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02 03 2006 Apparently Chelsea has no history
The events over the last 24 hours have proved that Chelsea has one hell of a history.
The romanticism of the Kings Road days in 1970 is well known. Who can forget the scene where Raquel Welch attended
a Chelsea game with Jimmy "all Chelsea fans are hooligans" Hill explaining to her the rules of the game. Or the footage
when she enthusiastically met the late Peter Osgood with a loud shout of "Ossie!"
Fans (and I am thinking in particular of a team that plays at Anfield) who chant that Chelsea has no history quite clearly
do not understand the English language. Trophies we do not have, at least in comparison with the big clubs. Perhaps
this is what they mean. I would not trade my club's history with a club who's fans killed Italians at Heysel and still make up
excuses for it.
As a result, English fans were banned from Europe and clubs such as Coventry and Wimbledon were denied a
deserved place in European competition. Look where those clubs are now. Perhaps instead of lobbying UEFA to be
allowed to be back into the Champions League despite finishing outside a Champions' League place, they should have
given up the place they were offered to the Sky Blues or the Dons. Perhaps I am dreaming! I wonder if Liverpool would
have been allowed to compete if they were not in the G14 Old Boys' Club either.
The precedent set by that decision has wide consequences. What if Brazil had not qualified for the World Cup? Would
they have lobbied FIFA to be allowed to play in Germany as holders?
I digress.
When fans sing, "you ain't got no history" perhaps it also reflects the type of fan that supports that team. Is that why
these fans started to support Liverpool and Manchester United? Because they had already won trophies so it was an
easy club to support? These kind of fans would have sided with Hitler had he won World War II.
The most embarrassing fan is Zoe Ball. She is rightly detested by both Manchester United and Liverpool fans. Once a
Liverpool fan, proudly pictured in a full Crown Paints Liverpool kit, she changed her allegiances to Manchester United
once it was clear they were becoming a success. How excruciating was it listening to her on Radio One talking about her
beloved Reds? I wonder if she will go back to supporting Liverpool now they have a stronger side than the Red Devils.
Yesterday demonstrated how fans felt so strongly about Peter Osgood. These fans, many in their forties and fifties, are
the ones who we should be targeting to return to Stamford Bridge. Make ticket prices cheaper and reward those who
were with us during our dark days!
The romanticism of the Kings Road days in 1970 is well known. Who can forget the scene where Raquel Welch attended
a Chelsea game with Jimmy "all Chelsea fans are hooligans" Hill explaining to her the rules of the game. Or the footage
when she enthusiastically met the late Peter Osgood with a loud shout of "Ossie!"
Fans (and I am thinking in particular of a team that plays at Anfield) who chant that Chelsea has no history quite clearly
do not understand the English language. Trophies we do not have, at least in comparison with the big clubs. Perhaps
this is what they mean. I would not trade my club's history with a club who's fans killed Italians at Heysel and still make up
excuses for it.
As a result, English fans were banned from Europe and clubs such as Coventry and Wimbledon were denied a
deserved place in European competition. Look where those clubs are now. Perhaps instead of lobbying UEFA to be
allowed to be back into the Champions League despite finishing outside a Champions' League place, they should have
given up the place they were offered to the Sky Blues or the Dons. Perhaps I am dreaming! I wonder if Liverpool would
have been allowed to compete if they were not in the G14 Old Boys' Club either.
The precedent set by that decision has wide consequences. What if Brazil had not qualified for the World Cup? Would
they have lobbied FIFA to be allowed to play in Germany as holders?
I digress.
When fans sing, "you ain't got no history" perhaps it also reflects the type of fan that supports that team. Is that why
these fans started to support Liverpool and Manchester United? Because they had already won trophies so it was an
easy club to support? These kind of fans would have sided with Hitler had he won World War II.
The most embarrassing fan is Zoe Ball. She is rightly detested by both Manchester United and Liverpool fans. Once a
Liverpool fan, proudly pictured in a full Crown Paints Liverpool kit, she changed her allegiances to Manchester United
once it was clear they were becoming a success. How excruciating was it listening to her on Radio One talking about her
beloved Reds? I wonder if she will go back to supporting Liverpool now they have a stronger side than the Red Devils.
Yesterday demonstrated how fans felt so strongly about Peter Osgood. These fans, many in their forties and fifties, are
the ones who we should be targeting to return to Stamford Bridge. Make ticket prices cheaper and reward those who
were with us during our dark days!