Chelsea,a warning for our future support?

[BoyBlue_1985]

How is a prawn sandwich posh
Can buy one in boots for £1.20

 

[bgblue]

The ones from shell garages get voted 4/5 even above marks and Spencer's. Don't eat em myself, just filled the car and the advert was on the pump ;)

 

[Tbilisi]

I will hold my hands up and say fair play for your support yesterday. Get the sense that it was a bit of a knees up for you lot after winning the league and why not?

If your success continues and on yesterday's showing that looks likely to happen, I don't think you will be treating Charity Shields with the same enthusiasm a decade down the line but we will see eh?

I think some of you are getting a bit carried away with how good your support is typically, I can't remember the last time you brought the full allocation to Chelsea, even when it's a top of the league clash and you haven't exactly marked yourselves out vocally and have taken less than some smaller clubs. Mind you, for some reason the COMS isn't one of the places we make much of a racket either.

Personally preferred Maine Road every day of the week - some great memories there for Chelsea fans. 1984, 1989 and even the last ever game there was a good crack (slightly more 'notable' Chelsea support there that day).

We get a lot of stick for our attendances in the 80's and 90's and if you look at our home attendances they weren't great but away from home we were one of the best supported teams in the land in terms of numbers and noise. We are still decent for league away games but sadly the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge has declined massively - although to be honest that seems to be the case for home grounds all over the Premier League.

Looking forward to next season, think we have a way to go on yesterday's showing.

Good post but as I say in an earlier thread I cant think of many clubs that would still have 40,000 plus (before the money) after what City have been through.

I think a lot of normal fans are being priced out of football which was the point I was trying to make about your support yesterday.I dont go to your place now,I can afford it,just wont pay what you charge with 2 kids.
Went to SB a lot in the 80s and 90s though.

 

[fathellensbellend]

I will hold my hands up and say fair play for your support yesterday. Get the sense that it was a bit of a knees up for you lot after winning the league and why not?

If your success continues and on yesterday's showing that looks likely to happen, I don't think you will be treating Charity Shields with the same enthusiasm a decade down the line but we will see eh?

I think some of you are getting a bit carried away with how good your support is typically, I can't remember the last time you brought the full allocation to Chelsea, even when it's a top of the league clash and you haven't exactly marked yourselves out vocally and have taken less than some smaller clubs. Mind you, for some reason the COMS isn't one of the places we make much of a racket either.

Personally preferred Maine Road every day of the week - some great memories there for Chelsea fans. 1984, 1989 and even the last ever game there was a good crack (slightly more 'notable' Chelsea support there that day).

We get a lot of stick for our attendances in the 80's and 90's and if you look at our home attendances they weren't great but away from home we were one of the best supported teams in the land in terms of numbers and noise. We are still decent for league away games but sadly the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge has declined massively - although to be honest that seems to be the case for home grounds all over the Premier League.

Looking forward to next season, think we have a way to go on yesterday's showing.

the crazy cost of tickets at stamford bridge has reduced our following there in the last decade, the club have been reluctant to get stung for unsold tickets which is understandable.

last season when chelsea fans had to pay 10 quid less than what we pay at stamford bridge your following was under a 1000 despite challenging for a top 4 spot.

chelsea have had some incredible followings at city over the years, sadly those days will never return, what with cost and reduced allocations.

 

[I Live In A Blue House]

I am quitely confident our support will live on & on & on & on & on. Being priced out IMO will be the only obstacle that will ever stop OUR core of die hard supporters, however supporting OUR beloved BLUES is like a drug & money will be found somehow lol. O the days of the saying "keep the faith"

Example of 1 of my worst memories:

Wednesday 13th November 1996
I think we were beaten 2.3 @ Maine Road, Kinky got Man of Match, Demo outside "Swales Out" & I was separated from my son then 9 yrs old. I was on mega pain killers KAPPAK for a back problem @ the time (still in work) but I felt like Superman "drug effect" leggin it to & fro up Claremont Road to the top Oxford Road & back to MR in search of my Son.

Mentioned this to a Steward who then with the help of a copper was guided through the demo, walking in the main entrance into the plush reception @ which time I couldn't help stop the tears. Given a cup of Tea then Kinky appeared with a bottle of Champers in 1 hand whilst holding my Sons hand with the other! Here's them smiling for the cameras whilst I was still shaking. I have still got the framed pic of my Son with Kinky which was sent to me by the MEN photograpther!

Well it all ended in smiles thankfully! I mean becoming CHAMPIONS, CHAMPIONS!

 

[Deleted member 14625]

I will hold my hands up and say fair play for your support yesterday. Get the sense that it was a bit of a knees up for you lot after winning the league and why not?

If your success continues and on yesterday's showing that looks likely to happen, I don't think you will be treating Charity Shields with the same enthusiasm a decade down the line but we will see eh?

I think some of you are getting a bit carried away with how good your support is typically, I can't remember the last time you brought the full allocation to Chelsea, even when it's a top of the league clash and you haven't exactly marked yourselves out vocally and have taken less than some smaller clubs. Mind you, for some reason the COMS isn't one of the places we make much of a racket either.

Personally preferred Maine Road every day of the week - some great memories there for Chelsea fans. 1984, 1989 and even the last ever game there was a good crack (slightly more 'notable' Chelsea support there that day).

We get a lot of stick for our attendances in the 80's and 90's and if you look at our home attendances they weren't great but away from home we were one of the best supported teams in the land in terms of numbers and noise. We are still decent for league away games but sadly the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge has declined massively - although to be honest that seems to be the case for home grounds all over the Premier League.

Looking forward to next season, think we have a way to go on yesterday's showing.

You're right about getting carried away. We are just an okay set of fans most of the time, just like any other club. We do take less than a number of other clubs to a number of grounds. Regularly we get largely reduced allocations at Stamford Bridge, Tottenham, Fulham, Sunderland (although it's for persistent standing at SoL) even though other clubs our size get the full allocation year-in-year-out. Even when we take 4500 to Wigan every year we hardly ever make a big noise there. Plus at home it is a rarity to have a good atmosphere.

But then we have our moments of brilliance as a set of fans. Every single year at Blackburn we're excellent (shame they've gone down), same at Newcastle, Old Trafford and Anfield. Plus the odd game at home we can actually be very noisy. But that's the same for most other clubs.

Many fans of all clubs think their fanbase is the best in the country. The truth is there are loads who are very similar and hardly any are very good. On the whole Premier League football atmospheres are shite! It makes you wonder why when you see the immense atmospheres at the Olympics and when you go to gigs and concerts and proper [techno/house]clubs, where English fans are mental, yet at the footy it's 'sit-down-be-quiet' for most fans most of the time.

I don't get it. Is footy not actually that exciting? Has the price of tickets brought in quieter family types?

I don't mind Chelsea fans (I'll discount the dullards who shouted "stand up if you've won the league" at us last season!). I'm not one to point at your low attendances in the 80's because we've had seasons with low attendances too. One season in the 60's we averaged 16000, for example. I actually find pointing at low attendances a scraping the barrel type of jibe. Newcastle seem to be obsessed with empty seats, yet many clubs in many leagues around the rest if Europe operate at large percentages of empty seats all the time. United laugh at us for having 20000 empty seats for a game against Notts County, yet they have had crowds as low as 4000 in their history and themselves had 32000 empty seats against Palace last season and 60000 empty seats by the time we hit them for 6 last season, so they're not anyone to talk about empty seats.

I do know that Chelsea and Stamford Bridge are one of only five sporting grounds to have an attendance over 80000 in England (the other four being Silverstone, Odsall Stadium(Bradford), Wembley and Maine Road!). So when Liverpool sing "walk on Chelsea FC, you ain't got no history..." do they know this fact and do they know that their record attandamce is about 61000?

We did easily outsing you lot yesterday (I didn't even go and, like you say, I already don't think it's an important game! I never have, even when we were shit and as far away as playing in it as you could think of). But my Dad has told me a few times of that night when you brought over 10000 to Maine Road and took the piss (with atmosphere and kicking fuck of of people!) in the 80's. I remember a similar away following when in my first few years going to City as a kid when Sunderland came to Maine Road, to this day they were the loudest English fans I've ever heard (beaten by Aris from Greece who were the best I've seen and heard full stop!).

Anyway, take it easy! Let's hope we can finish first and second this season and push the Rags down to, well, anywhere below that! (with City winning the title of course ;)!)

 

[southern muppet]

Chelsea always had a smaller 'core' of fans than City.

Also London clubs are far more ripe for football 'gentrification', you can essentially just push prices up and up and up around there and the market will bear it. There will always be literally millions of non-traditional fans from more affluent backgrounds to serve as hangers-on to replace anyone priced out, tons of them within a 50 mile radius.

In other parts of the county, nearly all of it in fact, you just don't have that to the same extent at all.

 

[fallowfield]

I will hold my hands up and say fair play for your support yesterday. Get the sense that it was a bit of a knees up for you lot after winning the league and why not?

If your success continues and on yesterday's showing that looks likely to happen, I don't think you will be treating Charity Shields with the same enthusiasm a decade down the line but we will see eh?

I think some of you are getting a bit carried away with how good your support is typically, I can't remember the last time you brought the full allocation to Chelsea, even when it's a top of the league clash and you haven't exactly marked yourselves out vocally and have taken less than some smaller clubs. Mind you, for some reason the COMS isn't one of the places we make much of a racket either.

Personally preferred Maine Road every day of the week - some great memories there for Chelsea fans. 1984, 1989 and even the last ever game there was a good crack (slightly more 'notable' Chelsea support there that day).

We get a lot of stick for our attendances in the 80's and 90's and if you look at our home attendances they weren't great but away from home we were one of the best supported teams in the land in terms of numbers and noise. We are still decent for league away games but sadly the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge has declined massively - although to be honest that seems to be the case for home grounds all over the Premier League.

Looking forward to next season, think we have a way to go on yesterday's showing.

You're right about getting carried away. We are just an okay set of fans most of the time, just like any other club. We do take less than a number of other clubs to a number of grounds. Regularly we get largely reduced allocations at Stamford Bridge, Tottenham, Fulham, Sunderland (although it's for persistent standing at SoL) even though other clubs our size get the full allocation year-in-year-out. Even when we take 4500 to Wigan every year we hardly ever make a big noise there. Plus at home it is a rarity to have a good atmosphere.

But then we have our moments of brilliance as a set of fans. Every single year at Blackburn we're excellent (shame they've gone down), same at Newcastle, Old Trafford and Anfield. Plus the odd game at home we can actually be very noisy. But that's the same for most other clubs.

Many fans of all clubs think their fanbase is the best in the country. The truth is there are loads who are very similar and hardly any are very good. On the whole Premier League football atmospheres are shite! It makes you wonder why when you see the immense atmospheres at the Olympics and when you go to gigs and concerts and proper [techno/house]clubs, where English fans are mental, yet at the footy it's 'sit-down-be-quiet' for most fans most of the time.

I don't get it. Is footy not actually that exciting? Has the price of tickets brought in quieter family types?

I don't mind Chelsea fans (I'll discount the dullards who shouted "stand up if you've won the league" at us last season!). I'm not one to point at your low attendances in the 80's because we've had seasons with low attendances too. One season in the 60's we averaged 16000, for example. I actually find pointing at low attendances a scraping the barrel type of jibe. Newcastle seem to be obsessed with empty seats, yet many clubs in many leagues around the rest if Europe operate at large percentages of empty seats all the time. United laugh at us for having 20000 empty seats for a game against Notts County, yet they have had crowds as low as 4000 in their history and themselves had 32000 empty seats against Palace last season and 60000 empty seats by the time we hit them for 6 last season, so they're not anyone to talk about empty seats.

I do know that Chelsea and Stamford Bridge are one of only five sporting grounds to have an attendance over 80000 in England (the other four being Silverstone, Odsall Stadium(Bradford), Wembley and Maine Road!). So when Liverpool sing "walk on Chelsea FC, you ain't got no history..." do they know this fact and do they know that their record attandamce is about 61000?

We did easily outsing you lot yesterday (I didn't even go and, like you say, I already don't think it's an important game! I never have, even when we were shit and as far away as playing in it as you could think of). But my Dad has told me a few times of that night when you brought over 10000 to Maine Road and took the piss (with atmosphere and kicking fuck of of people!) in the 80's. I remember a similar away following when in my first few years going to City as a kid when Sunderland came to Maine Road, to this day they were the loudest English fans I've ever heard (beaten by Aris from Greece who were the best I've seen and heard full stop!).

Anyway, take it easy! Let's hope we can finish first and second this season and push the Rags down to, well, anywhere below that! (with City winning the title of course ;)!)

quality post mate, honest accurate review of what City's following is like.
good post from the Chelsea lad too.

 

[ChelseaNorthStand]

Chelsea always had a smaller 'core' of fans than City.

Also London clubs are far more ripe for football 'gentrification', you can essentially just push prices up and up and up around there and the market will bear it. There will always be literally millions of non-traditional fans from more affluent backgrounds to serve as hangers-on to replace anyone priced out, tons of them within a 50 mile radius.

In other parts of the county, nearly all of it in fact, you just don't have that to the same extent at all.

I think you're right to a point although I would say you had a bigger home support and we had a bigger away support. When we had 10,000 up at Maine Road in the 80's, we were probably getting not many more than that as our average home attendance. I personally used to prefer those days, a huge hardcore of fans that followed the team up and down the country and none of the divvy hangers on at home.

I was going to make the London point. Given that we are in SW6, one of the nicest parts of London, it is just bread and butter to the casual tourist or day tripper wanting to 'take in' a game. Also you would be amazed by how many tickets are used for corporate purposes in the City for hospitality. Not in corporate areas but all over the ground. None of these things help.

As for yesterday, a lot of ours didn't really fancy it. Having said that, we are taking over 5,000 to Wigan on Sunday and will be making a racket I am sure. Same as at the end of last season, we were playing a game every 2.3 days on average with all the European trips and cup semis and finals to factor in. The City away game was right in the middle of that, in fact I think it wasn't long before Munich? As you say, it ain't cheap being a football fan these days - certainly not in London.

It does annoy me that less educated football fans than Tblisi (probably JCL's and often Liverpool or United fans) seem to mug off Chelsea's support left, right and centre. I admit that our support has changed for the worst but to me that is the price of success. Proper fans remember that when we didn't have much else to shout about, you knew when Chelsea were in town from the numbers, the noise and dare I say the police sirens!

Would I swap that for seeing my team go through against Barca in the Nou Camp and lift the Champions League in Munich? Probably. Still sad to see though. Modern football....

 

[lovecityhateunited]

I will hold my hands up and say fair play for your support yesterday. Get the sense that it was a bit of a knees up for you lot after winning the league and why not?

If your success continues and on yesterday's showing that looks likely to happen, I don't think you will be treating Charity Shields with the same enthusiasm a decade down the line but we will see eh?

I think some of you are getting a bit carried away with how good your support is typically, I can't remember the last time you brought the full allocation to Chelsea, even when it's a top of the league clash and you haven't exactly marked yourselves out vocally and have taken less than some smaller clubs. Mind you, for some reason the COMS isn't one of the places we make much of a racket either.

Personally preferred Maine Road every day of the week - some great memories there for Chelsea fans. 1984, 1989 and even the last ever game there was a good crack (slightly more 'notable' Chelsea support there that day).

We get a lot of stick for our attendances in the 80's and 90's and if you look at our home attendances they weren't great but away from home we were one of the best supported teams in the land in terms of numbers and noise. We are still decent for league away games but sadly the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge has declined massively - although to be honest that seems to be the case for home grounds all over the Premier League.

Looking forward to next season, think we have a way to go on yesterday's showing.

We always make a lot of noise at stamford bridge. I remember you beating us 6-0 a few years back and it was the one of the best away days of my life, the noise we made that day. Your fans were clapping us that day. I've also witnessed us lose 5-0 there and make lots of noise. Also Chelsea have been charging ridiculous prices for years and yours is THE most expensive away ticket in the league. Meaning only the hardcore will attend as the people who pick and choose will swerve it. we also requested the club take the full allocation when we were cheated at S.B Last season but the club wouldn't take them.