Mag 154

CHELSEA FC T H E

O F F I C I A L

C H E L S E A

F O O T B A L L

C L U B

THE MANY SIDES OF CESAR Azpi’s got us covered: left, right and centre

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M A G A Z I N E

CONTENTS ISSUE 154 // JUNE 2017

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CFC Words | Dominic Bliss

A NEW DAWN Our cup-winning exploits in the early Seventies were followed by a period of decline as dressing room disharmony and financial troubles took their toll. With the Blues hurtling towards relegation from the top flight, we turned to a familiar face to turn things around, and a new generation of homegrown players set about putting smiles on the faces of Chelsea fans once again

DOMESTIC HONOURS

Chelsea supporters unveil a banner to celebrate our promotion back to the top flight during a game against Hull City in May 1977. Inset, action from the penultimate match of the season against Wolves

Football League/ Premier League champions 1955, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015

PIC OF THE MONTH

FA Cup winners 1970, 1997, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 Football League Cup winners 1965, 1998, 2005, 2007, 2015 FA Charity/ Community Shield winners 1955, 2000, 2005, 2009

22 April

GOAL TO REMEMBER There are plenty of cliches that go hand in hand with a well-struck shot in football. “Connected so well he didn’t even feel it”, “that one stayed hit” and “still rising when it hit the back of the net” are three which spring to mind, and it’s safe to say they are all applicable to Nemanja Matic’s thunderbolt in our FA Cup semi-final triumph over Tottenham.

It was an afternoon to savour for Blues fans as we beat our local rivals 4-2 to book a final spot against Arsenal on 27 May. Matic certainly looks to be savouring his worldie as it heads into the top corner, leaving Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris absolutely rooted.

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EUROPEAN HONOURS

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UEFA Champions League winners 2012

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07 Blues News 12 Cesar Azpilicueta 20 Month Ahead 22 Photo Album 30 The Month That Was 32 Drawing On Experience: Blue Day 42 Promotion: 1976/77 season 48 Paulo Ferreira 50 Match Action 54 Pic of the Month 56 Month In Numbers 59 Academy 64 Ladies 69 Chelsea Foundation 72 Paul Merson 77 We Were There 80 Message Board 81 Trophy Trivia 82 King’s Road Boutique WE WERE THERE! WE WERE THERE!

UEFA Europa League winners 2013

BRIAN HUNT I remember it very well: 1997, the FA Cup final against Middlesbrough. It was a huge day, there was the anticipation of something special and it just meant so much.

Notwithstanding the fact Chelsea Football Club has been going since 1905, we won the league in ’55, then in the Sixties we won the League Cup and then the FA Cup and the Cup Winners’ Cup in the early Seventies, the reality is we were always this sleeping giant. Chelsea fans always felt this club could be so much more.

Then we had the Glenn Hoddle era and things began to change, but it was 1997 that was a huge day. There was just

European Cup Winners’ Cup winners 1971, 1998 UEFA Super Cup winners 1998

PEARL PHILLIPS On 17 May 1997 I met up with my ‘baby’ brother Mike and we travelled to the lovely old Wembley Stadium to see our beloved Chelsea win the FA Cup against Middlesbrough.

It was a hot, sunny day but, as far as I remember, we were shaded where we were standing. I remember the shock and amazement when Robbie Di Matteo scored so quickly. We couldn’t quite believe it.

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this sense that this could be something really big for us.

I can remember making my way up to the game from Wallington, in south London, and all the flags were out.

There was a good atmosphere outside the old Wembley and there was this group of fans outside singing ‘Zola’ to the tune of Lola by the Kinks, with wonderful lines about him going past Julian Dicks and that sort of thing.

Inside, I was sitting up in what they used to call the Olympic Gallery in the The old Wembley Stadium old stadium and it was the strangest thing when we got the opening goal in the first It felt like the celebrations after the minute. I knew Di Matteo had scored and game were never going to end, as this is going to be difficult to believe, but though the players were never going to the noise was so great in the Chelsea end leave the pitch! I can remember Leboeuf, that it was almost like it was silent. The as he eventually made his way down the noise went beyond a normal pitch of sound tunnel, stopping to shake hands with to almost like a faint ringing noise – it supporters who were leaning over the was the oddest sensation, but it was just sides. fantastic, and away we went!

It felt like somehow the biggest Middlesbrough had a goal disallowed in moment in Chelsea’s history. It presaged the first half when I think the player’s shirt what we were going to become – what sleeve was offside. They certainly made a we have become. Stamford Bridge was game of it, but by the time we made it 2-0 changing and it felt like it was all going to through Newton, it was a little bit overdue lead somewhere, and of course it has. To and we were good winners in the end. me, 1997 was the start.

The lead was so slender that for another 82 minutes of play we were on tenterhooks. We were very happy, and breathed a little easier, after Eddie Newton’s goal.

After the final whistle, I remember the excitement of seeing our team collecting the Cup and celebrating on the pitch, and the thrill of singing along to our new song, Blue Day, as well as our traditional Blue Is The Colour.

After the match, my brother drove us to Basingstoke, where we met up with my Manchester Unitedsupporting husband and our two daughters, for our cousin Andy’s wedding reception. A photo of me that evening shows my face rather pink – perhaps we did get some sun after all!

There was an added surprise for us when we watched the video of the match from the TV – we managed to spot ourselves in the crowd, singing Over Land And Sea.

My diary, written that evening, says: “When Wise went up to lift the FA Cup, we were there!”

My elder daughter, Meg (pictured, right), and I now travel to see Chelsea play when we can.

WEMBLEY STADIUM, LONDON

JAMIE ARKELL I was 13 at the time and thinking about it now brings back a few strong memories. It was the first Chelsea success I had witnessed and I had been to the ’94 Cup final three years earlier, which was a completely different day.

There were quite a lot of contrasts between those two finals. In 1994 we got hammered 4-0 by Man United, it was raining all day and it was just a horrible day all round.

I also remember it being a slightly different atmosphere to 1994 because we were favourites this time, we had a pretty good team and we were playing some nice football. We were a cup team, really, because we weren’t quite ready to challenge at the top of the league and we had reached the semi-final of the FA Cup the year before as well.

The biggest thing that sticks in my memory from that day is the old Wembley Stadium. There were a lot of bad things about the old one, but I think it was better in terms of atmosphere. You were a little bit in awe of it, especially if you were younger.

We were sat in the lower tier, just to the right behind the goal at the Chelsea end.

Di Matteo’s goal was at the opposite end and I couldn’t see it as such, but I could see the net bulge. It just went mad after that. That was after 43 seconds and has become a classic, legendary goal.

It’s different when you’re a supporter because it’s your club and you remember it for all the right reasons, but I don’t think it was a particularly brilliant game for the neutral.

NEXT MONTH

Celebrating Roberto Di Matteo’s early goal Then there was the Cup final song, Blue Day by Suggs, which I think is a quality football song. I remember going to another Chelsea final and my dad had a little compilation tape in the car – that was one of the main songs on it, and it’s part of the memory of that day.

It’s difficult for people who don’t support Chelsea to understand this but from 1997 until Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003 we were quite a successful club, winning a lot of cup competitions, and that game kick-started things for us.

Next month, to celebrate our return to Europe’s premier club competition, we’re reliving the greatest night in Chelsea’s history – the 2012 Champions League final in Munich.

Were you there? If so, email dominic.bliss@trinitymirror.com and let us know.

Dennis Wise lifts the FA Cup 79

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Chelsea Magazine produced by Editorial 020 7958 2168 Subscriptions 0845 241 6210 Email cfc.magazine@trinitymirror.com MAGAZINE EDITOR David Antill FEATURES EDITOR Dominic Bliss DEPUTY EDITOR Richard Godden STAFF WRITER James Sugrue SUB-EDITOR Harri Aston DESIGNERS Glen Hind and Ben Renshaw STATISTICIAN Paul Dutton PHOTOGRAPHY Darren Walsh, Getty Images, Hugh Hastings, Chelsea FC Archive, Mirrorpix, PA Images and Mark Sandom PRINTED BY William Gibbons DISTRIBUTED BY Comag THANKS TO Emma Wilkinson, John Barrett, Andy Jones, Ryan Brown and Daniel Wittenberg © Trinity Mirror Sport Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the Copyright owners. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions. In the interest of independence and impartiality, many features in this publication have been written by third-party experts. It should be noted that any opinions expressed therein are the views of the writers themselves and not necessarily those of Chelsea FC. Terms and conditions for all competitions appearing in this magazine are available on request.

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new (and currently still standing) East Stand.

In the season that we defeated Real Madrid to win the Cup Winners’ Cup, we finished sixth in the old First Division, but over the coming years our final position dropped dramatically as we ended in seventh, 12th, 17th and finally – in 1974/75 – 21st, confirming our relegation from the top flight.

It felt like the end of a cycle. The last time Chelsea had competed in the second tier had been 12 years earlier, when a new generation of youthful players had begun to emerge under a vibrant, young manager, Docherty. Players such as Peter Bonetti, Eddie McCreadie, Bobby Tambling and Ron Harris had started to cement their places in the team in that promotion year of 1962/63

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Division Two champions 1984, 1989

Full Members Cup winners 1986, 1990

Forty years ago this month, Stamford Bridge filled once again with hope.

There have been so many ‘Chelsea are back!’ moments over the years that the memory of one can sometimes blend into another, but the 1976/77 season was one of great optimism for the supporters who had begun to feel the good times were gone in SW6.

After the triumphant FA Cup final in 1970 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup title which followed a year later, malaise had set in. Chelsea entered a period of off-field uncertainty and footballing decline as the great – largely homegrown – team put together by Tommy Docherty and Dave Sexton fell apart and the club was left financially crippled by the expense of the

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"It doesn’t matter what the score is or what time it is in the game, I always want to play the best I can and make it perfect" Read our Cesar Azpilicueta interview on page 12

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BLUES NEWS

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Kanté voted Player of the Year at PFA awards N’Golo Kanté has been crowned the PFA Players’ Player of the Year – and is one of four Chelsea players included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.

The midfielder (pictured) was named Player of the Year ahead of his Chelsea team-mate Eden Hazard, who was second in the voting, as well as the other nominees Romelu Lukaku, Harry Kane, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexis Sanchez, at an awards ceremony in London last month.

Having been on the shortlist in 2016 the Frenchman has gone one better this time around after an incredible first season at Stamford Bridge, following into the history books previous Chelsea winners of the award John Terry (2004/05) and Hazard (2014/15).

“It means the world to me, to be chosen as

the Player of the Year is a great honour,” said Kanté, who hopes more silverware is on its way this season. “It’s good to still be in two competitions. We are going to fight for both and give our best to win them.”

The PFA also named Kanté, Hazard, David Luiz and Gary Cahill in their Premier League Team of the Year. It is the fourth time in five seasons in English football that Hazard has made that selection and the second straight year Kanté has made the team.

Chelsea Ladies were also recognised, with Karen Carney and Eniola Aluko both named in the PFA FA Women’s Super League Team of the Year. Carney was also nominated for women’s PFA Player of the Year and her Chelsea and England team-mate Millie Bright for women’s PFA Young Player of the Year.

PLAY AT STAMFORD BRIDGE AND SUPPORT A GREAT CAUSE Our global charity partner Plan International is offering Chelsea supporters the chance to play in a football tournament at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday 6 June in the second annual Champions of Change Cup. A team package costs £7,000 and guarantees a minimum of four games over the course of the day for a side of up to 10 players plus an optional manager.

To enter your team, email tournament@plan-uk.org, or for more information go to: www.plan-uk.org/ champions. Every player competing will receive a full kit, plus a team photo and a post-match beer and barbecue, along with a stadium tour and medals for the winners, which last year were presented by club ambassador Carlo Cudicini.

HELP AT HAND FOR SMALL FIRMS AND UNEMPLOYED The Chelsea Foundation and the club’s official betting partner William Hill have launched a new Employment and Small Business Accountancy programme at Stamford Bridge.

The long-term project for adults will see William Hill staff deliver a range of insightful workshops for those with small businesses, to develop their understanding of the importance of finance literacy as part of their AAT accountancy course.

They will also be working with the Foundation’s education department to deliver targeted employment support to local unemployed adults, with additional work experience and a guaranteed interview.

The launch at Stamford Bridge (pictured) was attended by more than 20 students as well as staff from the Chelsea Foundation and William Hill’s finance and estates departments.

Club ambassador Carlo Cudicini with some of last year’s Champions of Change Cup participants 07

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BLUES NEWS

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Terry thanks fans after confirming departure John Terry made a heartfelt statement thanking Blues fans for their support during his time at Stamford Bridge after announcing jointly with Chelsea Football Club that he will be leaving at the end of the season.

John has given us more than two decades of dedicated and exceptional service. In that time he has displayed the utmost pride at wearing the Chelsea shirt, something he has done on more than 700 occasions since his debut in 1998. He is the club’s third highest all-time appearancemaker and has captained Chelsea in more games than anyone else.

“This has been the toughest decision of my life for me and my family, but I always envisaged leaving on the right terms, in the right way and at the right time – and that is now,” he said.

“I feel I still have regular football in me but understand that opportunities here at Chelsea will be limited, it is therefore time for a new challenge.

“I’ll never be able to put into words the love I have for you fans. The support you have always given me, both personally and to the team, is phenomenal. You’ve been instrumental in my success and have

inspired me and the team to win so many trophies.

“Wearing the armband and being your captain has been without doubt one of the proudest achievements of my life. I only hope I’ve been able to repay you with my commitment and loyalty throughout my career, and I look forward to returning to this great club in some capacity in the future.

“I want to stress that the journey is not yet over. There is a long way to go and we are committed to ending this campaign on a high. I am fully focused on helping the team and manager in every way I can from now until the end of the season.”

Throughout his career JT has contributed immensely to us achieving consistent success unequalled in the club’s history.

He has won the Champions League, four Premier League titles, the Europa League, five FA Cups and three League Cups. His 14 major honours make him our most decorated individual of all time.

This season he has featured less on the field but remained an influential and inspirational member of the squad which, under Antonio Conte’s guidance, sits top of the Premier League.

Both the club and John look ahead to the possibility of him returning to us in a non-playing capacity, when he will be able to share his unparalleled experience with players, staff and fans alike.

John’s outstanding qualities as a footballer, particularly his defensive skills, have deservedly received widespread recognition and admiration. He is one of just five defenders to have won the PFA Player of the Year award and was named in the FIFA/FIFPro World Team of the Year five seasons running. He is both the club’s and the Premier League’s all-time top-scoring defender and earned 78 England caps before retiring from international football in 2012.

His longevity is testament not only to his ability but also his professionalism and dedication.

Countless times he returned early from injury, playing through pain but never allowing his performances to drop, and repeatedly putting his body on the line and in the way of opposing attackers, all for the benefit of Chelsea Football Club.

He is, as the famous banner reads, our captain, leader, legend, and we wish John the very best of luck in the next chapter of his magnificent career.

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BLUES NEWS

Blues to face the Gunners in FA Cup final Chelsea will face Arsenal in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 27 May. The match will kick off at 5.30pm and be shown live on both BBC One and BT Sport 2. Blues fans will be sat in the west end at Wembley, the same part of the stadium occupied for this year’s semi-final against Tottenham.

Willian became the first player to score two first-half goals in an FA Cup semi since 1981 as we overcame Spurs in style, with Eden Hazard and Nemanja Matic adding

Nemanja Matic celebrates his goal at Wembley

their names to the scoresheet in the second period as we triumphed 4-2.

After the semi-final, Matic said: “It is great when you have the chance to play in this stadium and for our supporters you can see it is something special.

“We will now have the chance to win this trophy which is very important. It is something special for every club in England and I am very happy I will have the opportunity to play.”

PROUD CARNEY RECEIVES MBE AWARD AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE Chelsea Ladies’ Karen Carney collected a hugely significant honour to add to those she has won during her football career when she received her MBE at Buckingham Palace.

She was recognised for services to football in the Queen’s New Year Honours list, which followed hard on the heels of her manager at Chelsea, Emma Hayes, being bestowed the same honour.

Carney, who has won more than 100 caps for England and recently committed her

future to the Blues with a new contract to 2020, was presented with her MBE by fellow Olympian Princess Anne.

“It was a fabulous day and I am privileged and honoured,’ said Carney. “My family are so proud and they have been looking forward to it for months now. I know they enjoyed every moment of it.”

• For more on Chelsea Ladies turn to page 62

GOALKEEPER TELFORD BACK FOR SECOND SPELL England international goalkeeper Carly Telford (pictured) has signed for Chelsea Ladies on a short-term deal for the FA Women’s Super League Spring Series.

It is Telford’s second spell with the Blues, having previously spent three years here before leaving for Notts County in 2013, and she was in the England squads for the 2007 and 2015 World Cups.

Her new team-mate Beth England became the third Chelsea Ladies player in the space of a month to extend her contract, following Hedvig Lindahl and Karen Carney, by signing a deal until 2019.

• You can read our interview with Beth England starting on page 64

NEWS IN

BRIEF 10

Gianfranco Zola on stage Karen Carney received her MBE from Princess Anne after being recognised for services to football

Cesc Fàbregas (right) moved into second place on the all-time list of Premier League assist makers, one ahead of Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, by creating his 103rd goal in the competition when setting up Diego Costa’s first against Southampton.

Season ticket holders wishing to renew for the 2017/18 campaign using card or cash payments have until 5pm on Friday 12 May to submit their renewal forms. The deadline for instalment plan renewals has already passed.

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Five-star Blues beat City to retain FA Youth Cup Chelsea Under-18s were crowned FA Youth Cup champions for the fourth year in a row after beating Manchester City in the final.

It is the third successive season we have defeated City in the decider, this time thanks largely to a fantastic performance at Stamford Bridge to win the second leg 5-1, having drawn 1-1 in Manchester.

Trevoh Chalobah, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Dujon Sterling, Cole Dasilva and Ike Ugbo – scorer of our first-leg goal – all found the net

to seal our sixth final victory in eight years.

Only Manchester United can better our all-time tally of winning the trophy on eight occasions.

Roman Abramovich, Antonio Conte, John Terry and Frank Lampard were among the spectators for the final and captain Mason Mount pointed out that the youth team were delighted at having produced on such an important stage.

“It gives us a lot of confidence to see

Antonio Conte here watching us,” he said. “We are all good players who want to progress further and move up through the club.

“We’re very happy to be able to show what we can do on these big occasions.

In this second leg we had chances and we took them.”

• You can read more about our FA Youth Cup triumph from page 57

VOTE NOW ON WHO SHOULD BE CROWNED PLAYER OF THE YEAR Voting is now open to decide the 2016/17 Chelsea Player of the Year award, with the winner to be crowned during the Chelsea FC Awards 2017 ceremony at Battersea Evolution on Sunday 28 May. Last year’s prize was given to Willian (right), with current squad members Eden Hazard and John Terry also receiving it in the past.

You can have your say on the 2017 winner by voting at www.chelseafc.com/poty, where you can also purchase tickets to see all of our club awards being presented, as well as tributes to John Terry and Steve Holland, priced from £150 plus VAT.

All five episodes of the Blue Day podcast telling the story of our famous 1996/97 season, including the signing of Gianfranco Zola (right) and our FA Cup final triumph, are now available at www.chelseafc.com/news/blue-days.

Our away trip to West Bromwich Albion will now take place on Friday 12 May, with kick-off at 8pm. Our game against Watford, postponed earlier in the season due to our FA Cup involvement, has been rescheduled for 8pm on Monday 15 May. Both matches will be shown live on Sky Sports.

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CHANGING TIMES Words | Dominic Bliss Pictures | Darren Walsh

CESAR AZPILICUETA comes alive on the football pitch and shines wherever he is asked to play. As his fifth season at Chelsea comes to an end, he talks to us about playing different roles, having a winning mentality and his pride at leading the Blues out at Wembley

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Cesar Azpilicueta Chasing down the ball against Everton during our 3-0 victory at Goodison Park

T

here are few players who live the game in the same way as Cesar Azpilicueta. He plays every game as if his life depends on it and treats every challenge like the game could pivot on it. Whether his team are trailing by a goal in the dying moments or 5-0 up and coasting, he still makes that run, or offers an outlet; he still tracks his opponent, and stretches for that loose ball.

Managers and fellow players alike wax lyrical about his work ethic, his focus and his relentless attitude towards self-improvement.

He is everything you’d want in a team-mate if you were playing alongside him, and everything you’d want from one of your players if you were a coach. A professional’s professional, if you like.

Now in his fifth season at Chelsea, the 27-year-old has made yet another new position his own in 2016/17, having taken to his role in the back three as naturally as he did when he switched from right-back to left-back two-and-a-half years earlier. In fact, since his move from Marseille in 2012, ‘Azpi’ has had us covered left, right and centre, and he has taken to each new challenge with the same enthusiasm. Hearing him discuss his 14

THROUGHOUT MY CAREER, I’VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO ADAPT TO NEW POSITIONS AND I THINK THAT MADE ME BETTER AS A PLAYER

versatility, you begin to understand why he is so respected by his colleagues.

“Throughout my career, I’ve always been able to adapt to new positions and I think that made me better as a player,” he tells us.

“It’s crazy how football changes. I made my debut more than 10 years ago as a rightwinger for Osasuna and to now be playing as a right centre-back shows you how much can change.

“I’ve taken on every challenge in order to improve myself. Whenever a manager has asked me to change, I’ve always tried to adapt quickly, to learn, and then to become a better footballer.”

The difference between Azpilicueta and the old-fashioned ‘utility player’, who would cover any position on the pitch with admirable versatility, is that Azpi proves himself to be a natural in every role he takes up. As a teenager breaking into the first team at Osasuna in northern Spain, he traded in his place as a flying winger to settle in at right-back, where his stamina, anticipation and noted powers of recovery attracted the attentions of first Marseille and then Chelsea.

Then, after a season or so at Stamford Bridge, the Spaniard was called upon to fill in on the other side, at left-back for a spell in the 2013/14 campaign. However, he proved

Congratulating Gary Cahill on his goal against Southampton at Stamford Bridge

to be so solid there that he made the position his own for another two-and-a-half seasons.

On the left side, we quickly discovered, he closed down space in a slightly different way to a natural left-footer and it certainly worked.

Then Antonio Conte arrived as our manager last summer and those who had witnessed the Italian’s previous teams play wondered whether we might see Chelsea operate with a back three at some point in the near future. After all, Azpilicueta, most of us thought, would make the perfect right wing-back.

As it transpires, he has enjoyed one of his best seasons to date on the right hand side of our back three – and that is saying something for a player of his consistency.

“To be fair, in my head, when the manager signed here I knew he liked to play with three at the back and I thought I could play in the back three,” he reveals.

“Maybe I thought right wing-back would be more natural, but at the beginning I was playing left-back in a back four, before he decided to play me right centre-back in the new system.

“I was sure I could make it work, he gave me confidence, we trained hard to learn all the right movements and obviously it was a big change for me. I was more central and

you maybe play more with the ball because we build from the back. I’m in possession more and there are no overlaps and not a lot of crosses from the wing but it’s a role I’m enjoying.”

Azpilicueta is the ultimate team player.

His attitude towards training, his positional discipline and his willingness to fight to the end epitomise the values that Conte aims to instil in his teams.

One particular moment in our 4-2 victory over Southampton last month showcased those attributes perfectly. In the first half, an opposition attack broke down due to the pressure applied by the Chelsea defence, but each time the Saints players looked to roll the ball back and start again, the man in possession found himself being chased down by a rampant Azpilicueta.

Fittingly for a man who hails from Pamplona, the city that famously hosts the running of the bull through its streets every year, the Blues No28 panicked his opponents into playing the ball all the way back to goalkeeper Fraser Forster, who was in turn forced to boot the ball aimlessly clear from Azpi’s full-blooded challenge.

One of the biggest cheers of the night went up inside Stamford Bridge, followed 15

Cesar Azpilicueta

16

Going up against Michy Batshuayi in training

by the kind of ovation usually reserved for a great piece of skill or a cutting passing move.

“That was a moment when I saw the ball coming, so I tried to press and not allow the cross from the second ball,” he recalls, smiling. “Then they played the ball back for the defender and I had a chance of getting it because I knew it was going back to the keeper after that. It was difficult to take the ball, but I knew if I chased it down I could try to get there and at least I would force the keeper to hit the ball long. I was nearly there in the end, I touched the ball, so maybe I could have got it after all!

“It doesn’t matter what the score is or what time it is in the game, I always want to play the best I can and make it perfect. It’s something I have inside of me and I can’t change it. I always say that off the pitch I am calm and live a quiet life, but when I go on the training pitch, or play a game, I know I’m different. I like to win and I know you have to focus and work hard to get what you want. When you mix that mentality with talent, that’s when you can achieve big things. Just talent is not enough – I learned that when I was a kid and I’ve always had it in my blood.”

Broadening that discussion to take in the mentality of the whole team, Azpilicueta recalls a significant point in the season when not only the system, but the attitude

I ALWAYS SAY THAT OFF THE PITCH I AM CALM AND LIVE A QUIET LIFE, BUT WHEN I GO ON THE TRAINING PITCH, OR PLAY A GAME, I KNOW I’M DIFFERENT

and general urgency of the team, was transformed following a couple of high profile defeats.

“This squad’s mentality is really, really good,” he begins. “We have been working very hard from the start of the season – we started off by winning our first three games – and then we had those two defeats [against Liverpool and Arsenal] that were hard to take. But we came back stronger and we

created a great attitude within the team and that’s why we’re in the position we’re in at the moment.

“Since we started this season, with the experience we had from the last one, we wanted to come back and when the new manager arrived our target was always to fight for trophies. But after the defeat against Arsenal, I think it was a point of reflection for all of us. We changed the system, we learned a lot from it and since then I think we have created something.

“We’ve shown great personality on the pitch, as a team, and from that period until now we have produced. Maybe you cannot be at your very best every game, but we try to manage and to play as a team, and we have only had a few defeats along the way. I think the team is feeling confident and we know we are in the final sprint of the season, where the title is going to be decided.”

At the end of that sprint is the FA Cup final and a second London derby at Wembley, this time against Arsenal, following our victory over Tottenham in the semi-final. It’s the only remaining major English domestic trophy on Azpilicueta’s todo list and he agrees that it will be a great way to finish the season.

“It will be my first FA Cup final,” he states. “It’s a competition I’ve always looked 17

Marco Alonso

Wearing the captain’s armband at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final

to and it’s massive that our last game of the season will be fighting for the Cup against Arsenal, a London derby, at Wembley. That’s something I’ve always thought about.

“I played the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley against Manchester City in 2013, when we lost, so I wanted to come back in this competition and to make it happen. It was a special atmosphere at Wembley for this year’s semi-final against Tottenham – even more so when you get the win.”

Azpilicueta marked his 221st appearance as a Blue by leading the team out that day in the absence of John Terry and Gary Cahill from the starting line-up and it certainly seems to have added to the occasion for him.

“It was a proud moment for me to wear the armband, to lead the team,” he explains.

“You have to show how good you are every time you play and that day I tried to do what I normally do, but obviously I had the armband as well and I felt more responsibility.

I tried to help the team not to panic when we conceded the two equalising goals – in moments like that you have to stay calm and give a voice to make sure we keep going the right way.”

In his time at the club, Azpilicueta has grown in stature and become one of the leaders in this team, as part of an experienced backline, and he credits John

NOW I’VE BEEN HERE FOR FIVE YEARS AND IN THAT TIME I HAVE BEEN SHARING A DRESSING ROOM WITH AMAZING PLAYERS. WE HAVE WON TROPHIES AND I’M READY TO HELP IN WHATEVER WAY THE MANAGER OR CLUB ASKS ME TO BECAUSE I’M A PERSON WHO WANTS TO WIN EVERY TIME

Terry’s leadership qualities with helping him to understand the importance of strong characters in the dressing room.

“I’ve learned from JT, on and off the pitch, since I came here,” he says. “I’ve tried to learn from him as much as I could and he will always be remembered here because he is part of the history of the club.

“Now I’ve been here for five years and in that time I have been sharing a dressing room with amazing players. We have won trophies and I’m ready to help in whatever way the manager or club asks me to because I’m a person who wants to win every time.

“I’m 27 and I have experience now.

Sometimes you can even feel that young players are experienced, but when you get to the age where you have played hundreds of games you feel the difference. Obviously we have enough experience and we have all played in a lot of situations, so that helps us to keep improving.

“There are a few of us in the squad that came around the same time. We know we have to take responsibility, we know what this club is about and we have to make sure we perform at the level to fight for trophies.

That’s always been the case at Chelsea.”

That’s always been the case for Cesar Azpilicueta as well, which is why he and Chelsea are a match made in football heaven.

19

MONTH AHEAD FIXTURES & RESULTS 2016/17

ON THE PITCH

August Mon 15 West Ham United

H 2-1

Sat 20 Watford

A 2-1

Tue 23 Bristol Rovers (EFLC second round)

H 3-2

Sat 27 Burnley

H 3-0

September Sun 11 Swansea City

A 2-2

Fri 16

H 1-2

Liverpool

Tue 20 Leicester City (EFLC third round)

A 4-2*

Sat 24 Arsenal

A 0-3

12 MAY

October Sat 1

Hull City

Sat 15 Leicester City Sun 23 Manchester United

A 2-0 H 3-0 H 4-0

Wed 26 West Ham United (EFLC4)

A

Sun 30 Southampton

A 2-0

WEST BROMWICH ALBION (A) – PREMIER LEAGUE Our biggest win against the Baggies came in the 1960/61 season, when Jimmy Greaves shone in a 7-1 thrashing of the Throstles. Greaves scored four of his five goals inside the first half as he joined Everton legend Dixie Dean and Leicester’s Arthur Chandler as the only players to score five goals three times in the First Division.

Wherever They May Be goes on air at 3pm for one of the most hotly anticipated games of the season. We’ll have the teams as soon as they are announced and full post-match reaction after the game.

1-2

November Sat 5

Everton

H

5-0

Sun 20 Middlesbrough

A 1-0

Sat 26 Tottenham Hotspur

H 2-1

December Sat 3

Manchester City

A 3-1

Sun 11 West Bromwich Albion

H 1-0

Wed 14 Sunderland

A 1-0

Sat 17 Crystal Palace

A 1-0

Mon 26 Bournemouth

H 3-0

Sat 31 Stoke City

H

4-2

January Wed 4 Tottenham Hotspur

A 0-2

Sun 8

H 4-1

Peterborough United (FAC third round)

Sat 14 Leicester City

A 3-0

Sun 22 Hull City

H 2-0

Sat 28 Brentford (FAC fourth round)

H 4-0

Tue 31 Liverpool Arsenal

MAY

Jason Cundy and Ben Andrews will be reporting live from the gantry at Stamford Bridge from 7pm. They will bring you the teams as soon as they are announced and, after live commentary, we’ll have exclusive interviews with the manager and players in Post-Match At The Bridge.

A 1-1

February Sat 4

15

H 3-1

Sun 12 Burnley

A 1-1

Sat 18 Wolves (FAC fifth round)

A 2-0

Sat 25 Swansea City

H 3-1

21 MAY

March Mon 6 West Ham United

A 2-1

Mon 13 Manchester United (FAC quarter-final)

H 1-0

Sat 18 Stoke City

A

2-1

H

1-2

April Sat 1

Crystal Palace

Wed 5 Manchester City

H 2-1

Sat 8

A 3-1

Bournemouth

Sun 16 Manchester United

A 0-2

Sat 22

N 4-2

Tottenham (FAC semi-final)

Tue 25 Southampton

H 4-2

Sun 30 Everton

A

3-0

Mon 8 Middlesbrough (8pm) Sky

H

-

Fri 12

A

-

H

-

H

-

Sat 27 Arsenal (FAC final, 5.30pm) BBC and BT N

-

May West Bromwich Albion (8pm) Sky

Mon 15 Watford (8pm) Sky Sun 21 Sunderland

Fixtures correct at time of going to press and are subject to change. All games kick off at 3pm unless stated.

N - Wembley Stadium. EFLC - English Football League Cup. FAC - FA Cup. *After extra-time.

20

WATFORD (H) – PREMIER LEAGUE Chelsea didn’t meet Watford in a top-flight encounter until the 1984/85 season, with the Hornets winning 3-2 at the Bridge. They also won our first Premier League encounter, in September 1999, but in six league fixtures since then, we have not been beaten.

SUNDERLAND (H) – PREMIER LEAGUE We faced the Black Cats when we last lifted the Premier League trophy in 2015 after clinching the title with three games to spare. Steven Fletcher put the visitors ahead but a Diego Costa penalty and second-half brace from Loic Remy ensured a final day victory for the Blues.

It will hopefully be an afternoon to remember, when the Blues are crowned Premier League champions for the fifth time, and Chelsea TV will have unprecedented access to the players, bringing you exclusive behind-the-scenes coverage.

27 MAY

ARSENAL (N) – FA CUP FINAL This will be the first time we have faced Arsenal in an FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium. The only other fixture between the sides at this stage of the competition took place at the Millennium Stadium in 2002, when the Gunners won 2-0. We have played Arsenal in one other domestic cup final – the 2007 League Cup – which the Blues won 2-1 in Cardiff.

Don’t miss out on our exclusive build-up to the Cup final, which will have loads of special shows before we broadcast live from Wembley from 3.30pm.

See opposite for more information.

chelseafc.com

@chelseafc

OFF THE PITCH 31 MAY – STAMFORD AND BRIDGET’S SUMMER TREASURE HUNT Join Stamford and Bridget as they embark on a treasure hunt around the stadium on Wednesday 31 May at 3pm.

You can head behind the scenes to the players’ dressing rooms, the press room, the tunnel, the dugout and more as you solve the clues to find the treasures.

With unique photo opportunities along the way and a special Chelsea gift for every child, it’s the ultimate tour for Blues fans.

The hunt includes: • A behind-the-scenes tour, including access to the dressing rooms and the tunnel.

• Access to the museum.

• Special Chelsea gift for every child.

• Unique photo opportunities with Stamford and Bridget.

Prices are £19 for adults and £19 for children. Spaces are limited. You can book online at www.chelseafc.com, call 0371 811 1955 or email tours@chelseafc.com.

Originally scheduled for Sunday 28 May, Doyle Bramhall II will now be playing Under The Bridge the night before. Bramhall is one of the most distinctive vocalists, guitarists, composers and producers in contemporary music. Indeed, none other than Eric Clapton, with whom Bramhall has worked for more than a decade, lauds him as one of the most gifted guitarists he has ever encountered.

While honing his skills as a producer, he stockpiled ideas and songs he had written for himself which were selected for his fourth solo album, Rich Man.You will be able to hear many of those songs on what is sure to be a special night, with support coming from Jon Allen.

On Thursday 15 June, Jon Stevens takes to the Under The Bridge stage.

Stevens stands virtually alone in the music scene, with a raw vocal power that won him attention first as a teenager and now as a veteran singersongwriter. Recognisable to many thanks to his work with Noiseworks, INXS and The Dead Daisies, the New Zealand native is a passionate performer who is sure to bring the house down.

Visit www.underthebridge.co.uk for more information about all of our upcoming gigs and to book your tickets now.

BLUES BIRTHDAYS

THIBAUT COURTOIS 11.05.92 (25)

ALSO ON The Blues are off to Wembley once again at the end of May, as we take on Arsenal in the FA Cup final on 27 May, and Chelsea TV has a whole afternoon of special shows lined up to mark the occasion, culminating in our live broadcast from the national stadium from 3.30pm.

From 1pm, our 2016/17 Season Review reaches the business end of the campaign as we look back on April and May. At 2pm, tune in The Wembley Years, which reflects on some of Chelsea’s finest moments at the famous old stadium, including our first-ever FA Cup win in 1970, the Full Members Cup victories of the Eighties and Nineties, as well as memorable cup triumphs in 1997, 1998 and 2000.

Of course, the Blues have fared well since the ground was rebuilt and you can enjoy highlights of our recent successes on the hallowed turf in The New Wembley Years, from 2.30pm.

Former Blues strikers Eidur Gudjohnsen and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink were reunited for Chelsea TV’s coverage of our FA Cup semi-final match against Tottenham. We will be broadcasting live from Wembley again on the day of the final

At 3.15pm it’s time to recall our run to this season’s final, from the third-round win over Peterborough, through to the epic semi-final against Tottenham.

And with two hours to kick-off we will begin our live show, packed full of entertainment and featuring some Chelsea

legends, as we gear up to the big match.

The night after, we will have exclusive live coverage from the club’s Player of the Year event, so make sure you tune in to Chelsea TV for a weekend of programmes not to be missed.

Chelsea TV is available on chelseafc.com with a Fan Club membership. Go to chelseafc.com/join16 for more information on how you can watch Chelsea TV online. You can also watch on television. To join via Sky, call 08442 410 201 or visit www.sky.com/chelseatv.

21

PHOTO ALBUM

22

Cup heroes With this month marking 20 years since our famous 1997 FA Cup final triumph, lifting a major trophy for the first time in more than a quarter of a century, we look back on that glorious run, as well as taking a glimpse at a similar triumph 10 years ago......

QUICK OFF THE MARK Roberto Di Matteo and his team-mates celebrate wildly after opening the scoring just 43 seconds into the 1997 FA Cup final against Middlesbrough, breaking the record for the quickest FA Cup final goal at Wembley which had stood for 42 years and lasted until Louis Saha broke it against the Blues in the 2009 final.

23

PHOTO ALBUM

FLYING THE FLAG

Chelsea players and staff show off the FA Cup for fans on Fulham Road, near Stamford Bridge, during the traditional victory parade on an open-top bus.

BREAKING NEW GROUND Ruud Gullit poses with the trophy at Wembley Stadium after the final, having become both the first overseas and the first black manager to win a major trophy with an English club.

24

LEADING THE WAY Dennis Wise’s team-mates show their appreciation for our skipper by hoisting him into the air after the midfielder opened the scoring in a 3-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge to get our run started in the third round.

FAMOUS COMEBACK

SPARKED INTO LIFE

Gianluca Vialli runs to celebrate after scoring his second goal past Liverpool goalkeeper David James in the fourth round at Stamford Bridge, in front of the building site which was the Shed End that season, making the final score 4-2 to the Blues after we had gone in at half-time 2-0 down.

Mark Hughes breathes life into the team and the Stamford Bridge atmosphere after starting that comeback against Liverpool by scoring our first goal five minutes into the second half of what is arguably just as memorable a match for Chelsea fans as that year’s final.

25

PHOTO ALBUM

GOAL-GETTER

PAYING THE PENALTY

Roberto Di Matteo strikes a pose at Filbert Street after opening the scoring against Leicester City in the fifth round. However, we saw a two-goal lead wiped out in the second half, meaning the teams would have to play each other again at the Bridge.

Frank Leboeuf finally settles the fifth-round tie with the Foxes in Chelsea’s favour by successfully converting a penalty with just three minutes of extra time remaining at the Bridge, 10 days after the teams first met in the Midlands.

CLOSER TO WEMBLEY 26

Captain Dennis Wise, scorer of two goals, and fellow club stalwart Steve Clarke celebrate with the travelling Chelsea supporters after winning 4-1 at Portsmouth’s Fratton Park in the quarter-finals.

BIG LEAP FORWARD

Mark Hughes jumps for joy in front of the Chelsea fans at Highbury after completing a 3-0 victory over Wimbledon in the semi-final, scoring his second goal of the game in injury time.

27

PHOTO ALBUM

28

FLYING HIGH

Gianfranco Zola wheels away in celebration after providing one of the most enduring memories of the FA Cup run, his wonder goal against Wimbledon in the semi-final.

FINAL FLOURISH

Eddie Newton steers in our second goal against Middlesbrough with seven minutes remaining of the final, making it 2-0 and ensuring the trophy returned to Stamford Bridge.

AND 10 YEARS AGO...

EXTRA SPECIAL MOMENT

Didier Drogba becomes the first player to score in an FA Cup final at the new Wembley Stadium in 2007, although it took it’s time coming, as the Ivorian netted the only goal of the game against Manchester United deep into extra time.

CUP KINGS ONCE AGAIN

A decade on from our 1997 triumph, another Chelsea captain lifts the FA Cup at Wembley, this time John Terry. The Blues will be going for glory once more in the competition when we face Arsenal on 27 May.

29

JUNE

2 JUNE 1 JUNE

Carlo Ancelotti was officially unveiled as the new Chelsea manager, beginning one of the greatest debut seasons ever enjoyed by a Blues boss. By early August, the Italian already had his hands on the Community Shield after a penalty shoot-out victory over Manchester United at Wembley Stadium, and he would be back there as a winner again in May as we defeated Portsmouth 1-0 in the FA Cup final.

That completed the club’s first domestic Double, after Ancelotti had led us to a record-breaking Premier League title, as we became the first team to score more than 100 goals in the competition en route to finishing in top spot.

Reaching the goal-scoring milestone was helped in no small part by the last three games of the campaign, which saw us net 17 goals without conceding in wins over Stoke, Liverpool and Wigan to secure our slender one-point lead over United and be crowned champions for the fourth time.

2 JUNE

Chelsea walked out at Stamford Bridge to contest the last Football League War Cup final, against Bolton Wanderers. Having lost out in the southern final the previous year, we went one better in the fifth and last edition of the competition, which was introduced during World War Two to fill the void left by the cancellation of the FA Cup and the national leagues. We beat Millwall 2-0 at Wembley to take the southern title, setting up this meeting with Bolton in the third consecutive Football League War Cup final to be hosted at the Bridge. We couldn’t go all the way, though, the northern side taking the national trophy with a 2-1 win.

30

José Mourinho spoke to the media for the first time as Chelsea manager and uttered the phrase that would give him his nickname throughout his time with the Blues, and beyond, saying: “Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m European champion and I think I’m a special one”.

23 JUNE

Recently appointed Chelsea player-manager Ruud Gullit coined the phrase “sexy football” while working as a pundit for the BBC, covering the Czech Republic’s 1-0 win over Portugal in the Euro ‘96 quarter-finals. It was actually the style of the losing team, and in particular playmaker Rui Costa, who Gullit was trying to describe, but the “sexy” side were eliminated by Karel Poborsky’s famous chipped goal at Villa Park. That phrase would continue to be used to describe the Dutchman’s footballing philosophy for years afterwards, with the man himself defining it as: “Gliding, nice flowing football, making it look easy. It has nothing to do with the looks, just the style.”

14 JUNE

Frank Lampard officially joined Chelsea from West Ham United. He soon made one of the central midfield positions at Stamford Bridge his own as he embarked on a recordbreaking 13-year career with the Blues. Our former No8 won an impressive haul of silverware – three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups, two Community Shields, the Champions League and the Europa League – during his time here, as well as being named Premier League Player of the Season, FWA Footballer of the Year and PFA Players’ Player of the year in 2005, the same season he won the second of his three Chelsea Player of the Year awards. As if that wasn’t enough, Lampard also became or record alltime goalscorer by netting 211 goals in his 648 appearances, before leaving in 2014.

25 JUNE

Roy Bentley became the first Chelsea player to appear at a World Cup. The legendary Blues captain and striker helped England get off to a winning debut in the competition as the Three Lions defeated Chile 2-0 in their opening match at Rio de Janeiro’s famous Maracana Stadium. He couldn’t help England progress to the knockout stages, though, with only one team qualifying from the group and defeats to the USA and Spain seeing Bentley & Co. finish in second place behind the latter side.

3 JUNE

John Terry made his England debut, coming off the bench at half-time to replace current Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate in a 2-1 friendly win over Serbia & Montenegro in Leicester. He was one of five Blues past, present and future to play for England that day, with the winning goal scored by fellow substitute Joe Cole. This appearance made Terry the first graduate of Chelsea’s youth system to become an England international since Ray Wilkins made his debut in a 3-2 win over Italy in Los Angeles in 1976. However, both Wilkins and Terry went on to captain the Three Lions.

31

32

Drawing on

EXPERIENCE

team of winners Words | Richard Godden

Two decades ago, Chelsea beat Middlesbrough 2-0 in the FA Cup final to record our first triumph in that competition for 27 years. The achievement of this hugely popular side is captured in a new book, BLUE DAY, WEMBLEY ‘97: THE HEROES’ STORIES, which is on sale this month. All the players who took to the pitch at Wembley, as well as manager Ruud Gullit, are interviewed about the events of that season and other moments in their Blues careers, and here we bring you some of their reflections...

DENNIS WISE Can you explain to us the importance of winning at that time – for you personally as well as the club.

In 1997 it was very important. We got there in ‘94 and lost 4-0, and I never watched the video of that game, I wasn’t interested. I was disappointed in the manner we got beat. But when I first went to Chelsea Football Club, it was a club that hadn’t quite taken off and it was kind of in the middle of the group, towards the bottom. You look at the personnel in the group and it was different – and it changed over the years, gradually.

When it really started to change was when Ruud Gullit and Mark Hughes came in. The impact of those signings.

The mentality of the personnel and the standard of player started to change. It was higher. All of a sudden, because of the players coming in, you had to move with the times. You had to be able to step up another gear to keep up with them.

How good a team did we have that season?

It was a very good team because we won the FA Cup. We deserved to win and it was a wonderful day. I think we knew going into the game we were going to win and the fact Robbie’s goal was so early settled us down.

What do you remember of actually lifting that trophy for the first time?

Not a lot really! You go and enjoy yourselves and do the celebrations, enjoy it with the fans. I remember going back to the hotel with Robbie and all the lads and Robbie’s sister, who’s blind, was there. I asked her if she wanted me to explain the goal to her and she said yes.

So I said, “Well Dennis Wise picked the ball up on the halfway line and dribbled past one, went past two, nutmegged the third, went round the defender and then he went past the goalkeeper. He put his foot on the ball, called Robbie over and Robbie tapped it in from a yard,” and she started laughing! Robbie slapped me round the head and it was nice because there was a good family atmosphere between the lads.

33

Drawing on EXPERIENCE ROBERTO DI MATTEO How did it feel to get us off to such a great start in the final?

I was well happy to put us ahead. The rest is history. It was obviously an important game for us as a club; 26 years that we hadn’t won a trophy.

What did you think the moment the ball hit the net?

I felt over the moon. I just started running.

I didn’t even know where to run. Everyone was chasing me. It was just a fantastic feeling, I had goose pimples.

Can you remember your pre-Cup final fun?

What about recording Blue Day? Wait wait wait, let me think about it. Blue Is The Colour? I don’t remember the other one. It was Madness, Suggs. I don’t know why, but I remember the other one. [Sings] “Blue is the colour, football is the game.”

I remember that more than the one we recorded!

Who was the best singer?

I can’t remember the best, but I can tell you the worst: Gianfranco! He was terrible!

Roberto Di Matteo’s delight is clear to see after he opens the scoring at Wembley

I WAS IN A STATE OF MIND WHERE I WAS JUST PLAYING FREELY Gianfranco Zola

GIANFRANCO ZOLA

Was Wembley everything you expected?

When I played there with Italy it was at night and it was different, colder.

The atmosphere was different. Against Middlesbrough, it was amazing. Often they ask me which was the trophy I remember the most, and I always say that FA Cup because of the atmosphere and what we experienced before, during and after.

How did you feel before playing there in front of 80,000 fans?

I was in a state of mind where I was just playing freely. Focused but free. I tried to take that kind of attitude all the time, but sometimes it wasn’t the same. I believe if I was able to maintain that state of mind all the time my performances would have been even better. But I tried.

Who did you room with?

I think it was Roberto Di Matteo. We didn’t talk much about the game. Of course we said something, but I knew what I could do and he knew what to do.

Forty-three seconds in he knew what to do...

[Laughs] It was great! He kept running, running, running and nobody was facing him, they kept running backwards and he took this incredible shot. I hadn’t touched the ball and actually the pass was meant for me, but it was slightly on the side so the marker came to me and the ball passed me on the left and went to Roberto.

34

DAN PETRESCU You’d played in many big games before, but what was the build-up to the ‘97 Cup final like for you?

It was like a dream all the week before the final. I mean the preparation, the fun.

I remember, even now, how people came to watch training. It was different from a normal game, totally different. Even for me, I did not realise how big it was. Maybe that was better – I didn’t have too much pressure.

But after I won it, I understood. It was so important for the club.

From a defender’s point of view, it was good that we didn’t concede any goals, either.

You see, it was not only nice football, we were also very good in defence. The mentality with Vialli was a little bit more defensive and under Gullit a bit more offensive. But with both of them, we had top-class defenders.

Blue Day EDDIE NEWTON Three years before you lifted the FA Cup, you were part of the Blues side beaten 4-0 by Man United in the 1994 final. Did you view it as an opportunity for redemption?

You still had something in the tank after 80-odd minutes to get up there and on the end of an outrageous flick from Gianfranco Zola...

I just wanted to win the FA Cup, really, but to get a goal was just the icing on the cake.

It’s a moment I’ll cherish forever.

FRANK SINCLAIR

I said to Frank Sinclair after that first final: “I can’t leave Wembley like this. I can’t finish like this.” I was really determined to get back and redeem myself and do the team justice. To a point, it was definitely about redemption.

And after 43 seconds, when Roberto Di Matteo scored a spectacular opener, that confidence didn’t look misplaced.

No, but at the same time, there is a lot of football still to be played after 43 seconds and I was blowing out my backside just trying to keep up with Robbie as he ran up the touchline celebrating! It was a great start which filled us with confidence, and then in the latter stages of the game we were in control and I was able to finish it off with a goal at the end.

What’s your one abiding memory of 1997?

The celebrations. We must have been on the pitch for about an hour-and-a-half after the game, in the dressing room for another hour, we just didn’t want to go. It meant that much to us. We didn’t want the day to end.

The evening was unbelievable. We had the club do and Pele was there. I got a picture with him and that was the icing on the cake of probably the best day of my life. He said, “Well done for today.” What a memory!

There were great games in the run to the final as well, especially the comeback against Liverpool.

The game where everybody thought we were going to go out. By half-time everybody thought they knew we were going out! We weren’t ready for the day and Liverpool came very buoyant and confident – you could sense it in the first half we showed them too much respect and were playing second fiddle.

The half-time interval was probably the best 15 minutes Ruud had as a manager at the football club. He came in the changing room, we were all silent and he sat there reading the newspaper and we’re all staring at him. He didn’t say anything for two or three minutes and then suddenly he folded the newspaper up and said: “Right – this is what we’re going to do to get back in it.

John Barnes is running it – we’re changing our shape. Robbie, stand on him and stop him playing, and play off him.”

He brought on Mark Hughes. If there’s any player you want to call on in that situation, he’s the one: aggressive, combative and he wasn’t very happy about not starting. That second half, if I had to pick one 45 minutes as the best of my time at Chelsea, that was it. We had the real belief we could go all the way. It was early in the competition but we thought, “We’ve got to go all the way.”

Eddie Newton scores the second

35

Drawing on EXPERIENCE RUUD GULLIT

Ruud Gullit leads out the players at Wembley

Did our FA Cup win equal your first European Cup with Milan?

Of course. That was because I was the coach. I could see it from the outside and not the inside. When you’re inside, you’re still trying to do anything to win this game. When you see all of a sudden you have control of the match, and you have achieved your task, you get the moment to see their faces. You look at the crowd and see their faces. That gives you an unbelievable feeling. That was the best feeling I’ve ever had. Because it’s from a different perspective.

How did you feel about not being able to play at Wembley. Would you have liked to be going out in kit instead of suit?

Gianfranco Zola in action against Boro

No. I was leading out a team, that was the best. Come on, that was fantastic!

Like I said, this is one of my biggest satisfactions. I played at Wembley, I had that opportunity, but to get out in front of my team was fantastic. That’s something they’ll never take away from me.

You decided to stick with with Zola and Hughes up front in the final, leaving out Gianluca Vialli...

The most important thing is the team, not me. I don’t make decisions to make people feel bad. I make decisions so the team plays well. And that is a hard decision especially because you know these people well. If you are a new coach and you don’t know them, it’s easier to make decisions like that. But if you have a good relationship with them, that’s hard. That was the biggest transition – from being a colleague to becoming a manager. I had to make decisions that were hard. I was really hurt in my heart as well, but I had to do it for the team.

36

GIANLUCA VIALLI You came on for a couple of minutes at the end of the Cup final. Did that mean a lot?

I think it was respect. I think he [Gullit] probably felt I played a part in the FA Cup, in us getting to the final, and he felt I needed to play a little, to give me the satisfaction of being involved.

Blue Day

I WENT WITH THE ATTITUDE I WAS JUST GOING TO ENJOY EVERY MOMENT AND SEE WHERE IT TOOK US Mark Hughes

Mark Hughes lifts the FA Cup for the fourth time in his career

Did you enjoy it more because of your United career, when you were attuned to hating them?

Maybe. I just enjoyed playing against Liverpool, it would bring out the best in me.

Bigger games did that, I always used to get up for them. Maybe because I was a little bit angry with Ruud, I used that to my benefit as well.

You were going for a fourth winners’ medal – how did you feel before the final?

I went with the attitude I was just going to enjoy every moment and see where it took us. I felt we could win, I was confident we could, but cup finals are cup finals. The key is that you go there with the attitude you’ll give it your best. Everyone says it’s worse losing in semi-finals because you don’t get the Wembley final... nah, I don’t believe that. You get to the final, you’ve got to win. minute claiming we were the catalyst for everything that has happened since, but we certainly helped the process.

A lot of the guys who continued in the Abramovich era had got used to winning, and that was the key to being able to keep progressing. You had a group of players who understood what it took and it was good to be part of it.

Tell us about the Liverpool game.

MARK HUGHES Sum up your time at Chelsea, looking back 20 years on...

Probably just satisfaction that I was able to be part of the start... I’m not for one

Everybody mentions that game. We got ourselves in a situation where it looked like we were going out. Ruud, for whatever reason, decided I wasn’t in the starting line-up, which I wasn’t too happy about, because if ever a game was made for me it was a game against Liverpool because I always used to love beating them!

SCOTT MINTO What were you like the night before the final?

I was actually okay, considering it was the biggest game of my career. I was brought up in the Seventies, where the whole day was taken up by the FA Cup final. For me, the FA Cup was absolutely massive and knowing there were hundreds of millions around the world about to watch, I felt surprisingly calm.

I remember it got to about 2.40pm and I was still listening to music. For me, it was almost as if, “I know what’s out there, I know what I’m up against. I want to keep 37

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Blue Day

THE SEMI WASN’T EASY, BUT FRANCO JUST STEPPED IT UP

Scott Minto

my mind as positive as possible.” Listening to this music was keeping me pretty positive.

I just felt really good. Even walking out the tunnel, I felt, “this is iconic” but also I was of a mindset, because the season had gone so well, that it was just another game and we were going to win.

We did have that thought-pattern from the Liverpool game. By the time we got to the quarter-final, it was like, “Portsmouth away, we’re going to win this.” Wimbledon in the semi-final obviously wasn’t easy, but Franco just stepped it up and scored that amazing goal. So we got to the final against Middlesbrough and we felt, “You know, it’s not Man U. We’ve got a wonderful chance here.” And we couldn’t have made a better start.

Zola fires the ball home against Wimbledon in the semi-final

tunnel, that I had a thought: “Don’t mess it up today! If I do that, I’ll have to move back to Norway, into the fjords, and find a cabin to stay in for the rest of my life.”

Luckily, I didn’t mess it up. And, of course, I remember wearing the Viking helmet after the game. I even gave Ruud Gullit a hug – I never did it before or after that day!

STEVE CLARKE How did Ruud prepare you for the Cup final?

Ruud had that self belief or arrogance about him. He got us into the final with that belief we were going to win it.

You nearly missed it, didn’t you?

FRODE GRODAS How were you feeling before the match?

In the build-up, you are in the hotel and that keeps you away from the pressure of it. But when you arrive at the stadium and you see blue everywhere you look, it hits you. And it’s at that point, when I was in the

We were a team that went into that game with supreme confidence we were going to win it. He just gave us that belief.

I don’t remember any particular words or speeches or training sessions, I just remember we went to that final with almost an arrogance.

That would reflect back on the manager.

In the weeks leading up to the final, I almost never played – I couldn’t run. We were trying everything to find out what the problem was and my back was getting stiffer and stiffer. I went for a scan and they found a spike which had grown where a hairline fracture healed, which was digging into the sciatic nerve and was causing me pain down the back and front of my leg. I had to go into hospital and they gave me an injection 39

Blue Day in my back. They just put anaesthetic into the spot. Got me to stand up, touch my toes. Perfect. No pain, nothing. Clear, phew, Eureka!

Frank Leboeuf celebrates our win with Frode Grodas

FRANK LEBOEUF Following the final whistle, it was an unofficial record for most time spent on the pitch after a cup final!

People always ask me, “What is your best trophy?” Of course I say the World Cup, but I have to share the podium with the FA Cup in 1997 because it was absolutely perfect.

The atmosphere, the win, the celebration after – we didn’t want to leave Wembley and the fans didn’t want to. The fans had 27 years without winning the FA Cup, we had this too, and we wanted to share the time with them. It wasn’t only 17 or 18 players and the club that won something, it’s the population of the Chelsea fans who won it. The day after on the Fulham Road, that was... phwoar. I still have the pictures and I can still get goosebumps if I think about it.

BLUE DAY WEMBLEY ‘97: THE HEROES’ STORIES

When Chelsea Football Club won the 1997 FA Cup final, it meant a first major trophy for the Blues in 26 years. It also paved the way for a new era of domestic and European success.

Twenty years on from that famous Wembley triumph, Richard Godden has tracked down the men who made history and spoken to them about their Chelsea memories and how fate and fortune have treated them since.

Blue Day: The Heroes’ Stories features in-depth interviews with all the stars who played their part on that heady May afternoon in 1997. Including a foreword from Madness singer Suggs, who was behind our official FA Cup final song Blue Day, this is an entertaining, revealing and unique book that will appeal to Chelsea fans across the generations.

ON SALE 17 MAY AVAILABLE FROM THE CHELSEA MEGASTORE www.chelseamegastore.com

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Chelsea supporters unveil a banner to celebrate our promotion back to the top flight during a game against Hull City in May 1977. Inset, action from the penultimate match of the season against Wolves

42

CFC Words | Dominic Bliss

A NEW DAWN Our cup-winning exploits in the early Seventies were followed by a period of decline as dressing room disharmony and financial troubles took their toll. With the Blues hurtling towards relegation from the top flight, we turned to a familiar face to turn things around, and a new generation of homegrown players set about putting smiles on the faces of Chelsea fans once again Forty years ago this month, Stamford Bridge filled once again with hope.

There have been so many ‘Chelsea are back!’ moments over the years that the memory of one can sometimes blend into another, but the 1976/77 season was one of great optimism for the supporters who had begun to feel the good times were gone in SW6.

After the triumphant FA Cup final in 1970 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup title which followed a year later, malaise had set in. Chelsea entered a period of off-field uncertainty and footballing decline as the great – largely homegrown – team put together by Tommy Docherty and Dave Sexton fell apart and the club was left financially crippled by the expense of the

new (and currently still standing) East Stand.

In the season that we defeated Real Madrid to win the Cup Winners’ Cup, we finished sixth in the old First Division, but over the coming years our final position dropped dramatically as we ended in seventh, 12th, 17th and finally – in 1974/75 – 21st, confirming our relegation from the top flight.

It felt like the end of a cycle. The last time Chelsea had competed in the second tier had been 12 years earlier, when a new generation of youthful players had begun to emerge under a vibrant, young manager, Docherty. Players such as Peter Bonetti, Eddie McCreadie, Bobby Tambling and Ron Harris had started to cement their places in the team in that promotion year of 1962/63

43

Promotion: 1976/77 season and, over the next decade, a whole new crop of exciting talent had joined them on their upwards trajectory towards silverware.

The glory days which followed were some of the best in the club’s history and they are still spoken about by those who witnessed them today, but instead of establishing Chelsea among English football’s elite for years to come, they came to an abrupt end in the mid-1970s, ushering in gloomier days at the Bridge.

Defeat to Stoke City in the 1972 League Cup final was the closest that generation came to adding more silverware to their collection and over the next two years the rapport between manager Dave Sexton and star players like Peter Osgood and Alan Hudson became strained. Sexton had grown increasingly frustrated with the lifestyles of some of his team, but his attempts to limit their excesses led only to a breakdown in his relationship with them.

Great coach though he undoubtedly was, Sexton failed to win the players back and in the first six months of 1974 Hudson, Charlie Cooke, Osgood and David Webb were all sold, while Tommy Baldwin was

Eddie McCreadie in his playing days

sent out on loan. Unsurprisingly, with so much talent having exited the club, the 1974/75 season did not begin well and Sexton was dismissed in October 1974, shortly after the East Stand had finally opened, with Chelsea third from bottom.

His assistant Ron Suart took up the reins but was unable to turn things around, and

by April he too had stepped down. With relegation looming, the club was desperate for an injection of enthusiasm and positivity – someone associated with success and passionate about Chelsea. Fortunately, they had just the man waiting in the wings.

Eddie McCreadie, the tough-as-nails leftback with 410 Chelsea appearances to his name, had been forced to end his playing career through injury while still in his early 30s and had moved into a coaching role at the club during a turbulent time. But now the board turned to him to take on the big job. With his youth, tenacity and a nononsense attitude that had made him a hero to Blues supporters, it was believed the Scot might just be the man to rebuild the club and motivate a new generation of young players.

McCreadie in the Stamford Bridge dugout after taking over as manager

44

CFC After relegation was confirmed a month later, he set about doing just that, as Docherty had done 12 years earlier in similar circumstances. By this stage, more of the old guard had departed – John Hollins, Peter Houseman, Steve Kember and Chris Garland among them – while Ian Hutchinson was forced to retire after struggling for many years with a series of injuries.

With little money to bring new players in, McCreadie instead built his team around youth, and after finishing midtable in his first full season in charge, his new-look side hit their stride in 1976/77.

They were talented and fresh, but most importantly they shared a close bond.

“The team we grew up with is special,” said midfielder Ray Lewington in a recent programme interview. “Footballers very rarely have other footballers as close friends.

Acquaintances, yes, but rarely do you get a group of players like ours.”

Lewington was surrounded by longterm mates every time he took to the pitch: Ray and Graham Wilkins, Gary Locke, Steve Wicks, Garry Stanley, Ian Britton, Steve Finnieston, Tommy Langley and John Sparrow. Of the 14 players who made more than 10 appearances in that promotion season, only three had not come through the Chelsea youth system – David Hay, Kenny Swain (brought in from non-league Wycombe for a £500 signing-on fee) and second-choice goalkeeper John Phillips.

It wasn’t just the kids who had a deep connection to Chelsea. Among the new wave were three surviving (or returning) members of the old school as Peter Bonetti, Ron Harris and Charlie Cooke offered the voice of experience in the dressing room. It proved to be a potent mix and with McCreadie – once a marvellous overlapping full-back – at the helm there was little surprise the Blues played an exciting, attractive brand of attacking football. It may have been a team effort, but among that crop there was one outstanding talent, as Lewington admitted.

“Eddie McCreadie very honestly said to me, ‘Listen. Just to make sure you know what you’ve got to do, you get the ball and you give it to someone who can play: Ray Wilkins.’”

Wilkins, whose brother Graham featured in that side as well, played at the apex of a diamond midfield that encouraged attractive interplay and frequent forays forward from the fullbacks, the like of which McCreadie had been famed for in his playing days. It enabled the star man, with the No8 on

Ray Lewington was one of several young players to be given a chance in the first team

WITH LITTLE MONEY TO BRING NEW PLAYERS IN, McCREADIE INSTEAD BUILT HIS TEAM AROUND YOUTH. THEY WERE TALENTED AND FRESH, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY THEY SHARED A CLOSE BOND his shirt, to find the space in which to create openings, and he thrived.

“The one thing with Ray, from a very early age, he was an outstanding footballer,” Lewington explained.

“He was a naturally gifted two-footer, his range of passing was magnificent.

He had a nice little position behind the forwards, which made him difficult to pick up, and he could hit a ball with both feet. He scored some spectacular goals, just another asset to what was already a brilliant player. Suddenly people were thinking, ‘Give this kid space and he’ll score goals as well.’ It did him the world of good and showcased him as a true international class player, which I always knew he would be.”

In front of Wilkins, a prolific strike partnership blossomed between Finnieston and Swain, who managed 40 goals between them in all competitions.

Their understanding was helped by the fact that they – like so many of the players

Ray Wilkins starred in midfield for the Blues

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Promotion: 1976/77 season THE SUPPORTERS WERE DELIRIOUS, NOT JUST WITH THE JOY OF PROMOTION, BUT WITH THE SENSE OF OPTIMISM AT WHAT THIS HOMEGROWN TEAM COULD ACHIEVE IN THE YEARS TO COME in that squad – were great friends off the pitch as well.

“Kenny was best man at my wedding, too!” Finnieston explained. “We were really good friends for a few years. He’d come to us after being a teacher and playing for Wycombe. He was a great player who could play anywhere. We worked well together. If the ball was on the penalty spot and we were 50/50 for it, I’d have pushed him out of the way, whereas he’d have probably just left me to it. He was a much better footballer than me but not as good a goalscorer.”

Finnieston finished that season as top scorer with 26 goals and, by the end of the season, another young striker was proving his worth. Tommy Langley’s goal in the penultimate game at Wolves – the eventual Second Division champions – earned us the point that sealed our promotion. Then, on the final day of the campaign, the 19-year-old was in fine form again, laying on two goals for hattrick hero Finnieston as Hull City were put to the sword at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea had gone the whole season unbeaten at home and looked ready to take on the big guns again. The supporters were delirious, not just with the joy of promotion, but with the sense of optimism at what this homegrown team could achieve in the years to come. The Hull game had to be halted at 2-0 due to an exultant pitch invasion from scarf-waving fans, then again after Britton made it 3-0. Each was met with chants of, “OFF! OFF! OFF!” from the supporters who had remained in the stands. Finally, after the jubilant supporters had come bouncing onto the playing surface again at 3-0, McCreadie stepped onto the pitch in sunglasses and a sheepskin coat, holding a microphone. He was not to be messed with.

“You guys coming onto the pitch, do us a favour and don’t spoil the season for the players!” he demanded, followed by cheers from the crowd. “We’ve got seven more minutes to go, so do us a favour... any more goals, stay where you are and let the game finish. Please!”

He got his wish as the fans stayed

CFC

Steve Finnieston is congratulated by Wilkins after scoring against Luton Town in April 1977

off the pitch after Finnieston’s hat-trick goal, a penalty he had won himself. This time the crowd settled for singing “4-0” to the tune of Amazing Grace. The next pitch invasion followed the final whistle, and this time McCreadie and his players were mobbed by well-wishers. “What better way to say farewell to the Second Division!” declared Brian Moore on The Big Match.

It should have been the start of something special. Chelsea were back in the top flight, with a popular young side, full of local boys, and the manager was a club legend. But that summer McCreadie’s relationship with the board broke down completely over a contract dispute. Rumours abounded that the Scot had walked out following a row over a company car, although former Chelsea programme editor Albert Sewell was more interested in lamenting an opportunity lost.

“That was such nonsense,” he told Rick Glanvill in Chelsea FC: The Official Biography. “He got them promoted and then all this argument over a car or something. He stood out against them and

that was the end of him. I would have loved to see what they would have done because he’d got a young team.”

That setback was reflected in the next two seasons’ results. A 16th-place finish in the First Division was no disgrace but there was a sense that the wind had been taken out of the team’s sails.

Anyone questioning the importance of momentum would do well to consider that Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest were promoted with us in 1977, having finished below McCreadie’s side in third place. They immediately went on to win the First Division championship, followed by the European Cup a year later, thanks largely to the motivational skills of their charismatic young manager.

For the now departed Chelsea manager, a new life on the other side of the Atlantic awaited as he moved to the United States, initially coaching Memphis Rogues and Cleveland Force, before retiring to his home in Tennessee.

Those supporters who were at a muddy Stamford Bridge that chilly spring afternoon in 1977 will still surely agree that Eddie McCreadie was magic.

47

CLUB AMBASSADOR PAULO FERREIRA

Staying focused is a crucial part of the winning formula for title-chasing Blues At this stage of the season, when you are fighting for the title, you just have to keep things the same as you have done from the start. It’s important to do the same things when you prepare for games. When you see the end is near and you think you are almost there, that’s when you need to control your nerves and keep focused as well. You have to make sure you do the right things: keep working well and rest your body as much as you can to be fresh for the last few matches.

These kinds of situation are often a test to see who can cope better mentally and who can deal better with the pressure. In my experience it’s always much better to be on top of the league looking down than to be second and chasing.

For sure, these boys will keep believing and they know every game in the Premier League is tough, so you can lose points anywhere, but the most important thing is to keep your focus, keep working hard, rest well, eat and drink properly and make sure you continue with the best routine. If you keep going strong you put pressure on your direct opponent.

For me, the most impressive thing about this Chelsea team has been their consistency.

I keep saying you don’t win titles by winning just the big games; every match is important. The games against teams outside

Gary Cahill scores our second goal against Everton

the top places are often where you win titles and that’s the consistency you need.

This is what people mean when they say they are taking things game by game. You have to. You can’t think you have two easy games coming up, or pick out the match that could be decisive. If you look past the next game, that is when you fall down and lose points against the teams you should beat. It’s always better to win all the other

games and then, when you have the really big matches, if you lose a couple of points, you still have enough to go until the end and fight for the league.

CHANCE TO SAY FAREWELL TO A TRUE CHELSEA LEGEND Last month, John Terry announced he was leaving the club at the end of the season. He has been such a big player for Chelsea. Since I met him, he has been a really important figure in the dressing room and around the club, and what he has done here is amazing – you don’t see it too often.

We all know we can’t stay forever, one day you will have to go and your life will move on. That’s what is happening now with John, but he will always be a legend at this club for what he has done and for what he means to Chelsea.

48

The timing means he has the chance to say goodbye on the last day of the season and I had the opportunity to do that myself. I remember Lamps made that happen when we were on the pitch after the last game in 2013, when I finished playing. I was always a very quiet person and it was my time to go. I wanted to go in a quiet and relaxed way but Lampsy didn’t let that happen! He wanted me to say something, so he gave me the microphone on the pitch and in the end it was great. I

wasn’t expecting it so I hadn’t prepared any speech, but it was fantastic. It’s nice because often players leave the club after many years and don’t get the chance to say something to the supporters. John will have that opportunity because the last game is at home and, for sure, people will want to say goodbye, except with him it’s not a goodbye, more like, ‘See you soon!’

IN THE HIGH PRESSURE MOMENTS SURE WON’T LET YOU DOWN

MATCH ACTION EVERTON

0-3

CHELSEA Pedro 66, Cahill 79, Willian 86

GOODISON PARK

30.04.17, 2.05PM

MANAGER

Ronald Koeman

EVERTON 22 Maarten Stekelenburg 30 Mason Holgate 6 Phil Jagielka (c) 5 Ashley Williams 3 Leighton Baines 17 Idrissa Gueye 26 Tom Davies 8 Ross Barkley 19 Enner Valencia 10 Romelu Lukaku 29 Dominic Calvert-Lewin 11 Kevin Mirallas

71

9 Arouna Kone

71

UNUSED SUBS Joel Robles, Gareth Barry, Ademola Lookman, Matthew Pennington, Jonjoe Kenny

Second-half goals from Pedro, Gary Cahill and Willian earned Chelsea a valuable three points at Goodison Park.

The Blues saw out a bright opening from the hosts, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin going the closest to breaking the deadlock when he struck the post. Eden Hazard nearly finished off a rapid counter-attack, but could only find the side netting after rounding Everton keeper Maarten Stekelenburg.

The Blues took control of proceedings after the interval, with the opener coming from Pedro. After receiving the ball 25 yards out, the Spaniard turned Phil Jagielka before curling a sublime left-footed effort into the top corner.

Our second had a touch of good fortune about it, when Stekelenburg could only parry Hazard’s free-kick onto Gary Cahill inside the six-yard box and the rebound went in to give the defender his second goal in as many games.

Willian completed the scoring in the dying stages, slotting the ball into the back of the net after good work by Cesc Fàbregas.

Referee: Jonathan Moss

FIRST-TEAM HEAD COACH Antonio Conte

CHELSEA 13 Thibaut Courtois 28 Cesar Azpilicueta 30 David Luiz 24 Gary Cahill (c) 15 Victor Moses 7 N'Golo Kanté 21 Nemanja Matic 3 Marcos Alonso 11 Pedro 10 Eden Hazard 19 Diego Costa

CHELSEA

4-2

4 Cesc Fàbregas

82

22 Willian

85

Asmir Begovic, Kurt Zouma, Michy Batshuayi, Nathaniel Chalobah

SOUTHAMPTON Romeu 24, Bertrand 90+4

STAMFORD BRIDGE

25.04.17, 7.45PM

FIRST-TEAM HEAD COACH Antonio Conte

CHELSEA 13 Thibaut Courtois 28 Cesar Azpilicueta 30 David Luiz 24 Gary Cahill (c) 15 Victor Moses 7 N'Golo Kanté 21 Nemanja Matic 3 Marcos Alonso 4 Cesc Fàbregas 10 Eden Hazard 19 Diego Costa 11 Pedro

76

26 John Terry

85

22 Willian

89

UNUSED SUBS Asmir Begovic, Nathan Ake, Nathaniel Chalobah, Michy Batshuayi

50

82

UNUSED SUBS Attendance: 39,595

Hazard 5, Cahill 45+1, Diego Costa 54, 89

6 Nathan Ake

Gary Cahill, Diego Costa and Eden Hazard returned to the starting line-up after our FA Cup semi-final win and provided all four goals between them to see off Southampton.

It was Hazard who opened the scoring just five minutes in with a trademark placed finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Former Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu equalised from a corner, but right on the stroke of half-time Cahill headed us back in front.

The second half belonged to Diego Costa, who grabbed his 50th Premier League goal for the Blues early on by nodding in Cesc Fàbregas’ pinpoint cross. Our No19 gave us a three-goal margin with the best of the game, exchanging passes with Hazard and Pedro before weaving through defenders into the penalty box and finishing smartly at Fraser Forster’s near post.

There was still time for a second ex-Chelsea player to score on his return to the Bridge, Ryan Bertrand netting the third headed goal of the game, but it was merely a consolation.

Referee: Lee Mason

MANAGER Claude Puel

SOUTHAMPTON 1 Fraser Forster 2 Cedric Soares 24 Jack Stephens 3 Maya Yoshida 21 Ryan Bertrand 8 Steven Davis (c) 14 Oriol Romeu 16 James Ward-Prowse 11 Dusan Tadic 20 Manolo Gabbiadini 19 Sofiane Boufal 22 Nathan Redmond

68

7 Shane Long

81

9 Jay Rodriguez

85

UNUSED SUBS Attendance: 41,618

Mouez Hassen, Martin Caceres, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Jordy Clasie

chelseafc.com

4-2

CHELSEA Willian 5, 43 (pen), Hazard 75, Matic 80

@chelseafc

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR Kane 18, Alli 52

SEMI-FINAL

WEMBLEY, 22.04.17, 5.15PM

FIRST-TEAM HEAD COACH

MANAGER

Antonio Conte

Mauricio Pochettino

CHELSEA

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

13 Thibaut Courtois

1 Hugo Lloris (c)

28 Cesar Azpilicueta (c)

15 Eric Dier

30 David Luiz

4 Toby Alderweireld

6 Nathan Ake

5 Jan Vertonghen

15 Victor Moses

16 Kieran Trippier

7 N'Golo Kanté

12 Victor Wanyama

21 Nemanja Matic

19 Mousa Dembele

3 Marcos Alonso

7 Heung-Min Son

22 Willian

23 Christian Eriksen

11 Pedro

20 Dele Alli

23 Michy Batshuayi

10 Harry Kane

19 Diego Costa

60

2 Kyle Walker

68

10 Eden Hazard

60

14 Georges-Kevin Nkoudou

79

4 Cesc Fàbregas

73

UNUSED SUBS

UNUSED SUBS Asmir Begovic, Kurt Zouma, John Terry, Nathanial Chalobah

(3-4-2-1)

13 30

28 7

15

6 21

22

3 11

23

6337C 37

Goal

POSSESSION %

Own goal

Booked

Chelsea booked a place in the FA Cup final after a memorable victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium.

Willian twice gave us the lead as he opened the scoring with a clever early free-kick, which deceived Hugo Lloris in the Spurs goal, before putting us 2-1 ahead from the penalty spot just before half-time after Victor Moses was brought down inside the area by Heung-Min Son. The first was cancelled out by a stooping header from Harry Kane, with Dele Alli netting the second equaliser soon after the interval, finishing from close range after an early cross from Christian Eriksen.

The Blues took the lead once more thanks to Eden Hazard, who had been introduced on the hour mark along with Diego Costa.

The Belgian struck a crisp, low effort into the corner of the net with 15 minutes remaining and then teed up Nemanja Matic for a scintillating goal which put the icing on the cake.

The Serbian hit a magnificent 30-yard effort into the top corner off the crossbar, sending the Chelsea fans into raptures and securing a seventh FA Cup final spot for the Blues this century.

Referee: Martin Atkinson

5 1 3 1 19

63

Straight red card

Attendance: 86,355

Sent-off for two bookings

First sub

SHOTS ON TARGET SHOTS OFF TARGET OFFSIDES CORNERS FOULS

Second sub

Third sub

4 6 1 11 11

Pau Lopez, Ben Davies, Kevin Wimmer, Moussa Sissoko, Vincent Janssen

(3-4-2-1)

1 4

15 12

16

5 19

23

7 20

10

2377C 7

HEADED CLEARANCES

24

51

MATCH ACTION MANCHESTER UNITED Rashford 7, Herrera 49

2-0

CHELSEA

OLD TRAFFORD

16.04.17, 4PM

MANAGER

José Mourinho

MANCHESTER UNITED 1 David de Gea 21 Ander Herrera 3 Eric Bailly 5 Marcos Rojo 36 Matteo Darmian 25 Antonio Valencia 27 Marouane Fellaini 6 Paul Pogba 18 Ashley Young (c) 19 Marcus Rashford 14 Jesse Lingard 16 Michael Carrick

60

9 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

82

24 Timothy Fosu-Mensah

90+3

UNUSED SUBS Sergio Romero, Daley Blind, Luke Shaw, Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Early goals in either half condemned Chelsea to our first defeat against Manchester United since October 2012.

The Blues were unfortunate to fall behind early on as a clear handball by Ander Herrera went unpunished before the Spaniard sent Marcus Rashford through on goal to finish past Asmir Begovic, who was playing his first Premier League match of the season due to an injury to Thibaut Courtois.

The closest we came to testing David de Gea in the first half was a thumping long-range effort by Diego Costa which was just wide of the post, but our task became even greater just four minutes after the break when Herrera’s strike from the edge of the box was deflected past the unfortunate Begovic.

Despite a change in formation and the introduction of fresh faces, there was to be no rousing comeback by Antonio Conte’s side on a frustrating Easter Sunday afternoon in Manchester as we slipped to our first defeat against the Red Devils in 13 matches.

Referee: Robert Madley

FIRST-TEAM HEAD COACH Antonio Conte

CHELSEA 1 Asmir Begovic 5 Kurt Zouma 30 David Luiz 24 Gary Cahill (c) 15 Victor Moses 7 N'Golo Kanté 21 Nemanja Matic 28 Cesar Azpilicueta 11 Pedro 10 Eden Hazard 19 Diego Costa

King 42

1-3

54

22 Willian

66

14 Ruben Loftus-Cheek

83

UNUSED SUBS Attendance: 75,272

BOURNEMOUTH

4 Cesc Fàbregas

Asmir Eduardo, Begovic, Branislav Nathan Ake, Ivanovic, Kurt John Zouma, Terry,Nathaniel Michy Batshuayi Chalobah

CHELSEA A Smith own goal 17, Hazard 20, Alonso 68

VITALITY STADIUM

08.04.17, 5.30PM

MANAGER Eddie Howe

BOURNEMOUTH 1 Artur Boruc 15 Adam Smith 2 Simon Francis (c) 3 Steve Cook 11 Charlie Daniels 24 Ryan Fraser 8 Harry Arter 32 Jack Wilshere 7 Marc Pugh 17 Joshua King 9 Benik Afobe 33 Jordon Ibe

71

31 Lys Mousset

78

10 Max Gradel

83

UNUSED SUBS Ryan Allsop, Lewis Cook, Brad Smith, Baily Cargill

52

Two goals in three first-half minutes proved to be the difference between the sides in an entertaining encounter on the South Coast.

The Blues burst into life just past the quarterhour mark and took the lead courtesy of Diego Costa’s deflected effort. Although there was a touch of fortune about it, with a skewed shot going in off the head of the sliding Adam Smith, who was credited with the goal, the turn by the Chelsea No19 was world class.

The same could certainly be said about the build-up and finish for our second a few minutes later. N’Golo Kanté picked out the run of Eden Hazard, who surged forward and left Artur Boruc on his backside with a superb touch before slotting home with his left foot.

Bournemouth halved the deficit when Joshua King’s ferocious shot flew into the top corner off the knee of David Luiz. However, the two-goal cushion was restored in the 68th minute when Marcos Alonso brilliantly curled home a freekick and the victory was confidently closed out with a solid defensive showing.

Referee: Andre Marriner

FIRST-TEAM HEAD COACH Antonio Conte

CHELSEA 13 Thibaut Courtois 28 Cesar Azpilicueta 30 David Luiz 24 Gary Cahill (c) 15 Victor Moses 7 N'Golo Kanté 21 Nemanja Matic 3 Marcos Alonso 11 Pedro 10 Eden Hazard 19 Diego Costa 4 Cesc Fàbregas

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22 Willian

87

5 Kurt Zouma

90+1

UNUSED SUBS Attendance: 11,283

Asmir Begovic, John Terry, Nathaniel Chalobah, Michy Batshuayi

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2-1

CHELSEA Hazard 10, 35

@chelseafc

MANCHESTER CITY Aguero 26

STAMFORD BRIDGE

05.04.17, 8PM

FIRST-TEAM HEAD COACH

MANAGER

Antonio Conte

Pep Guardiola

CHELSEA

MANCHESTER CITY

13 Thibaut Courtois

13 Willy Caballero

5 Kurt Zouma

15 Jesus Navas

30 David Luiz

24 John Stones

24 Gary Cahill (c)

4 Vincent Kompany (c)

28 Cesar Azpilicueta

22 Gael Clichy

4 Cesc Fàbregas

25 Fernandinho

7 N'Golo Kanté

18 Fabian Delph

3 Marcos Alonso

17 Kevin De Bruyne

11 Pedro

21 David Silva

10 Eden Hazard

19 Leroy Sane

19 Diego Costa

10 Sergio Aguero

21 Nemanja Matic

h/t

7 Raheem Sterling

79

22 Willian

80

9 Nolito

85

14 Ruben Loftus-Cheek

90

UNUSED SUBS

UNUSED SUBS Asmir Begovic, Nathan Ake, John Terry, Michy Batshuayi

(3-4-2-1)

13 30

5 4

28

24 7

11

3 10

19

6139C 39

Goal

POSSESSION %

Own goal

Booked

Two goals from Eden Hazard capped an excellent team performance as the Blues became the first club to do the league double over a side managed by Pep Guardiola but, more importantly, it was a crucial win over one of our title rivals.

Chelsea’s Belgian ace got us off to a perfect start when he opened the scoring after only 10 minutes. Spanish duo Pedro and Cesar Azpilicueta combined down the right-hand side for the latter to send a low cross into the path of Hazard, who confidently fired home.

Cesc Fàbregas almost doubled our lead when his deflected shot bounced off the crossbar, but City were level soon after through Sergio Aguero following a misplaced clearance by Thibaut Courtois.

The response from Antonio Conte’s side was decisive, however, and it was that man Hazard who provided the finishing touch. The Blues were awarded a penalty when Pedro was brought down by Fernandinho and though our No10 saw his spot-kick saved, he turned in the rebound to put us in front.

A solid second-half display ensured we ground out a victory which gave us our 10th double over City in the Premier League era.

Referee: Mike Dean

4 3 1 2 10

61

Straight red card

Attendance: 41,528

Sent-off for two bookings

First sub

SHOTS ON TARGET SHOTS OFF TARGET

7 6

Second sub

Third sub

(4-2-3-1)

13 15

24

4

25

18 21

17

22

19

10

3961C 19

TACKLES

OFFSIDES CORNERS

Claudio Bravo, Pablo Zabaleta, Aleksandar Kolarov, Fernando, Yaya Toure

9 14

30

53

54

PIC OF THE MONTH

22 April

GOAL TO REMEMBER There are plenty of cliches that go hand in hand with a well-struck shot in football. “Connected so well he didn’t even feel it”, “that one stayed hit” and “still rising when it hit the back of the net” are three which spring to mind, and it’s safe to say they are all applicable to Nemanja Matic’s thunderbolt in our FA Cup semi-final triumph over Tottenham.

It was an afternoon to savour for Blues fans as we beat our local rivals 4-2 to book a final spot against Arsenal on 27 May. Matic certainly looks to be savouring his worldie as it heads into the top corner, leaving Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris absolutely rooted.

55

MONTH NUMB3RS IN

PRESENTED BY

Looking through the stats at play

Willian is the only player to have started all five of our FA Cup games this season. Ahead of the final, he is our joint top scorer in the competition this term with four goals, the same as Pedro.

Following our FA Cup semifinal win over Tottenham at Wembley, Chelsea have reached our 15th cup final in the Roman Abramovich era and 28th overall.

Chelsea’s cup finals

FA Cup 1915 1967 1970 1994 1997 2000 2002 2007 2009 2010 2012 2017 The FA Cup semi-final was our 800th competitive match since Roman Abramovich bought the club in the summer of 2003.

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League Cup 1965 1972 1998 2005 2007 2008 2015

European Cup Winners’ Cup 1971 1998

16+22+62I 800 GAMES

WON 493 DRAWN 174 LOST 133

UEFA Super Cup 1998, 2012 2013

Champions FIFA League Club World 2008 Cup 2012 2012

Willian’s first goal in the 4-2 win over Spurs was his ninth direct from a free-kick for Chelsea.

Europa League 2013

We have scored more goals against the Toffees than any other side.

Diego Costa’s brace in our 4-2 win over Southampton saw him go past half a century of goals in the Premier League. He reached the 50-goal mark in his 85th appearance in the English top flight. He became the seventh Chelsea player in Premier League history to score 50 goals, joining an illustrious list made up of Eden Hazard, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Gianfranco Zola and Eidur Gudjohnsen. Only Hasselbaink has reached the milestone for the Blues in fewer games (84).

In the Saints game, Eden Hazard scored his 15th Premier League goal of the campaign, his best tally in the competition since he arrived in England in 2012.

Thibaut Courtois made his 100th Chelsea appearance in our 2-1 victory over Manchester City. In our 3-1 win at Bournemouth, David Luiz made his 100th Premier League start in his two spells at the club.

Following our 6-2 aggregate win over Manchester City, we were crowned FA Youth Cup winners for the fourth year in succession. It is our sixth triumph in the competition in the last eight seasons.

Our 2-1 win against Manchester City meant Pep Guardiola lost both league games to a single opponent in the same season for the very first time in his managerial career.

Chelsea have won more games in all competitions against Everton than any other club.

Our Under-18s scored 30 goals in eight FA Youth Cup matches this term.

Ike Ugbo’s stunning strike in the second leg of the FA Youth Cup final took his tally in all competitions this season to 24. Ten of them came in the FA Youth Cup.

Nemanja Matic made his 150th appearance for the Blues in our 4-2 win against Southampton.

* Stats correct up to 03.05.17

We made our 86th competitive visit to Goodison Park, more than any other away ground.

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CHELSEAMEGASTORE.COM THE OFFICIAL MEGASTORE FOR UK, EUROPE AND AFRICA

WWW.CHELSEAMEGASTORE.COM +44(0)333 0144 539* *Calls to this number cost 10p per minute, plus network extras.

Words | Dominic Bliss

FOUR IN A ROW FOR BOYS IN BLUE Our remarkable run of success in the FA Youth Cup continues after another victory over Manchester City in this year’s final, with Chelsea’s youngsters proving yet again they can overcome the strongest young talent in the country

F

or the fourth season in a row, the sixth time in eight years, and the eighth time in total, Chelsea are FA Youth Cup champions.

However you look at it, the 2010s has been a remarkable decade for the club in the prestigious Under-18s competition, especially when you consider we were runners-up and semi-finalists in the two other seasons during that eight-year period since 2009/10.

What’s more, for the third successive campaign, Manchester City were our vanquished opponents in the final. It takes some doing to keep producing against the best opposition on a stage like that and this season was former Chelsea youth product Jody Morris’ first as Under-18s coach. He pointed to the example set by the first team over the same period as evidence of a winning mentality that permeates the club.

“Winning breeds winning and we’re lucky enough to have a first team that set the standard in that respect,” he declared after seeing his team emerge as 6-2 aggregate winners in this year’s final, having won 5-1 in the second leg at Stamford Bridge. “We’ve had teams before us in this competition that have performed and won on many occasions so it’s nice for us to emulate them and with some 59

ACADEMY Mason Mount and his team-mates celebrate winning the FA Youth Cup

special performances at the Bridge against Tottenham and Man City as well.”

For all the goals the youth team have scored this season, Morris has frequently pointed out the need for the team to be more clinical with their chances. Despite some high-scoring victories, the coach felt his side might be forced to rue missed opportunities against the strongest opponents, but when it came to the crunch in the FA Youth Cup final, he was delighted to see Manchester City put to the sword by five well-taken goals at Stamford Bridge.

“We started quickly but the most pleasing thing for me was we finished our chances. We’ve been cursing often this season that we should have scored more goals in games but we put them away at the most important time. We knew City had to come forward to chase the game and we’ve got players that can hurt teams, which we did.”

This year’s winning captain, Mason Mount, also scored in last year’s final and was one of the standout players in both games. Operating in the No10 role, the England Under-19s international was a constant threat to Manchester City’s 60

Under-18s coach Jody Morris

WE STARTED QUICKLY BUT THE MOST PLEASING THING FOR ME WAS WE FINISHED OUR CHANCES. WE KNEW CITY HAD TO COME FORWARD TO CHASE THE GAME AND WE’VE GOT PLAYERS THAT CAN HURT TEAMS, WHICH WE DID

Jody Morris

chelseafc.com

defence with his intelligent movement between the lines and willingness to run at defenders on the edge of the penalty area.

At the end of the game he explained how the club’s previous successes in the Youth Cup spur the next vintage on from year to year.

“There is a winning mentality in the Academy and we are brought up to have that as young players,” he said. “We create our own pressure, especially in this competition because we have won four in a row now and hopefully next year we will get that fifth.”

Among the five different goalscorers on the night was centre-forward Ike Ugbo, whose performances against senior opposition in the Checkatrade Trophy earlier this season had already demonstrated his potential to a wider audience. Having scored our goal in the first leg (a 1-1 draw at Manchester City’s Academy Stadium), Ugbo had the Stamford Bridge crowd cooing after a sensationally improvised overhead kick found the back of the City net for his 10th goal in the competition this term.

“It was a good finish,” he acknowledged far too modestly after the game. “Jody has been telling me to get across my man at the front post like that and I did well to

WE ARE ALL GOOD PLAYERS WHO WANT TO PROGRESS FURTHER AND MOVE UP THROUGH THE CLUB. WE’RE VERY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO SHOW WHAT WE CAN DO ON THESE BIG OCCASIONS. IN THIS SECOND LEG WE HAD CHANCES AND WE TOOK THEM

Mason Mount

@chelseafc

make the connection. It’s just as special to win it again, especially playing more games this year and helping the team out more.

“It’s obviously a great feeling to beat City in the final three years in a row and in front of our fans at the Bridge. We started sharply in the first 15 minutes and did well to get the early goal.”

Towering centre-back Trevoh Chalobah – younger brother of Nathaniel – headed that opening goal after just seven minutes, setting the tone for the night ahead, and Ugbo added the second midway through the first half to send us in two goals in front both on the night and on aggregate.

Lukas Nmecha pulled one back for City shortly after half-time, but two goals in six minutes from Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is still a schoolboy, and then wingback Dujon Sterling (a scorer in last year’s final) made victory look all but certain.

Cole Dasilva – whose older brother Jay has previously won the competition three times with Chelsea – put the result beyond doubt.

“To win 5-1 against Man City is brilliant because they are a top team but I think we played the game right,” midfielder Jacob Maddox summarised at the final whistle.

“We carried on from the first leg, when we thought we played well, and we were even

Antonio Conte congratulates the players in the Stamford Bridge dressing room after the match

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ACADEMY

Trevoh Chalobah celebrates scoring the first goal of the second leg against Manchester City

DEVELOPMENT SQUAD Date Opposition Res AUGUST Sun 14 Sunderland A 1-1 Mon 22 Liverpool H2 4-1 Sun 28 Manchester United A 1-1 SEPTEMBER Fri 9 Tottenham Hotspur H3 3-1 Tue 13 Swindon Town (EFLT Group C South) A 1-2 Mon 19 Reading A 1-2 Fri 23 Arsenal H3 1-2 OCTOBER Fri 14 Leicester City H2 0-0 Tue 18 Exeter City (EFLT Group C South) A 2-3 Mon 24 Derby County H2 2-2 Mon 31 Everton A 1-1 NOVEMBER Tue 8 Oxford United (EFLT Group C South) H3 1-1# Mon 21 Southampton H1 3-2 Sat 26 Manchester City A 2-2 Tue 29 Feyenoord (PLIC Group D) H2 2-1 DECEMBER Fri 9 Manchester United H2 3-1 Fri 16 Dinamo Zagreb (PLIC Group D) H2 0-1 Thu 22 Swansea City (PLIC Group D) H2 1-2 JANUARY Fri 6 Tottenham Hotspur A 2-2 Fri 13 Leicester City A 4-0 FEBRUARY Sun 5 Reading H2 2-0 Sat 18 Manchester City H2 3-4 Fri 24 Arsenal A 1-4 MARCH Mon 6 Southampton A 0-0 Mon 13 Liverpool A 0-2 APRIL Fri 7 Sunderland H3 3-0 Fri 21 Everton H2 2-2 MAY Fri 5 Derby County A All games kick off at 7.05pm unless stated.

H1 - Cobham Training Ground. H2 - Aldershot Town FC. H3 - Stamford Bridge. EFLT - English Football League Trophy.

PLIC - Premier League International Cup. #Won 13-12 on penalties after 90 minutes.

APPEARANCES 2016/17 T Chalobah 24, Mount 22+4, Ugbo 22+4, Collins 20, Sterling 19+4, Scott 17+1, J Dasilva 16, Tomori 15, Quintero 14+5, Sammut 14+2, Colley 13+3, Dabo 12, Christie-Davies 9+5, Wakefield 8+5, Ali 7+3, Solanke 6, Van Ginkel 6, Maddox 5+10, Nartey 5, Zouma 4, Muheim 3+4, Aina 3, Beeney 3, Clarke-Salter 3, Kane 3, C Musonda 3, Panzo 3, St Clair 2+4, Colkett 2+1, Baxter 2, C Dasilva 2, Grant 1+2, Gallagher 1+1, Batshuayi 1, Eduardo 1, Fàbregas 1, James 1, Taylor-Crossdale 1, Terry 1, Thompson 1, Taylor-Crossdale 0+3, C Brown 0+1, Jameson 0+1, Uwakwe 0+1

GOALS 2016/17 Ugbo 12, Quintero 5, Mount 4, Sterling 4, Ali 3 (1 pen), own goals 3, Batshuayi 2, J Dasilva 2 (2 pens), Solanke 2, Tomori 2, Christie-Davies 1, Maddox 1, C Musonda 1, Nartey 1, Scott 1, Van Ginkel 1, Wakefield 1

Josimar Quintero

PREMIER LEAGUE 2 - DIVISION 1 Team 1 Everton 2 Man City 3 Liverpool 4 Arsenal

5 Chelsea

6 Sunderland 7 Tottenham

8 Man Utd 9 Southampton 10 Derby

11 Leicester 12 Reading Stats correct up to and including 01.05.17

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Pld W D L GD Pts 21 15 3 3 +28 48 21 12 6 3 +19 42 21 12 4 5 +19 40 21 10 2 9 +8 32 21 7 9 5 +9 30 21 6 7 8 -9 25 20 6 4 10 -7 22 20 5 7 8 -10 22 21 5 6 10 -10 21 21 5 6 10 -12 21 21 4 8 9 -14 20 21 5 4 12 -21 19

better in the second leg. We attacked with pace and power when we needed to, but also defended strongly and it was a good performance. After City scored, we just had to keep strong as a team, be a bit more defensive and compact because we knew we were going to create more chances.”

Discussing our form in the competition, Morris spoke about the need not to separate cup and league performances in that regard, having signalled his intention to challenge on both fronts throughout the season. At the time of writing, Chelsea sat top of the elite section of the Under-18 Premier League with two games remaining, although the title may have been decided by the time you read this. Regardless of whether his team manage to make it a league and cup Double, Morris believes focusing equally on both competitions has helped his team to maintain their intensity through the campaign.

“The reason we’ve done so well in every competition and improved game after game is because we put such a focus on our

ON THE NIGHT, OUR PLAYERS AND STAFF WERE JUST FANTASTIC BECAUSE WE PRODUCED AT AN INCREDIBLE LEVEL TECHNICALLY, TACTICALLY, MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY Neil Bath

chelseafc.com

Jacob Maddox in action against the Citizens

of all the hard work done by everybody connected to our youth set-up.

“It is such a team effort,” he said.

“On the night, our players and staff were just fantastic because we produced at an incredible level technically, tactically, mentally and physically. Of course, that requires the players to perform and deliver but it also needs the organisation of the staff so I have to give a huge pat on the back to Jody, Ed [Brand, Under-18s assistant] and all the youth-team staff, and to the players. I am extremely proud.”

UNDER-18s Date Opposition Res AUGUST Sat 13 Fulham H1 3-2 Sat 20 Southampton A 2-3 Fri 26 Swansea City H1 5-0 SEPTEMBER Sat 10 Norwich City A 4-5 Sat 17 Arsenal H1 4-2 Sat 24 Aston Villa A 1-1 OCTOBER Sat 1 West Ham United H1 1-0 Sat 15 Reading H1 2-0 Sat 22 Tottenham Hotspur A 1-1 Sat 29 Leicester City H1 2-0 NOVEMBER Fri 4 Brighton & Hove Albion A 3-1 Sat 19 Southampton H1 4-1 Sat 26 Fulham A 2-0 DECEMBER Sat 3 Arsenal A 2-2 Sat 10 Norwich City H1 3-1 Tue 13 Cardiff City (FA Youth Cup 3) H2 5-0 JANUARY Thu 5 Swansea City A 5-0 Sat 14 Aston Villa H1 0-0 Wed 18 Birmingham City (FA Youth Cup 4) A 5-0 Sat 28 Tottenham Hotspur H1 3-2 FEBRUARY Wed 1 Sheffield Wednesday (FA Youth Cup 5) H2 4-0 Sat 4 Reading A 2-0 Sat 11 Leicester City A 3-0 Wed 15 Leicester City (FA Youth Cup QF) A 1-0 Sat 18 Brighton & Hove Albion H1 13-0 Sat 25 West Ham United A 3-0 MARCH Fri 10 West Ham United (Merit Group A) A 4-0 Tue 14 Tottenham Hotspur (FA Youth Cup SF 1) A 2-1 Sat 18 Tottenham Hotspur (FA Youth Cup SF 2) H3 7-1# APRIL Sat 1 Manchester United (Merit Group A) H1 4-3 Sat 8 Manchester City (Merit Group A) A 0-2 Tue 18 Manchester City (FA Youth Cup F 1) A 1-1 Sat 22 Blackburn Rovers (Merit Group A) H1 2-1 Wed 26 Manchester City (FA Youth Cup F 2) H3 5-1* Sat 29 Liverpool (Merit Group A) A 1-0 MAY Tue 9 Arsenal (Merit Group A) H1 Fri 12 Reading (Merit Group A, 7.05pm) H1 All home games kick-off at 11.05am and away games 11am unless stated.

H1 - Cobham Training Ground. H2 - Aldershot Town FC. H3 – Stamford Bridge. #Won 9-2 on aggregate. *Won 6-2 on aggregate.

APPEARANCES 2016/17 James 27+7, McCormick 24+4, Guehi 24+2, Taylor-Crossdale 23+8, C Dasilva 23+3, Hudson-Odoi 21+4, Grant 21+1, Maddox 21, Uwakwe 20+7, G McEachran 19+7, Castillo 18+9, Gallagher 17+10, Cumming 17, St Clair 16+10, Nartey 14+1, Thompson 13, Colley 12+1, Sterling 11, Ugbo 11, Mount 10, T Chalobah 9, C Brown 5+15, Bulka 4, Panzo 2+4, Lamptey 1+1 , Medley 1+1, Baxter 1, Jameson 0+4

GOALS 2016/17 Taylor-Crossdale 20 (3 pens), Ugbo 12 (2 pens), C Brown 10, Hudson-Odoi 8, McCormick 8 (5 pens), Uwakwe 8, St Clair 7, G McEachran 6, C Dasilva 5, Mount 5, Gallagher 4 (2 pens), T Chalobah 3, James 3, own goals 3, Castillo 2, Sterling 2, Guehi 1, Maddox 1, Nartey 1

Callum Hudson-Odoi

U18 PREMIER LEAGUE – MERIT GROUP A Team

1 Chelsea 2 Arsenal 3 Man Utd 4 Reading 5 Man City 6 Liverpool 7 West Ham 8 Blackburn

Fixtures correct at time of going to press.

league results,” he insisted after celebrating the Youth Cup triumph with his players on the pitch at Stamford Bridge. “We’ve been on fantastic unbeaten runs and beaten records this season because we expect to win every game. That has definitely played a part in us winning the Youth Cup again.”

Head of Youth Development Neil Bath was keen to emphasise the important part played by the staff in the Academy, who have helped to bring these players through the system. The FA Youth Cup triumphs over the past few years are a culmination

@chelseafc

Pld W D L GD Pts 5 4 0 1 +5 12 4 3 1 0 +8 10 5 2 2 1 +3 8 5 2 1 2 -2 7 4 1 2 1 +1 5 6 1 2 3 -2 5 6 1 2 3 -5 5 5 1 0 4 -8 3

Stats correct up to and including 02.05.17

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LADIES

BLUES KICK OFF SERIES IN STYLE Chelsea Ladies opened the WSL Spring Series with a 6-0 victory over Yeovil Town, but there will be no Wembley return for Emma Hayes’ side this year after a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat in the Women’s FA Cup. The Blues began their league campaign in the best possible fashion against WSL1 newcomers Yeovil, although it took until first-half stoppage time for the goals to come – and once they did there was no stopping them.

Ji So-Yun was the first to find the target with two strikes at the end of an opening half the Blues dominated. Drew Spence

had earlier struck the woodwork and it was she who made it 3-0 early in the second half before Erin Cuthbert scored the fourth.

The hugely impressive Crystal Dunn and substitute Ramona Bachmann were the other scorers against the West Country side.

The Spring Series will conclude by the first weekend in June, with just eight fixtures for each side after Notts County folded on the eve of the new season.

The Blues were set to take on Reading just a few days after their opener and the shortened season will test both the fitness and depth of the squad, which was added to again ahead of that fixture when England

international goalkeeper Carly Telford, who previously captained the Blues and most recently played for Notts County, signed to ease the injury problems in that position.

“We have worked really hard, taken our fitness to another level and we now have a squad that can compete on all fronts,” said Hayes.

“That depth will show throughout the Spring Series because we will give a lot of playing time to players so they can show how much they have developed with us in preparation for the winter season.”

The Blues went into the game on the back of a disappointing result in the Women’s FA Ramona Bachmann was among the scorers against Yeovil Town

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chelseafc.com/ladies

@chelseaLFC LADIES

LADIES Date Opposition Res MARCH Sun 19 Doncaster Rovers Belles (Women’s FA Cup 5) H 7-0 Sun 26 Sunderland Ladies (Women’s FA Cup QF) H 5-1 APRIL Mon 17 Birmingham City Ladies (Women’s FA Cup SF) A 1-1# Sun 30 Yeovil Town Ladies H 6-0 MAY Wed 3 Reading Women A Wed 17 Arsenal Ladies (7.35pm) H Sun 21 Sunderland Ladies A Thu 25 Manchester City Women (7pm) A Sun 28 Liverpool Ladies (12.05pm) H Wed 31 Bristol City Women (7.05pm) A JUNE Sat 3 Birmingham City Ladies A FA Women’s Super League 1 Spring Series fixtures unless stated.

Home games are played at Staines Town FC unless stated.

All games kick off at 2pm unless stated.

N – Wembley Stadium. #Lost 2-4 on penalties after extra-time.

Maren Mjelde on the ball against Birmingham City

Cup, however, as a penalty shoot-out defeat to Birmingham City in the semi-finals denied us a third consecutive trip to Wembley Stadium to contest the final.

The match finished 1-1 following a late equaliser by Spence, who took the game into extra time by cancelling out Megan Sargeant’s opener with a spectacular strike from the edge of the box. Chelsea were the dominant side throughout the additional half-hour, as well as the majority of the

WE HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD, TAKEN OUR FITNESS TO ANOTHER LEVEL AND WE NOW HAVE A SQUAD THAT CAN COMPETE ON ALL FRONTS

Emma Hayes

second period, but a combination of excellent goalkeeping and wasteful finishing cost us a chance to lift the trophy we won in 2015.

“This time last year we won a semi-final with the last kick of the game,” added Hayes. “It’s swings and roundabouts; this is Birmingham’s time, they got the rub of the green, so to speak, and they did what they needed to in the shoot-out. This is our fourth FA Cup semi-final in a row, with two finals reached in the middle of that.”

In other Ladies news, Blues keeper Hedvig Lindahl is one of five players nominated for the BBC’s Women’s Footballer of the Year Award.

You can vote for the Swedish international on the BBC website up until Monday 15 May, with the winner announced a fortnight later.

Two of Lindahl’s team-mates were also honoured last month as Eniola Aluko and Karen Carney were named in the PFA WSL1 Team of the Year, and the latter collected another hugely significant honour to add to those she has won during her football career when she received her MBE at Buckingham Palace.

She was recognised for services to football in the Queen’s New Year Honours list, which followed hard on the heels of her manager at Chelsea being bestowed the same honour.

Carney was presented with her MBE by Princess Anne.

Lastly, four of our recent signings – Bachmann, Cuthbert, Dunn and Maren Mjelde – were due to appear on stage at the club’s latest An Audience With event at Stamford Bridge as this magazine went to print. You can catch up on it all at www.chelseafc.com.

Crystal Dunn has started all four games since signing for the club APPEARANCES 2017 Bright 4, Carney 4, Dunn 4, Ji 4, Mjelde 4, Bachmann 3+1, Blundell 3+1, Chapman 3, Rafferty 3, Bailey 2, Kitching 2, Lindahl 2, England 1+3, Spence 1+3, Cuthbert 1+2, Cooper 1, Davison 1, Flaherty 1, Aluko 0+1, Fahey 0+1

GOALS 2017 Bachmann 4, Ji 4, Spence 4, Blundell 2, Dunn 2, Chapman 1, Cuthbert 1, own goal 1

THE FA WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE 1 SPRING SERIES Team Pld W D L GD Pts 1 Liverpool Ladies 2 2 0 0 +5 6

2 Chelsea Ladies 1 1 0 0 +6 3

3 Reading Women 2 1 0 1 0 3

4 Sunderland Ladies 2 0 2 0 0 2

5 Arsenal Ladies 1 0 1 0 0 1

6 Birmingham City Ladies 1 0 1 0 0 1

7 Manchester City Women 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 Bristol City Women 1 0 0 1 -2 0 9 Yeovil Town Ladies 2 0 0 2 -9 0 Stats correct up to and including 02.05.17

Words | Richard Godden 65

LADIES INTERVIEW

BETH ENGLAND

D.O.B. 03.06.94 BIRTHPLACE Barnsley POSITION Forward/wing-back The attack-minded player has been showing her ability to adapt to different positions since joining the Blues from Doncaster Rovers Belles last year and was recently rewarded with a new contract, committing her future to the club until 2019. She spoke to us about the close bond between the players and how they are determined to bounce back from their heart-breaking penalty shoot-out defeat against Birmingham in the semi-finals of the Women’s FA Cup

You’re the latest player to sign a multi-year contract with the club. Do you think that is a further sign of development in women’s football?

We know the game is growing, we’re getting more publicity and there’s more funding, which is great. I’m really grateful and happy the club want to keep me until then because I absolutely love it here.

The players, the staff, the environment – I couldn’t be happier. I was really pleased when they approached me about extending it for longer.

It’s great to have that added stability and know you’re going to be employed for longer than just a year. Players have had to make sure they’ve had something in place outside football and, especially in clubs that aren’t the size of Chelsea, there are girls who have other jobs as well as playing football.

The speed the game is growing, we’re getting the chance to develop within a stable environment and become better players as a result of that.

Do you see your versatility as a plus? You’ve already played both wing-back roles this season.

Having that versatility is an advantage for me, especially with the depth we’ve got in this squad. They know they can play me in numerous positions, I can use both feet reasonably well and that helps with Raff [Claire Rafferty] the only left-footed player in the team. With her quality, it’d be hard to replace her and I do my best.

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I’m liking the position, it’s just getting to know more of a defensive role at the minute as I’ve been a forward for most of my life.

Trying to adapt to that is the key and just getting used to the pure fitness required, because obviously there’s a lot of ground to cover. I really enjoy it and I’m getting settled there; the more I play there, the more relaxed and comfortable I am.

Is that the biggest factor – the extra running?

You have to cover a lot of ground and to be fair to Raff, she is unbelievably fit and can cover probably the most distance in the team. To compete with that is pretty hard but as a player you have to be fit for any position and you’ve got to work just as hard.

For me, usually being a forward and not having to do as much of the defensive work, I maybe need to work more on being able to get up and down the pitch.

that, but you’ve got be a little cautious sometimes. Hopefully I can keep improving in that position.

Do you receive any specific advice from Emma Hayes and the coaches?

They sat me down in pre-season and told me that’s the position they see me in because they think I’ve got the right attributes for it. Last season I jumped around and played here, there and everywhere, apart from keeper and centre-half, and I like that they trusted me in so many roles.

They know what I’m capable of going forward, but also that I’ve got the defensive element within my game so it’s something we’ve been working on. They know I’m strong aerially and can hit a ball with both feet, so they want to focus mainly on the strengths I bring to the position rather than the negatives.

At least the position gives you a lot of attacking license.

Aerial strength is underrated in wing-backs.

Look at how good Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses are.

I don’t think the wing-back role should just be considered defensive, because you’ve also got your three centre-halves there. It is a forward-thinking position – can you get to the back post to attack that cross, can you get your crosses in? Obviously I enjoy

I think you need to be. If teams are trying to break you down in certain areas, they’ll look to hit the wide areas, especially if you look at where your centre-halves are – they’re going to try to find pockets in behind you. Being able to get back and stay strong aerially is a

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@chelseaLFC LADIES

Going up against her team-mates in training

great attribute to have in the position. And it’s the same going forward when crosses are being stood up to the back post.

winning it – it’s a tough league and we all realise that. I have no doubt the trophies will start to come soon.

Do you think it helps that we have a settled group here, certainly with the core of the squad?

Sadly, we lost to Birmingham on penalties at the semi-final stage of the Women’s FA Cup. Does that intensify your desire to win the Spring Series?

Everyone says it’s like a family here and it really is. We’re all together and I couldn’t imagine a better bunch of girls. There are no egotistical players, we’ve got genuine people who want the best for each other. We’re a tight-knit team and I think we’re going to come back strongly in the Spring Series.

We’ve got different levels of experience, different ages, but we’re a unit. Emma has brought in very good characters who make the environment a happier place to be in.

I knew about Ramona [Bachmann] and Crystal [Dunn] before they signed, but I didn’t have a clue about Maren [Mjelde].

She’s really impressed me – she’s such a small, sweet girl, but on the pitch she’s a beast. She’s the most genuine girl you could ever meet, and on the pitch she keeps everyone calm. She’s technically good – everybody knew that about Ramona and how quick her feet are, but I don’t think people realised what an influence Maren is.

She’s a solid unit, experienced, technically gifted with both feet – she brings so many different dynamics to the team.

EVERYONE SAYS IT’S LIKE A FAMILY HERE AND IT REALLY IS. WE’RE A TIGHTKNIT TEAM AND I THINK WE’RE GOING TO COME BACK STRONGLY IN THE SPRING SERIES

You mentioned the Spring Series, which offers you a chance to win your first silverware at the club.

Yeah. At the minute, it sounds bad, but they won quite a lot before I came and since I’ve been here we’ve not won any silverware!

But all the clubs are strengthening, not just us, and it’s not as easy as just going out and

Yeah, of course everyone wants to win trophies. The FA Cup is probably the best you can win in this country, and it’s gone now – we wish Birmingham the best in the final – but we’re out to prove a point in the Spring Series and win it.

Last season we didn’t show our best, particularly defensively, and I think with the new players we’ve brought in, who are absolutely phenomenal, we’re ready to prove a point in the Spring Series, regardless of what’s happened in the FA Cup. Do you have any other goals for the term of your contract?

Just to try to make my mark more within the starting XI. I still feel relatively new to the team but I would like to be in a position where I know I’m performing consistently for the club. As long as I’m getting the minutes in and performing when I get those minutes, that’s a good start for now.

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Young talents have chance to shine at the Bridge Victor Moses was joined by former England cricket captain Nasser Hussain in supporting Chelsea’s Asian Star initiative ahead of the ground-breaking event making its Stamford Bridge debut on 3 June.

“It is great to see Asian Star will take place at Stamford Bridge this year,” said Moses.

“For these young players it will be a day they never forget and I wish them all the best.

“Football is for everyone, and equality is an important part of not just football but day-to-day life, and that is why it is fantastic to see an event like Asian Star continuing to take place.”

The initiative is the first of its kind undertaken by a professional football club and designed to give a much-needed boost to Asian participation at all levels of the game. The event is open to players aged nine to 12, with those who excel on the day being offered a year-long placement at one of our Foundation Development Centres.

Indian-born cricketer Hussain has also been getting behind the Asian Star initiative.

He said: “It is very important to have events like this. We have done similar in cricket for some time and the challenge for Chelsea and football is to replicate that.

“I was a guest of the Foundation at Stamford Bridge and they are making great strides with Asian Star and doing a lot of other good work. These things don’t happen overnight and the longevity of this programme shows the club’s commitment and hopefully it will lead to a breakthrough.

Chelsea star Victor Moses and former England cricket captain Nasser Hussain give their backing to the Asian Star initiative

“Football is a global game and it is important to recognise that and develop talent from Asian backgrounds. My boys play football and there are a lot of British Asian youngsters playing the game, and it is important we tap into that and offer support, as Chelsea are doing.”

For more information on Asian Star, or to apply to take part at this year’s event, go to www.chelseafc.com/asianstar.

Blues duo a big draw as children prepare for finals Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Beth England conducted the draw for the Premier League Schools tournament finals, which this year are being held at Stamford Bridge.

Under-11s mixed and Under-13s girls’ teams representing each top-flight club will compete at our stadium in May. Loftus-Cheek and England were tasked with drawing the balls out of the pot before answering questions provided by the youngsters set to represent Chelsea in the finals, organised as part of the Premier League Primary Stars initiative.

John Keble Church of England Primary School came out on top in the Chelsea Foundation’s Under-11s mixed tournament, held last month, with Blenheim High School also qualifying by emerging victorious in the Under-13s girls’ category.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Beth England answered questions from the youngsters who will represent Chelsea in the finals

“It’s a moment they will never forget, I still remember the first time I played at a big stadium,” said Loftus-Cheek. “It’s a big achievement for them and they will remember it and treasure each moment. It’s a great moment, having fun playing football with your friends in a stadium, what’s not to enjoy?”

The 40 teams will get the full Premier League experience next month, running onto the pitch in their club’s kit, visiting the dressing rooms and having top-flight referees oversee their matches.

The Premier League Schools Tournament is all about increasing participation in football for boys and girls, and the main event at Stamford Bridge will unquestionably be a very special day indeed for those children from all over the country taking part.

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ONE OF US PAUL MERSON

MESSAGE BOARD

WE WERE THERE! WE WERE THERE!

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KING’S ROAD BOUTIQUE

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PAUL MERSON He may be a legend to Arsenal supporters after winning every major domestic honour with the Gunners, but Paul Merson dreamed of pulling on the blue shirt of Chelsea...

Why did you support Chelsea as a child?

I was born in Harlesden, so it was always either Chelsea or QPR. It was very much half and half, but I was lucky enough to support Chelsea.

People always think I support Arsenal because I played for them for 14 years, but when you grow up as a kid as a supporter of a team, that’s the way it stays.

Do you remember going to your first Chelsea game?

It was a very long time ago! It was against either Bristol City or Sunderland when I was eight. My dad was a big Arsenal fan and

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he wouldn’t take me so his mate, who was a Chelsea fan, ended up taking me instead. Ever since that day, being a Chelsea fan has stuck. I was watching from by the white wall in the Shed End and every time after that, I always stood there to watch matches right up until I joined Arsenal. I stopped going to games after that in case I got beaten up! Chelsea is still the first result I look for, though.

Who is your all-time hero?

Ray Wilkins (left) has always been my hero. I actually managed to get his shirt when he was on

tour in Spain. My uncle worked behind a bar over there and managed to get his training top. For him to be in the Chelsea team at that age and to also be captain at such a young age was phenomenal. He had such exceptional feet, too.

Ray could definitely play – he is one of the best players to ever play for Chelsea in my opinion. No one kept the ball better than Ray Wilkins. He scored goals and he made them. He’s still very much my hero now. I tell him every time I see him!

When you started to make it as a player was there ever a chance to join Chelsea?

No, my dad wanted me to sign for Arsenal. He was a massive fan, as were all the rest of my family – even my kids are now. I managed to convert my two

ONE OF US Merson in action for Aston Villa during the 2000 FA Cup final

Celebrating one of our goals in the 4-2 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup third round in 1978

girls to Chelsea, but the others grew up watching me at Arsenal, so they’ve always supported them. It was just one of those things, I stayed at Arsenal and made it at Arsenal. At the time, Chelsea weren’t great either.

You must have been around for the famous FA Cup wins over Liverpool in 1978 and 1982...

I went to the second game when Peter Rhoades-Brown and Colin Lee scored – and Colin nearly went on to manage me at Walsall. I was at Stamford Bridge when the old electric fence was up and things like that. I’ve been there in the good times and the bad times, and it’s nice now that we’ve turned it around.

Unless you support Chelsea, I don’t think people realise what an unbelievable thing it was for fans my age and older to see us win the Champions League.

What’s been your favourite era?

I’d have to say recent times, because of what we’ve gone and done. I lost in two cup finals against Chelsea, one at Aston Villa and one at Middlesbrough.

The players we had then like Ruud Gullit and Wisey were the bones of the club, they’re the ones who kept it together in my eyes. But then what we’ve been doing in more recent times is phenomenal. I have kids come up to me and ask who I support, and when I say Chelsea, they respond: “Is it because they’re the best team?” But I’ve supported the club from the earliest age I can remember!

I DON’T THINK PEOPLE REALISE WHAT AN UNBELIEVABLE THING IT WAS FOR FANS MY AGE AND OLDER TO SEE CHELSEA WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE What are your memories of facing Chelsea in the League Cup final with Boro in 1998 and then the FA Cup final with Villa two years later?

That we were rubbish in both! It was probably one of the worst FA Cup finals

ever, the last at the old Wembley.

With Middlesbrough, we were always going to be up against it – world-class players taking on a Championship team. We didn’t get embarrassed in the Middlesbrough game, but the Villa one we never gave ourselves a chance.

Who were the important players for Chelsea in those two games?

The players walk onto the pitch in the 1998 League Cup final

They were all over the pitch. If you managed to get past Graeme Le Saux, Frank Leboeuf would then be waiting for you; Wisey was as well and Di Matteo, too. Robbie was someone I’d describe as a big-time player – he scored big goals in big games. There’s a lot of people around in this day and age that can get a lot of goals in a season

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Roberto Di Matteo turns to celebrate after scoring in the 2000 FA Cup final

and manage to finish between third and sixth, but it’s people like Frank Lampard and Di Matteo, who score the big goals in the big games, that manage to finish that cut above them.

lost all season. We only played with one centre-half, though, because Gareth Hall kicked Andy Linighan out of the game and Michael Thomas filled in there. I don’t think I won too many times at Chelsea.

Where did you watch that final in 2012?

What’s your favourite Chelsea game?

If you had to pick one Chelsea moment, what would it be?

Of course, you scored a pretty good goal against Chelsea for Arsenal at Highbury in 1992…

That Liverpool game in the FA Cup in 1982. I remember going to it and it was absolutely packed, I couldn’t even get in the Shed that day! I got into the away end in the corner, which Chelsea had next to the benches. It’s lucky I sat there in those days, because now I wouldn’t be able to see the game with my eyesight from how far away it was!

If Ray was your all-time hero, who else has been your favourite Chelsea player?

I’d have to say Drogba’s penalty when he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and we won the Champions League. I went mental, absolutely mental. I could have jumped through the roof. It was unbelievable to see that happen, just unbelievable. For the amount of years I’ve supported Chelsea, had someone said 20 years ago we were going to win the Champions League, I’d have laughed.

I was indoors at home, biting my nails. I didn’t even go to the pub to watch it, I couldn’t face it if we didn’t win.

Kevin Campbell went for a ball and it ran loose. The centre-half went for the second ball and he looked favourite to get it. He slid in and I just managed to toe poke it past him. I was about 35 yards out and couldn’t be bothered to run so I chipped the goalie, Kevin Hitchcock, who jumped about 28 minutes too early and it went over his head!

Who were your greatest opponents?

Kerry Dixon. Ray was my all-time hero, but when Kerry and David Speedie were playing up front together I thought they were phenomenal. The amount of goals Kerry got speaks for itself.

You must have played against him a few times…

Yeah, I played against him with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge when we won the league and that was the only game we

Paul Merson was speaking to Chelsea TV’s Famous Fans series

Didier Drogba scores the decisive penalty in the 2012 Champions League final

I’m not sure if too many would get into the Chelsea team now! Graeme Le Saux could probably play for us now, and Frank Leboeuf. I’d say Graeme. I liked playing against him and it was always very even, a heads or tails game. He’s a good lad as well, which makes it even better. He was lucky to get a second chance to play at Chelsea again and I’ve told him that – some of us didn’t get one chance!

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A VENUESWEST VENUE, PROUDLY OPERATED BY VENUESL!VE

WE WERE THERE! WE WERE THERE! Each month we look at Chelsea’s history from a fan perspective. In this issue, we relive the day the Blues ended our long wait for a major trophy...

DREAMING OF GLORY There is a lyric in the second verse to Suggs and Co’s 1997 FA Cup final song, Blue Day, that sums up the mood among Chelsea supporters at that time rather well: “Now we’ve got hope in our team and suddenly it’s not a dream.”

That season, 26 years since our last major trophy success and only three years after we had been defeated 4-0 by Manchester United on the same occasion, there was genuine belief that Chelsea were ready to win the oldest cup competition in football.

After that final in 1994, we had reached two further semi-finals in the following years – once in the European Cup Winners’ Cup and once in the FA Cup. Now we were back at Wembley for the

big one and this time we had a team. Ruud Gullit – one of the biggest names in world football – was in the dugout, and he’d attracted a string of big-name players to the club. The likes of Frank Leboeuf, Roberto Di Matteo, Gianluca Vialli and Gianfranco Zola had joined that season and added to a squad that included talents such as Dennis Wise, Mark Hughes, Dan Petrescu and Eddie Newton. We felt pretty good about the direction our club was headed in.

Our Cup final opponents, Middlesbrough, meanwhile, had just been relegated from the top flight. It felt like everything was pointing towards this being our day, but after waiting so long, nobody was taking anything for granted...

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WE WERE THERE! WE WERE THERE!

BRIAN HUNT I remember it very well: 1997, the FA Cup final against Middlesbrough. It was a huge day, there was the anticipation of something special and it just meant so much.

Notwithstanding the fact Chelsea Football Club has been going since 1905, we won the league in ’55, then in the Sixties we won the League Cup and then the FA Cup and the Cup Winners’ Cup in the early Seventies, the reality is we were always this sleeping giant. Chelsea fans always felt this club could be so much more.

Then we had the Glenn Hoddle era and things began to change, but it was 1997 that was a huge day. There was just

PEARL PHILLIPS On 17 May 1997 I met up with my ‘baby’ brother Mike and we travelled to the lovely old Wembley Stadium to see our beloved Chelsea win the FA Cup against Middlesbrough.

It was a hot, sunny day but, as far as I remember, we were shaded where we were standing. I remember the shock and amazement when Robbie Di Matteo scored so quickly. We couldn’t quite believe it.

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this sense that this could be something really big for us.

I can remember making my way up to the game from Wallington, in south London, and all the flags were out.

There was a good atmosphere outside the old Wembley and there was this group of fans outside singing ‘Zola’ to the tune of Lola by the Kinks, with wonderful lines about him going past Julian Dicks and that sort of thing.

Inside, I was sitting up in what they used to call the Olympic Gallery in the The old Wembley Stadium old stadium and it was the strangest thing when we got the opening goal in the first It felt like the celebrations after the minute. I knew Di Matteo had scored and game were never going to end, as this is going to be difficult to believe, but though the players were never going to the noise was so great in the Chelsea end leave the pitch! I can remember Leboeuf, that it was almost like it was silent. The as he eventually made his way down the noise went beyond a normal pitch of sound tunnel, stopping to shake hands with to almost like a faint ringing noise – it supporters who were leaning over the was the oddest sensation, but it was just sides. fantastic, and away we went!

It felt like somehow the biggest Middlesbrough had a goal disallowed in moment in Chelsea’s history. It presaged the first half when I think the player’s shirt what we were going to become – what sleeve was offside. They certainly made a we have become. Stamford Bridge was game of it, but by the time we made it 2-0 changing and it felt like it was all going to through Newton, it was a little bit overdue lead somewhere, and of course it has. To and we were good winners in the end. me, 1997 was the start.

The lead was so slender that for another 82 minutes of play we were on tenterhooks. We were very happy, and breathed a little easier, after Eddie Newton’s goal.

After the final whistle, I remember the excitement of seeing our team collecting the Cup and celebrating on the pitch, and the thrill of singing along to our new song, Blue Day, as well as our traditional Blue Is The Colour.

After the match, my brother drove us to Basingstoke, where we met up with my Manchester Unitedsupporting husband and our two daughters, for our cousin Andy’s wedding reception. A photo of me that evening shows my face rather pink – perhaps we did get some sun after all!

There was an added surprise for us when we watched the video of the match from the TV – we managed to spot ourselves in the crowd, singing Over Land And Sea.

My diary, written that evening, says: “When Wise went up to lift the FA Cup, we were there!”

My elder daughter, Meg (pictured, right), and I now travel to see Chelsea play when we can.

Dennis Wise lift s the FA Cup

WEMBLEY STADIUM, LONDON

JAMIE ARKELL I was 13 at the time and thinking about it now brings back a few strong memories. It was the first Chelsea success I had witnessed and I had been to the ’94 Cup final three years earlier, which was a completely different day.

There were quite a lot of contrasts between those two finals. In 1994 we got hammered 4-0 by Man United, it was raining all day and it was just a horrible day all round.

I also remember it being a slightly different atmosphere to 1994 because we were favourites this time, we had a pretty good team and we were playing some nice football. We were a cup team, really, because we weren’t quite ready to challenge at the top of the league and we had reached the semi-final of the FA Cup the year before as well.

The biggest thing that sticks in my memory from that day is the old Wembley Stadium. There were a lot of bad things about the old one, but I think it was better in terms of atmosphere. You were a little bit in awe of it, especially if you were younger.

We were sat in the lower tier, just to the right behind the goal at the Chelsea end.

Di Matteo’s goal was at the opposite end and I couldn’t see it as such, but I could see the net bulge. It just went mad after that. That was after 43 seconds and has become a classic, legendary goal.

It’s different when you’re a supporter because it’s your club and you remember it for all the right reasons, but I don’t think it was a particularly brilliant game for the neutral.

NEXT MONTH

Celebrating Roberto Di Matteo’s early goal Then there was the Cup final song, Blue Day by Suggs, which I think is a quality football song. I remember going to another Chelsea final and my dad had a little compilation tape in the car – that was one of the main songs on it, and it’s part of the memory of that day.

It’s difficult for people who don’t support Chelsea to understand this but from 1997 until Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003 we were quite a successful club, winning a lot of cup competitions, and that game kick-started things for us.

Next month, to celebrate our return to Europe’s premier club competition, we’re reliving the greatest night in Chelsea’s history – the 2012 Champions League final in Munich.

Were you there? If so, email dominic.bliss@trinitymirror.com and let us know.

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MESSAGE BOARD

Where fans show the Chelsea colours, wherever they may be

ADAM MIRITIS RICARDO SCHELB Ricardo has spent a long time following Chelsea from afar in his hometown of Cataguases in Brazil, dreaming of one day making the trip to London to see the Blues play in person. Well this season his dream came true, as he made his first visit to Stamford Bridge in February to watch Cesc Fàbregas, Pedro and Diego Costa give us a 3-1 win over Swansea City.

DOMINIC PETER PAPWORTH Dominic was born on 18 January to proud parents Laura and Ed. As this photograph proves, he is already a huge Chelsea fan who is delighted to show off his new Blues outfit and teddy bear, which means he will fit right in with the rest of his family as he is the third generation, alongside big sister Madison, to support Chelsea.

WILLIAM, FLORENCE & OSCAR Grainger Triplets William, Florence and Oscar were all born into a family of big Chelsea supporters, with their dad Billy having followed the Blues all over the country and visited nearly every stadium in his time attending matches. It should be no surprise, then, that when it came to naming his three newborn children he and their mother Charmaine Bonny took inspiration from some of his favourite Chelsea players past and present – Willian, Florent Malouda and Oscar. Having already introduced them to Blues matches on television, Billy can’t wait to take all three of them to a game at Stamford Bridge.

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Melbourne, Australia, may not seem like the most natural place for a Chelsea fan to come from, but Adam has been hooked on the Blues ever since he visited London with his mother in 2009, aged 14, and fell in love with football. Now he is a member of the Chelsea Supporters’ Club in Melbourne, never missing a game as he meets up with his other members to watch the action in the early hours of the morning. To make sure there was no doubt about his dedication, Adam even took his Chelsea banner on his recent travels to some far-flung destinations, including Mount Everest in the Himalayas, and Antarctica, where he managed to get this photo, which must be one of the most southern ever taken of a Blues banner.

JACK VANO

GREG YOUNG Greg loves nothing more than following the Blues from his home across the Atlantic in Canada – and he wanted to introduce two more fans to the Chelsea family. Not only do his two cats love watching the Blues almost as much as Greg, but they are also named after two of his favourite former Chelsea players, Michael Essien and Frank Lampard.

Jack made the trip from California in the USA to London with his granddad at the start of this season to finally live out his dream of seeing Chelsea play at Stamford Bridge. His first ever match in SW6 was our win over West Ham United on the opening day of 2016/17, when he took this photograph, but he managed to get another two first-team matches in before he had to return home for the start of the school year – proving good luck as he saw us win again against Watford and Bristol Rovers – as well as taking in two of our Academy teams’ matches.

Send your details and a picture to: Message Board, Chelsea Football Club, Matchday Programme, Third Floor, Stamford Bridge, London, SW6 1HS

@

Or email them to: cfc.programme@trinitymirror.com

A year after winning the FA Cup, Chelsea triumphed on the European stage by lifting the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1998. How’s your knowledge when it comes to that squad?

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TEST YOUR CHELSEA KNOWLEDGE...

1 Ed de Goey was the joint-most expensive goalkeeper in the history of English football when Chelsea signed him from Feyenoord in 1997. Who did he share the record with?

6 Michael Duberry netted his only Chelsea goal at which ground?

7 From which club did we sign Danny Granville?

2 How many years did Dennis

Wise spend at Stamford Bridge?

8 Gus Poyet is currently managing Shanghai Shenhua. Which former Blues player has also held that role?

3 Prior to joining Chelsea, Dan Petrescu reached a European Cup final with which club?

9 Kevin Hitchcock was signed from non-league Barking in 1983 by which legendary English football manager?

4 Which two English sides has Steve Clarke managed?

10 Can you name this forward who scored three times in 52 appearances for Chelsea?

0-5 EXTRA TRAINING SESSION REQUIRED!

13 Which midfielder listed Jody Morris as his toughest opponent after coming up against him in a Champions League game in 2000?

11 Celestine Babayaro became the first Nigerian to play for Chelsea when the Blues signed him in 1997 from which club?

6-10 STILL ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

11-13 EXCELLENT CHELSEA KNOWLEDGE

1. Nigel Martyn 2. 11 3. Steaua Bucharest 4. West Bromwich Albion and Reading 5. Derby County 6. Old Trafford 7. Cambridge United 8. Nicolas Anelka 9. Brian Clough 10. Mark Nicholls 11. Anderlecht 12. 2002/03 (16 goals) 13. Xavi

5 Of the 24 goals Frank Leboeuf scored for the Blues, three of them came against one club. Can you name them?

12 Gianfranco Zola scored 80 goals for the Blues between 1996 and 2003, but which season was his most prolific?

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’S KING D

ROAique Bout

Football’s – n finest fashio ux pas d fa and the od

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With his nifty turtleneck and suit combination, Roberto Di Matteo managed to combine the Bond villain and Milk Tray Man looks for this photograph at our old Harlington training base in September 2000. The Italian was always one for taking a fashionable approach to training-ground attire, hence why this is not his first appearance in King’s Road Boutique, but even for him this was a fairly formal outfit. Apparently we were well stocked in boxes of chocolates that day, though.

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