18 hours ago, Strider6003 said:

I tried that once in the Shed, got to about 'S' and suddenly realised this was harder than it sounds and almost coughed out, 'and what have you got?'

I remember the other year we played y*ds, a Saturday 5:30 ko, so plenty of beers pre match, got off at Fulham Broadway and it was rammed, at the back a roar of "y*d army" went up, I thought I'm not having this, so let off a "zigger zagger" on the platform, it went well and had everyone going as we went up out the station, my mates all looked at me, and went where the f**k did that come from, I just nodded, not kidding you, I couldn't speak till Monday morning!! Must of damaged my voice, I'm certainly no Freddie Mercury or George Michael!! Happy days though Gomez threw one in and we won 2-1 "oi oi oi"

20 hours ago, Strider6003 said:

I tried that once in the Shed, got to about 'S' and suddenly realised this was harder than it sounds and almost coughed out, 'and what have you got?'

I remember being at a game many, many years ago and was standing in the Shed when someone started the 'Give me a C' chant. Did C, H and E but rather than doing L next did a S. Much laughter from everyone and then the chant of 'He can't spell. he can't spell.'

11 minutes ago, Boyne said:

I remember being at a game many, many years ago and was standing in the Shed when someone started the 'Give me a C' chant. Did C, H and E but rather than doing L next did a S. Much laughter from everyone and then the chant of 'He can't spell. he can't spell.'

We might have been at the same match as I remember something like that or it happened more frequently than fans would like to admit.

On a similar theme I knew some fans that got a flag made with Matthew Harding's Blue Army on the Union Jack yet they spelt Matthew with only one T.

 

Cutting attached re the Forest game where Cloughie had a pop at our changing room

5 hours ago, chi blue said:

I remember the other year we played y*ds, a Saturday 5:30 ko, so plenty of beers pre match, got off at Fulham Broadway and it was rammed, at the back a roar of "y*d army" went up, I thought I'm not having this, so let off a "zigger zagger" on the platform, it went well and had everyone going as we went up out the station, my mates all looked at me, and went where the f**k did that come from, I just nodded, not kidding you, I couldn't speak till Monday morning!! Must of damaged my voice, I'm certainly no Freddie Mercury or George Michael!! Happy days though Gomez threw one in and we won 2-1 "oi oi oi"

A small price to pay for letting the filth know Chelsea were about

On 02/07/2018 at 17:54, Backbiter said:

A few posts above we were wondering what Mears' version was of the McCreadie resignation. I once read Eddie Mac had a change of heart after resigning and tried to get his job back (but was turned down by Mears), but I've also read the opposite, that Mears tried to get Eddie to stay but he wouldn't retract his resignation.

What did Mears write about that in his book?

Here you go, I've tried to pick out the relevant paragraphs:-

“It was in the City of Angels (Los Angeles) that things started to go wrong, horribly wrong.  Eddie approached me in the foyer of our hotel and asked if he could see me.  I knew by the look on his face that it was not going to be good news.  We found a cool corner and I listened.  I could scarcely believe what he told me.  As unconventional in business as he was in football, he proceeded to make many demands that the club could not afford.  They included a new contract and an expensive car.  The car was the most contentious issue.”

“The car was always cited as being the main reason why Chelsea and Eddie got a divorce.  I blame Bobby Campbell for winding Eddie up about the new motor. .... He was in charge at Fulham, and was always popping into the bridge, and one morning he came over to see Eddie, parking up near his office in a gleaming new piece of steel.  At the end of the meeting Eddie happened to look out of the window and spied the car.  He asked Campbell to whom it belonged.  “We all get them at Fulham” Bobby replied.  Eddie could hardly believe it.  Things were never really the same for him at the club after that revelation.”

“After hours of haggling it became obvious to me that Eddie was not going to change his stance and Chelsea could simply not afford to accede to his demands.  He then used the emotional blackmail of saying he would quit if he did not get his own way.  He hinted at all sorts of dire consequences, the star players would refuse to play for Chelsea...... the fans would kick up such a fuss that I would be ousted. ..... I made one last appeal to him.  I told him to wait another year.  He had done the hard bit getting us back to the big league.  If further progress was made, the world was his.  Eddie would not reason.  He didn’t hear me.  He was too busy listening to something inside his own head.  For a while I thought he had lost the plot.  I had never seen him like that before, he seemed to have contempt for orthodox financial behaviour.  The meeting broke up and there was nothing more to say.”

 “The Board convened an emergency meeting back home and Eddie’s resignation was reluctantly accepted.  That night I wrote him a sad little letter informing him of our decision and thanking him for all he had done for the club as a player and manager.  I think he thought that the club would back down.”

 “Three days later I was at home, the phone rang and it was no surprise to me when I heard Eddie’s voice.  He wanted his old job back, he apologised.  But it was too late.  We had already offered the job to Shellito.”

Cheers for that. That's what I must have read many years ago. I don't think it's well known that Eddie Mac begged for his job back and was turned down. It's always been a huge 'What if...?' Shellito was never up to the job, and the team fell apart.

Cheers for posting the above paragraphs. To be honest, I never knew Eddie had asked for his job back either.

Chelsea v Forest at The Bridge in 1976/77 Barry Davies commentating.

My abiding memory of this game is a streaker coming on and Steve Clarke not fazed at all dribbled round him 

 

8 hours ago, erskblue said:

Cheers for posting the above paragraphs. To be honest, I never knew Eddie had asked for his job back either.

Eddie's book tells a slightly different story - relevant extract below:-

"After I left, I was told there were all kinds of statements and rumours coming from the Club that I had demanded a very expensive car plus this and that. Yes, a normal Club car was discussed and that was it. I never ever got an answer to that but that wasn’t such an important issue to me.

Now I am going to tell you the truth. Are you ready? I didn’t ask for anything! Let me say it to you again. I didn’t ask for anything! Brian Mears came to my office a couple of days after the season ended and after we had gained promotion he offered me a certain amount of money which I assumed was an offer from him and the board for me to continue as manager of Chelsea Football Club. I thanked him and told him that after I had a chance to look at it that I would be happy to sit down and discuss it with him. He was very abrupt and told me there would be “no discussion.” I wondered to myself why I was being treated this way. This wasn’t the Brian Mears I knew. I realised very quickly that this was the board speaking, not him.  I asked him, “Mr. Chairman, are you seriously telling me I will not be allowed to discuss my own circumstances with you and the offer you have made to me?” “Yes, that is correct.” he replied. He opened my office door and left.

 His attitude toward me hurt me deeply. It was so out of character for him. I had actually felt we were becoming closer friends. He would always ask me if he could sit beside me at the front of the coach when we would be travelling to away games and coming home. I got the impression other managers hadn’t spent much time with him when perhaps he wanted to talk about their tactics before and after games. I would always take the time to explain to him my tactics before games and I always remember how grateful he was to me that I would take the time to do that. I thought he was a very nice man and regardless of what happened between us and I still do.

Not long after the season finished we were getting ready to fly to the United States for a three-game tour. So I decided to let things sit for a while hoping we might get the opportunity to talk about my situation. While we were on tour, I approached him on a couple of occasions while we were there and although he was very polite to me, he told me again he couldn’t discuss it with me. This was the most difficult time for me and I really didn’t know which way to turn. All I wanted to do was to discuss my situation with him.

When we arrived back in London, I thought about things for a few days and convinced myself that I really didn’t have any other choice but to resign my position and I wrote a letter to that effect to the Board. Several days later, Brian Mears entered my office and, very guiltily I thought, told me that the Board had received my letter and had decided to accept my resignation and immediately left my office. I threw a few things into a couple of boxes and left my office for the last time and the Club I have loved all my life.

That was in 1977. Now, at this time, I feel sure all you good folks are perhaps scratching your heads right now and saying to yourselves, “How could this have been allowed to happen? It doesn’t make any sense!” No, and it didn’t to me either and it was to exact its toll on me for many years. Perhaps you can imagine how many times I have gone back to this nightmare in my head trying to figure out why all this happened to me. It took me many years, but I believe I have. Nothing makes any sense to you right? And nothing made any sense to me either, right?

I believe it was about five or six-years after I left Chelsea and I was coaching in Cleveland Ohio. I was at home one evening and my telephone rang. I picked it up. “Hello, Eddie, this is Brian Mears. Eddie, could l speak to you for a minute?” I feel sure you can all imagine my surprise. “Yes, of course,” I said. “Eddie, I am in London right now, but I wondered if I could ask something of you?”  “What would that be?” I asked. “Eddie, I would like to fly to Ohio in the next couple of days to see you if you would allow me…” “I don’t see what that might accomplish for either one of us, Mr. Chairman,” I said, “What do you want to see me about?” “Eddie, I would prefer not to discuss it on the telephone; it is too important for me to do that. I need to be with you. I have something I need to tell you. Would you let me do that Eddie? I can’t tell you just how very important it is to me.” “I guess you had better come over then…” I told him.

 A couple of days later he arrived at my home in Cleveland. “How nice it is to see you again Eddie!” “You too, Mr Chairman, please come in.” We exchanged some pleasantries and then I asked him, “Why are you here Mr Chairman?” He seemed very nervous. “Eddie, I have something I have to say to you and I wanted to tell you personally and to your face.” “What would that be Mr. Chairman?” “Eddie, we treated you so terribly at Chelsea and I am so ashamed of myself. I am so sorry Eddie, can you ever forgive me?” I looked at him and wanted to say to him have you any idea of the pain and suffering you have caused me in my life. But I didn’t. What I saw was the man who I once thought was becoming my friend a long time ago. He was visibly upset and looking at me waiting for my response. “That’s not a problem Mr Chairman, of course I forgive you.”

 

5 hours ago, bluehaze said:

My abiding memory of this game is a streaker coming on and Steve Clarke not fazed at all dribbled round him 

 

Could have sworn that Mark Stein played that day. This heat must scrambling the brain.

On 05/07/2018 at 16:17, In the Net said:

Here you go, I've tried to pick out the relevant paragraphs:-

“It was in the City of Angels (Los Angeles) that things started to go wrong, horribly wrong.  Eddie approached me in the foyer of our hotel and asked if he could see me.  I knew by the look on his face that it was not going to be good news.  We found a cool corner and I listened.  I could scarcely believe what he told me.  As unconventional in business as he was in football, he proceeded to make many demands that the club could not afford.  They included a new contract and an expensive car.  The car was the most contentious issue.”

“The car was always cited as being the main reason why Chelsea and Eddie got a divorce.  I blame Bobby Campbell for winding Eddie up about the new motor. .... He was in charge at Fulham, and was always popping into the bridge, and one morning he came over to see Eddie, parking up near his office in a gleaming new piece of steel.  At the end of the meeting Eddie happened to look out of the window and spied the car.  He asked Campbell to whom it belonged.  “We all get them at Fulham” Bobby replied.  Eddie could hardly believe it.  Things were never really the same for him at the club after that revelation.”

“After hours of haggling it became obvious to me that Eddie was not going to change his stance and Chelsea could simply not afford to accede to his demands.  He then used the emotional blackmail of saying he would quit if he did not get his own way.  He hinted at all sorts of dire consequences, the star players would refuse to play for Chelsea...... the fans would kick up such a fuss that I would be ousted. ..... I made one last appeal to him.  I told him to wait another year.  He had done the hard bit getting us back to the big league.  If further progress was made, the world was his.  Eddie would not reason.  He didn’t hear me.  He was too busy listening to something inside his own head.  For a while I thought he had lost the plot.  I had never seen him like that before, he seemed to have contempt for orthodox financial behaviour.  The meeting broke up and there was nothing more to say.”

 “The Board convened an emergency meeting back home and Eddie’s resignation was reluctantly accepted.  That night I wrote him a sad little letter informing him of our decision and thanking him for all he had done for the club as a player and manager.  I think he thought that the club would back down.”

 “Three days later I was at home, the phone rang and it was no surprise to me when I heard Eddie’s voice.  He wanted his old job back, he apologised.  But it was too late.  We had already offered the job to Shellito.”

That's another very interesting extract. Many thanks. It does seem Eddie Mac was in serious turmoil back in 77 and might well have cracked under the strain of taking his incredibly young team up to division 1 with a budget of £0 to strengthen the side.

I can see why he omitted to say that he tried to retract his resignation, as he quit on a matter of principle, and to beg people who've treated you unfairly for your job back is very undignified. I remember him saying that it was wrong to say he quit over a car. His issue  was that he was not even allowed to discuss new terms, despite having earned us promotion and literally helping the club to avoid folding, which was a genuine risk back then, with the huge East Stand debt that crippled us for over a decade (arguably until Bates bought the Bridge back off the developers).

I believe Mears' version of events. He doesn't paint himself or the board in a good light in writing what he did. I don't see why he would fabricate that bit. And Eddie Mac sounds like his head was all over the place, and trying to change his mind about quitting sounds very plausible to me.

12 minutes ago, Backbiter said:

That's another very interesting extract. Many thanks. It does seem Eddie Mac was in serious turmoil back in 77 and might well have cracked under the strain of taking his incredibly young team up to division 1 with a budget of £0 to strengthen the side.

I can see why he omitted to say that he tried to retract his resignation, as he quit on a matter of principle, and to beg people who've treated you unfairly for your job back is very undignified. I remember him saying that it was wrong to say he quit over a car. His issue  was that he was not even allowed to discuss new terms, despite having earned us promotion and literally helping the club to avoid folding, which was a genuine risk back then, with the huge East Stand debt that crippled us for over a decade (arguably until Bates bought the Bridge back off the developers).

I believe Mears' version of events. He doesn't paint himself or the board in a good light in writing what he did. I don't see why he would fabricate that bit. And Eddie Mac sounds like his head was all over the place, and trying to change his mind about quitting sounds very plausible to me.

The dept was about 3 Million from memory- can’t be arsed to work out what that would equate to today but a piss in a bucket even allowing for inflation.

From David Haye in 74, I can only recall only one semi prestigious signing - Duncan McKenzie 78, all the way through till the mini splurge at the start of 83/84.

Until fairly recently you could still see Eddie Macs Blue and White Army graffiti on Bagleys Lane and Imperial Road, round back of the gasworks.

 

 

25 minutes ago, Ewell CFC said:

The dept was about 3 Million from memory- can’t be arsed to work out what that would equate to today but a piss in a bucket even allowing for inflation.

From David Haye in 74, I can only recall only one semi prestigious signing - Duncan McKenzie 78, all the way through till the mini splurge at the start of 83/84.

Until fairly recently you could still see Eddie Macs Blue and White Army graffiti on Bagleys Lane and Imperial Road, round back of the gasworks.

 

 

You somehow left out Alan Mayes. 

£3m adjusted for inflation sounds like nothing these days, but we were all but bankrupted by that debt. A stand that big would cost around £100m these days, which is a substantial sum

17 hours ago, Boyne said:

 Hooligan !

Cheers you lot, for the info on Eddie Mac's 'leaving' from summer of 1977.

 

Edited July 7, 20188 yr by bluehaze

Chelsea at Southampton 81.

 

3 hours ago, bluehaze said:

Chelsea at Southampton 81.

 

Was that the League Cup game where Southampton got chased off the pitch?

9 hours ago, bluehaze said:

 

Remember watching that on MOTD, with Jimmy Hill ranting on about it!.
Sure I read on here a year or so ago, that the guy in question 'Irish ****'?, is no longer with us?.

On 28/01/2012 at 22:24, mad_mac said:

Fantastic stuff, really nice interview with butch after that Carlisle game too, talking abought his mum giving him grief and not going out with his brother because he's "caught"

I think Butch said that his brother was "courting" - a 1970's word for going steady with a boyfriend/girlfriend.  

9 minutes ago, In the Net said:

I think Butch said that his brother was "courting" - a 1970's word for going steady with a boyfriend/girlfriend.  

ah ok,

i know what Court means in that sense, just heard it wrong.  Cheers 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 7, 20188 yr by Scott