Chelsea F.C.
Encyclopedia
Chelsea Football Club (icon) are an English football club based in West London
. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup
winners six times and League Cup
winners four times. They have also been successful in Europe, winning the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
twice.
The club had their first major success in 1955
, when they won the league championship. Chelsea won several cup competitions during the 1960s and 1970s, but after that did not win another major title until 1997. The past decade has been the most successful period in Chelsea’s history, capped by winning Premier League titles in 2005, 2006 and 2010, the latter as part of their first league and FA Cup "Double".
Despite their name, the club is not based in Chelsea
, but in neighbouring Fulham
. The club's home is the 42,449 capacity Stamford Bridge
football stadium in Fulham
, where they have played since their establishment. Since 2003 they have been owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich
.
Chelsea's regular kit colours are royal blue shirts and shorts with white socks, the combination used since the 1960s. The club crest has been changed several times in attempts to modernise or re-brand; the current crest, featuring a ceremonial lion holding a staff, is a modified version of one first adopted in the 1950s. The club has sustained the fifth highest average all-time attendance in English football. Their average home gate for the 2010–11 season
was 41,435, the sixth highest in the Premier League.
Chelsea were founded on 10 March 1905 at The Rising Sun pub (now The Butcher's Hook), opposite the present-day main entrance to the ground on Fulham Road
, and were elected to the Football League shortly afterwards. The club's early years saw little success; the closest they came to winning a major trophy was reaching the 1915 FA Cup Final
, where they lost to Sheffield United
. Chelsea gained a reputation for signing big-name players and for being entertainers, but made little impact on the English game in the inter-war years.
Former Arsenal
and England centre-forward Ted Drake
became manager in 1952 and proceeded to modernise the club. He removed the club's Chelsea pensioner
crest, improved the youth set-up and training regime, rebuilt the side, and led Chelsea to their first major trophy success – the League championship – in 1954–55. The following season saw UEFA create the European Champions' Cup
, but after objections from The Football League
and the FA
Chelsea were persuaded to withdraw from the competition before it started.
They challenged for honours throughout the 1960s, and endured several near-misses. They were on course for a treble of League, FA Cup and League Cup going into the final stages of the 1964–65 season, winning the League Cup but faltering late on in the other two. In three seasons the side were beaten in three major semi-finals and were FA Cup runners-up. Chelsea won the FA Cup in 1970, beating Leeds United
2–1 in a final replay. Chelsea took their first European honour, a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
triumph, the following year, with another replayed win, this time over Real Madrid
in Athens.
The late 1970s through to the 1980s was a turbulent period for Chelsea. An ambitious redevelopment of Stamford Bridge threatened the financial stability of the club, star players were sold and the team were relegated. Further problems were caused by a notorious hooligan
element among the support, which was to plague the club throughout the decade. In 1982 Chelsea were, at the nadir of their fortunes, acquired by Ken Bates
for the nominal sum of £1, although by now the Stamford Bridge freehold had been sold to property developers, meaning the club faced losing their home. On the pitch, the team had fared little better, coming close to relegation to the Third Division
for the first time, but in 1983 manager John Neal
put together an impressive new team for minimal outlay. Chelsea won the Second Division
title in 1983–84 and established themselves in the top division, before being relegated again in 1988. The club bounced back immediately by winning the Second Division championship in 1988–89.
After a long-running legal battle, Bates reunited the stadium freehold with the club in 1992 by doing a deal with the banks of the property developers, who had been bankrupted by a market crash. Chelsea's form in the new Premier League was unconvincing, although they did reach the 1994 FA Cup Final. It was not until the appointment of former European Footballer of the Year Ruud Gullit
as player-manager in 1996 that their fortunes changed. He added several top-class international players to the side, as the club won the FA Cup in 1997 and established themselves as one of England's top sides again. Gullit was replaced by Gianluca Vialli
, who led the team to victory in the League Cup Final
and the Cup Winners' Cup Final in 1998, the FA Cup in 2000 and the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in 2000. Vialli was sacked in favour of another Italian, Claudio Ranieri
, who guided Chelsea to the 2002 FA Cup Final
and Champions League qualification in 2002–03.
In June 2003, Bates sold Chelsea to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich for £140 million, completing what was then the biggest-ever sale of an English football club. Over £100 million was spent on new players, but Ranieri was unable to deliver any trophies, so he was replaced by Portuguese coach José Mourinho
. Under Mourinho, Chelsea became the fifth English team to win back-to-back league championships since the Second World War (2004–05 and 2005–06), in addition to winning an FA Cup (2007
) and two League Cups (2005 and 2007
). In September 2007 Mourinho was replaced by Avram Grant, who led the club to their first UEFA Champions League final
, which they lost on penalties
to Manchester United
. Grant was fired days later and succeeded by Luiz Felipe Scolari
in July 2008.
Scolari spent only seven months in the job before being dismissed after a string of poor results. Russia
coach Guus Hiddink
was appointed caretaker manager until the end of the 2008–09 season, and guided Chelsea to a second FA Cup triumph
in three years.
Two days later, former Milan
coach Carlo Ancelotti
was confirmed as Chelsea's new manager. In his first season, Ancelotti led Chelsea to their first league and FA Cup
"Double
"; in addition, Chelsea became the first English top-flight side to score over 100 league goals in a season since 1963. Ancelotti parted company with Chelsea in May 2011 and was replaced by then Porto coach André Villas-Boas.
Chelsea have only ever had one home ground, Stamford Bridge, where they have played since foundation. It was officially opened on 28 April 1877. For the first 28 years of its existence it was used almost exclusively by the London Athletics Club as an arena for athletics meetings and not at all for football. In 1904 the ground was acquired by businessman Gus Mears
and his brother Joseph
, who had previously acquired additional land (formerly a large market garden) with the aim of staging football matches on the now 12.5 acre (51,000 m²) site.
Stamford Bridge was designed for the Mears family by the noted football architect Archibald Leitch
. They offered to lease the stadium to Fulham
, but were turned down. As a consequence, the owners decided to form their own football club to occupy their new ground. Most football clubs were founded first, and then sought grounds in which to play, but Chelsea were founded for Stamford Bridge. Since there was already a football club named Fulham in the borough, the founders decided to adopt the name of the adjacent borough of Chelsea for the new club, having also considered names such as Kensington FC, Stamford Bridge FC and London FC.
Starting with an open bowl-like design and one covered terrace, Stamford Bridge had an original capacity of around 100,000. The early 1930s saw the construction of a terrace on the southern part of the ground with a roof that covered around one fifth of the stand. It eventually became known as the "Shed End", the home of Chelsea's most loyal and vocal supporters, particularly during the 1960s, 70s and 80s. The exact origins of the name are unclear, but the fact that the roof looked like a corrugated iron shed roof played a part.
During the late 1960s and early 70s, the club's owners embarked on a modernisation of Stamford Bridge with plans for a 50,000 all-seater stadium.
Work began on the East Stand in the early 1970s but the project was beset with problems and the cost almost brought the club to its knees, culminating in the freehold
being sold to property developers. Following a long legal battle, it was not until the mid-1990s that Chelsea's future at the stadium was secured and renovation work resumed. The north, west and southern parts of the ground were converted into all-seater stands and moved closer to the pitch, a process completed by 2001.
When Stamford Bridge was redeveloped in the Ken Bates
era many additional features were added to the complex including two hotels, apartments, bars, restaurants, the Chelsea Megastore, and an interactive visitor attraction called Chelsea World of Sport. The intention was that these facilities would provide extra revenue to support the football side of the business, but they were less successful than hoped and before the Abramovich takeover in 2003 the debt taken on to finance them was a major burden on the club. Soon after the takeover a decision was taken to drop the "Chelsea Village" brand and refocus on Chelsea as a football club. However, the stadium is sometimes still referred to as part of "Chelsea Village" or "The Village".
The Stamford Bridge freehold, the pitch
, the turnstiles and Chelsea's naming rights
are now owned by Chelsea Pitch Owners
, a non-profit organisation in which fans are the shareholders. The CPO was created to ensure the stadium could never again be sold to developers. As a condition for using the Chelsea FC name, the club has to play its first team matches at Stamford Bridge, which means that if the club moves to a new stadium, they may have to change their name.
Chelsea's training ground
is located in Cobham, Surrey
. Chelsea moved to Cobham in 2004. Their previous training ground in Harlington
was taken over by QPR
in 2005. The new training facilities in Cobham were completed in 2007.
The club plans to increase the capacity of Stamford Bridge to over 50,000. Owing to its location in a built-up part of London on a main road and next to two railway lines, fans can only enter the stadium through the Fulham Road
entrances, which places severe constraints on expansion due to health and safety
regulations. As a result, Chelsea have been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge to sites including the Earls Court Exhibition Centre
, Battersea Power Station
and the Chelsea Barracks
. However, the club have consistently affirmed their desire to keep Chelsea at their current home.
On 3 October 2011, Chelsea made a proposal to CPO shareholders to buy back the freehold to the land on which Stamford Bridge sits, stating that "buying back the freehold removes a potential hurdle should a suitable site become available in the future".
Stamford Bridge has been used for a variety of other sporting events since 1905. It hosted the FA Cup Final
from 1920 to 1922, has held ten FA Cup semi-finals
(most recently in 1978), ten FA Charity Shield
matches (the last in 1970
), and three England international
matches, the last in 1932; it was also the venue for an unofficial Victory International in 1946. In October 1905 it hosted a rugby union
match between the All Blacks and Middlesex, and in 1914 hosted a baseball match between the touring New York Giants
and the Chicago White Sox
. It was the venue for a boxing
match between world flyweight
champion Jimmy Wilde
and Joe Conn in 1918. The running track was used for dirt track racing
between 1928 and 1932, greyhound racing
from 1933 to 1968, and Midget car racing
in 1948. In 1980, Stamford Bridge hosted the first international floodlit
cricket
match in the UK, between Essex
and the West Indies. It was also the home stadium of the London Monarchs
American Football
team for the 1997 season
.
, which obviously contributed to the "pensioner" nickname, and remained for the next half-century, though it never appeared on the shirts. As part of Ted Drake
's modernisation of the club from 1952 onwards, he insisted that the pensioner badge be removed from the match day programme in order to change the club's image and that a new crest be adopted. As a stop-gap, a temporary emblem comprising simply the initials C.F.C. was adopted for one year.
In 1953, Chelsea's crest was changed to an upright blue lion looking backwards and holding a staff
, which was to endure for the next three decades. This crest was based on elements in the coat of arms
of the Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea
with the "lion rampant regardant" taken from the arms of then club president Viscount Chelsea
and the staff from the Abbots of Westminster
, former Lords of the Manor of Chelsea. It also featured three red roses, to represent England, and two footballs. This was the first club badge to appear on shirts, since the policy of putting the crest on the shirts was only adopted in the early 1960s.
In 1986, with Ken Bates
now owner of the club, Chelsea's crest was changed again as part of another attempt to modernise and to capitalise on new marketing opportunities. The new badge featured a more naturalistic non-heraldic lion, in white and not blue, standing over the C.F.C. initials. It lasted for the next 19 years, with some modifications such as the use of different colours, such as red from 1987 to 1995, and yellow from 1995 until 1999, before the white returned. With new ownership, and the club's centenary approaching, combined with demands from fans for the club's traditional badge to be restored, it was decided that the crest should be changed again in 2004. The new crest was officially adopted for the start of the 2005–06 season and marks a return to the older design of the blue heraldic lion holding a staff. As with previous crests, this one has appeared in various colours, including white and gold.
. The light blue shirts were short-lived, however, and replaced by a royal blue version in around 1912. In the 1960s Chelsea manager Tommy Docherty
changed the kit again, switching to blue shorts (which have remained ever since) and white socks, believing it made the club's colours more modern and distinctive, since no other major side used that combination; this kit was first worn during the 1964–65 season. Since then Chelsea have always worn white socks with their home kit apart from a short spell from 1985 to 1992, when blue socks were reintroduced.
Chelsea's traditional away colours are all yellow or all white with blue trim, but, as with most teams, they have had some more unusual ones. The first away strip consisted of black and white stripes and for one game in the 1960s the team wore blue and black stripes, inspired by Inter Milan
's kit, again at Docherty's behest. Other memorable away kits include a mint green strip in the 1980s, a red and white checked one in the early 90s and a graphite and tangerine edition in the mid-1990s.
Chelsea's kit is currently manufactured by Adidas
, which is contracted to supply the club's kit from 2006 to 2018. The contract was extended on 22 October 2010. Previously, the kit was manufactured by Umbro
(1968–81), Le Coq Sportif
(1981–86), The Chelsea Collection (1986–87) and Umbro again (1987–2006). Chelsea's first shirt sponsor was Gulf Air
, agreed midway through the 1983–84 season. Following that, the club were sponsored by Grange Farms, Bai Lin Tea
and Italian company Simod before a long-term deal was signed with computer manufacturer Commodore International
in 1989; Amiga
, an off-shoot of Commodore, also appeared on the shirts. Chelsea were subsequently sponsored by Coors
beer (1995–97), Autoglass (1997–2001) and Emirates Airline
(2001–05). Chelsea's current shirt sponsor is Samsung
who took over the sponsorship from their mobile division in 2007–08.
Chelsea have the fifth highest average all-time attendance in English football
and regularly attract over 40,000 fans to Stamford Bridge; they were the fifth best-supported Premier League team in the 2009–10 season, with an average gate of 41,472. Chelsea's traditional fanbase comes from all over the Greater London
area including working-class parts such as Hammersmith
and Battersea
, wealthier areas like Chelsea and Kensington
, and from the home counties
. There are also numerous official supporters clubs in the United Kingdom and all over the world.
At matches Chelsea fans sing chants such as "Carefree
" (to the tune of Lord of the Dance
, whose lyrics were probably written by supporter Mick Greenaway), "Ten Men Went to Mow", "We All Follow the Chelsea" (to the tune of Land of Hope and Glory
), "Zigga Zagga", and the celebratory "Celery", with the latter often resulting in fans ritually throwing celery. The vegetable was banned inside Stamford Bridge after an incident involving Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fàbregas
at the 2007 League Cup Final
.
Chelsea do not have a traditional rivalry on the scale of the Merseyside derby
or the North London derby
, and their West London derby
with Fulham
or Queens Park Rangers
has not been as prominent over the years with due to the clubs often spending time in separate divisions. A 2004 survey by Planetfootball.com found that Chelsea fans consider their main rivalries to be with (in order): Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur
and Manchester United
. Their rivalry with Tottenham Hotspur
is said to have developed following the 1967 FA Cup Final
, the first cup final held between two London clubs. Additionally, a strong rivalry
with Leeds United
dates back to several heated and controversial matches in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the 1970 FA Cup Final. More recently, a rivalry has grown with Liverpool
following repeated clashes in cup competitions.
During the 1970s and 1980s in particular, Chelsea supporters were associated with football hooliganism. The club's "football firm
", originally the Chelsea Shed Boys, now known as the Chelsea Headhunters
, were nationally notorious for violent acts against hooligans from other teams, such as West Ham United
's Inter City Firm
and Millwall
's Bushwackers
, both during and after matches. The increase in hooliganism in the 1980s led chairman Ken Bates to propose erecting an electric fence to deter them from invading the pitch; the proposal was rejected by the GLC
. Since the 1990s there has been a marked decline in crowd trouble at matches, as a result of stricter policing, CCTV
in grounds and the advent of all-seater stadia
. According to Home Office
statistics 126 Chelsea fans were arrested for football-related offences during the 2009–10 season, the third highest in the division, and 27 banning orders were issued, the fifth highest in the division.
Chelsea's highest appearance-maker is ex-captain Ron Harris
, who played in 795 first-class games for the club between 1961 and 1980. This record is unlikely to be broken in the near future; Chelsea's current highest appearance-maker is Frank Lampard with 527. The record for a Chelsea goalkeeper is held by Harris's contemporary, Peter Bonetti
, who made 729 appearances (1959–79). With 90 caps
(88 while at the club), Frank Lampard
of England is Chelsea's most capped international player.
Bobby Tambling
is Chelsea's all-time top goalscorer, with 202 goals in 370 games (1959–70). Eight other players have also scored over 100 goals for Chelsea: George Hilsdon
(1906–12), George Mills
(1929–39), Roy Bentley
(1948–56), Jimmy Greaves
(1957–61), Peter Osgood
(1964–74 and 1978–79), Kerry Dixon
(1983–92), Frank Lampard (2001–) and Didier Drogba
(2004–). With 193 goals, Dixon is the only player to have come close to matching Tambling's record. Greaves holds the record for the most goals scored in one season (43 in 1960–61). Lampard is the top scorer currently at the club with 177.
Officially, Chelsea's highest home attendance is 82,905 for a First Division
match against Arsenal on 12 October 1935. However, an estimated crowd of over 100,000 attended a friendly match
against Soviet
team Dynamo Moscow
on 13 November 1945. The modernisation of Stamford Bridge during the 1990s and the introduction of all-seater stands mean that neither record will be broken for the foreseeable future. The current legal capacity of Stamford Bridge is 42,449.
Chelsea hold numerous records in English
and European football. They hold the record for the highest ever points total for a league season (95), the fewest goals conceded during a league season (15), the highest number of Premier League victories in a season (29), the highest number of clean sheets overall in a Premier League season (25) (all set during the 2004–05 season
), and the most consecutive clean sheets from the start of a league season (6, set during the 2005–06 season
).
The club's 21–0 aggregate victory over Jeunesse Hautcharage in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1971
remains a record in European competition. Chelsea hold the record for the longest streak of unbeaten matches at home in the English top-flight, which lasted 86 matches from 20 March 2004 to 26 October 2008. They secured the record on 12 August 2007, beating the previous record of 63 matches unbeaten set by Liverpool between 1978 and 1980. Chelsea's streak of eleven consecutive away league wins, set between 5 April 2008 and 6 December 2008, is also a record for the English top flight.
Chelsea have recorded several "firsts" in English football. Along with Arsenal, they were the first club to play with shirt numbers on 25 August 1928 in their match against Swansea Town. Chelsea were the first English side to travel by aeroplane to a domestic away match, when they visited Newcastle United
on 19 April 1957, and the first First Division side to play a match on a Sunday, when they faced Stoke City
on 27 January 1974. On 26 December 1999, Chelsea became the first British side to field an entirely foreign starting line-up (no British or Irish players) in a Premier League match against Southampton
. On 19 May 2007, they became the first team to win the FA Cup at the new Wembley Stadium
, having also been the last to win it at the old Wembley.
After the conclusion of the 2007–08 season, Chelsea became the highest ranked club under UEFA's five-year coefficient system used in the seeding of European club competitions in the following season, the first English club to do so in the 21st century. On the final day of the 2009–10 season, Chelsea became the first team in Premier League history to score at least 100 goals in a single season.
, who by then was playing for Millwall
, was the star of the film and several scenes were shot at Stamford Bridge
, including the pitch, the boardroom, and the dressing rooms. It included guest appearances by then-Chelsea players Andrew Wilson, George Mills
, and Sam Millington
. Owing to the notoriety of the Chelsea Headhunters
, a football firm associated with the club, Chelsea have also featured in films about football hooliganism
, including 2004's The Football Factory. Chelsea also appear in the Hindi
film Jhoom Barabar Jhoom
.
Up until the 1950s, the club had a long-running association with the music hall
s, with their underachievement often providing material for comedians such as George Robey
. It culminated in comedian Norman Long's release of a comic song
in 1933, ironically titled "On the Day That Chelsea Went and Won the Cup", the lyrics of which describe a series of bizarre and improbable occurrences on the hypothetical day when Chelsea finally won a trophy.
The song "Blue is the Colour
" was released as a single in the build-up to the 1972 League Cup Final
, with all members of Chelsea's first team squad singing; it reached number five in the UK Singles Chart
. (The song was later adopted, as an anthem, by the Vancouver Whitecaps in Canada, after being changed to "White is the Colour".) In the build-up to the 1997 FA Cup Final
, the song "Blue Day", performed by Suggs
and members of the Chelsea squad, reached number 22 in the UK charts. Bryan Adams
, a fan of Chelsea, dedicated the song "We're Gonna Win" from the album 18 Til I Die
to the club.
. It has been affiliated to the men's team since 2004, and is part of the club's Community Development programme. They play their home games at Imperial Fields
, the home ground of Isthmian League club Tooting & Mitcham United
. The club won the Surrey County Cup in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, and were promoted to the Premier Division
for the first time in 2005 as Southern Division
champions. In the 2009–10
season, they finished 3rd in the Premier League, equalling their highest ever placing, and in 2010 were one of the eight founder members of the FA Women's Super League. John Terry
, the current captain of the Chelsea men's team, is President of Chelsea LFC.
For the reserve and academy team squads, see Chelsea F.C. Reserves and Academy
The following managers won at least one trophy when in charge of Chelsea:
Chelsea Ltd.
Chelsea F.C. plc
Executive Board
Chelsea Football Club Board:
Bruce Buck, Eugene Tenenbaum, Ron Gourlay
, David Barnard, Mike Forde.
Life President:
Lord Richard Attenborough
West (London sub region)
The West is a sub-region of the London Plan corresponding to the London Boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow. The sub region was established in 2004 and was adjusted in 2008 to include Kensington and Chelsea. The west has a population of 1.6 million and...
. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winners six times and League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
winners four times. They have also been successful in Europe, winning the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
twice.
The club had their first major success in 1955
1954-55 in English football
The 1954–1955 season was the 75th season of competitive football in England, from August 1954 to May 1955:-Overview:* Chelsea win the League Championship for the first time.* Newcastle United win the FA Cup....
, when they won the league championship. Chelsea won several cup competitions during the 1960s and 1970s, but after that did not win another major title until 1997. The past decade has been the most successful period in Chelsea’s history, capped by winning Premier League titles in 2005, 2006 and 2010, the latter as part of their first league and FA Cup "Double".
Despite their name, the club is not based in Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
, but in neighbouring Fulham
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is a London borough in West London, and forms part of Inner London. Traversed by the east-west main roads of the A4 Great West Road and the A40 Westway, many international corporations have offices in the borough....
. The club's home is the 42,449 capacity Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
football stadium in Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, where they have played since their establishment. Since 2003 they have been owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich
Roman Abramovich
Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich is a Russian businessman and the main owner of the private investment company Millhouse LLC.In 2003, Abramovich was named Person of the Year by Expert, a Russian business magazine. He shared this title with Mikhail Khodorkovsky...
.
Chelsea's regular kit colours are royal blue shirts and shorts with white socks, the combination used since the 1960s. The club crest has been changed several times in attempts to modernise or re-brand; the current crest, featuring a ceremonial lion holding a staff, is a modified version of one first adopted in the 1950s. The club has sustained the fifth highest average all-time attendance in English football. Their average home gate for the 2010–11 season
2010–11 in English football
The 2010–11 season was the 131st season of competitive football in England.The season began on 6 August 2010 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier League and Football Conference both starting eight days later on 14 August 2010. The Championship, League One, and League Two ended on 7 May...
was 41,435, the sixth highest in the Premier League.
History
Fulham Road
Fulham Road is a street in London, England, that runs from the A219 road in right in the centre of Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, through Chelsea to Brompton Road Knightsbridge and the A4 in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.Fulham Road runs parallel...
, and were elected to the Football League shortly afterwards. The club's early years saw little success; the closest they came to winning a major trophy was reaching the 1915 FA Cup Final
1915 FA Cup Final
The 1915 FA Cup Final took place on 24 April 1915 and was contested by Sheffield United and Chelsea. It was the last FA Cup final to be staged before competitive football was abandoned in Britain because of the First World War...
, where they lost to Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
. Chelsea gained a reputation for signing big-name players and for being entertainers, but made little impact on the English game in the inter-war years.
Former Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and England centre-forward Ted Drake
Ted Drake
Edward Joseph "Ted" Drake was an English football player and manager. As a player, he first played for Southampton but made his name playing for Arsenal in the 1930s, winning two league titles and an FA Cup, as well as five caps for England. He was also a cricketer, but only ever played sparingly...
became manager in 1952 and proceeded to modernise the club. He removed the club's Chelsea pensioner
Chelsea pensioner
A Chelsea pensioner is an in-pensioner at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a retirement home and nursing home for former members of the British Army located in Chelsea, London...
crest, improved the youth set-up and training regime, rebuilt the side, and led Chelsea to their first major trophy success – the League championship – in 1954–55. The following season saw UEFA create the European Champions' Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, but after objections from The Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
and the FA
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
Chelsea were persuaded to withdraw from the competition before it started.
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
2–1 in a final replay. Chelsea took their first European honour, a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
triumph, the following year, with another replayed win, this time over Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
in Athens.
The late 1970s through to the 1980s was a turbulent period for Chelsea. An ambitious redevelopment of Stamford Bridge threatened the financial stability of the club, star players were sold and the team were relegated. Further problems were caused by a notorious hooligan
Hooliganism
Hooliganism refers to unruly, destructive, aggressive and bullying behaviour. Such behaviour is commonly associated with sports fans. The term can also apply to general rowdy behaviour and vandalism, often under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs....
element among the support, which was to plague the club throughout the decade. In 1982 Chelsea were, at the nadir of their fortunes, acquired by Ken Bates
Ken Bates
Kenneth William Bates is a British businessman and football executive. The current chairman and now owner of Leeds United AFC, Bates was previously chairman and majority shareholder of Chelsea FC from 1982 until 2003....
for the nominal sum of £1, although by now the Stamford Bridge freehold had been sold to property developers, meaning the club faced losing their home. On the pitch, the team had fared little better, coming close to relegation to the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
for the first time, but in 1983 manager John Neal
John Neal (footballer)
John Neal is a former English football player and manager.Neal was a full-back whose playing career included numerous clubs, including Hull City, Southend United and Swindon Town...
put together an impressive new team for minimal outlay. Chelsea won the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
title in 1983–84 and established themselves in the top division, before being relegated again in 1988. The club bounced back immediately by winning the Second Division championship in 1988–89.
After a long-running legal battle, Bates reunited the stadium freehold with the club in 1992 by doing a deal with the banks of the property developers, who had been bankrupted by a market crash. Chelsea's form in the new Premier League was unconvincing, although they did reach the 1994 FA Cup Final. It was not until the appointment of former European Footballer of the Year Ruud Gullit
Ruud Gullit
OON is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup. He was named the European Footballer of the...
as player-manager in 1996 that their fortunes changed. He added several top-class international players to the side, as the club won the FA Cup in 1997 and established themselves as one of England's top sides again. Gullit was replaced by Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli is an Italian football manager and former player. Since retiring, he has gone into management and punditry and is a commentator for Sky Sport Italia....
, who led the team to victory in the League Cup Final
1998 Football League Cup Final
The 1998 Coca-Cola Cup Final was a football match played between Chelsea and Middlesbrough on 29 March 1998 at Wembley Stadium. Chelsea, under new manager Gianluca Vialli, won with two extra time goals and would go on to win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup later that season...
and the Cup Winners' Cup Final in 1998, the FA Cup in 2000 and the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in 2000. Vialli was sacked in favour of another Italian, Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri, is an Italian football manager, currently in charge as head coach of Internazionale.He has also managed many other well-known clubs in Europe, including Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus and Roma.-Early life:Ranieri attended St...
, who guided Chelsea to the 2002 FA Cup Final
2002 FA Cup Final
The 2002 FA Cup Final was the final match of the 2001–02 FA Cup competition. It was an all-London affair between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium on 4 May 2002...
and Champions League qualification in 2002–03.
In June 2003, Bates sold Chelsea to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich for £140 million, completing what was then the biggest-ever sale of an English football club. Over £100 million was spent on new players, but Ranieri was unable to deliver any trophies, so he was replaced by Portuguese coach José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
. Under Mourinho, Chelsea became the fifth English team to win back-to-back league championships since the Second World War (2004–05 and 2005–06), in addition to winning an FA Cup (2007
2007 FA Cup Final
The 2007 FA Cup Final was played on Saturday, 19 May 2007 between Chelsea and Manchester United, who had come up against Premier League opposition in every round. It was the 126th FA Cup Final and the first to be played at the new Wembley Stadium...
) and two League Cups (2005 and 2007
2007 Football League Cup Final
The 2007 Carling Cup Final was played on Sunday, 25 February 2007 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It was contested between Arsenal and Chelsea, making it the first all-London final in the competition's history; the two sides had previously met in Cardiff for the 2002 FA Cup Final. The game...
). In September 2007 Mourinho was replaced by Avram Grant, who led the club to their first UEFA Champions League final
2008 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2008 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 at 20:45 CEST . The match was played at the Luzhniki Stadium, in Moscow, Russia, to determine the winner of the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League...
, which they lost on penalties
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. Grant was fired days later and succeeded by Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari , ComIH , also known as Felipão in Brazil and Phil Scolari in the United Kingdom, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager. He is currently the manager of Palmeiras. He served as the manager of the Portuguese national team from July 12, 2003 to June 30, 2008...
in July 2008.
Scolari spent only seven months in the job before being dismissed after a string of poor results. Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
coach Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was the most recently manager of the Turkish national football team. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009...
was appointed caretaker manager until the end of the 2008–09 season, and guided Chelsea to a second FA Cup triumph
2009 FA Cup Final
The 2009 FA Cup Final was the 128th final of the world's oldest domestic football cup competition, the FA Cup. The final was played at Wembley Stadium in London on 30 May 2009 and marked the third time that the final has been staged at the stadium since it was rebuilt...
in three years.
Two days later, former Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
coach Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...
was confirmed as Chelsea's new manager. In his first season, Ancelotti led Chelsea to their first league and FA Cup
2010 FA Cup Final
The 2010 FA Cup Final was the 129th final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The match took place on 15 May 2010, at Wembley Stadium, London...
"Double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
"; in addition, Chelsea became the first English top-flight side to score over 100 league goals in a season since 1963. Ancelotti parted company with Chelsea in May 2011 and was replaced by then Porto coach André Villas-Boas.
Stamford Bridge
Gus Mears
Henry Augustus "Gus" Mears was an English businessman, most notable for founding Chelsea Football Club.He was born in 1873, the son of Joseph and Charlotte Mears....
and his brother Joseph
Joseph Mears
Joseph Theophilus "JT" Mears , was an English businessman, most notable for co-founding Chelsea Football Club.Joseph Mears was born in 1871 in Hammersmith, London, the elder son of Joseph Mears, a builder....
, who had previously acquired additional land (formerly a large market garden) with the aim of staging football matches on the now 12.5 acre (51,000 m²) site.
Stamford Bridge was designed for the Mears family by the noted football architect Archibald Leitch
Archibald Leitch
Archibald "Offside Archie" Leitch was a Scottish architect, most famous for his work designing football stadia throughout the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.-Early work:...
. They offered to lease the stadium to Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, but were turned down. As a consequence, the owners decided to form their own football club to occupy their new ground. Most football clubs were founded first, and then sought grounds in which to play, but Chelsea were founded for Stamford Bridge. Since there was already a football club named Fulham in the borough, the founders decided to adopt the name of the adjacent borough of Chelsea for the new club, having also considered names such as Kensington FC, Stamford Bridge FC and London FC.
Starting with an open bowl-like design and one covered terrace, Stamford Bridge had an original capacity of around 100,000. The early 1930s saw the construction of a terrace on the southern part of the ground with a roof that covered around one fifth of the stand. It eventually became known as the "Shed End", the home of Chelsea's most loyal and vocal supporters, particularly during the 1960s, 70s and 80s. The exact origins of the name are unclear, but the fact that the roof looked like a corrugated iron shed roof played a part.
During the late 1960s and early 70s, the club's owners embarked on a modernisation of Stamford Bridge with plans for a 50,000 all-seater stadium.
Work began on the East Stand in the early 1970s but the project was beset with problems and the cost almost brought the club to its knees, culminating in the freehold
Fee simple
In English law, a fee simple is an estate in land, a form of freehold ownership. It is the most common way that real estate is owned in common law countries, and is ordinarily the most complete ownership interest that can be had in real property short of allodial title, which is often reserved...
being sold to property developers. Following a long legal battle, it was not until the mid-1990s that Chelsea's future at the stadium was secured and renovation work resumed. The north, west and southern parts of the ground were converted into all-seater stands and moved closer to the pitch, a process completed by 2001.
When Stamford Bridge was redeveloped in the Ken Bates
Ken Bates
Kenneth William Bates is a British businessman and football executive. The current chairman and now owner of Leeds United AFC, Bates was previously chairman and majority shareholder of Chelsea FC from 1982 until 2003....
era many additional features were added to the complex including two hotels, apartments, bars, restaurants, the Chelsea Megastore, and an interactive visitor attraction called Chelsea World of Sport. The intention was that these facilities would provide extra revenue to support the football side of the business, but they were less successful than hoped and before the Abramovich takeover in 2003 the debt taken on to finance them was a major burden on the club. Soon after the takeover a decision was taken to drop the "Chelsea Village" brand and refocus on Chelsea as a football club. However, the stadium is sometimes still referred to as part of "Chelsea Village" or "The Village".
The Stamford Bridge freehold, the pitch
Association football pitch
An association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
, the turnstiles and Chelsea's naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
are now owned by Chelsea Pitch Owners
Chelsea Pitch Owners
Chelsea Pitch Owners plc a is a non-profit organization that owns both the freehold of the Stamford Bridge stadium and the naming rights of Chelsea Football Club.-History:...
, a non-profit organisation in which fans are the shareholders. The CPO was created to ensure the stadium could never again be sold to developers. As a condition for using the Chelsea FC name, the club has to play its first team matches at Stamford Bridge, which means that if the club moves to a new stadium, they may have to change their name.
Chelsea's training ground
Cobham Training Centre
The Cobham Training Centre is the state of the art training ground of Chelsea Football Club located in Stoke d'Abernon near Cobham, Surrey. The Chelsea first team have trained at Cobham since 2005, but it was not officially opened until 2007.-History:...
is located in Cobham, Surrey
Cobham, Surrey
Cobham is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England, about south-west of central London and north of Leatherhead. Elmbridge has been acclaimed by the Daily Mail as the best place to live in the UK, and Cobham is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt...
. Chelsea moved to Cobham in 2004. Their previous training ground in Harlington
Harlington, London
Harlington is a suburban area in the London Borough of Hillingdon, on the northern perimeter of London Heathrow Airport. It is situated west of Charing Cross.-Etymology:...
was taken over by QPR
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
in 2005. The new training facilities in Cobham were completed in 2007.
The club plans to increase the capacity of Stamford Bridge to over 50,000. Owing to its location in a built-up part of London on a main road and next to two railway lines, fans can only enter the stadium through the Fulham Road
Fulham Road
Fulham Road is a street in London, England, that runs from the A219 road in right in the centre of Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, through Chelsea to Brompton Road Knightsbridge and the A4 in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.Fulham Road runs parallel...
entrances, which places severe constraints on expansion due to health and safety
Occupational safety and health
Occupational safety and health is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment. The goal of all occupational safety and health programs is to foster a safe work environment...
regulations. As a result, Chelsea have been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge to sites including the Earls Court Exhibition Centre
Earls Court Exhibition Centre
The Earls Court Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre, conference and event venue located in west London, United Kingdom in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . It is the largest exhibition venue in central London. It is served by two underground stations, Earl's Court and West...
, Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station is a decommissioned coal-fired power station located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Battersea, South London. The station comprises two individual power stations, built in two stages in the form of a single building. Battersea A Power Station was built first in the...
and the Chelsea Barracks
Chelsea Barracks
Chelsea Barracks was a British Army barracks located in the City of Westminster, London, adjacent to Chelsea, on Chelsea Bridge Road.-History:The barracks was originally built in the 1860s to house two battalions of troops...
. However, the club have consistently affirmed their desire to keep Chelsea at their current home.
On 3 October 2011, Chelsea made a proposal to CPO shareholders to buy back the freehold to the land on which Stamford Bridge sits, stating that "buying back the freehold removes a potential hurdle should a suitable site become available in the future".
Stamford Bridge has been used for a variety of other sporting events since 1905. It hosted the FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
from 1920 to 1922, has held ten FA Cup semi-finals
FA Cup Semi-finals
The FA Cup Semi-finals are played to determine which teams will contest the FA Cup Final. They are the penultimate phase of the FA Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world.- Location :...
(most recently in 1978), ten FA Charity Shield
FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
matches (the last in 1970
1970 FA Charity Shield
The 1970 FA Charity Shield was the 49th FA Charity Shield, the annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Football League and FA Cup competitions. It was contested between Everton, the reigning First Division champions, and Chelsea, holders of the FA Cup...
), and three England international
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
matches, the last in 1932; it was also the venue for an unofficial Victory International in 1946. In October 1905 it hosted a rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
match between the All Blacks and Middlesex, and in 1914 hosted a baseball match between the touring New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. It was the venue for a boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
match between world flyweight
Flyweight
Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing less than 112 lb but above 108 lb .-Professional boxing:...
champion Jimmy Wilde
Jimmy Wilde
Jimmy Wilde , was a Welsh world boxing champion. He was the first official world flyweight champion and was rated by American boxing writer Nat Fleischer, as well as many other professionals and fans including former boxer, trainer, manager and promoter, Charley 'Broadway' Rose, as "the greatest...
and Joe Conn in 1918. The running track was used for dirt track racing
Dirt track racing
Dirt track racing is a type of auto racing performed on oval tracks. It began in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 30s. Two different types of racecars predominated—open wheel racers in the Northeast and West and stock cars in the South...
between 1928 and 1932, greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
from 1933 to 1968, and Midget car racing
Midget car racing
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...
in 1948. In 1980, Stamford Bridge hosted the first international floodlit
Floodlights (sport)
Floodlights are broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial lights often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions....
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
match in the UK, between Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
and the West Indies. It was also the home stadium of the London Monarchs
London Monarchs
The London Monarchs were a professional American football team in NFL Europe and its predecessor league, the World League of American Football . The Monarchs played their final season in 1998 as the England Monarchs...
American Football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team for the 1997 season
1997 London Monarchs season
The 1997 London Monarchs season was the fifth season for the team in the World League of American Football.-World League Draft:-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-Honors:* Richard Newbill, All-World League Team selection...
.
Crest
Since the club's foundation, Chelsea have had four main crests, though all underwent minor variations. In 1905, Chelsea adopted as their first crest the image of a Chelsea pensionerChelsea pensioner
A Chelsea pensioner is an in-pensioner at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a retirement home and nursing home for former members of the British Army located in Chelsea, London...
, which obviously contributed to the "pensioner" nickname, and remained for the next half-century, though it never appeared on the shirts. As part of Ted Drake
Ted Drake
Edward Joseph "Ted" Drake was an English football player and manager. As a player, he first played for Southampton but made his name playing for Arsenal in the 1930s, winning two league titles and an FA Cup, as well as five caps for England. He was also a cricketer, but only ever played sparingly...
's modernisation of the club from 1952 onwards, he insisted that the pensioner badge be removed from the match day programme in order to change the club's image and that a new crest be adopted. As a stop-gap, a temporary emblem comprising simply the initials C.F.C. was adopted for one year.
In 1953, Chelsea's crest was changed to an upright blue lion looking backwards and holding a staff
Crosier
A crosier is the stylized staff of office carried by high-ranking Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and some Lutheran and Pentecostal prelates...
, which was to endure for the next three decades. This crest was based on elements in the coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea
Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea
The Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London between 1900 and 1965. It was created by the London Government Act 1899 from most of the ancient parish of Chelsea...
with the "lion rampant regardant" taken from the arms of then club president Viscount Chelsea
Earl Cadogan
Earl Cadogan is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Great Britain. The Cadogan family descends from Major William Cadogan, a cavalry officer in Oliver Cromwell's army. His son Henry Cadogan was a barrister in Dublin. His eldest son William Cadogan was a noted soldier, politician...
and the staff from the Abbots of Westminster
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
, former Lords of the Manor of Chelsea. It also featured three red roses, to represent England, and two footballs. This was the first club badge to appear on shirts, since the policy of putting the crest on the shirts was only adopted in the early 1960s.
In 1986, with Ken Bates
Ken Bates
Kenneth William Bates is a British businessman and football executive. The current chairman and now owner of Leeds United AFC, Bates was previously chairman and majority shareholder of Chelsea FC from 1982 until 2003....
now owner of the club, Chelsea's crest was changed again as part of another attempt to modernise and to capitalise on new marketing opportunities. The new badge featured a more naturalistic non-heraldic lion, in white and not blue, standing over the C.F.C. initials. It lasted for the next 19 years, with some modifications such as the use of different colours, such as red from 1987 to 1995, and yellow from 1995 until 1999, before the white returned. With new ownership, and the club's centenary approaching, combined with demands from fans for the club's traditional badge to be restored, it was decided that the crest should be changed again in 2004. The new crest was officially adopted for the start of the 2005–06 season and marks a return to the older design of the blue heraldic lion holding a staff. As with previous crests, this one has appeared in various colours, including white and gold.
Colours
Chelsea have always worn blue shirts, although they initially adopted a lighter shade than the current version, and unlike today wore white shorts and dark blue socks. The lighter blue was taken from the racing colours of then club president, Earl CadoganEarl Cadogan
Earl Cadogan is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Great Britain. The Cadogan family descends from Major William Cadogan, a cavalry officer in Oliver Cromwell's army. His son Henry Cadogan was a barrister in Dublin. His eldest son William Cadogan was a noted soldier, politician...
. The light blue shirts were short-lived, however, and replaced by a royal blue version in around 1912. In the 1960s Chelsea manager Tommy Docherty
Tommy Docherty
Thomas Henderson "Tommy" Docherty , commonly known as "The Doc", is a Scottish former footballer and football manager.-Playing career:...
changed the kit again, switching to blue shorts (which have remained ever since) and white socks, believing it made the club's colours more modern and distinctive, since no other major side used that combination; this kit was first worn during the 1964–65 season. Since then Chelsea have always worn white socks with their home kit apart from a short spell from 1985 to 1992, when blue socks were reintroduced.
Chelsea's traditional away colours are all yellow or all white with blue trim, but, as with most teams, they have had some more unusual ones. The first away strip consisted of black and white stripes and for one game in the 1960s the team wore blue and black stripes, inspired by Inter Milan
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
's kit, again at Docherty's behest. Other memorable away kits include a mint green strip in the 1980s, a red and white checked one in the early 90s and a graphite and tangerine edition in the mid-1990s.
Chelsea's kit is currently manufactured by Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, which is contracted to supply the club's kit from 2006 to 2018. The contract was extended on 22 October 2010. Previously, the kit was manufactured by Umbro
Umbro
Umbro is an English sportswear and football equipment supplier based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England. The company is now part of Nike. Umbro designs, sources, and markets sport-related apparel, footwear, and equipment...
(1968–81), Le Coq Sportif
Le Coq Sportif
Le Coq Sportif is a French company producing sports equipment such as shoes, shorts, and T-shirts. It was founded in 1882 by Émile Camuset, but the first clothing items branded with the rooster appeared in 1948...
(1981–86), The Chelsea Collection (1986–87) and Umbro again (1987–2006). Chelsea's first shirt sponsor was Gulf Air
Gulf Air
Gulf Air is the principal flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Headquartered in Muharraq, adjacent to Bahrain International Airport, the airline operates scheduled services to 45 destinations in 28 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe. Its main base is Bahrain International Airport...
, agreed midway through the 1983–84 season. Following that, the club were sponsored by Grange Farms, Bai Lin Tea
Peter Foster
Peter Clarence Foster is an Australian who has been convicted and jailed on three continents for offences involving weight loss products and property transactions....
and Italian company Simod before a long-term deal was signed with computer manufacturer Commodore International
Commodore International
Commodore is the commonly used name for Commodore Business Machines , the U.S.-based home computer manufacturer and electronics manufacturer headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, which also housed Commodore's corporate parent company, Commodore International Limited...
in 1989; Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, an off-shoot of Commodore, also appeared on the shirts. Chelsea were subsequently sponsored by Coors
Coors Brewing Company
The Coors Brewing Company is a regional division of the world's fifth-largest brewing company, the Canadian Molson Coors Brewing Company and is the third-largest brewer in the United States...
beer (1995–97), Autoglass (1997–2001) and Emirates Airline
Emirates Airline
Emirates is the airline based in the Emirate of Dubai part of the United Arab Emirates . Based at Dubai International Airport it is the largest airline in the Middle East, operating over 2,400 flights per week, from its hub at Terminal 3, to 111 cities in 62 countries across six continents...
(2001–05). Chelsea's current shirt sponsor is Samsung
Samsung Group
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
who took over the sponsorship from their mobile division in 2007–08.
Supporters and rivalries
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
and regularly attract over 40,000 fans to Stamford Bridge; they were the fifth best-supported Premier League team in the 2009–10 season, with an average gate of 41,472. Chelsea's traditional fanbase comes from all over the Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
area including working-class parts such as Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
and Battersea
Battersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
, wealthier areas like Chelsea and Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, and from the home counties
Home Counties
The home counties is a term which refers to the counties of South East England and the East of England which border London, but do not include the capital city itself...
. There are also numerous official supporters clubs in the United Kingdom and all over the world.
At matches Chelsea fans sing chants such as "Carefree
Carefree (chant)
"Carefree" is a football chant, sung by followers of the Chelsea football club, mainly at away games, and meant to demonstrate indifference and possibly belligerence when in an alien, hostile environment. The original tune is "Lord of the Dance".-Lyrics:...
" (to the tune of Lord of the Dance
Lord of the Dance (hymn)
Lord of the Dance is a hymn with words written by English songwriter Sydney Carter in 1967. He adapted the tune from the American Shaker song "Simple Gifts"...
, whose lyrics were probably written by supporter Mick Greenaway), "Ten Men Went to Mow", "We All Follow the Chelsea" (to the tune of Land of Hope and Glory
Land of Hope and Glory
"Land of Hope and Glory" is a British patriotic song, with music by Edward Elgar and lyrics by A. C. Benson, written in 1902.- Composition :...
), "Zigga Zagga", and the celebratory "Celery", with the latter often resulting in fans ritually throwing celery. The vegetable was banned inside Stamford Bridge after an incident involving Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fàbregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
at the 2007 League Cup Final
2007 Football League Cup Final
The 2007 Carling Cup Final was played on Sunday, 25 February 2007 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It was contested between Arsenal and Chelsea, making it the first all-London final in the competition's history; the two sides had previously met in Cardiff for the 2002 FA Cup Final. The game...
.
Chelsea do not have a traditional rivalry on the scale of the Merseyside derby
Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
or the North London derby
North London derby
The North London derby is the name of the football local derby between the two major teams in North London – Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.-History:...
, and their West London derby
West London derby
The West London Derby is the name given to a football derby played between any two of Brentford, Chelsea, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers.The West London derby is less prominent than other such derbies in English football, owing to the teams often being in separate divisions. Chelsea did not face...
with Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
or Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
has not been as prominent over the years with due to the clubs often spending time in separate divisions. A 2004 survey by Planetfootball.com found that Chelsea fans consider their main rivalries to be with (in order): Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. Their rivalry with Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
is said to have developed following the 1967 FA Cup Final
1967 FA Cup Final
The 1967 FA Cup Final took place at Wembley on 20 May 1967, between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. It was the competition's first final to be contested between two teams from London, and is thus often dubbed the Cockney Cup Final. Tottenham won 2–1...
, the first cup final held between two London clubs. Additionally, a strong rivalry
Chelsea F.C. and Leeds United A.F.C. rivalry
The rivalry between Chelsea and Leeds United is a football rivalry between London-based club Chelsea and Yorkshire-based Leeds United. The rivalry first emerged in the 1960s after a series of fiercely-contested and controversial matches, when the two clubs were frequently involved in the pursuit...
with Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
dates back to several heated and controversial matches in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the 1970 FA Cup Final. More recently, a rivalry has grown with Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
following repeated clashes in cup competitions.
During the 1970s and 1980s in particular, Chelsea supporters were associated with football hooliganism. The club's "football firm
Football hooliganism
Football hooliganism, sometimes referred to by the British media as the English Disease, is unruly and destructive behaviour—such as brawls, vandalism and intimidation—by association football club fans...
", originally the Chelsea Shed Boys, now known as the Chelsea Headhunters
Chelsea Headhunters
The Chelsea Headhunters are an English football hooligan firm linked to the London football club Chelsea.-Background:The Headhunters have rivalries with counterparts who follow other London teams, such as Arsenal, Millwall, Queens Park Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham.There was widespread...
, were nationally notorious for violent acts against hooligans from other teams, such as West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
's Inter City Firm
Inter City Firm
The Inter City Firm is an English football hooligan firm mainly active in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, associated with West Ham United. The name came from the use of InterCity trains used to travel to away games...
and Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
's Bushwackers
Millwall Bushwackers
The Millwall Bushwackers are a hooligan firm associated with Millwall F.C..-Background:The original firm associated with Millwall was known as F-Troop....
, both during and after matches. The increase in hooliganism in the 1980s led chairman Ken Bates to propose erecting an electric fence to deter them from invading the pitch; the proposal was rejected by the GLC
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
. Since the 1990s there has been a marked decline in crowd trouble at matches, as a result of stricter policing, CCTV
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
in grounds and the advent of all-seater stadia
All-seater stadium
An all-seater stadium is a sports stadium in which every spectator has a seat. This is commonplace in football stadiums in nations such as the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands. Most soccer and American football stadiums in the United States and Canada are all-seaters, as are most baseball...
. According to Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
statistics 126 Chelsea fans were arrested for football-related offences during the 2009–10 season, the third highest in the division, and 27 banning orders were issued, the fifth highest in the division.
Records
Ron Harris (footballer)
Ronald Edward Harris , better known as Ron "Chopper" Harris, is a former English footballer who played for Chelsea in the 1960s and 1970s. Harris is widely regarded as one of the toughest defenders of his era - along with players such as Tommy Smith MBE and Norman Hunter - hence the nickname...
, who played in 795 first-class games for the club between 1961 and 1980. This record is unlikely to be broken in the near future; Chelsea's current highest appearance-maker is Frank Lampard with 527. The record for a Chelsea goalkeeper is held by Harris's contemporary, Peter Bonetti
Peter Bonetti
Peter Phillip Bonetti is a former football goalkeeper for Chelsea, the St. Louis Stars, Dundee United and England. Bonetti was known for his safe handling, lightning reflexes and his graceful style, for which he was given the nickname, "The Cat"...
, who made 729 appearances (1959–79). With 90 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
(88 while at the club), Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
of England is Chelsea's most capped international player.
Bobby Tambling
Bobby Tambling
Robert Victor 'Bobby' Tambling is a retired English footballer, who played most notably for Chelsea and Crystal Palace in the 1960s and 1970s...
is Chelsea's all-time top goalscorer, with 202 goals in 370 games (1959–70). Eight other players have also scored over 100 goals for Chelsea: George Hilsdon
George Hilsdon
George Richard Hilsdon was a footballer who began his career at West Ham United, making his debut in the 1903-04 season. His brother Jack Hilsdon also played for West Ham at this time...
(1906–12), George Mills
George Mills (footballer)
George Robert Mills was an English footballer, principally for Chelsea.He signed for Chelsea as an amateur in 1929 from Bromley and stayed at the club for the rest of his career. He was a prolific goal scorer in his time there, notching 125 goals in 239 games...
(1929–39), Roy Bentley
Roy Bentley
Roy Thomas Frank Bentley is a retired English football player who played most notably for Chelsea and the England national side. He later became a manager...
(1948–56), Jimmy Greaves
Jimmy Greaves
James Peter 'Jimmy' Greaves is an English former football player, England's third highest international goalscorer, the highest goalscorer in the history of Tottenham Hotspur football club, the highest goalscorer in the history of English top flight football and more recently a television pundit -...
(1957–61), Peter Osgood
Peter Osgood
Peter Leslie Osgood was an English footballer who was active during the 1960s and 1970s. He is best remembered for representing Chelsea and Southampton at club level, and was also capped four times by England in the early 1970s.-Chelsea:Born in a small road named Kentons Lane in Windsor, Osgood...
(1964–74 and 1978–79), Kerry Dixon
Kerry Dixon
Kerry Michael Dixon is a retired English professional footballer who played most notably for Chelsea and England.-Early years:...
(1983–92), Frank Lampard (2001–) and Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...
(2004–). With 193 goals, Dixon is the only player to have come close to matching Tambling's record. Greaves holds the record for the most goals scored in one season (43 in 1960–61). Lampard is the top scorer currently at the club with 177.
Officially, Chelsea's highest home attendance is 82,905 for a First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
match against Arsenal on 12 October 1935. However, an estimated crowd of over 100,000 attended a friendly match
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
against Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
team Dynamo Moscow
FC Dynamo Moscow
Dynamo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow, currently playing in the Russian Premier League. Dynamo's traditional kit colours are blue and white...
on 13 November 1945. The modernisation of Stamford Bridge during the 1990s and the introduction of all-seater stands mean that neither record will be broken for the foreseeable future. The current legal capacity of Stamford Bridge is 42,449.
Chelsea hold numerous records in English
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
and European football. They hold the record for the highest ever points total for a league season (95), the fewest goals conceded during a league season (15), the highest number of Premier League victories in a season (29), the highest number of clean sheets overall in a Premier League season (25) (all set during the 2004–05 season
FA Premier League 2004-05
The 2004–05 season of the FA Premier League began on 14 August 2004 and ended on 15 May 2005. Arsenal were the defending champions after going unbeaten the previous season....
), and the most consecutive clean sheets from the start of a league season (6, set during the 2005–06 season
FA Premier League 2005-06
The 2005–06 season of the FA Premier League began on 13 August 2005, and concluded on 7 May 2006. The season saw Chelsea F.C retain their title after defeating Manchester United 3–0 at Stamford Bridge towards the end of April...
).
The club's 21–0 aggregate victory over Jeunesse Hautcharage in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1971
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1971-72
The season 1971-72 of the European Cup Winners' Cup football club tournament was won by Rangers in a final victory against FC Dynamo Moscow.- Preliminary game :-First round:-First leg:-Second leg:Torino won 5–0 on aggregate....
remains a record in European competition. Chelsea hold the record for the longest streak of unbeaten matches at home in the English top-flight, which lasted 86 matches from 20 March 2004 to 26 October 2008. They secured the record on 12 August 2007, beating the previous record of 63 matches unbeaten set by Liverpool between 1978 and 1980. Chelsea's streak of eleven consecutive away league wins, set between 5 April 2008 and 6 December 2008, is also a record for the English top flight.
Chelsea have recorded several "firsts" in English football. Along with Arsenal, they were the first club to play with shirt numbers on 25 August 1928 in their match against Swansea Town. Chelsea were the first English side to travel by aeroplane to a domestic away match, when they visited Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
on 19 April 1957, and the first First Division side to play a match on a Sunday, when they faced Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
on 27 January 1974. On 26 December 1999, Chelsea became the first British side to field an entirely foreign starting line-up (no British or Irish players) in a Premier League match against Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
. On 19 May 2007, they became the first team to win the FA Cup at the new Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, having also been the last to win it at the old Wembley.
After the conclusion of the 2007–08 season, Chelsea became the highest ranked club under UEFA's five-year coefficient system used in the seeding of European club competitions in the following season, the first English club to do so in the 21st century. On the final day of the 2009–10 season, Chelsea became the first team in Premier League history to score at least 100 goals in a single season.
Popular culture
In 1930, Chelsea featured in one of the earliest football films, The Great Game. One-time Chelsea centre forward, Jack CockJack Cock
John Gilbert "Jack" Cock DCM MM was an English footballer who played for various English club sides as a striker. He also had the distinction of being the first Cornishman to play for the England national team, a decorated World War I soldier, and an actor...
, who by then was playing for Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, was the star of the film and several scenes were shot at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
, including the pitch, the boardroom, and the dressing rooms. It included guest appearances by then-Chelsea players Andrew Wilson, George Mills
George Mills (footballer)
George Robert Mills was an English footballer, principally for Chelsea.He signed for Chelsea as an amateur in 1929 from Bromley and stayed at the club for the rest of his career. He was a prolific goal scorer in his time there, notching 125 goals in 239 games...
, and Sam Millington
Sam Millington
Simeon "Sam" Millington was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper during the 1920s and 1930s, mainly for Chelsea.Millington joined Chelsea in 1926 and was the club's first-choice goalkeeper for the next six seasons...
. Owing to the notoriety of the Chelsea Headhunters
Chelsea Headhunters
The Chelsea Headhunters are an English football hooligan firm linked to the London football club Chelsea.-Background:The Headhunters have rivalries with counterparts who follow other London teams, such as Arsenal, Millwall, Queens Park Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham.There was widespread...
, a football firm associated with the club, Chelsea have also featured in films about football hooliganism
Hooliganism
Hooliganism refers to unruly, destructive, aggressive and bullying behaviour. Such behaviour is commonly associated with sports fans. The term can also apply to general rowdy behaviour and vandalism, often under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs....
, including 2004's The Football Factory. Chelsea also appear in the Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
film Jhoom Barabar Jhoom
Jhoom Barabar Jhoom
Jhoom Barabar Jhoom is a 2007 Bollywood film starring Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Bobby Deol and Lara Dutta. It is directed by Shaad Ali. The film is produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra under Yash Raj Films...
.
Up until the 1950s, the club had a long-running association with the music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
s, with their underachievement often providing material for comedians such as George Robey
George Robey
Sir George Edward Wade , better known by his stage name, George Robey, was an English music hall comedian and star. He was marketed as the "Prime Minister of Mirth".-Early life:...
. It culminated in comedian Norman Long's release of a comic song
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
in 1933, ironically titled "On the Day That Chelsea Went and Won the Cup", the lyrics of which describe a series of bizarre and improbable occurrences on the hypothetical day when Chelsea finally won a trophy.
The song "Blue is the Colour
Blue is the Colour (Chelsea)
Blue Is the Colour is a football song associated with Chelsea Football Club. It was performed by the squad and released in 1972 to coincide with the club's ultimately unsuccessful appearance in the League Cup final of that year against Stoke City. The record was issued on the Penny Farthing Records...
" was released as a single in the build-up to the 1972 League Cup Final
1972 Football League Cup Final
The 1972 Football League Cup Final took place on 4 March 1972 at Wembley Stadium and was contested by Chelsea and Stoke City. Chelsea went into the match as strong favourites having won the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in the previous two seasons, whereas Stoke were attempting to win their...
, with all members of Chelsea's first team squad singing; it reached number five in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. (The song was later adopted, as an anthem, by the Vancouver Whitecaps in Canada, after being changed to "White is the Colour".) In the build-up to the 1997 FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final 1997
The 1997 FA Cup Final took place on 17 May 1997 at Wembley Stadium and was won by Chelsea with a 2–0 victory over Middlesbrough.Chelsea were attempting to win their first FA Cup final for 27 years, while Middlesbrough were contesting their first ever final...
, the song "Blue Day", performed by Suggs
Suggs (singer)
Graham McPherson , better known as Suggs, is an English singer, actor, former radio DJ, TV personality, and most famous as the frontman of the band Madness.-Early life:...
and members of the Chelsea squad, reached number 22 in the UK charts. Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
, a fan of Chelsea, dedicated the song "We're Gonna Win" from the album 18 Til I Die
18 til I Die
-Australia:-Personnel:* Bryan Adams – rhythm guitar, vocals, co-producer* Keith Scott – lead guitar* Paco de Lucia- featured flamenco guitarist on "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman"* Mickey Curry – drums* Dave Taylor – bass...
to the club.
Chelsea Ladies
Chelsea also operate a women's football team, Chelsea LadiesChelsea L.F.C.
Chelsea Ladies Football Club are a semi-professional English women's football club affiliated with Chelsea F.C.. They have competed in the top tier of women's football in England, the Premier League National Division, since 2005...
. It has been affiliated to the men's team since 2004, and is part of the club's Community Development programme. They play their home games at Imperial Fields
Imperial Fields
Imperial Fields is a football stadium in Morden, south London that is home to Tooting & Mitcham United F.C. and Chelsea L.F.C.. The stadium opened in 2002 and has a total capacity of 3,500 . Tooting & Mitcham United moved in 2002 from an all-wooden facility at Sandy Lane in Tooting, which had been...
, the home ground of Isthmian League club Tooting & Mitcham United
Tooting & Mitcham United F.C.
Tooting & Mitcham United Football Club are a semi-professional association football club representing the south-west London areas of Tooting and Mitcham, within the London Borough of Merton. The club's stadium, Imperial Fields is located in Morden. The club are nicknamed The Terrors or...
. The club won the Surrey County Cup in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, and were promoted to the Premier Division
FA Women's Premier League National Division
The FA Women's Premier League National Division is the second level of the English women's football league pyramid. From 1991 until the introduction of the summer competition FA Women's Super League the National Division functioned as the top league in England. Below it are simultaneously the...
for the first time in 2005 as Southern Division
FA Women's Premier League Southern Division
The FA Women's Premier League Southern Division is a league in the Third level in the women's football pyramid in England, along with the Northern division. These two divisions are below the FA Women's Super League and National Division...
champions. In the 2009–10
2009–10 FA Women's Premier League
The 2009-10 season of the FA Women's Premier League was the 18th season of the top flight of English women's association football.-National Division:-Top scorers:-References:**...
season, they finished 3rd in the Premier League, equalling their highest ever placing, and in 2010 were one of the eight founder members of the FA Women's Super League. John Terry
John Terry
John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...
, the current captain of the Chelsea men's team, is President of Chelsea LFC.
Current squad
Out on loan
Reserves and Academy team
For the reserve and academy team squads, see Chelsea F.C. Reserves and Academy
Player of the Year
|
|
Notable managers
The following managers won at least one trophy when in charge of Chelsea:
| Name | Period | Trophies |
|---|---|---|
 Ted DrakeTed Drake Edward Joseph "Ted" Drake was an English football player and manager. As a player, he first played for Southampton but made his name playing for Arsenal in the 1930s, winning two league titles and an FA Cup, as well as five caps for England. He was also a cricketer, but only ever played sparingly... |
1952–1961 | First Division Championship Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... , Charity Shield FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition... |
 Tommy DochertyTommy Docherty Thomas Henderson "Tommy" Docherty , commonly known as "The Doc", is a Scottish former footballer and football manager.-Playing career:... |
1962–1967 | League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... |
| Dave Sexton Dave Sexton David "Dave" Sexton OBE is an English former football manager and player.-Playing career:Son of former professional boxer Archie Sexton, he started his playing career with West Ham United in 1948. Playing mainly at inside-forward, he would finish his career with time at Luton Town, Leyton Orient,... |
1967–1974 | FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... , UEFA Cup Winners' Cup UEFA Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but... |
| John Neal John Neal (footballer) John Neal is a former English football player and manager.Neal was a full-back whose playing career included numerous clubs, including Hull City, Southend United and Swindon Town... |
1981–1985 | Second Division Championship Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
| John Hollins John Hollins John William Hollins MBE is a retired English footballer and manager. He was initially a midfielder who, later in his career, became an effective centre back.Hollins' son, Chris Hollins is the main sport presenter on BBC Breakfast.... |
1985–1988 | Full Members Cup Full Members Cup The Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992.... |
| Bobby Campbell |
1988–1991 | Second Division Championship Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... , Full Members Cup Full Members Cup The Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992.... |
 Ruud GullitRuud Gullit OON is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup. He was named the European Footballer of the... |
1996–1998 | FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
 Gianluca VialliGianluca Vialli Gianluca Vialli is an Italian football manager and former player. Since retiring, he has gone into management and punditry and is a commentator for Sky Sport Italia.... |
1998–2000 | FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... , League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... , Charity Shield FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition... , UEFA Cup Winners' Cup UEFA Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but... , UEFA Super Cup |
 José MourinhoJosé Mourinho José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football.... |
2004–2007 | 2 Premier Leagues, 2 League Cups Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... , FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... , Community Shield FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition... |
| Netherlands Guus Hiddink Guus Hiddink Guus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was the most recently manager of the Turkish national football team. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009... |
2009 | FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
| Carlo Ancelotti Carlo Ancelotti Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and... |
2009–2011 | Premier League, FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... , Community Shield FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition... |
Coaching staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager | André Villas-Boas |
| Assistant first team coach | Roberto Di Matteo Roberto Di Matteo Roberto Di Matteo is a Swiss-born Italian former professional footballer and the current assistant manager of Chelsea. As a midfielder, he enjoyed spells at Schaffhausen, Zürich Aarau, Lazio, and Chelsea. He was capped by Italy 34 times, scoring two goals for the Italian national team, and played... |
| Assistant first team coach |  Steve Holland |
| Technical director |  Michael EmenaloMichael Emenalo Michael Kevin Emenalo is a retired Nigerian football defender.-Career:Emenalo played college Soccer in the United States at Boston University from 1986 to 1989. From there, he played for Molenbeek in Belgium, Eintracht Trier in Germany and Notts County F.C in England before coming back to the US... |
| Goalkeeper coach |  Christophe LollichonChristophe Lollichon Christophe Lollichon is the current Goalkeeping Coach at Chelsea. He took the position in November 2007, following the arrival of Avram Grant at the club and under Petr Cech's recommendation He was previously Goalkeeping Coach at Rennes for 8 years.-Rennes:Christophe worked as Goalkeeping Coach at... |
| First team fitness coach | José Mario Rocha José Mario Rocha José Mario Rocha is the current First Team Fitness Coach at Chelsea. He took the position on 22 June 2011, following the arrival of André Villas-Boas at the club. He was previously the Fitness Coach at Porto... |
| Assistant first team fitness coach | Chris Jones |
| Head opposition scout | Daniel Sousa Daniel Sousa Daniel Sousa is the current Head Opposition Scout at Chelsea. He took the position on 29 June 2011, following the arrival of André Villas-Boas at the club. He was previously Head Opposition Scout at Porto and Academica.-Chelsea FC:... |
| Senior opposition scout | Mick McGiven Mick McGiven Mick McGiven is a former professional footballer who played as a defender in the Football League for Sunderland and West Ham United. After retiring as a player he joined the coaching staff at West Ham United, then worked with Chelsea's youth team and coached Ipswich Town alongside John Lyall... |
| Medical director |  Paco BioscaPaco Biosca Paco Biosca is the current Medical Doctor at Chelsea. He took the position on 14 July 2011, following the arrival of André Villas-Boas at the club. He was previously employed at Shakhtar Donetsk.-Shakhtar Donetsk:... |
| Reserve team manager | Dermot Drummy Dermot Drummy Dermot Drummy is an English football coach and former professional player. He is currently the manager of the Chelsea Reserves, a position he took up in July 2011 after serving two years as the Youth Team manager.-Playing career:... |
| Youth team manager | Adrian Viveash Adrian Viveash Adrian Lee Viveash is an English former professional footballer who is the current manager of the Chelsea Youth team. He is most notable for his spells with Reading and Walsall during the 1990s. He played in the Reading team which won the Division Two title in 1994 and reached the Division One... |
| Academy manager | Neil Bath Neil Bath Neil Bath is the current Academy Manager at Chelsea football club, England. He took the position in 2004, previously having roles as a part time coaching staff and Assistant Academy Director at Chelsea. He oversees everything that goes on at Chelsea's training grounds at Cobham.-Chelsea FC:This is... |
| Match analyst | James Melbourne |
| Source: Chelsea F.C. | |
Club hierarchy
- Owner: Roman AbramovichRoman AbramovichRoman Arkadyevich Abramovich is a Russian businessman and the main owner of the private investment company Millhouse LLC.In 2003, Abramovich was named Person of the Year by Expert, a Russian business magazine. He shared this title with Mikhail Khodorkovsky...
Chelsea F.C. plc
- Chairman: Bruce BuckBruce BuckBruce M. Buck is an American attorney and founding managing partner of the London office of U.S. law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom . He is also Chairman of Chelsea Football Club...
- Directors: Ron GourlayRon GourlayRon Gourlay is the Chief Executive of Chelsea Football Club. He took the position on 31 Oct 2009, Before he was Chief Operating Officer of the club.-Chelsea FC:...
and Eugene TenenbaumEugene TenenbaumEugene Tenenbaum is currently the Managing Director of MHC-Services Ltd., in London and serves on the board of directors of Chelsea Football Club, Evraz Group SA and Highland Gold Mining Limited....
Executive Board
- Chief Executive: Ron GourlayRon GourlayRon Gourlay is the Chief Executive of Chelsea Football Club. He took the position on 31 Oct 2009, Before he was Chief Operating Officer of the club.-Chelsea FC:...
- Finance and Operations Director : Chris Alexander
- Club Secretary : David Barnard
- Company Secretary : Alan Shaw
Chelsea Football Club Board:
Bruce Buck, Eugene Tenenbaum, Ron Gourlay
Ron Gourlay
Ron Gourlay is the Chief Executive of Chelsea Football Club. He took the position on 31 Oct 2009, Before he was Chief Operating Officer of the club.-Chelsea FC:...
, David Barnard, Mike Forde.
Life President:
Lord Richard Attenborough
Richard Attenborough
Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough , CBE is a British actor, director, producer and entrepreneur. As director and producer he won two Academy Awards for the 1982 film Gandhi...
Domestic
- First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
/Premier League - Winners (4): 1954–55, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10
- Runners-up (4): 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2010–11
- Second Division
- Winners (2): 1983–84, 1988–89
- Runners-up (5): 1906–07, 1911–12, 1929–30, 1962–63, 1976–77
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
- Winners (6): 1969–70, 1996–97, 1999–00, 2006–072007 FA Cup FinalThe 2007 FA Cup Final was played on Saturday, 19 May 2007 between Chelsea and Manchester United, who had come up against Premier League opposition in every round. It was the 126th FA Cup Final and the first to be played at the new Wembley Stadium...
, 2008–092009 FA Cup FinalThe 2009 FA Cup Final was the 128th final of the world's oldest domestic football cup competition, the FA Cup. The final was played at Wembley Stadium in London on 30 May 2009 and marked the third time that the final has been staged at the stadium since it was rebuilt...
, 2009–102010 FA Cup FinalThe 2010 FA Cup Final was the 129th final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The match took place on 15 May 2010, at Wembley Stadium, London... - Runners-up (4): 1914–151915 FA Cup FinalThe 1915 FA Cup Final took place on 24 April 1915 and was contested by Sheffield United and Chelsea. It was the last FA Cup final to be staged before competitive football was abandoned in Britain because of the First World War...
, 1966–671967 FA Cup FinalThe 1967 FA Cup Final took place at Wembley on 20 May 1967, between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. It was the competition's first final to be contested between two teams from London, and is thus often dubbed the Cockney Cup Final. Tottenham won 2–1...
, 1993–94, 2001–022002 FA Cup FinalThe 2002 FA Cup Final was the final match of the 2001–02 FA Cup competition. It was an all-London affair between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium on 4 May 2002...
- Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
- Winners (4): 1964–651965 Football League Cup FinalThe 1965 Football League Cup Final, the fifth to be staged since the competition's inception, was contested between Leicester City and Chelsea over two legs. Leicester, the holders, were aiming to become the first side to retain the trophy while Chelsea were seeking to become the first London side...
, 1997–981998 Football League Cup FinalThe 1998 Coca-Cola Cup Final was a football match played between Chelsea and Middlesbrough on 29 March 1998 at Wembley Stadium. Chelsea, under new manager Gianluca Vialli, won with two extra time goals and would go on to win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup later that season...
, 2004–05, 2006–072007 Football League Cup FinalThe 2007 Carling Cup Final was played on Sunday, 25 February 2007 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It was contested between Arsenal and Chelsea, making it the first all-London final in the competition's history; the two sides had previously met in Cardiff for the 2002 FA Cup Final. The game... - Runners-up (2): 1971–721972 Football League Cup FinalThe 1972 Football League Cup Final took place on 4 March 1972 at Wembley Stadium and was contested by Chelsea and Stoke City. Chelsea went into the match as strong favourites having won the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in the previous two seasons, whereas Stoke were attempting to win their...
, 2007–082008 Football League Cup FinalThe 2008 Carling Cup Final was a football match played on 24 February 2008. It was the first League Cup Final to be played at the new Wembley Stadium, and the first to be played in England since the old Wembley was demolished in 2000. The defending champions were Chelsea, who beat Arsenal in the...
- FA Community ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
- Winners (4): 19551955 FA Charity ShieldThe 1955 FA Charity Shield was the 33rd FA Charity Shield, the annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Football League and FA Cup competitions. It was contested between Chelsea, the reigning First Division champions, and Newcastle United, holders of the FA Cup...
, 20002000 FA Charity ShieldThe 2000 FA Charity Shield was the 78th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. The match was played between Manchester United, who won the 1999–2000 Premier League, and Chelsea, who won the 1999–2000 FA...
, 20052005 FA Community ShieldThe 2005 FA Community Shield was a football match held at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on 7 August 2005. It contested by Arsenal, who were FA Cup winners in 2005, and Chelsea, who won the 2004–05 Premier League. Chelsea won the match 2–1....
, 20092009 FA Community ShieldThe 2009 FA Community Shield was the 87th FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions... - Runners-up (5): 19701970 FA Charity ShieldThe 1970 FA Charity Shield was the 49th FA Charity Shield, the annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Football League and FA Cup competitions. It was contested between Everton, the reigning First Division champions, and Chelsea, holders of the FA Cup...
, 19971997 FA Charity ShieldThe 1997 FA Charity Shield was the 75th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. The match was played on 3 August 1997 at Wembley Stadium and contested by Manchester United, who had won the 1996–97 FA...
, 20062006 FA Community ShieldThe 2006 FA Community Shield was a football match played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on 13 August 2006 between the 2005–06 FA Premier League champions Chelsea and 2005–06 FA Cup winners Liverpool. Liverpool won the match 2–1, with goals coming from John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch...
, 20072007 FA Community ShieldThe 2007 FA Community Shield was a football match played on 5 August 2007 between 2006–07 Premier League champions Manchester United and 2006–07 FA Cup winners Chelsea. Manchester United won the game 3–0 on penalties, after the match finished 1–1 after 90 minutes; the Community Shield...
, 20102010 FA Community ShieldThe 2010 FA Community Shield was the 88th FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. The match was played at Wembley Stadium, London, on 8 August 2010, and contested by league and cup double winners Chelsea...
- Full Members CupFull Members CupThe Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992....
- Winners (2): 1985–861986 Full Members Cup FinalThe 1986 Full Members Cup final was a football match which took place at Wembley Stadium on 23 March 1986. It was the final of the inaugural Full Members Cup, the competition created in the wake of the 1985 ban on English clubs from European competitions following the Heysel disaster...
, 1989–901990 Full Members Cup FinalThe 1990 Full Members Cup final, also known by its sponsored name, the Zenith Data Systems Cup, was a football match which took place at Wembley Stadium on 25 March 1990. It was contested between First Division Chelsea and Second Division Middlesbrough. Chelsea's Tony Dorigo scored the only goal of...
European
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
- Runners-up (1): 2007–082008 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2008 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 at 20:45 CEST . The match was played at the Luzhniki Stadium, in Moscow, Russia, to determine the winner of the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League...
- UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
- Winners (2): 1970–71, 1997–98
- UEFA Super Cup
- Winners (1): 19981998 UEFA Super CupThe 1998 UEFA Super Cup was a match that was played on 28 August 1998 at Stade Louis II, Monaco, contested between Cup Winners' Cup holders Chelsea and Champions League winners Real Madrid. Chelsea won the match 1–0. Guus Hiddink manager of Real Madrid went on to manage Chelsea to win the...
External links
- Official Facebook Page
- Official Twitter Page
- Chelsea F.C. FA Premier League