Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.
The Shed End - Chelsea FC Forums

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Vintage Blues pictures and film

Carshalton Blue
in Chelsea FC Vintage

Featured Replies

Thanks for the Chelsea v Bolton 76-77. I was there but the presentation before the match shown was to Eddie for the gallon bottle. However I thought this was the match where we were also presented with the Sir Stanley Rous Trophy (or cup) for the pre-season win in Sweden. It was called "The Stanley Rous Cup" or "The Stanley Rous Trophy" with the other name being the one given to the trophy awarded to the winner of England vs Scotland annual winner trophy after the end of the Home International. I seem to remember singing "We won the cup" from the Shed that day but maybe that was another game. Interesting to see the Dug-outs with no roof. I thought they were always covered.

More on that Chelsea vs Bolton. That challenge by Steve Taylor on Ian Briton (replay 9.05) is one of the worst I have ever seen in football. The shed sang DNB as always but this time it was warrented. I cringed looking at it, 36 years on. FF to 18.36, when the Bolton player is flattened he lies on the field and the play continues around him, you expect someone to kick the ball into touch, but it doesn't happen. Quite funny really.

Edited by GarryJones

I dunno if they are available or in some Chelsea vault. In seasons 79-80 & 80-81 every Chelsea home game was video taped with a betamax video camera. Then, several times a season those of us that never missed a thing(*) paid again to see the games we had already seen. We were about 40-50 fans and these screenings were in the Chelsea bar in the East Stand. The games were shown in edited highlights with no replays. The "edit" was pretty amateur but it added to the feeling of these occasions. Quite often players and managers, (mainly Geoff Hurst, as this was his era) would be there to answer questions. We always finished off with a drink in the bar. One dissapointment for us was that they showed the Match of the Day / The Big Match versions rather than their own when such footage existed. They deemed we would want to see what we had already seen rather than a particular goal or move from a different angle. These tapes hold as much fascination as the Kennedy 4th bullet or (if you are a cyclist like myself) the missing Dustin Hoffman footage from the 1985 tour de france.

* Definintion: We that did everything. (Home and away) Pre-season tours, testimonials, friendlies, youth cup, reserve matches, junior matches, The juniors played in 2 leagues, 15-16/17-18. I remember going to Cheshunt, the Tottenham training ground for the 15-16 year olds away. Just before kick-off Cathy turned up. Invariably it was just her and I or sometimes: her, Terry Last and myself at these matches. It was always good when Cathy turned up, not only was she good company she had a car so it meant a lift back to the bridge to see the first team home game in the afternoon. (Junior kick-offs were 11.00). However you think we just did football? No. when there was a baseball match or something else at the Bridge we were there. A sponsored walk to raise money for the handicapped area: check. We walked x number of laps around the pitch.

One little Chelsea vintage story. In the summer of 1982 the best two American Football teams came over and played an exhibition match at Stamford Bridge. Nobody in the UK understood the game or knew anything about it. Attendance: 230, admission £1.20. Those there: Chelsea fans singing football songs in the East Stand. We were bumused by it all and spent the day chatting about Chelsea. Someone had to tell us that the game was over and which team had one. We popped over the pub and ascertained ourselves to the fact that the daft game we had just watched(?) would never catch on in the UK. That Autumn newly formed Channel 4 started broadcasting American Football games. It caught the imagination of the Yuppies in the City. At last these empty people with no soul had their own sport. They could be seen wearing the cap of their favourite team in the City Wine bars at lunch. They discussed the ins and outs of the game. Fast Forward to the summer of 1983.The best two teams came back to the UK. This time it was Wembley Stadium. Admission £40. Attendance: 92,000 sell-out and black-market prices in the City of over £1000. (Our Chelsea touting friends made a killing). However the game became a wash-out, again, nobody really understood what was going on. But they pretended they did. And then suddenly City yuppies were boasting of long-standing affiliations to their favourite team, claiming to have supported them for 10-20 years. You know the type of person I mean: They have discoverd English football since the inception of the Premier League and have been increasing in number since then, we even have them at the Bridge: Empty souls, no Chelsea history and the worst fans we have ever had, our JCL's. I've more in common with and much more affection for the genuine Leeds, West Ham and Tottenham fans that we used to ruck with 30 years ago than our own JCL's. Methinks they'd be better off at American football games.

Edited by GarryJones

    Just before I go to worka>

    1976-77

    I've seen these many times but they still make great viewing. What a disaster Eddie mac wasn't there to manage his fine young team back in Division 1, I'm sure the whole history of Chelsea would have been different if that had been the case.

    A couple of things which become apparent while watching these again is that the football actually very good, some of it as equal as today's standard but played on terrible pitches.

    Another is that I've forgotten what a great little player Ian Britton was!

    More please.

    •

    I've seen these many times but they still make great viewing. What a disaster Eddie mac wasn't there to manage his fine young team back in Division 1, I'm sure the whole history of Chelsea would have been different if that had been the case.

    A couple of things which become apparent while watching these again is that the football actually very good, some of it as equal as today's standard but played on terrible pitches.

    Another is that I've forgotten what a great little player Ian Britton was!

    More please.

    I was thinking exactly the same about Ian Britton, big pity that Fillery's attitude never matched his talent as well.

    I was thinking exactly the same about Ian Britton, big pity that Fillery's attitude never matched his talent as well.
    I've seen these many times but they still make great viewing. What a disaster Eddie mac wasn't there to manage his fine young team back in Division 1, I'm sure the whole history of Chelsea would have been different if that had been the case. A couple of things which become apparent while watching these again is that the football actually very good, some of it as equal as today's standard but played on terrible pitches. Another is that I've forgotten what a great little player Ian Britton was! More please.
    I've seen these many times but they still make great viewing. What a disaster Eddie mac wasn't there to manage his fine young team back in Division 1, I'm sure the whole history of Chelsea would have been different if that had been the case. A couple of things which become apparent while watching these again is that the football actually very good, some of it as equal as today's standard but played on terrible pitches. Another is that I've forgotten what a great little player Ian Britton was! More please.
    Peckham Blue 100% agree with you. If Eddie Mac stayed, and a possible experienced signing, the youngsters would have prospered. The first season back wasnt to bad with some fine performances, it's just a shame it went wrong. I loved Ken Shelito, but he wasn't ready at that time. Our midfield was superb, with the skills of Butch and Stanners, and the ball winning of Ray Lew, with Britton running all over the place. Also shame Jock couldn't get a full season under his belt in the top flight

    Edited by Eddie Macs blue and white

    Peckham Blue 100% agree with you. If Eddie Mac stayed, and a possible experienced signing, the youngsters would have prospered. The first season back wasnt to bad with some fine performances, it's just a shame it went wrong. I loved Ken Shelito, but he wasn't ready at that time. Our midfield was superb, with the skills of Butch and Stanners, and the ball winning of Ray Lew, with Britton running all over the place. Also shame Jock couldn't get a full season under his belt in the top flight

    They should have done. It still galls me that we were a better, more skilful and attractive side than Clough's Forest. And yet a year later they won the league, two years later the European Cup while we got relegated (anyone else go the 6-0 thrashing at the City Ground in the rain, under Blanchflower?), and won it again the next year.

    We were cursed, though, by the McCreadie fiasco, by the disastrous Shellito and Blanchflower appointments, by career-wrecking injuries to David Hay and Jock Finnieston, by the presence in our squad of Graham Wilkins and by our crippling debt that meant we went FOUR YEARS without being able to buy anyone.

    We needed to hang on to Eddie Mac, we needed to sign a couple of players to strengthen, but ultimately our financial crisis meant we could do neither. So a talented team fell apart and we endured some seriously sh!t seasons. Till Johnny Neal, King Kerry, Wee Pat, Speedo and the rest turned it all around. Still, at least one member of that side won a European Cup winners medal.

    One of my favourite threads ever.

    I love watching this as I've already said before. Up here in Scotland back then, we'd get some of the goals if they were was on the edited highlights shows or the Football Focus/On The Ball preview shows.

    Millwall away, still brings a shiver.

    Didn't even reach the turnstiles that day, had blades flashed at us on Ilderton Road and that was enough for me, back at Tooting Junction before kick off I think. These vids are really bringing back the memories though, Wolves away ticket in my pocket for the Sheffield Utd game,bought them outside, 80p for a 40p ticket when we were banned.

    Edited by MKBlue

    Yes the football was very very good. They entertained us. With the rub of the green this team would have gone from strength to strength. You may remember Bolton collapsed at the end of 76-77 and let Forest in. Here is a "What If". What if "WE" had collapsed instead? Think what another year in the 2nd might have done for this team. Eddie Mac would have stayed and the young team would have had another year to train, gel and blend. We might have just gone on to be the team of the decade in the 80's. It wasn't to be of course. But seeing many of these games again for the first time since they were played brings it all back. I even remember my home journey to Petts Wood. Fulham Broadway about 5 pm and arrive at Victoria for the 5.42. Back home about 20 past six in time for me mum's 2 giant sausage rolls with chips and beans. Saturday Night in front of the TV, Generation Game, The Cilla Black Show, The Sweeney and then "Match of The Day" at 10 pm. Sunday mornings over the park with the local lads. Roughly ten-a-side with jackets as goalposts. First to ten won. A litlte chat about the football and then back to Sunday joint and "The Big Match".

    But throughout this era there was an underlying dream. Not of Premier league and foriegn players and sitting in stadiums with people claiming to support Chelsea who didn't really give a toss. Not even of winning the First Division. And not (God given the chance) to take the end at West Ham or Millwall and run their home fans rugged. No; the dream of these days was to stand at Wembley with my father who came from Roehampton and had bought me up on Chelsea. I wanted and dreamed of us standing there at the Tunnel End side by side. Year after year throughout the 70's this dream was shattered. But each year come January I believed, I yearned and I prayed. Just to stand there at Wembley. I used to think of the lyrics in "If I were a rich man" and my version was "Would it spoil same vast incredible plan if we made the cup final?". It was ALL I wanted. One day, I thought, one day, we could be there, the Chelsea manager would lead the team out, 11 Chelsea men would follow proudly out onto Wembley's hallowed turf. We'd cheer, we'd sing and we'd smile at each other. To see 11 blue heros at Wembley in May. The band would pick their instruments. The crowd would fall silent. Then building up slowly we'd sing, we'd sing:

    ABIDE WITH ME; fast falls the eventide;

    The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;

    When other helpers fail and comforts flee,

    Help of the helpless, oh, ABIDE WITH ME.

    Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;

    Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;

    Change and decay in all around I see—

    O Thou who changest not, ABIDE WITH ME.

    I need Thy presence every passing hour;

    What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?

    Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?

    Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, ABIDE WITH ME.

    I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;

    Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness;

    Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?

    I triumph still, if Thou ABIDE WITH ME.

    Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;

    Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies;

    Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;

    In life, in death, O Lord, ABIDE WITH ME.

    Each year it seemed possible. I remember dancing with my father in the Shed End when Langley banged that 3rd one in against Liverpool on 7th January 1978. We were leading 3-0, Liverpool were the Gods of football and European Champions (read World Champions) which meant anything was possible. That dream, as all others, died at home to lowly Orient on 27th Feb (3 days after my father's 50th). Two years later it was Wigan at home on 14th January, we lost 1-0 having just slaughtered Newcastle 4-0 in the league 2 days previously. Well there's always next year! Always! Always? - Tragically it was not to be. The day after Preston away in April my father died suddenly and unexpectedly on 13th April. I was 18. The dream was over. (Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away) Never would we and never could we stand together at Wembley and sing Abide With Me. I continued on flying the flag and didn't miss a match home or away for a few more years. But I could not take it any more living so close with so much pain. I emigrated to Sweden and have lived here ever since.

    If you have not lived through these days I fail to see where any genuine Chelsea passion can come from. Eddie Mac's videos have bought it all back. I have relived these moments again for the first time since these games were played. I have the knowledge that in many of these games I was there with my Dad - in the Shed. Oh for the Carefree days of innocent youth and childhood dreams. Abide with me boys, abide with me and my dreams of what might have been. I have shed many tears in these last few days looking at footage I had never even considered the possibilty of seeing again. Abide with me - but it's taken an outer shell off of me and cut to the bone of genuine feelings of love and..... and nothing, genuine feelings of love. That suffices.

    In love and in life abiding with all feelings, all defeats, all victories for those alive and those blue fans who now stand proudly in the Shed End in the sky - We'll meet again! - And Dad - get me a bag of Monkey Nuts at half-time will you?

    •

    Create an account or sign in to comment
    Go to topic listing

    Recently Browsing 0

    • No registered users viewing this page.
    Background Picker
    Customize Layout

    Account

    Navigation

    Search

    Search

    Configure browser push notifications
    Chrome (Android)
    1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
    2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
    3. Adjust your preference.
    Chrome (Desktop)
    1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
    2. Select Site settings.
    3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.