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Your first Chelsea game?

1983 div 2 v QPR lost 0-2

It was the season we nearly went down to the old div 3, we played at Fulham on easter saturday and drew 1-1 canoville scored a volley, then Easter Monday we played QPR at home and off I went to the bridge for my first game. They were going up and we were nearly going down. Me and my dad sat high up in the east stand. I remember looking across to the shed and like many thinking thats where I want to be. Opposite were the benches where during the game they had a scuffle between themselves. Below me in the East stand I could hear loads of noise but couldn't see anyone. It was Gate 13 giving it loads to QPR players especially their big black centre Back Bob Hazell (times have changed). QPR had one poxy little paddock on the North terrace and didnt pack that out, pathetic for a promotion winning team who are only down the road. There were 4 or 5 of them in the East upper behind us who my old man got in an argument with, I suppose they went up there for safety. The game itself was pretty crap, but remember on way out my dad still arguing with these guys, and as we went out on to the East stand concourse, Gate 13 in all their glory came surging and singing out of the exit, me and the dad stepped back and let them out but our QPR friends weren't so lucky as they got caught in the middle and got swept along the concourse towards the Fulham road, the only way to describe it would be a Tornado going through a town in the deepest south of the USA. When we got to the end of the East stand concourse, Gate 13 had dissappeared as soon as they had appeared and so had our QPR friends.

The following season we went more regularly and it was the famous 83/84 season.

 
Chelsea 0 Sunderland 0, sat in the west stand, its hard to explain but just seeing this programme & the way the font was done takes me right back to that time, its almost like a time machine i can almost still smell the programme, horsesh*t & hamburgers, cigarette smoke & alcohol.

Chelsea-v-Sunderland-Programme-August-18th-1979.jpg


 
Carshalton Blue said:
Chelsea 0 Sunderland 0, sat in the west stand, its hard to explain but just seeing this programme & the way the font was done takes me right back to that time, its almost like a time machine i can almost still smell the programme, horsesh*t & hamburgers, cigarette smoke & alcohol.

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Like many when you're younger, the difference between 3pm Saturday or 7:45pm night games. The smells like mobile burger trucks, bovril, monkey nuts, horse s*^t, amongst others!! Things I don't even think of now. Makes you realise that we should cherish our time of going when younger. I started 77/78 Scousers at home FA cup not a bad start!!

For me queuing from the pavement all the way to the turnstiles, listening to my brother and others wondering if we were going to get in! That queue just to get in, would not happen in the modern game, but for a nine year old it was quite scary with the surges, knees up mother brown. Not to mention keep an I on the horses, if a tail comes up its a sh@t!! And if the truncheon comes out the Pi@s is going everywhere!!Happy days.

 
I went to Chelsea 4 Everton 1 in the Worthington Cup 4th round in 2002 - I would have been 8 at the time.

JT, Frank, Jimmy Floyd, Eidur , Zola, Gallas, Carlo Cuda in goal , Petit all played.

Cuda saved a young Wayne Rooney's penalty. Claudio was our manager. Good times.

That was the first Chelsea match I had been to. In terms of watching Chelsea on TV for the first time the main 2 that stick out (and I had to google them tonight to check the specific dates)

Chelsea v Fulham in the FA cup semi final in April 2002 - cant remember much from the game apart from the names of the Chelsea players (JT, Descailly, etc)  and JT was automatically my favourite player - at the time he had to wear a headband around his forehead because he ran into a goalpost I believe. The only other thing I can remember from that match is that Fulham were sponsored by Pizza Hut on their shirt.

The other early Chelsea match I remember watching on tv (again I had to google it tonight) was October 2002 against Viking Stavanger in the UEFA cup. All I can remember is seeing JT score the opener - scrappy goal from a corner. From looking it up tonight it appears we were knocked out that night by Norwegian minnows in the first round but at the time I was an 8 year old who didn't understand the complexities of football.

 
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I had just turned 9 years old and I went to Tin pot lane with my older brother, my mum and my dad. My brother supported that shower of sh*te, still does but his son, now 15 is to my amusement a loyal blue !My brother ,to his credit now takes him to the Bridge which makes me laugh. In fact he goes more than I do!

Back to my first game we sat in seats, behind the goal and below us we had the terrace where their lot stood. To be honest I can’t remember too much of the game, I guess when you get stuffed 3-0, 44 years ago you’re not going to. I do though remember the blue of our shirts, that beautiful rich deep blue, boy I love that kit as much today as I did then. I also loved that team Osgood, Peter blooming Osgood, Peter Bonetti, Charlie Cooke, a team full of legends

In hindsight though that Chelsea team was just beginning to lose that aura that made them FA Cup and European winners but I didn’t know that at the time and to be fair the Spurts team was full of household names but we got well and truly stuffed..

I do remember even having lost feeling so happy to have seen the team live .I lived out of town in a small West Sussex village and having travelled up to London and seen Chelsea play made me a real novelty at school. I was at 9 totally obsessed with Chelsea, hats scarfs where your colours was my mantra and it is all tucked away in the loft along with my many scrapbooks full of cuttings.

The cuttings are funny as they start in 1969 and finish in the mid 1990’s and they change from being cut out’s from Shoot and Match and newspaper reports of the game to newspaper cut outs of the many off the field activities that took place through the late 70’s and onwards.

Do I go anymore? no, not been there since the pre-season not so friendly with that lot north of the border. Has the game changed?  Oh yes, for the better, um no, I think not but heh i don’t want to come across as an everything was better in my day type as im sure it probably wasn’t, with age like a lot of things  it just seem that way. Do I love this Vintage thread oh yes!

Chelsea have given me so much over the years ,they have cost so much in money ,time and energy, girlfriends and the like BUT I wouldn’t change it for the world. UTC

Tottenham Hotspur (3) 3 Chelsea (0) 0

Date:     Saturday, 15th April 1972             

Competition:     Football League Division 1

Venue: White Hart Lane

Attendance:       45,799

Referee:              RB Lee (Cheadle)

Tottenham Hotspur        Jennings, Kinnear, Knowles (Pearce), Mullery, England, Collins, Gilzean, Perryman, Chivers, Peters, Coates

   Scorers              Chivers 2, Coates 17, Chivers 22

   Manager           Bill Nicholson

Chelsea                1 Peter Bonetti, 2 Paddy Mulligan, 3 John Boyle, 4 John Hollins, 5 John Dempsey, 6 Ron Harris, 7 Chris Garland, 8 David Webb, 9 Peter Osgood (12 Steve Kember 25), 10 Alan Hudson, 11 Charlie Cooke

   Manager           Dave Sexton

 
F1905 said:
I had just turned 9 years old and I went to Tin pot lane with my older brother, my mum and my dad. My brother supported that shower of sh*te, still does but his son, now 15 is to my amusement a loyal blue !My brother ,to his credit now takes him to the Bridge which makes me laugh. In fact he goes more than I do!

Back to my first game we sat in seats, behind the goal and below us we had the terrace where their lot stood. To be honest I can’t remember too much of the game, I guess when you get stuffed 3-0, 44 years ago you’re not going to. I do though remember the blue of our shirts, that beautiful rich deep blue, boy I love that kit as much today as I did then. I also loved that team Osgood, Peter blooming Osgood, Peter Bonetti, Charlie Cooke, a team full of legends

In hindsight though that Chelsea team was just beginning to lose that aura that made them FA Cup and European winners but I didn’t know that at the time and to be fair the Spurts team was full of household names but we got well and truly stuffed..

I do remember even having lost feeling so happy to have seen the team live .I lived out of town in a small West Sussex village and having travelled up to London and seen Chelsea play made me a real novelty at school. I was at 9 totally obsessed with Chelsea, hats scarfs where your colours was my mantra and it is all tucked away in the loft along with my many scrapbooks full of cuttings.

The cuttings are funny as they start in 1969 and finish in the mid 1990’s and they change from being cut out’s from Shoot and Match and newspaper reports of the game to newspaper cut outs of the many off the field activities that took place through the late 70’s and onwards.

Do I go anymore? no, not been there since the pre-season not so friendly with that lot north of the border. Has the game changed?  Oh yes, for the better, um no, I think not but heh i don’t want to come across as an everything was better in my day type as im sure it probably wasn’t, with age like a lot of things  it just seem that way. Do I love this Vintage thread oh yes!

Chelsea have given me so much over the years ,they have cost so much in money ,time and energy, girlfriends and the like BUT I wouldn’t change it for the world. UTC

Tottenham Hotspur (3) 3 Chelsea (0) 0

Date:     Saturday, 15th April 1972             

Competition:     Football League Division 1

Venue: White Hart Lane

Attendance:       45,799

Referee:              RB Lee (Cheadle)

Tottenham Hotspur        Jennings, Kinnear, Knowles (Pearce), Mullery, England, Collins, Gilzean, Perryman, Chivers, Peters, Coates

   Scorers              Chivers 2, Coates 17, Chivers 22

   Manager           Bill Nicholson

Chelsea                1 Peter Bonetti, 2 Paddy Mulligan, 3 John Boyle, 4 John Hollins, 5 John Dempsey, 6 Ron Harris, 7 Chris Garland, 8 David Webb, 9 Peter Osgood (12 Steve Kember 25), 10 Alan Hudson, 11 Charlie Cooke

   Manager           Dave Sexton
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Fast forward 10 years or so, and similar to me, living in deepest west sussex, I was a bit of a novelty at school, as all the other match going kids were off to watch brighton, while I was the only one going to Chelsea, and with our fans reputation at the time and going in the shed they were jealous, the non match going kids were Liverpool or utd fans, I bet they still haven't seen them play 30 odd years later

 
"Have you ever seen Chelsea Win The League" was a famous chant from away supporters in days gone by, as they sort to belittle Chelsea supporters, I often got strange looks as I would shout back "Yes I Have!" all because of a life changing Birthday present. 

Most Birthday presents are quite forgettable, every now and then one comes along that you remember for years, few if any are life changing. I was lucky enough to have one of the latter. I remember my Dad saying we're going to Chelsea for your Birthday present. But living at that time in Britannia Road, I  felt quite under whelmed, cheated even, I was looking forward to something I could play with, I was after all 5 years old.


So on the 10th of November 1951; my Old Man and me walked down

Britannia Road
, and across the Fulham Road
, and walked up to the main entrance opposite the "Rising Sun" pub.  I can remember slowly walking up walking up the huge stairs outside the Shed, and thinking "I wish I was at home playing with a normal present. Then on reaching top, I remember looking out across the huge amphitheatre in ore , I'd never seen anything like it, even the 1951 Festival of Britain on the South Bank a few months earlier, didn't have the effect that that moment had on me; it seemed so huge for a 5 year old. Funny thing is that’s all I can remember of my first game, apart from the fact I took to the team in Blue straight away. and we won Four to Two. against Manchester United.


The thing is that in those days Stamford Bridge was like Highbury and the Emirates are today, a f**king Library; it was silent, until a goal was scored, then everyone started clapping. It wasn’t until a few years latter that Ted Blake wrote in the program that the fans must make more noise. It worked for after 1955 Stamford Bridge came alive with noise.

My most memorable game was as a child was when I was Eight; Sheffield Wednesday at the Bridge in April 1955. I was standing near the corner flag, where the West Stand meets the Shed. (in those days it was the West Terrace.) We won 3-0, and at the final whistle a few people started to leap the small wall and ran onto the pitch. Thinking we had won the league I took one look at my old man, who was soaking up  the atmosphere, and climbed over the wall and followed the crowd. The next thing I heard was “Come Here”, I looked round and saw the 6 foot 3 inch “Giant running after me, and took to my heels. Pushing my way through the crowd I got to the front, and saw the old wooden East Stand, just as the crowd fell into a deadly silence. An old man (who I now know was Old Man Mears) was standing with his hands up signalling for silence. Then after a short wait, that seemed like hours at the time. He said something on a big old-fashioned microphone, I never heard what because everyone went berserk jumping up and down, and shouting there heads off. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked around, it was my dad, who now had a beaming smile on his face, “Manchester United have lost,” he said, then he shouted at the top of his voice…”We’ve Won The League!”

I retold this story on the Chelsea Chat site back in the 1990's and no one believed it, but then someone (I can't remember who), posted a film clip from Pathe Newsreel, and said "There's a small boy running across the pitch, in the same place you said you ran, have a look" And to my amazement there I was! Then in the Match Day program for the Fulham game in 2005, there was a full page photo, from that day. And to my surprise there I was right in the front.


I'm now in my 65th Season at Chelsea and it's taken me from Stanford Bridge to most Cities in England, and all the Cities that we've played in, across Europe. Chelsea became an obsession, they were my Tribe, and I still drink with friends I made back in 1966 at the League Cup final at Leicester City. I even got to know the team back then as we played AC Milan in 1965, I went to the re-play, and as there were only around 40 supporters flying to Italy for it, we flew on the same plane as the team, and stayed in the same hotel. Sometime that never happens today. We won 2-1 at home, and on aggregate that meant a draw, hence the play-off. We drew 1-1, and had to sit on razor blades as they tossed a coin to see who went through. That was nerve racking, but we won the toss, and went through.  I always thought that was an unfair way to decide a game, and found out just how unfair when 3 years latter we drew with DWS Amsterdam at home; and lost the toss, and went out. But we made up for that in 1971, for after winning the FA Cup for the first time in our history (only the second Cup we'd ever won) we went to Athens and won the European Cup Winners Cup, and I was there for both games; but that's another story.

Champions 1955 - Crowd.jpg

 
What a great story and incredible memories! Wow - you´re a lucky sod.

More stories? Yes, please.

 
That's a magnificent story! Thanks for recounting it.

 
Jezz said:
That's a magnificent story! Thanks for recounting it.
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Totally agree. This story  below, to me is part of our great club's history. Thank you very much for posting it..

Garrison said:
"Have you ever seen Chelsea Win The League" was a famous chant from away supporters in days gone by, as they sort to belittle Chelsea supporters, I often got strange looks as I would shout back "Yes I Have!" all because of a life changing Birthday present. 

Most Birthday presents are quite forgettable, every now and then one comes along that you remember for years, few if any are life changing. I was lucky enough to have one of the latter. I remember my Dad saying we're going to Chelsea for your Birthday present. But living at that time in Britannia Road, I  felt quite under whelmed, cheated even, I was looking forward to something I could play with, I was after all 5 years old.

So on the 10th of November 1951; my Old Man and me walked down


Britannia Road


, and across the


Fulham Road


, and walked up to the main entrance opposite the "Rising Sun" pub.  I can remember slowly walking up walking up the huge stairs outside the Shed, and thinking "I wish I was at home playing with a normal present. Then on reaching top, I remember looking out across the huge amphitheatre in ore , I'd never seen anything like it, even the 1951 Festival of Britain on the South Bank a few months earlier, didn't have the effect that that moment had on me; it seemed so huge for a 5 year old. Funny thing is that’s all I can remember of my first game, apart from the fact I took to the team in Blue straight away. and we won Four to Two. against Manchester United.

The thing is that in those days Stamford Bridge was like Highbury and the Emirates are today, a f**king Library; it was silent, until a goal was scored, then everyone started clapping. It wasn’t until a few years latter that Ted Blake wrote in the program that the fans must make more noise. It worked for after 1955 Stamford Bridge came alive with noise.

My most memorable game was as a child was when I was Eight; Sheffield Wednesday at the Bridge in April 1955. I was standing near the corner flag, where the West Stand meets the Shed. (in those days it was the West Terrace.) We won 3-0, and at the final whistle a few people started to leap the small wall and ran onto the pitch. Thinking we had won the league I took one look at my old man, who was soaking up  the atmosphere, and climbed over the wall and followed the crowd. The next thing I heard was “Come Here”, I looked round and saw the 6 foot 3 inch “Giant running after me, and took to my heels. Pushing my way through the crowd I got to the front, and saw the old wooden East Stand, just as the crowd fell into a deadly silence. An old man (who I now know was Old Man Mears) was standing with his hands up signalling for silence. Then after a short wait, that seemed like hours at the time. He said something on a big old-fashioned microphone, I never heard what because everyone went berserk jumping up and down, and shouting there heads off. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked around, it was my dad, who now had a beaming smile on his face, “Manchester United have lost,” he said, then he shouted at the top of his voice…”We’ve Won The League!”

I retold this story on the Chelsea Chat site back in the 1990's and no one believed it, but then someone (I can't remember who), posted a film clip from Pathe Newsreel, and said "There's a small boy running across the pitch, in the same place you said you ran, have a look" And to my amazement there I was! Then in the Match Day program for the Fulham game in 2005, there was a full page photo, from that day. And to my surprise there I was right in the front.

I'm now in my 65th Season at Chelsea and it's taken me from Stanford Bridge to most Cities in England, and all the Cities that we've played in, across Europe. Chelsea became an obsession, they were my Tribe, and I still drink with friends I made back in 1966 at the League Cup final at Leicester City. I even got to know the team back then as we played AC Milan in 1965, I went to the re-play, and as there were only around 40 supporters flying to Italy for it, we flew on the same plane as the team, and stayed in the same hotel. Sometime that never happens today. We won 2-1 at home, and on aggregate that meant a draw, hence the play-off. We drew 1-1, and had to sit on razor blades as they tossed a coin to see who went through. That was nerve racking, but we won the toss, and went through.  I always thought that was an unfair way to decide a game, and found out just how unfair when 3 years latter we drew with DWS Amsterdam at home; and lost the toss, and went out. But we made up for that in 1971, for after winning the FA Cup for the first time in our history (only the second Cup we'd ever won) we went to Athens and won the European Cup Winners Cup, and I was there for both games; but that's another story.

View attachment 6274
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My First Chelsea game was v Everton September 7th 1968 , on my 9th Birthday

The score was 1-1 Peter Osgood scored a penalty, i think Joe Royle scored for Everton

 
My first game was in 1976 against Southampton . We won 3.1 Wilkins scored 2 and super jock finneston 1 . Never forget my first time in the shed, the smell off fags and booze, the teams came out , an air horn sounded, clap clap clap clap clap Chelsea! The players approached the shed end . That was me hooked  . Great great days of a bygone era . I miss it still 

 
Southampton at home - 2002-03 (Boxing Day)

Was nine and went with my uncle and a friend (both season ticket holders). Being from Australia, this was quite a day for me, as well as my old man and sister. A win here would have put us temporarily top. de Goey started for the first time in about 15 months as Cudicini I think injured himself in the warmup. Thought we'd taken the lead in the first half when a shot from (possibly) Zola sent the fans around me ballistic...but my little nine-year-old heart was broken when I saw Franco standing disappointedly with his hands on his knees. The ball was cleared off the line...just. Desailly I think missed a sitter late on and the Saints could have (and probably should have) won it too. This game really opened my eyes as to how different football (soccer here) is to Australian rules. The fact that referees and players could put their arms around each other while debating a call completely threw me (as well as my dad). If that was to happen in the AFL, the player would get four weeks' suspension for contact. Hell, a player here once got one week for accidentally running backwards into an umpire.

The only other time I've been fortunate enough to see Chelsea play was when we came over in 2006 (also a Boxing Day match against Reading, same people attending too).

This was, as many on here will know, around the time Drogba almost single-handedly carried us through the Christmas period. Injuries meant we had Geremi at right back, Ferreira at centre half, Hilário in goal and Magnus Hedman on the bench. No disrespect to those players at all, serviceable as they were, but it's a miracle we got through that whole period without losing (although by the end of it, the draws were just as bad), based on the many injuries and setbacks we had. This game was also another opportunity to go top. The Drog headed us in front before Leroy Lita pegged the Royals back. It didn't take long for Didier to nod us back in front but a late own goal to Essien meant another disappointing Boxing Day.

So, no Premier League wins for this Aussie. Did see the Blues beat Sydney in 2015 in Oz thanks to Rémy's goal...but it's not quite the same. Still, I consider myself lucky to have got the chance to go to the Bridge twice. Great experience. Hoping next time (if there is) we win.

 
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BellettiBullet said:
Southampton at home - 2002-03 (Boxing Day)

Was nine and went with my uncle and a friend (both season ticket holders). Being from Australia, this was quite a day for me, as well as my old man and sister. A win here would have put us temporarily top. de Goey started for the first time in about 15 months as Cudicini I think injured himself in the warmup. Thought we'd taken the lead in the first half when a shot from (possibly) Zola sent the fans around me ballistic...but my little nine-year-old heart was broken when I saw Franco standing disappointedly with his hands on his knees. The ball was cleared off the line...just. Desailly I think missed a sitter late on and the Saints could have (and probably should have) won it too. This game really opened my eyes as to how different football (soccer here) is to Australian rules. The fact that referees and players could put their arms around each other while debating a call completely threw me (as well as my dad). If that was to happen in the AFL, the player would get four weeks' suspension for contact. Hell, a player here once got one week for accidentally running backwards into an umpire.

The only other time I've been fortunate enough to see Chelsea play was when we came over in 2006 (also a Boxing Day match against Reading, same people attending too).

This was, as many on here will know, around the time Drogba almost single-handedly carried us through the Christmas period. Injuries meant we had Geremi at right back, Ferreira at centre half, Hilário in goal and Magnus Hedman on the bench. No disrespect to those players at all, serviceable as they were, but it's a miracle we got through that whole period without losing (although by the end of it, the draws were just as bad), based on the many injuries and setbacks we had. This game was also another opportunity to go top. The Drog headed us in front before Leroy Lita pegged the Royals back. It didn't take long for Didier to nod us back in front but a late own goal to Essien meant another disappointing Boxing Day.

So, no Premier League wins for this Aussie. Did see the Blues beat Sydney in 2015 in Oz thanks to Rémy's goal...but it's not quite the same. Still, I consider myself lucky to have got the chance to go to the Bridge twice. Great experience. Hoping next time (if there is) we win.
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Spot on with your assessments about the AFL, as a fellow Australian.

I remember Desailly missing a sitter against Southampton in the 2002 match.




 
Im putting this short story in here. Im 61 now..When i was 12 and in the shed end  i sang a song that i thought i knew the words to.It was aimed at the ref..A very green young boy thought the lyrics were thus.....REFEREE  REFEREE YOUR OLD LADY IS THE LAW....YOUR OLD LADY IS THE LAW.....(and) proud to have done so.......I later realised what the lyrics really were...............Oh...It was my first Bridge match v MAN CITY

 
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Mike Carefree said:
Im putting this short story in here. Im 61 now..When i was 12 and in the shed end  i sang a song that i thought i knew the words to.It was aimed at the ref..A very green young boy thought the lyrics were thus.....REFEREE  REFEREE YOUR OLD LADY IS THE LAW....YOUR OLD LADY IS THE LAW.....(and) proud to have done so.......I later realised what the lyrics really were...............Oh...It was my first Bridge match v MAN CITY
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She probably was.

 
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