I was in the Homesdale end right behind the goal that night in with the Palace fans but with hundreds of Chelsea plotted up all over the place , I remember Palace came out well early for the warm up to suss the pitch out ( which sadly worked ) we came out as normal and never got to grips with the pitch , bad day all round .

On 27/11/2017 at 23:44, bluehaze said:

Expensive but I'm definitely treating myself to the Drogba one this Christmas.

https://www.art-of-football.com/collections/chelsea?page=1

If the Zola one was of the time where he repeated made Carragher fall on his arse when he was basically an OAP I’d have it!

On 29/11/2017 at 06:18, erskblue said:

Good article on the official site about a December 1983 midweek game. We beat Swansea 6-1 with Paul Canoville getting a hat trick. The match ball from this game is in the Chelsea museum.

Tuesday 6th December 1983 it was and from memory that winter was a cold and snowy one.

Canners was the half time guest at the game, spent too long shaking hands in the shed and Ol’ Neil nearly had to go get him. 

8 hours ago, Charles Ryder said:

Ah Joe. We got the best out of him. He was sensational.

That's a fantastic photo- must have been taken sometime between 63 ( when the Empress State Building was completed, and 68 when dog racing finished)

Classic advertising signs- news of the screws, dog biscuits, Watneys party 7. I think the Martini sign survived well into the 70's? 

12 minutes ago, Ewell CFC said:

That's a fantastic photo- must have been taken sometime between 63 ( when the Empress State Building was completed, and 68 when dog racing finished)

Classic advertising signs- news of the screws, dog biscuits, Watneys party 7. I think the Martini sign survived well into the 70's? 

Have checked and it was taken in 1965. Prior to the FA Cup match against Peterborough. We won 5-1

15 hours ago, Boyne said:

I would love to see some of the current players playing on those kinda of pitches!

Where is that time machine?

Against Newcastle in 1975. We won 3-2

Didn’t Malcom Macdonald miss a penalty in that match?  The Shed sang about him having a w**k on his farm throughout the whole game.

On 01/12/2017 at 14:53, Boyne said:

I would have loved to have sat in that elevated stand on the corner of the north stand when did they take it down and was it unused in its last few years? I first went to the bridge in 1968 and dont remember it being in use in subsequent years.

See here for the history of the old North Stand:

http://www.stamford-bridge.com/bridge.htm

Built in 1939, taken down in 1976.

Can't recall if this picture has already been posted.

Weird how they demolished half of the North Stand first, and left the other bit standing forlorn for a few more years. I've no idea when they stopped using the top tier.

Any of the older fans on here ever sit in it?

On 24/11/2017 at 23:56, Peckham Blue said:

Ours used to come from a sports shop in Fulham High Street just up from Putney Bridge near the junction with Fulham Road.  The Bonetti kit was the first I ever got.

Used to shop in there too. They also sold off all the used tennis balls form Wimbledon after the tennis every year

I had the Bonetti kit and those silly little green cotton gloves

 

Edited December 4, 20178 yr by Shug

19 hours ago, Boyne said:

Can't recall if this picture has already been posted.

I'm sure I read that the North Stand was planned to be a lot bigger than it ended up- running most of the way across the end- never got made for financial reasons.

Had that happened it could well have got adopted as the home end rather than the Shed?  

Edit- slightly controversial, but how did you rate the Shed in comparison to other home ends? It was our home and we all loved it ( it had bags of character and the fans made it what it was), but it was a bit lacking.

Plusses- being on a curve you could see all of it i.e. If someone was trying to take it, you could see all the action wherever you stood.

Minusses- long way from the pitch- the roof maybe covered a third of the terrace.

The roof of the Kop covered all the End, the North Banks at West Ham and Arsenal covered the vast majority of the terraces beneath.

I reckon we had more singers than West Ham and Arsenal in the late 70's, early 80's but the noise became lost- it never sounded great on telly. Probably didn't help having the sound microphone at the other end of the stadium.

 

Edited December 4, 20178 yr by Ewell CFC

I always thought that the North Stand was built earlier than 1939. Until quite recently that is. When Archibald Leitch was designing football stadiums at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th Century. He would often build a small stand or pavilion in a corner where the club's administration took place and also the changing rooms and committee rooms were situated. That was why I thought that the North Stand was built perhaps 30 years earlier than it actually was built.

6 hours ago, Ewell CFC said:

I'm sure I read that the North Stand was planned to be a lot bigger than it ended up- running most of the way across the end- never got made for financial reasons.

Had that happened it could well have got adopted as the home end rather than the Shed?  

Edit- slightly controversial, but how did you rate the Shed in comparison to other home ends? It was our home and we all loved it ( it had bags of character and the fans made it what it was), but it was a bit lacking.

Plusses- being on a curve you could see all of it i.e. If someone was trying to take it, you could see all the action wherever you stood.

Minusses- long way from the pitch- the roof maybe covered a third of the terrace.

The roof of the Kop covered all the End, the North Banks at West Ham and Arsenal covered the vast majority of the terraces beneath.

I reckon we had more singers than West Ham and Arsenal in the late 70's, early 80's but the noise became lost- it never sounded great on telly. Probably didn't help having the sound microphone at the other end of the stadium.

 

I read a snippet from a West ham book, by Cass pennant I think?, and he does mention that chelsea had a very passionate and loyal support and that we turned singing into an art form! That's where the compliments ended in his book though. As for Arsenal and singing! No need even debating that one. I remember about 15 years ago talksh*te use to have a football memrobilla show on a Friday lunchtime, talking about things fans collected, the presenter asked the expert which London clubs fans collected the most memrobilla, he didn't hesitate in saying Chelsea fans collected the most. Another pointer to show how passionate and loyal we are as fans of this club. For my sins, I've been an estate agent for many years and obviously visit hundreds of houses down here on the south coast, I've lost count how times you see Chelsea pictures, framed shirts on walls, pin badges, scarfs etc  in peoples houses, these aren't in  little kiddies bedrooms, these are adults in 30's 40's 50's etc but the wierd thing is, I never see other clubs, and I'm always looking so I can have a chat about football in general, but there's nothing, we really are a passionate and proud lot!! I just hope I'm not banned from the forum for being an estate agent!!!!!!

Chi, great post. Mr Pennant would never say good things about us, hes West Ham. Remember East London was full of people who thought they were the real cheeky chappie hard nut Londoners. Trust me i have seem Mr Pennent and the big BG deny they were West Ham when playing us and beg to be let out from the front of the Shed. We always had the best London mob, just there was 7-6 diffrent mobs,we never were that organised. We gave it to everyone for many years other than West ham.......why i dont know till the lTe seventys early eighties when we gave it to em back at upton park. That bloody corner flag going backwards and forwards. Alright millwall done us their, if we organiised we would of always dominated london.

Mr pennent, Swallow,BG will never admit it but we killed em at Victoria and Parsons Green yet they never will cause they were the i cant fight mob.

I never saw any bother with WHU though heard about the Victoria big brawl.

I did lead the singing against them once in the 90's at SB, something I never really did before. It was just at 5 mins to 3pm and the ground was eerily silent. 

We won 2-1.

I enjoyed the banter with them at Upton Park on the few occasions I went.

 

13 hours ago, Londons Finest said:

Chi, great post. Mr Pennant would never say good things about us, hes West Ham. Remember East London was full of people who thought they were the real cheeky chappie hard nut Londoners. Trust me i have seem Mr Pennent and the big BG deny they were West Ham when playing us and beg to be let out from the front of the Shed. We always had the best London mob, just there was 7-6 diffrent mobs,we never were that organised. We gave it to everyone for many years other than West ham.......why i dont know till the lTe seventys early eighties when we gave it to em back at upton park. That bloody corner flag going backwards and forwards. Alright millwall done us their, if we organiised we would of always dominated london.

Mr pennent, Swallow,BG will never admit it but we killed em at Victoria and Parsons Green yet they never will cause they were the i cant fight mob.

We did go through a period of not turning up at Upton Park. I was on holiday August 79, but some school mates went and got well and truly bashed up on the South Bank, even though they were 13 year old kids wearing colours.

The year of the corner flag throwing was 81- we did take a proper mob that year.

I do get the impression that they thought that the only true Londoners were East Londoners and were well hard- load of bollox- I don't think that way was any rougher than a lot of South or West London- what they did have going for them was sticking together as one firm and turning out in force for London derbys.

Funnily enough during the 90s we went over there mob handed many times, drunk in pubs, and never heard a peep out of them. 

 

I have a respect for the spammers ....Since ive seen what ive seen since 67 68 they are consistantly up for it no matter what or where.......I absolutely hate the fact that the spuds have a really good core of fans who wont run nowadays and often take it to the spam.......Bring back those days when the spuds , lets say, had a healthy respect for the good OLD  shed and northstand.....

Its also sad that i must now call myself retired from attending any matches....Certain health issues have crept in....I will always remember fondly of our top fellows and the many good men who were part of all i saw and experienced from season 6768 to  the 90s.........I will have great memories of all the grounds ive been to and the fans of other clubs who have made these trips exciting in many ways....I respect them all..( not spuds)..........From boyhood to bigger boyhood the old terracing has given me a wealth of football memorabilia to remenice over when i care to......Thousands of miles travelled ....By train coach car and hike......Turning up to the Bridge from 12 years old 3 hours before kickoff to smell the smells of foods and drinks....underground and feeling that warm air gush thru the tunnel as the train would come....No more excited cant sleep nights as the game next day overtook all thoughts.......the meetings by many chelsea folk wed know and the strangers we didnt who would then become one whole entity........Fears and cockiness experienced at many venues........Wonderous ladies aquainted to within the footy scenario........When singing to the liquidator against spuds was full of , well everything chelsea within ones self, and not the tepid stuff we churn out now...........Oh well... will never get over the old days.......Its a goodbye to the Bridge from me but im glad my girl chelsea goes on occasions to keep my flag flyin high..................................................................................BUT............If we play millwall.....................

On 30/11/2017 at 14:23, Richard P said:

I think Frank Sinclair hit a back pass to Hitchy and it didn’t make it then the scorer smashed it in from close range. Should have had enough to beat them that night.

That was 92/93. Chris Coleman scored that goal where the back pass got stuck in the mud if I remember correctly.

17 hours ago, Mike Carefree said:

Its also sad that i must now call myself retired from attending any matches....Certain health issues have crept in....I will always remember fondly of our top fellows and the many good men who were part of all i saw and experienced from season 6768 to  the 90s.........I will have great memories of all the grounds ive been to and the fans of other clubs who have made these trips exciting in many ways....I respect them all..( not spuds)..........From boyhood to bigger boyhood the old terracing has given me a wealth of football memorabilia to remenice over when i care to......Thousands of miles travelled ....By train coach car and hike......Turning up to the Bridge from 12 years old 3 hours before kickoff to smell the smells of foods and drinks....underground and feeling that warm air gush thru the tunnel as the train would come....No more excited cant sleep nights as the game next day overtook all thoughts.......the meetings by many chelsea folk wed know and the strangers we didnt who would then become one whole entity........Fears and cockiness experienced at many venues........Wonderous ladies aquainted to within the footy scenario........When singing to the liquidator against spuds was full of , well everything chelsea within ones self, and not the tepid stuff we churn out now...........Oh well... will never get over the old days.......Its a goodbye to the Bridge from me but im glad my girl chelsea goes on occasions to keep my flag flyin high..................................................................................BUT............If we play millwall.....................

Very sorry to hear of your health difficulties Mike. Tremendous post. You mentioned Millwall as a footnote. Was if you that got in serious lumber when we played them at ours 83? Just remembered a post from years back that rung a bell?

Kind Regards