I am of the generation who travelled to Loftus Road on Boxing Day for many years, this from 1981 …

12 hours ago, Gate 13 said:

I am of the generation who travelled to Loftus Road on Boxing Day for many years, this from 1981 …

The last game before the ban. The ban that didn’t work! You Can’t ban a Chelsea Fan! 
Loved my T-shirt at the time.

I went to school in Harlesden about 50-50 Chelsea- QPR those games meant everything to me. First one I went was 79 game was about 20th December the whole Loft was Chelsea as a 13 year old it was my proudest day being a Chelsea fan even though it was so packed in the Loft I could only see half the goal. Other notable Boxing Day games were Leeds on the big screen and Southampton when Le Saux chucked his shirt on the ground.

Was always a strange atmosphere on Boxing day I always felt some of the noisiest characters on the terraces were absent, perhaps away for family celebrations.

One I do remember  was this although we lost, it was when the Shed End was being rebuilt and noticed when a chant went up the West Stand picked it up straight away and felt at times like 3 sides of the ground were singing together.

 

On 27/12/2022 at 15:11, strider6004 said:

Was always a strange atmosphere on Boxing day I always felt some of the noisiest characters on the terraces were absent, perhaps away for family celebrations.

One I do remember  was this although we lost, it was when the Shed End was being rebuilt and noticed when a chant went up the West Stand picked it up straight away and felt at times like 3 sides of the ground were singing together.

 

Was at that game right behind the goal at the North Stand. I remember trying to give Cantona some stick in sweary schoolboy french, at one point he gave me a bit of a glare...didnt think anything of it until a few weeks later he did more than that at Palace

My first match v Arsenal 1967, then the Ipswich David Webb in goal one.  Fulham and the 55,003, the taking of the Northbank and a couple of years later getting chased by Portsmouth all around Plough Lane after coming back from a morning KO at Southampton.

On 27/12/2022 at 15:11, strider6004 said:

Was always a strange atmosphere on Boxing day I always felt some of the noisiest characters on the terraces were absent, perhaps away for family celebrations.

One I do remember  was this although we lost, it was when the Shed End was being rebuilt and noticed when a chant went up the West Stand picked it up straight away and felt at times like 3 sides of the ground were singing together.

 

Actually just thought we may well have been sat together for this one

My first Chelsea match was on Boxing day 1975 away at Orient-dont remember much other than seeing Maybank equalise , two pitch invasions and my uncle going on and on about how good Laurie Cunningham was. 

A year later or so i thought i was one of the fabled 55003, it was actually on 27th i recently found out.

I went to an awful 0-0 V Bristol City but at least got to see Ossie play (actually 23rd i just realised), couple of years later i had to beg my dad to take me to see the same fixture-its bound to be a much better game i said...you guessed it 0-0 and no ossie...

A few years later i saw us beat leicester at home on a boxing day 1-0 with of course a Fillery goal

I remember a last minute equaliser at palace by i think le saux who had wound them up like crazy-touch of the le saux about gallagher actually

After several years of not going with my dad on boxing day in 2002 i persuaded him to come to the bridge for a game with southampton, he moaned like hell about the price (40 quid i think) but was impressed with the new bridge (his first time since the rebuild) and the exciting free scoring Chelsea of that season...decided to miss a hatful of chances and draw 0-0...keeping up the family tradition 🙂

 

 

 

1 hour ago, fillerywhereru said:

Actually just thought we may well have been sat together for this one

You might be right can't recall for sure.

So...sometime early 70s Chelsea had le arse at old Highbury...my memory is dodgy for its now 67 yes old...but think we met a huge group of Chelsea at Euston or kings x....boxing day aggro day was the chant...then quiet to Highbury....into the northbank...quietly.......then while awaiting some knowns Chelsea went of....the cry of CHELSEA CHELSEA went up....this was from approx middle of the northbank...arsenal ran....to the left of the northbank...police came in pushing Chelsea to the right...arsenal boys came behind cops pushing too with the chant WERE THE NORTHBANK IGHHHBURY...stayed inside the northbank all match....on the flip side....another time in 70s Chelsea couldn't hold their own in the clockend and were scattered with absolute demolition by some very tasty arsenal....just different poles of arsenal visits...

9 hours ago, Mike Carefree said:

So...sometime early 70s Chelsea had le arse at old Highbury...my memory is dodgy for its now 67 yes old...but think we met a huge group of Chelsea at Euston or kings x....boxing day aggro day was the chant...then quiet to Highbury....into the northbank...quietly.......then while awaiting some knowns Chelsea went of....the cry of CHELSEA CHELSEA went up....this was from approx middle of the northbank...arsenal ran....to the left of the northbank...police came in pushing Chelsea to the right...arsenal boys came behind cops pushing too with the chant WERE THE NORTHBANK IGHHHBURY...stayed inside the northbank all match....on the flip side....another time in 70s Chelsea couldn't hold their own in the clockend and were scattered with absolute demolition by some very tasty arsenal....just different poles of arsenal visits...

Nice to see you back again.

I've been in the Arsenal end twice more due to the no ticket matches and then getting caught out by the numbers getting their early.

Once in the North Bank swear I could hear some chanting Chelsea, Chelsea and immediately the Arsenal would sing over the top of them. 

There was another lot of about 30 surrounded by police and pushed off to the side.

Unfortunately we lost too much their in the 90's, still no complaints at WHL.