Posted May 11, 201114 yr This era was unquestionably my favourite era following Chelsea, it spanned the years when I was 10-14 and still entertaining dreams that one day I could be out there playing for the Blues! Highlights: - Relegation from the old first division in the playoffs by Boro - Coming straight back up at the first time of asking with record points and goals tally - 7-0 win v Walsall (Durie scoring 5) and 3-2 at Maine Road (inflatable celery!!!!!!!!) - ZDS Cup win v Boro (Dorigo free kick!!!!!!!) - Start of our dominance at Tottenham with a 4-1 win at 3 point lane (beautiful lob by Dixon over Thorsvedt) - First win at Anfield in donkeys courtesy of a screamer by vinnie Jones - Vinnie getting booked in 4 seconds v Sheff Utd in the FA Cup at the Bridge - Getting to the semis of the Rumbleows Cup in 1991 (losing to Weds over 2 legs) and stuffing Tottenham 3-0 at the Lane en route. I'll post more when they come to mind. Thing I loved abiut this era was how many youth products we had coming through the ranks, from memory: Myers, Le Saux, Hall, Stuart, Lee, Cundy, Damian Matthew. Theres something about players coming from the youth to the 1st team that all football fans appreciate. Allright a lot of them never really done as good as expected by I DEFO saw the potential in Le Saux and was gutted when Webby sold him transfer deadline in 1993. Le Saux in his first spell at the club was really a victim of his own versatilkity as Campbell, Porterfield and Webb played him all over the place and he never really got a steady run in the side in one position, I dont think anyone really had much faith in him which is ashame as he was my favourite player at the time, I ever grew my hair out to be the same as that mop he had. Remember him throwing his shirt on the ground after being subbed Christmas 1992 v Southampton. Anyway I'm waffling, great days I'm sure you will all agree.
May 11, 201114 yr Welcome to the forum mate, great topic! Remember the 70 yard run and goal from Tony Dorigo, I think it was against City? As for early Le Saux, I remember him taking a right verbal and a push from Graham Roberts over a goal going in, maybe looking back it probably done him good. He picked up a few tips for when he met David Batty a few years later at Blackburn.
May 11, 201114 yr Well I'm pretty much the same age as you by the looks of it Benches. I think you've summed up the highlights of that period as far as I can remember right now. One I would add is beating Sheff Weds early on in 89/90 season(I was 12) that put us top of the league. It pissed it down with rain all day, and I remember my uncle treating me to a scarf and a pennant after the game. I think the excitement of going top for the first time in ages got to him a bit, as I also recall he took the whole family out for meal that night. I seem to remember School was fun on the Monday, then we got stuffed midweek. Going to have to have a good hard think tomorrow to come up with some more.
May 11, 201114 yr Highlights:- Relegation from the old first division in the playoffs by Boro You lost me at that point, I'm afraid. Definitely a low point for me and any Chelsea fans I know. As was losing in the SF to Sheff Wed!! And Gareth Hall coming through the ranks doesn't fill me with nostalgia either. Anyway - welcome to the Shed End! MOD - that Dorigo goal at Maine Rd was top class - will track it down on YouTube.
May 11, 201114 yr Great game, but that has to be our worst ever away kit - even worse than the grey/orange abortion.
May 11, 201114 yr Ah the ZDS final against Boro, I managed to get a ticket in the Olympic Gallery at Wembley think it was about £40.00, mostly Boro around me amazed that they could afford such prices. Crap game great goal, there was not many photos in the next days paper but one paper had a great picture of Tony Dorigo with the cup balanced on his head still got the picture somewhere. Not a patch on the Full members final against City which was like winning the European Cup but was still proud we had bagged a trophy.
May 11, 201114 yr I must be a similar age and so have got some great memories of the same period. I grew up in Essex and was one of only 2 Chelsea fans in a school of well over 1000, fortunately my dad has always been one of my best mates and used to take me to the Bridge if I done well at football training! We also went to a few away games in that period; happy days, sh*t teams, sh*t ground, brilliant fans. How we've progressed as a club!
May 12, 201114 yr Author Great game, but that has to be our worst ever away kit - even worse than the grey/orange abortion. Thanks for posting that. You know whats funny, if that goal was scored by Ryan Giggs pundits would be w**king themselves dry about it, great run and what a great finish at the end. As far as manky away kits what about that jade number that we had, was pretty rank.
May 12, 201114 yr That red and white away kit was the first ever official kit I had. I was looking at it the other day and still can't believe I bought that just because the home kit wasn't in the shop I was in at the time!
May 14, 201114 yr Great goal that by Gullit, i was in the temporary shed seats that night, one thing that stands out is the amount of empty seats, sure the gate was only 17k shocking really when you think the sort of players we had at that time.
