Chelsea and Rangers

[Russell_Nash]

BLUES BROTHERS – The History

1. As far back as I can remember I was bumping into Rangers fans who were down south supporting Chelsea, definitely in the 60’s, but growing in the 70’s. There were even some out in Athens in 1971 at the Cup Winners Cup Final and I met up with some of them again at the Rangers game in Barcelona the next year. Some trace the association of the 2 clubs back to the origins of the club and it first manager, who, with his Rangers background, got some old Rangers shirts as the clubs first kit. Others trace it to the same colours and similar badges. Others to some of the Chelsea players who had strong Rangers connections, examples being Charlie Cooke, who was an out and out ‘Bear’ and, later, Jon Spencer who would “never eat greens on a match dayâ€! Whilst there are some ‘pure football’ reasons there is no doubt that there are other ‘background’ factors

2. In the sixties it became fashionable at English games to chant Rangers or Celtic during the half time interval on the terraces. Sounds crass, but true! At Chelsea this was heavily steered towards Rangers even then. I think it was to do with the disproportionate amount of serving and ex servicemen (and their patriotic leanings) who frequented Chelsea. Remembering also that the old nickname was the 'Pensioners' referring to the proximity of the Old Serviceman’s home near the ground. They still receive a number of complimentary tickets even today and they can be seen in attendance resplendent in their red regalia.

3. The seventies saw a dramatic shift towards the Rangers allegiance. This was definitely due to the IRA bombing campaign in London and North Surrey, from where Chelsea drew the bulk of its support. The Guildford bombing and its fatalities in particular signalled an outcry against the IRA and anything associated with it. Many of us knew of someone injured or killed that night, myself included, with a friend whose only crime was to be in the TA and having a drink with some Army mates. Celtic fans were seen as sympathetic to the republican cause and the IRA. Overnight any Celtic chants disappeared.

4. There is however no doubt that the Chelsea fanbase 'bias' towards anything ‘Loyalist’ come 'Unionist' was also to do with right wing links which grew and which became more evident and visible in the later 70's with the growth of the NF, with Chelsea being a known recruiting ground. Nothing to be proud of, but a fact and factor nonetheless.

5. The late 70’s and 80’s were described as the dark days of Chelsea FC when the hooligan element dominated the headlines. At least 2 of the Chelsea 'firms' at the time had their 'leadership' drawn from ex-servicemen, whom had served in Ulster. This strengthened the anti IRA, anti Celtic feelings even further. Many of the ex-servicemen had formed personal relationships with Ulster Loyalists and also Rangers supporters serving in various parts of the world at the time. Before it became fashionable (and when it still had dangers), there were groups of Chelsea fans who visited Belfast for the 12th July march. Chubby H also arranged a protest march to Westminster (‘Chelsea Fans Say NO’) at the time of the Northern Ireland vote. Some 300 marched including some Rangers and Linfield fans.

6. Meanwhile these 'friendships' between Chelsea and Rangers ex-servicemen developed into them (and ever expanding groups of mates) attending Chelsea and Rangers games together, sometimes for 'positive' reasons (have a beer, a sing song and a laugh) and sometimes, admittedly, for 'less positive' reasons (i.e. 'assists' such as a trip to visit the Aberdeen Casuals in the late 80’s). Again, nothing to be proud of there, but a fact nonetheless and a factor in the 'bonding' that was taking place between many Chelsea fans and their Rangers counterparts at the time.

7. With the ban on English clubs playing in Europe in the 80's, many more Chelsea fans started travelling with Rangers in Europe, some admittedly for the wrong reasons but the majority for the camaraderie that was now growing between the fan groups. The fanbase at the Jolly Malster pub, just off the Fulham Road would arrange trips to Europe and sometimes to Rangers home games. The pub became a meeting place for Chelsea and Rangers fans, and until the recent pub ‘upgrade’ it still did. There were 50 or 60 Rangers fans there when Chelsea played Celtic in a pre-season "friendly" in August 2006. (That’s another story by the way!)

8. A number of milestones stick out in my memory. Firstly the 2 friendlies in the early 1980’s. The first at Stamford Bridge in aid of the Bradford Disaster, when it was party time in the Fulham Road before and after and when the Shed end cheered every Rangers goal and the Rangers fans the Chelsea goals! The second at Ibrox in what I think was the following year, (and the floodlights failed for a period!) and when it was almost impossible to buy a drink in the pubs due to the generosity of the Rangers fans.

9. There is no doubt that the Bradford Disaster game was a major stepping stone in what became known as the Blues Brothers concept and the attendance in greater numbers at each other’s games. Chelsea/Rangers hats and scarves became commonplace at Stamford Bridge and the Blues Brothers fanzine was born. At this time the Linfield connection joined into the Blues Brothers fraternity as reflected in the fanzine. The Rangers & Linfield connection was already there but the Chelsea Linfield one definitely grew from the Chelsea servicemen out there and the attendance at the 12th July marches. The fanzine ‘completed the circle’

10. Another set of milestones in my memory were the sheer number of Rangers supporters that attended many northern based league games in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, before all ticket matches and lower away fan ticket allocations made it more difficult. A game at Liverpool in particular, (1985 I think, but may be wrong) when an estimated 2000 Rangers fans travelled to Anfield for a Saturday morning kick off. After the local police worked it out, we shared the visitors terracing together for a memorable morning of singing and chanting together. Having kept us all back in the ground for an hour afterwards, the roads were cleared and some of us shared a few beers together in the pubs on the route back to the Rangers buses. Another would be at Everton when large numbers of Rangers turned up. But for many years there were hundreds of Rangers at Chelsea games when the Gers were not playing themselves that day. And still are! Sunderland, Blackburn, Everton (league cup) etc etc in the past few years.

11. There is still a stand outside Chelsea’s ground now (near the Methodist Church!) that sells many joint Chelsea/Rangers and Chelsea/Rangers/Linfield merchandise and a whole range of Blues Brothers metal badges are on sale in several pubs. These were seen in abundance in Barcelona a few seasons back when loads of Chelsea and Rangers fans met up in Barcelona on the day before the respective Euro matches in Spain. The massive 'Blues Brothers' ‘Chelsea, Rangers and Linfield’ flag was hoisted in the centre of the main road in Barcelona! A great time was had by all before heading off to our respective matches (and defeats!)

12. The heyday of the Blues Brothers may be over and never again may we see the attendance in such large numbers at each other’s games, but the memories are something for many of us to treasure. It is easy to understand why younger supporters cannot understand the relationship (and why should they?) and why some, and particularly younger Rangers supporters, will hold animosity towards Chelsea given their ‘external’ funding and overpaid players. And times are changing at the Bridge too. The new influx of prawn sandwich supporters know nothing of our fanbase history and few of the Blues Brothers connection. They are feasting purely on match results, but are poorer for it in my opinion. For those of us who lived through those great years we are richer for it and the bond is there forever.

GSTQ

BROTHERS IN BLUE – FOREVER!

[Uno]

What a good read. Thank you.

[dkw]

excellent article, very interesting reading. Cheers.

[Star]

Excellent post mate.

There were two coaches full of Rangers fans up at Blackburn last season and the flag came out at half time.

The only time I can recall an anti feeling toward Chelsea from Rangers was an afternoon I spent hammered in a Rangers pub in Los Christianos Tenerife, the day Hunt done Petr Cech, they were all supporting Reading for some reason ?

Somewhere in a loft in one of my old gaff's is a 80's wooly hat split Chels/Gers straight down the middle!

[bjd]

Great read Russell, thanks for posting.

Can't make it on Saturday but those who can are in for a special day. If it's anything like 2007 you will have a wonderful time, I've never seen such camaraderie between two sets of supporters before.

KTBFFH (& WATP!)

[SeannyC]

Sorry but this article makes me feel very uncomfortable. It's peppered with sectarian nonsense that has no place in British football. I'm Glaswegian (Govan) - left in 87 to pursue a career in London (west). Rangers fan and regular supporter. Like me, anyone who who has been to an Old Firm match in Ibrox or Parkhead can testify to the palpable hatred, antagonism, and ensuing violence - even now. I never got that at the Bridge and I loved that.........

It wasn't until I'd been away for a while and returned home that I realised what pathetic, pointless and parochial behaviour this truly was. I understand the history, affiliations and camaraderie but society has moved on hasn't it? There is no place for racism so there should equally be no place for sectarianism. Yes we have a 'relationship' with Rangers but what is it truly based on; and are we all comfortable with that?

The general footballing populous in London couldn't give a monkeys' about the SPL and any of the teams in it - as I'm frequently informed.

I'm glad the younger supporters don't 'appreciate' the history

This is a great site. I love it - I don't usually contribute but I felt I had to.

Sorry if I've upset anyone *ducks*

[bjd]

I'm sorry I don't see any 'sectarian nosense' in that post of all,

I'm from a generation that grew up in London in the 80ss as a Chelsea fan and it was natural to pick rangers as my second team because that was the thing young Cfc fans did.

I'm not naive to suggest there are no political leanings somewhere along the line but as 9 year old I picked rangers because all my cfc peers did, and it stuck and I'm glad it did. This culminated in a wonderful day a Ibrox in 07 which is one of my Cfc supporting highlights.

You're reading far too much into it mate, and at the same time tarring people with a brush that they don't warrant or deserve.

[Eight Times]

I've nothing against Rangers, but it really wouldn't bother me to see someone other than

them and Celtic win the SPL, purely for football reasons, and for the health of the SPL.

You need a couple of Arabs taking over at Hearts, or Hibs, someone like that, shake it up a bit.

[Bovis Messroom]

It's an interesting article but the historical tie ups are a bit shaky. Firstly while ex Rangers man Jackie Robertson was indeed our first manager, the clubs original shirts were Eton Blue and taken from the racing colours of the club president. J.T. Robertson had long gone when royal blue was adopted. Middlebroughs and Aston Villas lions are closer in resemblance to Rangers one than ours (which was also derived from the presidents coat of arms). The Celtic / Rangers chants in fact were still going on in The Shed up till the mid '80's as was singing YNWA (Unbelievable to think now but true). Those chants were always only a bit of a laugh anyway.

[Russell_Nash]

Sorry but this article makes me feel very uncomfortable. It's peppered with sectarian nonsense that has no place in British football. I'm Glaswegian (Govan) - left in 87 to pursue a career in London (west). Rangers fan and regular supporter. Like me, anyone who who has been to an Old Firm match in Ibrox or Parkhead can testify to the palpable hatred, antagonism, and ensuing violence - even now. I never got that at the Bridge and I loved that.........

It wasn't until I'd been away for a while and returned home that I realised what pathetic, pointless and parochial behaviour this truly was. I understand the history, affiliations and camaraderie but society has moved on hasn't it? There is no place for racism so there should equally be no place for sectarianism. Yes we have a 'relationship' with Rangers but what is it truly based on; and are we all comfortable with that?

The general footballing populous in London couldn't give a monkeys' about the SPL and any of the teams in it - as I'm frequently informed.

I'm glad the younger supporters don't 'appreciate' the history

This is a great site. I love it - I don't usually contribute but I felt I had to.

Sorry if I've upset anyone *ducks*

i suppose a Rangers fan could equally over exagerate the anti semitism at the bridge

run aound tottenham........

youre only a poor little.....

spurs are on there way to.....

and paint you guys all as BNP members much like youve just done with Rangers fans and sectarianism

poor show seanny

Im glad youve felt nothing but sweetness and light at the bridge when spurs arsenal the Hammers and Millwall are in town

Christ we wouldnt want you getting all upset and uncomfortable like you must have when you went to an OF match

Man up FFS

Im sightly bemused that you'd rather have younger gers fans follow the gooners or the rags, than chelsea

Its a strange world

Boomshanka

Neil

carefree/FF

Edited August 2, 2011 by Russell_Nash

[moi]

It's not quite clear to me. Russell, whether you wrote this article yourself or not. The subtitle says it was lifted (I assume that's what you mean to write) from www.follow.follow.com

Can you just clarify: are you the "I" referred to in the 12 paragraphs of the post/article?

[SeannyC]

I'm sorry I don't see any 'sectarian nosense' in that post of all,

I'm from a generation that grew up in London in the 80ss as a Chelsea fan and it was natural to pick rangers as my second team because that was the thing young Cfc fans did.

I'm not naive to suggest there are no political leanings somewhere along the line but as 9 year old I picked rangers because all my cfc peers did, and it stuck and I'm glad it did. This culminated in a wonderful day a Ibrox in 07 which is one of my Cfc supporting highlights.

You're reading far too much into it mate, and at the same time tarring people with a brush that they don't warrant or deserve.

I think we're maybe looking at that article from different perspectives. I understand your (and probably many other Chelsea fans) rationale for having the Gers as a second team.

I grew up with sectarianism in Glasgow & it was part of my life, - it was and still is endemic and it is part of the fabric of the city. I have to disagree with you but that article is full of sectarian rhetoric - trust me I know, I could paraphrase but I can't be @rsed. As a teenager at Ibrox I was as bad as the rest. It wasn't until I removed myself from that environment and changed my mind set that I woke up to it all. Do I still have that insatiable hatred towards Celtic? No, not anymore.

It just rekindled some uncomfortable memories for me that's all..........this is just a personal opinion grounded in experience.

Football should be about football.

[Hutch]

I think we're maybe looking at that article from different perspectives. I understand your (and probably many other Chelsea fans) rationale for having the Gers as a second team.

I grew up with sectarianism in Glasgow & it was part of my life, - it was and still is endemic and it is part of the fabric of the city. I have to disagree with you but that article is full of sectarian rhetoric - trust me I know, I could paraphrase but I can't be @rsed. As a teenager at Ibrox I was as bad as the rest. It wasn't until I removed myself from that environment and changed my mind set that I woke up to it all. Do I still have that insatiable hatred towards Celtic? No, not anymore.

It just rekindled some uncomfortable memories for me that's all..........this is just a personal opinion grounded in experience.

Football should be about football.

I can take you back to the very early '70s, when I was a 15 year old in the middle of the Shed, the singing section. Before the match started you'd regularly hear a "CELTIC, RANGERS" call and respond chant. It could have been the left of the middle shouting CELTIC, the right half chanting RANGERS, or vice versa. It wasn't unknown for the same people to both call and respond (meaning the same people chanting CELTIC and RANGERS). At the i suppose time it was a kind of fashion thing with fans in London to either follow Celtic or Rangers. For various reasons, some of which have been given above, Rangers ended up being far more popular at Stamford Bridge than Celtic ever could be. The souvenir shops along Fulham Road were full of Rangers badges. I could be wrong, but I don't think they ever sold that many Celtic badges.

And so a few years down the line, many Chelsea fans grew up, as did bjd, if not actually supporting Rangers, then having a soft spot. At no stage did sectarianism ever come into it.

Edited August 2, 2011 by Hutch

[SeannyC]

i suppose a Rangers fan could equally over exagerate the anti semitism at the bridge

run aound tottenham........

youre only a poor little.....

spurs are on there way to.....

and paint you guys all as BNP members much like youve just done with Rangers fans and sectarianism

poor show seanny

Im glad youve felt nothing but sweetness and light at the bridge when spurs arsenal the Hammers and Millwall are in town

Christ we wouldnt want you getting all upset and uncomfortable like you must have when you went to an OF match

Man up FFS

Im sightly bemused that you'd rather have younger gers fans follow the gooners or the rags, than chelsea

Its a strange world

Boomshanka

Neil

carefree/FF

Boomshanka? Looooool.

Check your bad self.

I couldn't care less who younger Gers fans follow - they should be following Rangers FFS. I choose to opt out on certain elements you've eluded to there, does that make me less of a fan?

My Mrs is Jewish - should I be supportin the Spuds?

Any doubts about my previous 'generalisations' have gone. I feel vindicated now.

[Russell_Nash]

It's not quite clear to me. Russell, whether you wrote this article yourself or not. The subtitle says it was lifted (I assume that's what you mean to write) from www.follow.follow.com

Can you just clarify: are you the "I" referred to in the 12 paragraphs of the post/article?

not my articled

[moi]

not my articled

So, what you have done is copied a bit off the Rangers site without attributing it? This is not actually about YOUR experiences? Because I think that's the impression you may have given.

[Russell_Nash]

Boomshanka? Looooool.

Check your bad self.

I couldn't care less who younger Gers fans follow - they should be following Rangers FFS. I choose to opt out on certain elements you've eluded to there, does that make me less of a fan?

My Mrs is Jewish - should I be supportin the Spuds?

Any doubts about my previous 'generalisations' have gone. I feel vindicated now.

ok so youre a Rangers fan called Sean who doesnt hate celtic?

youre a Chelsea fan with a jewish wife but your cool with the anti jewish stuff in the chelsea song book (which was rife when you started following Chels in '87 btw)?

youve never seen anything at the bridge on a par with the old firm game - does this include the relegation day riot and pitch invation in 87/8?

you could paraphrase - but you cant be arsed (nice kop out)?

mmmmmmmhh!

Edited August 2, 2011 by Russell_Nash

[Russell_Nash]

So, what you have done is copied a bit off the Rangers site without attributing it? This is not actually about YOUR experiences? Because I think that's the impression you may have given.

I think the fact that i wrote in the header that it was an article lifted from another web site would give you an idea that its not my article.

Infact the guy who wrote it signs of with the user name "Brothers in Blue"

at no time did i claim it was my article - I apologise if thats the way you misinterpreted it

ps

Im not really Charlie Cooke either

[HacKage]

I'm a young Rangers fan in Glasgow, and I had a season ticket at Ibrox for roughly 10 years before I started finding other things to interest me :P . Throughout that time, my dad always had tol me that when following English football, it should be Chelsea. "Don't support Liverpool whatever you do, and **** Man Utd as well" haha. I never understood really why I was to support Chelsea, but I did. Every single one of my Rangers supporting friends also follow Chelsea, so I'd imagine they have been brought up the same way. I'm not entirely sure of any sectarian links between the clubs, I have never been told about them if there are any, but I know that Chelsea are the English team I and all my Rangers supporting friends follow. Not one of my Celtic supporting friends support Chelsea, they are split between Liverpool and Arsenal, and it creates all the more banter between us.

I already have my ticket for the Rangers vs Chelsea friendly, as I did in 2007, and today I just bought a ticket for the Chelsea vs West Brom game. Unfortunately with the ticket prices being what they are at Stamford Bridge, and cost of travelling, it is a bit tough for us to get down to every game, but I know if the prices were lower as they were before, there would be far far more Rangers fans at games regularly as it is something that me and my friends have always spoke about. Maybe there aren't as many Rangers following Chelsea fans, but there are plenty Chelsea following Rangers fans up here!

[Nitro]

At the time of the Rangers Celtic chants in the shed around 1975 there was also Split Bennie type hats / half Celtic and half Chelsea only remember them for about a season. All other merchandice was Chelsea Rangers.

[Zola]

Why would it ever be "fashionable" to chant another clubs team name in your own clubs stadium?

Its like being in the Nou Camp and shouting "Birmingham!!!!" "No, Aston Villa!"

A load of bollocks.

[Hutch]

Why would it ever be "fashionable" to chant another clubs team name in your own clubs stadium?

Its like being in the Nou Camp and shouting "Birmingham!!!!" "No, Aston Villa!"

A load of bollocks.

So you were there in the early '70s then?

You can yell "load of bollocks" as much as you like. And you'd be wrong. I was there, I not only heard it and saw it, but I was right in the middle of it.

[Star]

So you were there in the early '70s then?

You can yell "load of bollocks" as much as you like. And you'd be wrong. I was there, I not only heard it and saw it, but I was right in the middle of it.

Will back you up 100% on that Hutch.

[Hutch]

Will back you up 100% on that Hutch.

Thanks. My memory might be a little vague on various matters - and there are a more than a few things that I choose to say nothing about - but there's also a hell of a lot from way back when that I can remember as clearly as if it was yesterday.

[yorkleyblue]

I don't think he was saying you were talking bollocks, I think he was saying that chanting another team's name is bollocks! But he is young!