What a team, what an experience, what a life!

I want to know what it was that attracted you to Chelsea football club............

For me, I grew up not ever being interested in football, I didn't mind playing it - at school, if we had to, God knows it was

certainly better than anything else, but I could never bring myself to watch it.

When I was 13 years old, my old man (a Leeds Utd fan......yep Leeds Utd) got me a FIFA game for my Nintendo, I remember being

really annoyed and puzzled when I opened it, thinking to myself "Cheeky bar steward, he's only got me this so he can play it".

I remember he went out one night, and I started it up, and instantly took to it, I remember always choosing Chelsea, no idea why, knew absolutely

nothing about them, but I just stuck to them every time.

Was then a few months later, my mates mum asked me what team I supported, to which I replied "Chelsea", my mate was quite puzzled.

Finally watched my first televised game (well, the highlights at least), Chelsea 4 Blackburn 3, I was hooked ever since.

I even had my mum buy me a shirt when she was on her work break, I pressumed she'd get the home shirt, but instead came back with this bad boy:

http://www.footballh...ayshirt4205.jpg

Not long after that, I managed to get to my first game, Chelsea against Leeds in the league, we lived in Bath back then, so my parents even let me have

a day off school, as it had originally been planned for a weekend, however postponed and re-scheduled for a week night.

Poyet got the only goal of the game, and for the first time we qualified for the Champions League!

My dad couldn't take me to the game, but I remember him saying to me, "That's the first time I've ever minded Leeds losing", top bloke, and has sat next to me in many games since, always getting behind Chelsea, for the sake of me.

One of my greatest moments was when he joined in the singing of 'Carefree' at the pub, during the penalties in Moscow, he's taken me to games for years, and has never complained, or ever taken the piss.

He winds me up a bit now though, saying he's getting some Leeds kits for my two lads, for their Christmas present.

Problem is, whenever we've gone to games, will always be in a pub full of Chelsea, and he'll always announce "Well actually, I'm a Leeds fan", every time he does it I think to myself, "Oh God, here we go", and to the credit of our support, he's never had any negative reactions, he's always joined in a bit of banter with our lot, and had a laugh.

Nowadays I've started taking my oldest boy, I'm lucky if I go even four times a season these days, being a family man in these times is hard (financially) took him to Pompey away last season which was mad, but funny looking back on it.

I'm not from London, but I live, breath and bleed this club..........so to Chelsea football club (and my old man) I salute you.

I'm off for a few more beers.

and by the way, the away shirt my mum got me, I let an ex borrow it years ago (not sure why, perhaps I got her to wear it for some reason........) well anyway, I've never

seen the shirt since, nor will I ever be likely to. Absolutely gutted about that, had to be my first ever shirt n all.

Great post. You chose the right club.

Not sure I'd be as understanding as your dad if my children supported Leeds. At least I'd save a lot on pocket money, seeing as they wouldn't get any.

Great post. You chose the right club.

Not sure I'd be as understanding as your dad if my children supported Leeds. At least I'd save a lot on pocket money, seeing as they wouldn't get any.

I know what you mean mate, I'd feel terrible if mine started supporting Leeds , though that's not likely

For me, supporting this club was just pot luck, and although I've never had to live through the bad times, there were times during the early 00's, that I never

thought I'd see Chelsea win a league title.

As I keep saying (and boring people with), I'm lucky to have seen us win the lot now, so anything else is a bonus.

Still want that Shield tomorrow mind.

Another FIFA story.

First of all, I had a very vague interest in football. I used to play it but I didn't really support a club, I only supported the national team.

I Was playing FIFA 99 (I was 8 at the time) with my friend and he always played as Chelsea. I played as Manchester United as I thought I would win all the time. Anyway, Zola kept scoring against me in our games. About a week player, I bought the game, and starting playing as Chelsea because my friend always beat me with them. A week later, I learnt all the squad, and started to check Chelsea out. Fell in love with Zola in the prem and the rest is history.

It isn't actually until this season I will start to go to games regularly. I've never had the money for a membership/tickets so whenever I did go, it was very occasional. Bought my first membership this season, and been to the Brighton V Chelsea game. Newcastle next! Can't wait! Gonna try go once a month :)

Edited August 12, 201213 yr by JoeyN

As a 12 year old I loved playing footy yet never really watched much as we didn't have sky TV. for as long as I remember my dad always had motd on though.

He's Chelsea through and through. He still has a Chelsea clicker he made in school when he was 15 (those annoying wooden things you spin and makes a loud nose).

After the Omagh bomb Chelsea came over and played to raise funds for town. I will have to upload the programme.

Zola, Flo, Wise etc. loved it! My dad started taking us to Chelsea games and the rest is history!

We cried for sky sports which was the excuse my dad needed to get it. This of course stimulated our young brains and made us complete CFC victims!!!

As a 12 year old I loved playing footy yet never really watched much as we didn't have sky TV. for as long as I remember my dad always had motd on though.

He's Chelsea through and through. He still has a Chelsea clicker he made in school when he was 15 (those annoying wooden things you spin and makes a loud nose).

After the Omagh bomb Chelsea came over and played to raise funds for town. I will have to upload the programme.

Zola, Flo, Wise etc. loved it! My dad started taking us to Chelsea games and the rest is history!

We cried for sky sports which was the excuse my dad needed to get it. This of course stimulated our young brains and made us complete CFC victims!!!

Would love to see that buddy, if you get a bit of spare time.

Cheers for the replies people, not sure what came over me last night lol.

None of my family liked football and we were always moving around because dad was in the RAF so I never had a team near where I lived but I remember seeing Zola play and that was it. Got my first kit when I was 8 ish and never looked back, all my mates supported Man U. I can even remember one giving me his Chelsea scarf because he was going to support Man U. I've still got the scarf and so glad I picked and stuck with Chelsea. Last season is the first time I've had some money to go and watch us so I went 12 times and managed to go to spurs semi final and the f.a cup final. Currently on my way to villa park!

Would love to see that buddy, if you get a bit of spare time.

Cheers for the replies people, not sure what came over me last night lol.

Just for you mate:

What a star! really appreciate that mate, thanks!

Not long after that, I managed to get to my first game, Chelsea against Leeds in the league, we lived in Bath back then, so my parents even let me have

a day off school, as it had originally been planned for a weekend, however postponed and re-scheduled for a week night.

Poyet got the only goal of the game, and for the first time we qualified for the Champions League!

I think that may have been my first game aswell. Can't remember the game all I can remember was that it was a midweek game late 90's and the west stand was being rebuilt and I couldn't see a thing.

supported chelsea since 1975 when i was 5. i lived near and went to infant school with chelsea supporting kids who took me under their wing. i can still remember us recreating the 'battles' in the local park with the liverfool supporters who were lording it over everbody! no fists or weapons just wrestling and pushing! during those hard times i got put in a private school where rugby was the only sport but i still hang round my mates and suffer the high and lows of yo yoing! my favourite player is the crab but zola comes very close.

Strangely (which gives me nightmares) i was nearly a SPUD..I attended THEM V Chelsea at SPUD HART LANE in season 67/68..Luckily what i saw drew me to CFC..So my first home game at the Bridge in 68 was a hook line and sinker scenario

Edited August 14, 201213 yr by Mike Carefree

As a 12 year old I loved playing footy yet never really watched much as we didn't have sky TV. for as long as I remember my dad always had motd on though.

He's Chelsea through and through. He still has a Chelsea clicker he made in school when he was 15 (those annoying wooden things you spin and makes a loud nose).

That brings back memories, I made one of those in woodwork in school around 1970, didn't half make a row! They were called 'rattles' back then, but even in 1970 you'd never see or hear one at football anymore, they were already out of date.

I almost never get to watch games as i live in ireland and dont have sky sports so the first televised game i saw was chelsea wigan 8 years ago i was really impressed by lampard and terry started looking at the premier league table in the paper and keeping track of the results and when anyone asked who i supported i said chelsea i always wonder what would have happend if wigan won

My old man used to watch Chelsea in the late 1950s-mid 1960s when he visited my Uncle who stayed in London. ( Okay I admit so he went to watch Spurs and Arsenal too) He just loved the atmosphere at The Bridge and was hooked by Chelsea.

He would pass on his 'Bridge tales' to me when I was growing up.

He'd played against Charlie Cooke when 'The Bonnie Prince' played at Junior level briefly in Scotland.

They were roughly the same age and from the same town in West of Scotland. My old man rates him as the best player he's ever played against and one of Scotlands finest.

When my uncle moved to Coventry in mid 1960,s my old man would go and watch as many Blues games as he could in that area when he was down. His visits 'coincided' with Chelsea away games in the midlands. My Uncle I think had a Coventry City Season ticket after he moved from London !

Edited August 15, 201213 yr by erskblue

In the early 1960's my Dad played in goal for a Sunday league team. His mate and centre back was getting married to my Mum's cousin. At the engagement party, my folks were introduced as they were the only Chelsea fans in a room full of gooners and spuds......I was born because of Chelsea!!

My first game was at the Bridge against Cardiff in 1980....I was 5. It was a very strange game and I remember leaving the Bridge and neither me my folks or siblings knowing the result (pre electronic scoreboards)., until the classifieds came on the radio to which we cheered and flew our scarves out of the windows of our Morris Traveller. I actually got to see Chopper Harris in this game (can't remember too much of him sadly!

I was born in 1994, and wore my first Chelsea shirt and shorts when I was only about 6 months old as my Aunt who was a lifelong Chelsea fan made sure I supported them by buying me them, I still have the picture and everything!

I remember my first game as in 1998 I think when we played Everton at Stamford Bridge, we took the lead through Di Matteo I think but I really can't remember then Danni Cademateri scored an equaliser and I burst into tears and from that day I knew I was always going to be a true blue, went to Ipswich at home the following season and remember it being 1-1 up until the 90th minute and as me and my Aunt who was looking after me left the ground, we heard a thunderous roar from inside the ground and remember my Aunt switching her radio on hearing that we scored in the dying seconds, making me take a slide of delight on the concrete which ended up in bruises and lots of cuts, I didn't care though as I was so happy!

Up until the age of possibly 12 or even 13, my parents used to hate Chelsea playing or having a game coming up because they knew what I was like whenever it came down to it, if we won i'd be ecstatic and be in a fantastic mood all week until the next game or i'd throw a massive tantrum when we lost (mostly because this stupid Charlton fan used to pick on me at school whenever Chelsea lost)

Since then, i've been fine apart from that night in Moscow which I can't explain my emotions that night, to Munich where to be honest, possibly one of the best moments in my life.

Chelsea FC <3

Mine is not the most romatic of stories. Becoming die-hard Chelsea was gradual, I grew up a fan of the Chicago White Sox. The only football I would see growing up was the world cup. As I got older I started seeing some Champions League coverage also. I started to get interested in football, and chose Chelsea partly to annoy my mate who supported Liverpool, partly because I wanted to follow Essien after seeing him play against USA in '06, and partly because of FIFA games. I vaguely remember watching the FA Cup Final of 2007 as a Chelsea fan (albeit one who could barely name the squad) in the wee hours of the morning probably still drunk as I was in college then. It wasn't until the next season that I began watching games regularly and became football obsessed. There are 2 games in particular I remember quite well that season that proved to me that America had it wrong for not embracing football.

Barca 2 - Chelsea 2 in the group stage. Lampard scored that beautiful chip from an impossible angle and Drogba evened things just before the end.

Chelsea 4 - Villa 4. I had never seen a match like this before up until this point. Down 2-0 going into HT, Red Card to Villa, 3 goals to Chelsea (2x Sheva, Alex), Red to Chelsea (Riccy), Villa Level, Ballack puts us ahead in the '87th. It ended with a sour note with Ashley Cole getting sent off and Barry scoring from the spot in stoppage but it was the most exciting 2 hours I've ever spent in front of a TV.

By March that same season I had an oppurtunity to stay with a classmate in central London. I watched Drogba score two against Arsenal in a pub full of Gooners and 3 Chelsea fans. I saw Milwall vs Luton (big mistake), Charlton vs Wolves, and finally Chelsea v Boro while I was there. I was beyond exicted. I went to the So Bar, witnessed Chelsea alouette, saw Carvalho score, Boro hit the post 3 times and we won by the skin of our teeth. I know the songs at this point and rarely miss a game on TV. I look back and smile thinking about my attempt to sing with the Shed:

"Carefree! Wherever you may be,

We all follow the CFC!"

HAHA. Fortunately no one could here me butchering the words. I was able to see them in NYC this summer, but seeing them again at the Bridge is something I obsess over.

Moved to England when I was 6 weeks old, to a town called Hampton (would stay there for 7 years). Basically grew up as an English kid (didn't know any better hahaha)...all my friends were English, I picked up a wicked accent (not hard considering my first words were spoken in England)....

Loved football, it was the only sport for me (didn't get to know about rugby's, cricket etc, until I came back to Australia). Used to go for whoever was winning, because I was a petty kid. My dad supported Leeds, but since he was born and lived in Australia for most of his life, he hadn't built up an overly parochial support....so it came to me to choose a team when I became old enough to understand what support really is. Can't say my reasons for choosing Chelsea were brilliant really. But, they were one of most local PL teams to where I lived, I loved Zola...they wore blue (my favourite colour haha)....So yeah it started.

Got to go to a few games (but I was very young so my memory is very hazy). Dad took me to Stamford Bridge (don't really know how he felt about it to be honest...I mean, as a kid, I didn't think of it). I believe the games I saw were against Coventry and Aston Villa and one other...wish I had more, but as I said, young....

Came back to Australia (it was hard, because for all intensive purposes I was British in every was except for birthplace). It was hard to follow Chelsea for a while. I got my fix mainly by purchasing magazines (Shoot, Match etc) and playing video games (PC management games, FIFA etc). Didn't really use the internet so didn't have ease of access like today...didn't get pay tv until much later (2006). Saw one game a week on free tv (rarely Chelsea, usually United, Arsenal or Liverpool), and watched some highlights. Saw the FA Cup finals though, so that was something.

Even if I couldn't support Chelsea as I wanted, Chelsea was always in my head. Every game I played I was Chelsea, every time I was playing football with friends, I was a Chelsea player. Eventually I got the access I needed, and now spend a lot of time watching Chelsea, and reading all about Chelsea at god awful hours. Waiting to get the opportunity to get back to England (my mother and sisters have all been back a number of times). I'll get there eventually and hopefully be in a position to go back to the Bridge, and finally give me a real tangible memory to tie to my support and keep me going.

Now whilst my family are not any specific followers I would have been brought to Brentford a good few times when I was small , my Grandad went to watch the mighty Bees when he lived in london. Anyway the point is at the time there was a connection between Chelsea and Brentford , Micky Droy I seen playing for Brentford but not Chelsea , Kammy was playing as well as Keith Cassells.

I went to a school in Kilburn and a mate was a member and asked me another mate if we fancied going down one saturday. We did it was around 1986/87 , such a long time ago now I can't be sure , anyway went for the remaining games of the season and became a member the following season. Remember going to the portakabin in the car park to hand the form in , ha ha how times have changed !!

1998 Cup winners cup. When Zola was brought on after a injury layoff to score the winner with his first touch.

It was a bit of a gamble, but I remember Gullit, totally relaxed in the dugout.

This, I thought, is my club.

Dad's always been a Chelsea fan and I am as a result although I have no idea why he supports Chelsea and neither does he seeing as we're from North London and my grandad dosen't care for football and my uncle's a Gooner.

I'm 22 now me and my family moved to England when i was 7. My dad is Italian and at that time we moved here chelsea had Di matteo, zola and vialli so my dad chose to support them so i did aswell. Our old dog was named casi after casiraghi

This was around 2004:

1) Blue is my favourite colour.

2) They weren't Man U or Arsenal (the trendy clubs at the time).

3) I liked Hernan Crespo and Didier Drogba.

4) Everyone else seemed to hate or be indifferent at best to them.

5) At the time, they were considered underdogs to Arsenal. I like supporting an underdog unless the team in question represents my city, state or country.

6) I liked playing with them on FIFA.

This is a tricky question because it happend a long time ago,when I was a innocent lad & before I discoverd the 'pleasure' of women.............

I remember getting 'into' football mostly because of the '78 World cup starring Mario Kempes and all that ticky tape stuff from the fans on the terracing,which was shown at that time on the BBC (in black & white for me),which was fantastic and really amazing for a 10 year old.

Mind you,watching 'Pot Black' was a bit sh*t though.

Supporting Chelsea however?....well unfortunatly that comes from sibbling rivalry,I didn't get on to well with the older bruv at the time,so there was no way I was going to follow him by supporting our local league club,which was West Ham at the time.

No,no way....it had to be local(ish),not a big time charlie side & have a foreign 'star' because they are so much better than british ones!.

So in a nutshell,I've no idea how I came to support Chelsea really...........

But even through the clubs dark periods,I'm bloody glad I did.