Montesinos

Thats about as i remember it too. We met at fb and got of the tube at surrey docks i think. Then walked through all the side streets without making too much noice. The tension grew with every step we took and i recall we got into the ground early. Memory might be playing tricks on me but our mob was larger than the 50 or so that day. I was still at school and was the only one of mates who went that day, same as to spuds away a couple of years earlier in a night game where a small group of us went inyo the park lane end (i stayed in there the whole game). Cbl was scarry. Never experienced anything like it and i was a kid at the time really. After that followd chelsea all over uk in our not so great (at least on the field) days. Mainly went with anothe chelsea daigo who was a celtic and celta vigo fan - birri we called him and his mate mick a huge skinhead from southfields area. Great days. Never to be forgotten and yes, i agree, fans today simply cannot comprehend what it was like week in week out - especially away.

The best days for me were from 1974 (ish) to mid 1980´s. The fun we had, especially on our away days, can never be understood by today´s supporters. It was a different world back then. I know i am sounding like an old geezer (but i suppose i am sort of getting there now!!) but the thrill of turning up at some town un-escorted by Señor plod, going into the local pubs and having all the "banter", walking to the ground and thinking that our numbers were massive. It was different, wild and looking back, somewhat unreal at times. All of us who lived out those days will, I am sure, never forget them. Just think what we would have done had we had mobile phones back in the day?????

and our very own Kojak (RIP)

Having followed Chelsea from 1969 until i came out here to Spain 15 years ago (hence i have missed all the latest collection of silverware apart from on TV), it is difficult for me to say with any great certainty "which is my era". However, there have been a lot of matches, a lot of highs and more often lots of lows in all the season´s i have been following the Greatest Club side in the WORLD. But i suppose "My Chelsea" was probably the side in the mid to late 70´s until the mid to late 80´s. I hardly missed a game during those years , both home and away. Probably the side that game me my best memories was John Neil´s side. That was special in terms of commitment and attitude. The team had a similar attitude to us on the terraces. It was magic (mostly).

We had a lot of crap seasons after that first relegation in the 70´s till the hoddle era. In between we had the Eddie Mac and the late great John Neal periods but in the main, until Hoddle came along, we were pretty average to say the least. Who, of a certain age, will ever forget the away defeat at The Macain stadium on a very cold and wet Tuesday (i think) night in Scarborough. Not too many of us got to that game although there were a few Northern Chelsea there that night. If anybody else was there, that was certainly a CRAP performance. However, those teams had massive support following them, probably more so than todays side and I say this after watching us beat the Mancs at the bridge just now, all the way from sunny Spain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

have to agree with you mate. I was in the NS that days and it was non stop. Remember a Palace fan wearing a Cardboard top hat getting a right hiding that day. It just went on throughout the whole game and then some!!!

I also went to that milwall game in the late 70's. was 17 and remember it was early in the season and still warmish. met a load at fulham broadway and tubed it don. got off at surrey queys and walked very quietly for what seemed like miles. Got to ground early on and paid to get into cbl end. once we were allí in it all went off bigger than i have ever experienced upto and since. it was madness. i like many others eventualy got kicked onto pitch and walked round past the seats intro the other end where it all kicked off again. i kept me head down till the end of the game although there were rucks going on all over the place. i tend to think what stopped me getting a pasting that day was my young age and the facti was on my own by then. There were one or two people i recognised from pimlico but we did not even speak to each other . Lots of people said after that day that they were there. they might have bien or not but for sure everything changed after that day for us. it has bien said we grew up as a firm(s) that day and i tend to agree. We found at which level we had to "perform" and we were more than up to the challenge. Live in spain now but still long for those exciting times like, i imagine many of us do on here.

Not sure if madrid owe us any transfer money somewhere down the line. As to compensation, not sure how much if any would come up as most Real fans dont want him there next season, most of their socios (members) dont want him there and, more importantly here in Spain, the madrid tinted press of marca and AS news papers dont want him. Madrid President Florentino Perez may well be happy to get rid of a problem for him and his club.

jajajajajaaj a blinder mate

That Hull game was poor. remember sitting on the terraces by the side of the benches (in the shed end) for that game. Bleeden cold also.

remember this game well. I was 13 at the time and arranged to meet my mates at seven sisters tube. Failed to met them so started walking on my own up 7 sisters road. Walking behind a group of older Chelsea fans (no colours etc but heard then talking. They might have been in their late teens or early 20´s but they saw i was alone and let me join them. Little did i know these guys walked stariaght into the park lane end and all hell broke lose!!!!! stayed the whole game in there though. Was crapping myself, lol but surrounded by the OB all the game. Could not have been more than 50 mof us in there that night

I was also in the west stand that night and it did go off big time. Think there were Boro councillors in there too as i recall and yes, there was a lot of agro in there and beind the stand. I met a bloke I worked with in there at half time, a Boro Fan, and he was keeping very quite

so many good ones (and crap ones to. Remember going to the Mcain stadium at Scarborough for a midweek league cup game. They had just come up from the conference (or whatever it was called at the time). Me and 2 mates drove up. Bitterly cold, herded into the "away" end (uncovered) and then it started to piss down. We were coasting but ended up getting beaten. Not many there, but do remember a massive CHELSEA NORTHERN Union Jack flag. Also recall Wigan away in a much reaarranged cup game. Must have been FA 3rd round replay as it was Jan or Feb and the game got called off about 3 or 4 times before it was eventually played. Got the coach up there and took time of work . Remember this was at their old ground, with a grass bank behind one of the goals. We actually managed to talk our way into their supporters club bar and have a good drink and a laugh with some of their fans. Remember they were all saying that Dixon was sh*t hot and we actually convinced them he was useless. We went back at the end of the game and they were well pissed off,. Dixon had (I think) scored 3 or 4 that day!! Those were great times as we travelled "on masse" all over the country. Our support at that time, especially the away support, was unreal and at times it was difficult to imagine we had so many at away grounds. I also remember being pissed at practically every away game. Different times they were. Like so many that day, a mate got nicked at Cambridge after the game....... Rotherham was a hole, Carlise was cold. Huddersfield was even colder and Wolves away (when we were banned) was madness, especially on the friday night when a mate of mine got stabbed. As I have said, very different times indeed.

Similar to that.Everyone knew there were different groups from all over but you probably didn't know them individually and didn't really care as long as they were Chels and appeared when required as in the away support sense.We were too busy doing our own coaches etc to think about tagging on to any others. Blimey anytime now whenever in new company and you mention the Chelsea thing,the amount of times you're asked if you knew the lot from Woking/Battersea/Hastings etc,or any other town in the south east. Sometimes,It was more about what pub you drank in than where you were from which gave you an identity.If you were away you'd see people from the Brittania,Ifield,Dray,Stars or Imperial and even without colours be able to make a familiar connection.Or just a nod from a distance was enough to proclaim to your pals "they're Chelsea". Unlike today their wasn't a lot of flags or banners and even fewer of those had your town or postcode on. Me and me mates went to a lot of games in our days - both home and as many away. Talking about from the early 70´s onwardrs till around 90´s-Yes we all knew tha names (babs, Danny, Hicky etc) but never really "KNEW" them lads. Saw them around even chatted to them but never realy mixed with them. But it was always good to see them at the many away grounds we visited. BTW the old second div days were madness!!! How i still miss those times. And as for getting involved, in those days it was something we all did.

they had a small but handy mob if i remember well.

Having been here in Spain for the past 15 years, presume FB has changed a bit right?

we got there early for that game and persuaded them to let us have a drink in their bar, where the Chelsea Exec were having a meal. Told all the locals that Dixon was useless and had the believing us!!!! After the game, we walked in and they wanted to kill us!!!!! Happy days indeed.

Have to agree with you My Carefree

I remember an old League Cup (I think) game at Highbury played midweek. A few hundred of us in the North Bank and the whole clock end full of chelsea. What a good night that was especially as we stayed in the "great" North Bank all night....good days

Yeah, I too was at both games. In the north stand end for the palace game and sitting on the terraces in the shed end for the Hull match. Bleden cold night as well if i remember rightly, but then again the old memory is slipping these days!

I suspect the brain and right place-right time scenario are only part of the story here. Anything went in the old Soviet Union in those days and I mean ANYTHING and EVERYTHING

Good to know I am in good company then MKBlue - in club and age group!!!

like most people, we tended to move around over the years. For a couple of season we stood in front of the tea bar. Then we used to (now and again) transfer to the benches and then North Stand (OB allowing). Did the west and new stand before ending up in the Benches again.

Fantastic footage. The bovril gate entrance looks so small, dark and "old", but it took me back to all those games I watched there.....I recall the biggest thrill was always just after going through the turnstiles there. You then came to the stairs leading to the terraces (under the cafe). First game of the season going up those stairs and coming out to get my first glimps of The Bridge, the stand, the pitch.......so very vivid. Great stuff mate, well done.

is it true that he was the original Stamford the Lion, lol