The White Hart) with a bottle of orange and bag of crisps while dad sunk a few inside.

Hiya Katie, And from one newbie to another, happy posting. ;)

Hi moi, found that thread on username origins and just posted there. It's in the Shed End lounge forum.

Hello Katie, Like yourself trying to get to grips with everything. Not very pooter literate so making plenty of mistakes. Trial and error but getting there. Seem like a right friendly lot here so far. Many a year since I was a 'newbie' in the original Shed. :angry:

Haha, 48 going on 18 at times. Thanks BlueBeard and I'm liking the stuff you've put up in the Gallery. Got some old images myself that I'll hopefully contribute once I get the hang of everything here.

Cheers. It ain't been the 'Tropic of Ruislip' lately so the beach at the Lido's been a bit quiet. ;)

Thanks mate. Always good to hear from one of the 'Balti Blues' too.

Thank you moi. I'll try and find that thread and yes my user name does have a story and it is Chelsea related. Some fans of a certain age and with a good memory might get it. See who's first. :)

Thanks mate. And the MHL is where you will find me these days. Have a couple of old mates who are Norwegian blues too.

Haha. Thanks geezer and yes I did live there a couple of weeks ago. Council slow in gritting the pavements around here. :)

Thank you.

Hello All, Just signed up after having a good old gander at the site. Most impressed. Look forward to the banter and continuing laughs at some of our rivals hapless efforts this season. And as a Shed Ender from 1971 to 1994 (a few seasons in The Benches in between) what better place to be again? KTBFFH, Danny.