CHELSEA Short history of one of the best clubs in the world

The Stadium Stamford Bridge was open on April, 28, First it was used only for competitions of the London Athletic club. Then it was the arena with one east tribune in length 120 yards and spaciousness of 5 thousand spectators. The project of the stadium was made by Archibald Litch which later at the request of brothers Mears made the project of the football arena with roominess about 80 thousand spectators. And in 1972 Stamford Bridge was the first stadium in England at which the field has been separated from the tribunes by a fence. Now the stadium, after all reconstructions, contains 42.5 thousand.

Brothers Mears Brothers Augustus (Gus) and J. T. Mears bought Stamford Bridge in But they didnt think of football at all, they were more interested in profit from sale of the ground on which there was the stadium. But their partner Fred Barker has persuaded brothers to transform the arena in the football stadium. First Gus Mears was involved by the prospect of rendering of the stadium in rent but when Fulham wanted to rent Stamford Bridge he named the price in 1.5 thousand pounds (inconceivable on those times). Then the head of Fulham said in anger: «For such money youd better make your own team, and lease it your stadium then! »

Formation of the Club So the decision on creation of the new football club was accepted in the pub Rising Sun on March, 14, The name was chosen on a territorial attribute. «Stamford Bridge ", "London" and Kensington" were rejected. As club "Fulham" had already existed, they decided to call club after next district "Chelsea". Archibald Litch made new project of the stadium. But the tribunes were far from the football pitch as dog races were often carried out on Stamford Bridge and sometimes races were praised higher than football. Sometimes the team could be simply expelled from the stadium because of races.

The First Structure of the team and Coming to Football League The head coach of the new team became John Robertson who went on the native land to Scotland to gather a structure. Now for "Chelsea" it was necessary to get to any league. The management tried to declare the club in regional Southern League, but it was refused. At the same time the Football League decided to increase the number of the members from 36 up to 40. One vacancy unexpectedly was given to "Chelsea". Thus the club which did not play a match came to the serious league.

Willie Foulke Willie Foulke –the star of English football appeared in first structure of Chelsea. This goalkeeper had growth of 198 centimeters and weight of 140 kg. During those "undersized" times he simply frightened the players on the field. Willie could beat an opponents forward, to break a gate was also easy for him, but spectators liked Foulke. Besides "Fat man" as he was also named, was a real goalkeeper.

The Debut The first official match of "Chelsea" was on September, 2, The debut was unsuccessful, "Chelsea" lost to "Stockport" with the score 0:1. Then there was a friendly match with "Liverpool" which "the Blues" had won 4:0! And the sum of proceeds was 102 pounds. Robertson, who took the function of a playing coach, scored the first official goal in the second round of the Championship (on a visit to "Blackpool"), and this goal brought "Chelsea" the first official victory.

The First Season (1905/06) On September, 11, 1905 "Chelsea" played the first official match of the Championship on Stamford Bridge. On the tribunes there were just 6 thousand spectators, but "the Blues" won Hull City with the score 5:1. "Chelsea" began the struggle for an entrance to the 1st division. For 5 rounds before the ending of the Championship on Stamford Bridge there was the major match with Manchester United. There were 67 thousand of spectators on the stadium, it was necessary to win, but the match ended in a draw. After that "Chelsea" took only 2 points in the last matches and stayed in the 2nd division.

However, in the following season "Chelsea" was on the 2nd place and entered the first division. Then in forward George Hilsdon shone in the structure of the team, he was the first in the history of "Chelsea" who scored more than 100 goals. After the ending of the season Robertson left the post, David Kolderhed was appointed the new coach, who held on this post for 26 years. The following 45 years had passed. They practically noted nothing. "Chelsea" struggled for a survival in the 1st division or it entered the 2nd one. Only in the season 1919/20 "the Blues" unexpectedly occupied the third place. In 1933 Lesley Niton became "Chelsea" coach, and 1939 he was replaced by Billy Birrell. But for this time "the Blues" set up one remarkable record: on a match of the Championship with "Arsenal" on October, 12, 1935 there were spectators at Stamford Bridge, till now nobody had surpassed this record in English league! And on the friendly match with "Dynamo" (Kiev) there were about 100 thousand spectators.

Conditions in the Club by 1952 "Chelsea" always had stars, but there were no discipline and order in the team. Many players, such as Hughie Gailacher (for whom "the Blues" had paid to "Newcastle" £10000), refused to train, motivating this "let train those who are not able to play!" In the middle of the forties centre-forward Tommy Lawton came to "Chelsea" from "Everton". He carried out only one full season in the club, but had time to establish a record of the club (at that moment) - 26 goals in the Championship. Soon he quarreled with a management and was sold to the club of the 3rd division for £20000! More than a half of this money was spent to purchase a forward of "Newcastle" Roy Bentley who was the leader of "the blues" in the triumphal season.

The New Coach In May 1952 Ted Dracke became a new coach. Dracke strikingly differed from all previous coaches: he was not engaged in paper work and gave much attention to work with a ball. The medical brigade and a trainer's staff appeared at this time. He was also a professional. Ted was able to raise enthusiasm among the players. He took care of the teams atmosphere and mood very much.

The Champions Title For The Jubilee Having come to "Chelsea", Dracke put the aim at once: to win the Championship. Players regarded this with skepticism. In the first season with Dracke "Chelsea" struggled for a survival. In the season 1953/54 "the Blues" unexpectedly took the eighth place. Before a jubilee season Dracke told that the fifty years season would be special for the club. The season was intensive, for all its extension there was no individual leader. Toward the end of the season "Chelsea" became a leader. Everything was perfect, but "the Blues" could not realize a penalty in any way (5 penalties were badly performed one after another). And in the major match with "Wolverhampton" there was confusion in penalty area, and all the team prayed, the referee would not appoint a penalty kick, but he pointed to the penalty spot. Peter Silletts shot was bad, but the ball was in a net. After that "Chelsea" kept the leadership and for the first time in the history it became the champion of England.

Not Taken Place Debut in Europe In 1955 FIFA organized a new tournament the European Champions Cup, and "Chelsea" as the champion of England should take part in it. But FIFA made the clause that all participants should receive the approval of the national associations and federations. The Football Association used this fact in its interests and forbade "the Blues" to participate. FA explained that the calendar was full, but, probably, the real reason was that the chiefs were simply afraid of the fact that "Chelsea" was not the strongest club of England. And in the following season "the Blues" fell to the 16th place.

The End of Drackes Era After the champion season "Chelsea" was exhausted. Dracke decided to rejuvenate the structure. Prospects were huge, but the youth could not play stably, but it was necessary to play with skilled players, but there were in a few such players in Chelsea. The team even had a nickname "Dracke's ducklings". Jimmy Greaves was the most perspective of "ducklings". He scored 132 goals in 169 matches with Chelsea. He was only 17 when he had debut with "Chelsea" in Greaves scored many goals, but their defenders missed even more. If the team scored 98 goals in a season they missed 100. But in 1961 Greaves was sold to "Milan" for £ After Jimmys sale Dracke stayed in the rank of the coach for only 4 months, and in September 1961 he was dismissed. Tommy Docherty became a new coach. He made strong discipline in the club, but Chelsea fell on a bottom of the first division, and then went to the second.

Chelsea with Docherty Docherty rejuvenated the structure of the team even more. Tommy also found the substitution of Greaves in Bobby Tambling who became the best scorer in the history of the club. At that time 21 was the middle age of the team. In the season - 62/63 Chelsea got out of the second division and confidently fixed in the first one. In the season - 64/65 Chelsea looked rather well in the Championship, team reached a semifinal of the English Cup and won the League Cup, the first cup in the history of Chelsea. Successful actions in the championship allowed Chelsea to play in Europe: first they defeated "Roma" rather easily, in 1/8 Chelsea had a lot of luck in the struggle with "Milan", and in a semifinal with "Barcelona" the blues lost the first match but won the second one and had one more match with Barca in which Chelsea was defeated at Nou Camp with the score 5:0... But for Chelsea it was uneasy as the calendar was very full, sometimes they could play even two matches in a day. Docherty was dissatisfied with the defeats and made a big cleaning in the structure: Chelsea lost the main playmaker and some more players. Charlie Cooke became a new playmaker, he played with Peter Osgood very well. In 1967 Chelsea reached the English Cups final, but lost it to "Tottenham" with Greaves. On the banquet after the match it was found out, that Docherty sold tickets which intended for the players relatives, at the black market with the big profit. In 1966 the president of Chelsea Joe Mears (Guss nephew) who supported Docherty died. And in 1967 Docherty was dismissed.

Seckstons Epoch Dave Seckston became the head coach of Chelsea. In 69/70 season "the Blues" were on the third place in the Championship and won the Cup of England in the final with "Leeds". In 1971 Chelsea won Cup of the Cups in persistent struggle against "Real". And the match was drawn, and the replay was appointed for which players "trained" in the Athenian pubs (the ending passed in Athens). But it even helped "Chelsea", Charlie Cooke - the first in a pub, the first in game, scored the goal and the match ended in favour of "Chelsea". After this victory "the Blues" came in decline. Night clubs now didn't help, they only messed up. During the period from 1971 to 1974 the coach made Cooke, Osgood and some more leading players go away because he had no patience anymore. But in 1974 Charlie Cooke returned to "Chelsea". And Seckston was dismissed in October of the same year.

Decline At the beginning of the 70s Bryan Mears (Gus's grandnephew) decided to transform "Stamford Bridge" to the best stadium of England. The management approved this decision. All this led to the huge charges so the club could not insert money in players. As a result "the Blues" went to the second division in the season – 74/75, coaches replaced each other with huge speed, losses were over 3.5 million pounds, "Chelsea" lost the stadium, which became the property of the company "SB", and even lost the field for training sessions. In 1982 Ken Bates became the owner of the club. In the season - 82/83 "the Blues" almost went out to the third division. In the summer 1983 "Chelsea" got some new players, among them was Kerry Dixon the best scorer in "Reading". "Chelsea" became the champion of the second division; Dixon became the best scorer again. Next year "the blues" were one of the best six clubs in the elite division, and Dixon established the unique achievement: he became the best scorer of the season in three different divisions one after another! In 1983 help David Mears left the board of directors with Batess, and Mears's connection with "Chelsea" was lost. At the end of the 80s Bates spent more than 1 million pounds for players for the first time in the history of the club, and "Stamford Bridge" was returned to "Chelsea".

Hoddles Changes Glenn Hoddle became the new coach of Chelsea in He strengthened a role of the coach in the training of the team, began to give tactical lessons. In order the team would not make a riot, he made (the main rebel) Dennis Wise a captain. "Chelsea" didnt win anything with Hoddle, but he changed the attitude to the training sessions of the team. In the season - 93/94 "the Blues" reached a Cup-final with Manchester United. This final came into the history as the largest defeat in the history of the cup-finals on "Wembley" then "Chelsea" missed 4 goals. According to the end of the season "the Blues" appeared in Europe again 23 years later. "Chelsea" reached a semifinal of Cup of the Cups. In summer "Chelsea" bought Ruud Gullit and Mark Hughes. But at the end of one year Hoddle's contract had ended and he left "Chelsea".

One More Playing Coach Hoddles replacement was found rather quickly: Gullit became the new head coach. The Dutch used his contacts, and Chelsea signed the contract with Gianluca Vialli which didnt cost the club a penny, Roberto Di Matteo, Frank Leboeuf came to the club and in the middle of the season Gianfranco Zola came from Parma. Gullit lifted "the Blues" above the tenth place in the first season and won the Cup of England which was the first trophy for Chelsea after 26 years. This match came to the history as the match where the fastest goal in the cup-finals of England on "Wembley" was scored. Di Matteo scored this goal on the 43-rd second. Before 97/98 season Gullit strengthened the structure, Ed De Goey, Tore Andre Flo and Gus Poyet came to Chelsea. "The Blues" lost Charity Shield to Manchester United on penalties. By February Chelsea was on the second place in the Championship, the semifinal of the League Cup, the quarterfinal of Cup of the Cups came nearer, but on February, 12 Ruud Gullit was dismissed, as he wanted to sign a head coach contract, but he couldnt agree with the management on the payment sum.

New Victories Gianluca Vialli became the new coach in 24 hours after Gullits resignation. The Italian led Chelsea to the final of League Cup and they won it. "The Blues" also successfully acted in Cup of the Cups, having won it in the final with "Stuttgart". And then Chelsea won the UEFA Supercup due to Poyets goal at the end of the match with "Real". Vialli carried out transfer policy which was directed on purchase of foreigners, besides the Italian was very promiscuous in his choice. Though Vialli made successful purchases sometimes. They were Hasselbaink and Gudjohnsen. But in starting Chelsea structure in the match with "Southampton" there were no British! However, obvious progress was observed in the game of "the Blues". In 98/99 season Chelsea headed the tournament table for some rounds. In the following season the club debuted in Champions League, confidently reached up to 1/4 and only then lost "Barca". Chelsea successfully finished the season, having won the Cup of England and Charity Shield. But after a bad start, in Premierleague Vialli was dismissed on September, 12, 2000.

A New Era for Chelsea Claudio Ranieri became the head coach after Vialli. This Italian didnt win anything, got out UEFA Cup and just once came to Champions League. Besides Chelsea had very huge debts. Then the club was bought by Roman Abramovich. First Ranieri received more than 100 million on new purchases, but the manager exhausted the credit of trust and soon was dismissed. Abramovich did not stint and invited only the best for any money. First a new executive director - Peter Kenyon and the manager – Jose Mourinho (which with "Porto" won successively UEFA Cup and Champions League) appeared in the club.

A New Era for Chelsea New transfer policy was thought more over. Chelsea bought not stars, but perspective players: Arjen Robben, Kezman, Paolo Ferreira. In the Championship - 04/05 Chelsea played in a new manner: rationally and effectively. And soon constrained victories turned to large defeats of the contender. The precise tactical circuit was generated. By the end of autumn Chelsea was on the first place in the Premiership and in Champions League affairs went on simply perfectly: "the Blues" got out of their group easily. In winter the team got a bit tired, but won the matches with Barca and Bayern. In spring the tiredness affected and Chelsea lost in the semifinal of Champions League to "Liverpool". Nevertheless "the Blues" won Premiership, in 100 years after the formation of the club and 50 years after the first champion's title exactly. The following championship was won by Chelsea, having been the leader for all the season, but there were no more trophies. "The Blues" took off in 1/8 from Champions League. But Abramovich and the clubs fans want more victories.

What Will Be Next? In 2006 Europe was shocked with sensational Chelsea purchases: for 26 million pounds Andriy Shevchenko joined "the Blues" and Michael Ballak passed from "Bayern completely free. From the very beginning these two players were Mourinhos and Abramovichs purposes. Now the team has everything to win all the titles. But everybody is excited: how such players who have got used to be individual leaders, can play together in one team? If Jose Mourinho solves this problem there wont be an equal team anywhere in the world.