GarryJones

> I was in the Shed that day. I've never seen so many away fans in our end. Then we were at different matches. West Ham had a pop at the shed in 77 and got such a pasting they never tried it again in such numbers. I know I arrived fairly late for the 1980 clash but that would have been around 2.30. Its possible that we had already kicked them out of the end by then if indeed they did have a go. But it was all over by 2 30 as I remember how there were no West Ham in the shed, none whatsover.

Colin Lee - yes full back. I have a badge that says "Colin Lee leaps higher than Evel Knievel.

I had a lot of contact with some old codgers in the Chelsea boozers in the 70's. Some of these had even been at Chelsea pre First World War. I was just so enthralled to hear stories of what it used to be like and the history of our club. Chelsea had a lot of showbiz fans right back to our first season. You may well know that Chelsea were the First cheque book team. Gus Mears unable to convince Fulham to move in went off round Northern England and signed up the best players he could. Unheard of in its day and not repeated anywhere on such a scale until the 1990's. These names attracted the rich and famous, the name Chelsea being synonymous with fashion, trendy and classy. It is a well known fact that King George V (reigned from 1910-1936) was a Chelsea fan. He'd often sneak out of Buckingham Palace and turn up a Chelsea in a cloth cap blending in with the others. It is also widely known that Chelsea were a "Music Hall" joke team, that we had never won a trophy. However that he only half of the story as there were many other teams they could have used. The fact was that a large number of the Music Hall crowd were also Chelsea followers. Thus the butt of the joke was something they could relate to and the ability to laugh at one's own misgivings has always been a trait of English Humour. As a result many of the old Music Hall songs were heard over Chelsea. "Strollin'" and "Knee's Up Mother Brown" can be heard on the 1965 away to West Brom footage. But these songs had been around as long as anyone can remember. In Post War Britain a lot of new songs were tried out at Chelsea. The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "Carousel" came over in 1950. It played at the Durey Lane and a few weeks later at least two of it's hits were sung by the Chelsea faithful. Blow High, Blow Low. It's Chelsea words were.... Shout high, shoot low, Away then we will go We'll go away with the Chelsea away Away we'll go And of course the other song "You'll never walk alone" debuted at Chelsea that summer. It was sung at a lower pace than the version that you now hear. And the Chelsea words: "sweet silver cup of FA", and the words "Walk On, Walk On, Walk On, Walk On" were often sung as Chel-sea, Chel-sea, Chel-sea, Chel-sea. Although in some chants especialy if we were winning the Chel-sea would dropped for the original "Walk On." Throughout the 50's it became something of a Chelsea anthemn, but these were the pre-tv days. It's association with Liverpool began in 1964 after Liverpudlian Jerry Marsden had recorded it. This was shown on a BBC Panorama episode and a myth was born. I mean did anyone actually think the Scousers would own something that had not previously belonged to someone else? There are other recordings of Chelsea fans doing Bubbles 30 years before West Ham sung it. Did anyone think "like my dreams fade and die" would be the original football lyrics? No, of course not, it's always been a Chelsea song about "and like West Ham they fade and die". West Ham could not sing that so they stuck the "my dreams" back in. I will have to look into putting Chelsea recordings on MP3. I have live tape cassette recordings from some of our games in the early 80's. One that sticks in mind that I know I have - from Östersund Sweden 1982, the team being presented with a tea-mug each in the centre circle before the game by the opposing team. We'd only bought a club pennant to give them. So Walker and Pates invited their lads out on the town for a beer after the match. The tea-mugs were placed under the trainers' bench and we - It might have been Cathy came up with - and we started to sing "We have the best set of tea-mugs in the world", I remember Norman chuckling away and turning round giving us the Thumbs Up.

Chelsea 4 Leeds 0 Date: Saturday, 12th August 1972 Competition: Football League Division 1 Position 1 Venue: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 51,102 Referee: Tom H Reynolds (Swansea) Chelsea 1 Peter Bonetti, 2 Ron Harris, 3 Eddie McCreadie, 4 John Hollins, 5 John Dempsey, 6 David Webb, 7 Chris Garland, 8 Steve Kember, 9 Peter Osgood, 10 Alan Hudson, 11 Charlie Cooke Scorers Osgood 46, Cooke 59, Garland 68, Garland 85 Booked Kember Sub Not Used Houseman Manager Dave Sexton Leeds United Harvey, Reaney, Cherry, Bremner, Ellam, Madeley, Lorimer, Bates, Jones (Yorath 24), Giles, Gray Booked Cherry 50, Yorath 71 Manager Don Revie Just look at that Chelsea team! An all-time classic line-up. If you did your Chelsea 11 of all time, at least NINE of those players would be in it. Possibly Zola for Garland and John Terry for John Dempsey but no room for Dixon, Speedie, Lampard, Vialli, Nevin or Wilkins. And remember this is a team without Hutch (who I would put in the 11 for Kember). However we had the East Stand for 72-73 didn't we? Or have I got my dates mixed up? And a 50+ crowd. Those were the days. Btw: You remember what happened in the game? As you will note Leeds were without Clarke and Hunter (both suspended). In the 24th minute Mick Jones went off with a twisted ankle and was replaced by Terry Yorath. While Jones was hobbling off Leeds goalkeeper David Harvey collasped with concusion and had to be carried off on a stretcher. (Harvey had been injured after 10 minutes but had soldiered on until the pain got too much). Peter Lorimer had to grab the green jersey off of Harvey. Lorimer played well saving many shots until just after the break. PS I zommed in.

West Ham ICF Part 1 Part2 At the end of Part 2 you can see how West Ham decide to go over over from Upton Park to Shakes early morning to surprise and ambush Chelsea. (Shakes at Victoria was the Chelsea meeting place when going to certain games). In one of the most brilliant moves of the day Chelsea had decided, for once, to take the fight to the enemy. Chelsea had met up at stupid o'clock and gone to West Ham. On this documentary you can see - at the end of part 2 - how West Ham realise at Mile End that Chelsea have outwitted them. Parts 3-5 are missing from youtube. (Update FOUND) ----------------- Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 ----------------- Part 6 Continuing to part 3 you can see how - in a state of shock and disbelief - reality did not set in and West Ham continued their journey to Victoria. They are then heard bemoaning the fact that "Chelsea boys didn't wanna know" and how they were "giving it large om Chelsea's manor" with no Chelsea defence. Meanwhile totally off-camera and a few miles to the east Chelsea firms from Kent, the Northern and Southern home counties were converging on a pre-arranged meeting place where they meet the boys West Ham had seen at Mile End. What followed was Chelsea walking around West Ham taking it pub by pub. In the hooligan wars of the late 70's and early 80's it was the most brilliant tactical move coming after years of no-show at West Ham. In fact that no-show went one step beyond in 1979. Read on for that. A final comment on the West Ham version above. They were run by Chelsea. And note how they think "Victoria" is Chelsea. It was just one of many meeting places but just where did they think the Chelsea they met at Mile end where when they themselves (West Ham) were swanning it around Victoria. The story of 79! In 1979 I went to Upton Park for the first time. During the end of the 78-79 season when relegation was certain there was much talk among Chelsea fans of going to West Ham in 79-80. (They were already in the Div II). Chelsea boys on the away specials presented it as "like going to Loftus Road". Evidently West Ham were a poorly supported team with very few home fans when they played against Chelsea and the West Ham mob always chickened out. I was told how we had swamped their ground year after year with all four sides of the ground a mass of blue and white. As luck or fate would have it the first away of the season was against West Ham. Monday 20th August, I had just turned 18. I had the week off work as we were to have a four days in Bournemouth on a family break. Family now having to plan holiday around football matches. So I left home in the afternoon with a blue and white scarf on and a big smile on my face. Chelsea's show at QPR had been quite something and I was looking forward to a good game of football and the chance to soak up the atmosphere of Chelsea on four sides of the ground. In those days West Ham had stars like goalkeeper Phil Parkes, Frank Lampard, Billy Bonds, Trevor Brooking and Alan Devonshire. Note that Frank Lampard was plain Frank Lampard in those days, not being referred to as Frank Lampard (Snr) until his son turned professional. I knew it would be interesting to see how Chelsea would fair up against the bookies' Div II champion favourites. Note also by a strange historical quirk of fate we had opened the season against Sunderland at the Bridge on the Saturday. In that match and at 0-0 in the last minute a Chelsea header was goal-bound - Tommy Langley lunged at it to make sure, but Langley's out-stretched foot missed the ball that then hit the post and bounced out and past Langley who could stretch no more. Had he stood his ground the rebound would have given him an easy tap in. The game finished 0-0 and the consequences of this last minute chance 89 minutes in to the new season would ultimately cost us promotion. With the benefit of hindsight the season over before it had begun. I will come back to the significance of our first two games being Sunderland and West Ham. So back to that Monday night, my last few hours of innocence and blissful ignorance. If you like I was leaving home as a child for the last time in my life. I recall the happiness of catching a late afternoon train up town. Commuters poured off arriving trains as I waited on Platform 3, London bound on a Monday afternoon. Further up the platform beautiful young ladies in summer dresses, a lovely high summer's afternoon was drawing to a close. This was to be my (and Chelsea's) first away since that last game in Div I when we had got a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford a few days after they lost the 1979 cup final to Arsenal. I had left school for a job in the city and started a 185 consecutive home and away league game run during the 78-79 season. My away record that season was 2 draws, 9 defeats and zero wins. I knew that tonight would be a night of reckoning but with such great support we would have a chance and that I could well be on my way to seeing Chelsea win away for the first time since Crystal Palace in 71. (I did pick my games!). A couple of weeks before this we had sold Ray Wilkins to Man Utd for £800 000 at the end of the close season. There had been much speculation that he might stay but we needed the cash and could not really stand in the way of Butch's need for Div I football. How would we fare without our club captain and star player of the previous six years? I was full of anticipation. I changed at New Cross onto the old "Metropolitan Line East London Section", purple with a white stripe down the middle on the tube maps of the day. Although part of London Underground it was operated by overground trains. From New Cross the route went Surrey Docks (now Surrey Quays), Rotherhithe, Wapping, Shadwell and Whitechapel. (There was also a branch from Surrey Docks that went to New Cross Gate. Somewhere around Shadwell I noticed a few young West Ham fans actually daring to wear scarves when they were set for the Chelsea invasion, didn't they know? As these lads were 11-12 I thought I'd better warn them so I approached them and told them they'd better put their scarves away before they got to West Ham. The mouthy little jack-the-lads responded with a barrage of profanities. I returned to my seat satisfied that I had done what I could and that if these cocky little street urchins became proverbial lambs to the slaughter later that evening then so-be-it. Changing at Whitechapel on to the District Line and Stepney Green, Mile End, Bow Road, Bromley-by-Bow, West Ham, Plaistow and finally Upton Park. I had began to notice a few more West Ham scarves. Worryingly at Upton Park I realised I was the only one in a Chelsea scarf. I had arrived well early but I was now in a sea of claret and blue with no Royal Blue around. I was amazed by how many visible West Ham fans there were. I thought maybe Chelsea had taken over the local pubs. I put my head round the door of the first pub I found. First stares, then shock and surprise as I froze to the spot like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car. The entire pub was West Ham, an object thrown in my direction, which was anything from a beer-mat to a bottle or a hand-grenade triggered my evasive reaction as I backed out of the pub. I didn't know it then but I had stumbled into West Ham's main boozer - in a Chelsea scarf. Outside the pub I was cornered by four policemen. As West Ham poured out of the pub thinking Chelsea had turned up to front them the police called in horses. A scuffle broke out between West Ham and the police. I was led away and marched by 2 policeman, surrounded by four police horses. They led me up to the ground, my own private escort. Inside the ground the entrance to the Chelsea section was on the other-side of the turnstiles. I was met by another policeman and the Chelsea section was further guarded by 2 policeman who were there to stop West Ham fans from entering. They remarked about my scarf and said they could see I was Chelsea. As I came into the away terrace I finally realised the Chelsea talk on the away specials was all front. I was dismayed, our mob had taken the Holte at Aston Villa in one of the last games of 78-79. So where were they now? I wondered why there were so few Chelsea. Just maybe, maybe our mob were about to turn up in their end and run it? Fat chance. In a crowd of 31,627 there were less than 70 of us huddled together in that corner section. Missiles and chants of hatred were constantly aimed at us. Before the teams came out four West Ham firms had tried to get into our section, from the seats, from the fence, and two mobs who had cut across the pitch. A caldron of fire and hate. Police officers going down in scores under the missiles as they stood bravely repelling all invaders. Their job was to see to it that as many as possible of us would be leaving East London alive. West Ham constantly trying to force their way over the fence. Lines of London's finest in uniform standing their lines, truncheons drawn and being readily used as more and more West Ham appeared on the fence. More police piling in. And the game had not even started! For the only time in my life I wanted Chelsea to lose. But Chelsea do what Chelsea want. As the game got under way our defence were "backs to the wall". Several West Ham corners in the first few minutes led me to believe nothing had changed from the previous season. We'd gone down 7-2 at Boro, 6-0 at Forest and 5-2 at Arsenal. In the 6th minute a Chelsea break, Clive Walker was through on goal, a low hard shot, saved by Phil Parkes, I was elated, he had perhaps just saved my life, the last thing we need now is a Chelsea goal, GOAL! - Parkes had only parried the shot and an energetic Gary Johnson had lashed onto the free ball and cracked it into the back of the net. Silence. Total silence and shock in the ground. Then led by yours truly 70 Chelsea fans leapt for joy in an oasis of elation in the corner. It started raining, coins, 10p coins filed down with sharpened edges gouging themselves into the heads and faces of some of my fellow Chelsea fans. Chelsea the brave. More police and this time they start battering West Ham fans in the seats where the coins had come from. From then on I didn't care. I stood at the front waving my Chelsea scarf. West Ham outplayed us. We had rare excursions into their half. However our defence stood tall. Petar Borota played the game of his life tipping shot after shot over the bar. On the four or five occasions he was beaten a Chelsea player miraculously cleared the ball off the line. West Ham hit the woodwork seven times. They had 29 corners to our zero. We had two shots on goal, as previously described, Walker's shot and Johnson's goal. Towards the end of the game West Ham piled on the pressure. But we stood firm. Final whistle, a one-nil victory. Never wanting to be ashamed to be a Chelsea fan but I did something for the first time in my life. I hid my scarf. I had a blue jacket/top on and managed to fold up the collar with my scarf tucked inside. Some time after the game the police led us out of the stadium. Other Chelsea fans managed to drift away in the dark into the crowd. So by the time we got up towards the underground station I was alone. A lot of fans were massed outside the tube station so I decided to wait a while whilst the crowds died down. I stood on the junction of the main road - Green Street - and a small side street with a famous name - King's Road, (Newham). You can see the junction here. http://g.co/maps/khtwg A few minutes later I was approached by a lad about my age. He whispered "You Chelsea?". I said "You first", he nodded. I asked if it was wise to wait here. He said there was a short-cut to East Ham underground and it should be easier to get on the tube there. We walked down this side street, the King's Road of East London. I was happy, we had won, I had found a friend and I'd soon be home and I'd be spending a few days down on the seaside with my parents and younger brother and sister. I chatted away to this fellow Chelsea fan. I pulled back my collar and showed him my scarf. I asked if he had been at Forest when we'd stood in the pouring rain and cheered our team all evening despite going down 6-0. I reminded him how Chairman Brian Mears had thanked us for our fantastic support via the electronic scoreboard at the following home game against Derby. He didn't seem to recall this but I failed to smell a rat. There would still have been time for me to turn and leg it. We continued our chat until we reached the end of this road. The road forked and we went to the left. Just as we reached this point http://g.co/maps/jrhkr Everything changed. He grabbed my collar and said "Give us your scarf". I still failed to understand. I didn't know why a fellow Chelsea fan wanted my scarf. A million thoughts. Did he mean it was dangerous to wear one? Did he think I was a West Ham fan pretending to be Chelsea. A shout went up behind him. He turned to four guys who had appeared from nowhere and said "John! Another one, he's a Chelsea". As "John" ran over I still failed to get it, why would he be telling a guy called John out loud that we were Chelsea fans. My new Chelsea friend then kicked me between my legs, John and his mates thumped and kicked me. I only felt the first blow. I began to cry like a baby. I was kicked and punched for what seemed like a few minutes but was probably not as long. I sniffled and cried and screamed out for mercy. Was this it? Was I to be stabbed in a lonely side-street and left to die just a month after my 18th birthday? Of course by now I realised that my new Chelsea friend had deceived me, he was in fact a West Ham fan. If his mates just happened to be there or if it was his tactic to con people into following him to be ambushed I know not. All I know is that I was hurting. Suddenly it was over. As quickly as it had begun. They hadn't even taken my scarf. I was badly bruised and had injuries to my legs, I had internal injuries to my ribs and stomach. I had offered no resistance, perhaps that is why I was not killed or cut. I had a blow to back of the head. However, I had instinctively protected my face as I fell and I had not a visible cut on me. I staggered back to the main street and found a policeman. In tears I told him what had happened. He then offered to try and find them. He took me back down the side street. It was not a complete dead-end as I had thought. There was a railway bridge over and it was indeed a way to East Ham train station. He said the chances that they were still around were slim. Even to this day 33 years later I'd remember what my "friend" looked like. The policeman led me across the footbridge and we walked around for a bit but we saw no gangs lurking around. I was shown to East Ham underground. I phoned home. I had intended to say what had happened, but fear of mum stopping me from going led to me just saying it had been a great game and I was on my way home. I kept it all bottled up inside me for years, never telling a soul. During the Bournemouth trip I covered up all my bruises. I couldn't join my family on the beach in trunks or shorts despite the warm weather. I wore long sleeves and jeans for the entire break. Most of my time was spent in the penny arcades. (Do we still call them that? Long since it cost a penny). The experience left me with a hatred of West Ham and everything to do with the club, its supporters and its team. I have never had a mate who supported West Ham. If the West Ham team had been killed in a plane crash I would have laughed and cheered. If a bus load of West Ham fans had gone over a cliff top I'd have thrown a party. During the early 80's I used to dream about winning millions. I'd have paid mercenaries to fly attack helicopters into Upton Park during a game and machine gun their fans. I wanted every one of them dead. Every man, every woman and every child no matter how old. Giving the chance I would have gladly turned on the gas if we could have rounded up their fans into gas chambers. I wanted a world void of West Ham and West Ham fans: the ultimate and successful genocide of every West Ham fan. Such became my hatred. It has more to do with the way I was tricked than the actual beating I sustained. To touch again on the irony of Chelsea's first two games being against Sunderland and West Ham: Two days after West Ham won the cup that season they had one fixture left; away to Sunderland. A West Ham victory would give Chelsea promotion. I was the ONLY Chelsea fan who went to Roker Park that night. I just didn't want to be subjected to scarce radio reports. I had to see it for myself. Sunderland won 2-0 and Chelsea finished fourth. As for my fellow Chelsea fans who were inconspicuous at Upton Park that night: wänkers! I know many of you sneaked into the ground and watched from the seats and were unable/unwilling to cheer our goal and subsequent victory. Judging by the conversations I have had over the years about 3000 Chelsea would have been there that night. They just didn't want to show it at the time. As for the Chelsea who informed me a 70's trip to West Ham was like a 70's trip to QPR - bullshîtters, you could have got me killed! Do I still hold a grudge against West Ham? Probably. Would I still be happy if the West Ham team were killed in a plane crash? Don't think so. Would I like it if I heard a bus load of West Ham had gone off a cliff top? Affirmative. Update: Found parts 3, 4 and 5. I will re-edit this and slot them in where they belong.

Anyone got the ITN news clip when our fans returned from Brasil in June 1984? As Chelsea were the best supported club who never played in Europe throughout the 70's and 80's Chelsea fans made up the backbone of the England national team support abroad. Twice our fans made a name for themselves. Fans of other London teams used to argue about who took more to England away games. In Oslo, Norway v England Wordl Cup qualifier 1981, the Norwegian flag behind the goal was lowered during the match. The TV camera focused on this. 2 minutes later, pan back to flag pole, England Union Jack being raised, group of Chelsea underneath singing God Save the Queen, the wind catches the flag, it opens to reveal CHELSEA along its middle. We won all arguments that day. The second time was when our fans refused to recognise John Barnes goal against Brasil. I think they called him a monkey on the flight home. They were interviewed by BBC and ITN on return. When asked how the trip was our Terry Last said in unplain Cockney that 'it was lovely, we had swim in the cocoabana and a trip up the amazon", So funny. I'd love to see that clip again.

Funny all that talk about Leicester away on here this week. Let's hope its not a midlands derby.

Trevor Wymark and Kevin Beatie! - Opponents we played all had their stars. Chelsea playing in red at home? One wonders why. My theroy; Ipswich won the toss to play in "home colours". I believe shirt colour was tossed for in the cup, Chelsea turned out in their reserve kit (as they should) - but there was a protest from the TV team because in black & white the teams looked too indentical. (Chelsea red shirts, white shorts, Ipswich blue shirts, white shorts). Chelsea had not won the toss to play in their home colours. So to resolve the issue Ipswich elected to play in their reserve kit as well.

What was the advert for "The big red building in Petticoat lane"?

If it was the cup draw we huddled around someone with a tranny. But in those days I'd listen to the reports on the way home. Fulham Broadway to Victoria and then a train down to Petts Wood. That's when I'd use the ear-peice. But as said for cup draws, I'd stay on Fulham Broadway and people would huddle around me and my tranny. Thanks for the houndsditch ad! Brilliant. I used to work nearby and I'd get my Atari game cartridges there twice a month on Friday afternoons. That's something else from those days : Pay day! - When we used to get a brown envelope with money IN it from our employers. I spent some on a cartridge. Put some in my pocket for football and hand the rest over to my mum. When I suggest my kids pay at home today they think I am from Mars.

I had to check that Villa game. Date: Saturday, 9th December 1978 Competition: Football League Division 1 Position 22 Venue: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 19,080 Referee: Clive Thomas (Treorchy) Chelsea 1 Bob Iles, 2 Graham Wilkins, 3 David Stride, 4 Garry Stanley, 5 Steve Wicks, 6 Ron Harris, 7 Duncan McKenzie (12 Clive Walker 61), 8 Ray Wilkins, 9 Trevor Aylott, 10 John Bumstead, 11 Ian Britton Manager Ken Shellito Aston Villa Rimmer, Gidman, Smith, Evans, McNaught, Mortimer, Craig, Shaw (Cropley 71), Deehan, Cowans, Gregory Scorer Evans 15 Manager Ron Saunders So it was Clive Thomas but we did not lose to a penalty in the last minute the way I thought I remembered. It must have been a penalty appeal that he waved away.

That Chelsea QPR - you don't have the studio interview do you? I remember Gerry Francis saying how bad we were. They picked our lay apart in the studio with various replays. Gerry saying "look, they don't try to get the ball behind us and make us turn". I think Gerry was the studio guest as I doubt they did this straight after the match. Another thing I miss - not being told how many % we have had the ball and all those other worthless stats.

As for anon referees, most of them where but the "star referees" always manager to stick out. I remember Clive Thomas giving Aston Villa a dubious penalty in the last minute. We lost 1-0, probably December 1978. I had my tranny with me and I remember how Peter Lorenzo was very critical of Clive for refusing to talk to his linesman. I listened to it on my ear piece on the way home. PS Tranny meant a "transistor radio" back in the day. Oh and we did not have small headphones in each ear, a single earpiece for one ear was all that came with our trannies.

> I'd say the only minus is some of the defending in the box is terrible with attackers unmarked in acres of space. Hmmmmmmmm..........us last week at Everton? Things havn't changed that much then.

Yeah, the game has changed, but for the better? Doubt it. I miss the days when Chris Garland, David Webb or Peter Osgood would go in goal because our keeper was injured. Sometimes the keeper would simply swap places. Looking at that West Ham CFC game from 64 there was no advertising around the ground. Was that because it was on BBC do you know? I remember when shirt advertising was phased in. If the game was on TV there was no advertising allowed. Then I think it was 9cm letters if not on TV and 3cm letters if on TV. And the fans have been priced out. As I compared in 64 we had 30500 fans and gate reciepts of £6500. If football admission had stuck to inflaton the average cost of going in would be £3.47. Also, every team that came to the Bridge had a superstar or two. I think someone hit the nail on the head, saying that we used to go with our mates to watch a bunch of mates play football. Oh and do you remember how if we were losing with 5 minutes to go Micky Droy would play centre-forward.

As for the Linekar foul: Strange how you see things differently in the cold light of 32 years. :) I have always maintained that we were robbed at Leicester on Easter Saturday. Easter 1980 - I had a question of faith on the Easter Monday. I had qualified for the first World Championships of Space Invaders. I got through to the final rounds starting on Easter Sunday at the Piccadilly hotel in London. Sunday went well for me and on the Monday morning I got through to the quarter-finals and a chance to win a holiday to USA and play Jimmy Carter in the White House. They moved my quarter-final round so I could play about 2 in the afternoon instead of 2.30. Chelsea were playing Luton at 3 pm. I won the q/f against some 11-year old Manc that had been on TV and tipped to win. I was interviewed by ITV. The semi was set for 4 pm. I tried to get It moved to 5 saying I could jump in a cab at 16.40 from Fulham Road. They said no. It was not even a tough call. I invited the Manc back in and went over Chelsea. Colin Lee scored with 5 seconds left, his first goal for the club, we drew 1-1. The little Manc went on to win the World Championships and found fame in USA. I completed my first 42 game season watching Chelsea. That summer I sold my Atari including the Space Invader game. I never competed again.

> That team would comfortably beat our current squad. Look at the speed of movement from front to back. I have had this argument with many. People tell me that whilst I might like to think so the standard of fitness has gone up ten fold. And that although those players had talent with the training measures used then and now they'd be out of their depth. - That the potential was there but they just didn't have the overall fitness, - However I don't think this is fair and I often take the bait and argue that these players may not have had the advantage of advances in sports science these last 40 years they were very fit. They trained in old-fashioned ways but they acheived great levels of fitness. They also had to play 42 league games and cup games if fit. They were not rested for league cup and invariably the 12th man, a single sub was not used. So I think, yes, that team of 70 would hold its own today against the best in the world.

As for the Leicester game (Easter 80): I remember so much being made about us being cheated out of the game. It was not Larry May that impeded Borota as I wrote a few posts ago, I see now it is Linekar. But did he really commit an offence? Were we right 32 years ago? It seems more like Borota loses his bearings and runs into the future England hero. What's your call?

The second Leeds is a youtube classic and says 83 which has led to some people thinking its the 83-84 promotion game it isn't. Its the same as the longer Leeds posted with it, 9th October 82. These were taken down the Kings' Road after that match. Man in the Moon pub. Rutland, Hicky and Cathy And this Trio in front, Giles (Behind) - Cathy and Ginger Tone. to left (as we look) dunno, Rutland and duno, to right of trio, Eamon and Doddy.

With the way things are going maybe we can call the old tea-shed on Mitchum Common "Neal and McNiell" tea-shed when we get relegated to the Isthmian league.

> arguably I am not arguing that one mate. DEFINITELY. John Neal - A motivator of mediocrity. Be nice to get his address. I also feel Ian McNeill did a darn sight more than we ever knew. I believe it was Ian that alerted John Neal to Kerry Dixon, David Speedie, Pat Nevin and Nigel Spackman. To think that these two made it through the stress of the 80's and are both now about to turn 80. Fantastic. Chelsea should invited them in as guests before the seasons over.

What about the 4-0 against Hull in 77. There is only a 5 minute version on youtube, there should be a longer version somewhere?

The goal that never was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - I never thought I'd see this again. Thanks for that

Back to Sweden 1982, Strömsund, 1st August. Note : John Neal (Born 3 April 1932) & Ian McNeill. (Born 24th February 1932) both have 80th birthdays coming up. Seen here with Cathy and Teena. It would be nice to send these two gentlemen (who were instrumental in saving Chelsea) birthday cards. How would one go about getting in touch?

Another picture of that Chelsea disco. Breda dancing and some young Chelsea fan doing "I don't know what" to "I don't know who" in the background.