Chelsea Thread 2013/14

[Petetheblu]

I remember that Chelsea 2-3 defeat in 1989 very well. It was an unusual day as united were playing at home (with the same kick off time irrc) to Forest in the Quarter Final of the FA Cup - it should be a sobering thought to united fans that if they'd won that game it could have been them, and not the Liverpool fans, in the Leppings Lane that April, not least because it was allocated to Liverpool in that fateful semi for reasons of geography.

At Maine Road was what was being billed as the promotion decider, between the two clear stand-out teams in the division. It was a dreary, rainy Manchester day and I remember it kicking off outside quite a bit. There was certainly a menacing atmosphere around the ground that you rarely experience any more.

On the pitch, Chelsea showed that they were a class above us - we were no match and the scoreline flattered us tbh. Gerry Taggart scored for us iirc, not sure who got the other. The game was also notable for the camera tracks along a decent length of the pitch at the front of the Main Stand, designed to follow the play as it moved up and down the pitch. A far cry from the modern, robotically controlled contraptions of today, it was propelled by two blokes pushing it along with a camera man sat on the back- all wearing waterproofs! I remember one particular moment where it followed Neil McNab trying to keep up with the Chelsea right winger flying towards the Platt Lane, and using every last reserve of strength, managing to just get close enough to clatter him across the touchline with an intention of going for the ball of absolute zero. Classic eighties TV!

As to the Chelsea support that day, it was huge. They filled the Platt Lane and the standing section next to it. Easily 8,000 I would say. They could certainly call on notable levels of support when required.

It's incredible to think that was only a quarter of a century ago. Both on and off the pitch it was another world and little did any of us realise that a result that day a few miles away at Old Trafford would set off a chain of events that would change the landscape of English football forever.

You can stick your nostalgia up your arse, I'm hating Maureenio instead......!!!! :^)

Great bit history there Gdm.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Both City and Chelsea had poor starts to the season - Chelsea had been relegated from the top-flight after losing a 2-leg play-off against 'Boro and the trouble that ensued after the 2nd leg of that game at Stamford Bridge meant that away fans were banned from the Bridge at the start of the following season. That meant that when City went to Chelsea in September '88 for a night match, no City fans were officially allowed in. Both teams were desperate for a result to kick-start their season (I've just checked and we were 13th while Chelsea were 16th) and it was us that eventually ran out comfortable 3-1 winners in front of a sparse crowd of around 8000 fans.

David White tore Tony Dorigo to pieces that night, a feat I imagine he would struggle to emulate today. The old Stamford Bridge was an enormous stadium with the stands a great distance from the pitch. 8,000 would have been insanely empty (wasn't there for that midweek game btw - was still at school!) and shows that both sides of the argument about Chelsea's support pre-Abramovich have a point. Their crowds were often piss-poor, but they could call on big levels of support for certain games - even in the old second division.

 

[Matty]

I remember that Chelsea 2-3 defeat in 1989 very well. It was an unusual day as united were playing at home (with the same kick off time irrc) to Forest in the Quarter Final of the FA Cup - it should be a sobering thought to united fans that if they'd won that game it could have been them, and not the Liverpool fans, in the Leppings Lane that April, not least because it was allocated to Liverpool in that fateful semi for reasons of geography.

At Maine Road was what was being billed as the promotion decider, between the two clear stand-out teams in the division. It was a dreary, rainy Manchester day and I remember it kicking off outside quite a bit. There was certainly a menacing atmosphere around the ground that you rarely experience any more.

On the pitch, Chelsea showed that they were a class above us - we were no match and the scoreline flattered us tbh. Gerry Taggart scored for us iirc, not sure who got the other. The game was also notable for the camera tracks along a decent length of the pitch at the front of the Main Stand, designed to follow the play as it moved up and down the pitch. A far cry from the modern, robotically controlled contraptions of today, it was propelled by two blokes pushing it along with a camera man sat on the back- all wearing waterproofs! I remember one particular moment where it followed Neil McNab trying to keep up with the Chelsea right winger flying towards the Platt Lane, and using every last reserve of strength, managing to just get close enough to clatter him across the touchline with an intention of going for the ball of absolute zero. Classic eighties TV!

As to the Chelsea support that day, it was huge. They filled the Platt Lane and the standing section next to it. Easily 8,000 I would say. They could certainly call on notable levels of support when required.

It's incredible to think that was only a quarter of a century ago. Both on and off the pitch it was another world and little did any of us realise that a result that day a few miles away at Old Trafford would set off a chain of events that would change the landscape of English football forever.

According to Bluemoon's very own history section the other goal was scored by the aforementioned Neil McNab. It also says there was just over 40,000 in Maine Road that day, which in the 1980's, in a second division match, is a huge crowd, especially considering only the week before there'd been just 22,000 at Maine Road to see us beat Leicester City.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

I remember that Chelsea 2-3 defeat in 1989 very well. It was an unusual day as united were playing at home (with the same kick off time irrc) to Forest in the Quarter Final of the FA Cup - it should be a sobering thought to united fans that if they'd won that game it could have been them, and not the Liverpool fans, in the Leppings Lane that April, not least because it was allocated to Liverpool in that fateful semi for reasons of geography.

At Maine Road was what was being billed as the promotion decider, between the two clear stand-out teams in the division. It was a dreary, rainy Manchester day and I remember it kicking off outside quite a bit. There was certainly a menacing atmosphere around the ground that you rarely experience any more.

On the pitch, Chelsea showed that they were a class above us - we were no match and the scoreline flattered us tbh. Gerry Taggart scored for us iirc, not sure who got the other. The game was also notable for the camera tracks along a decent length of the pitch at the front of the Main Stand, designed to follow the play as it moved up and down the pitch. A far cry from the modern, robotically controlled contraptions of today, it was propelled by two blokes pushing it along with a camera man sat on the back- all wearing waterproofs! I remember one particular moment where it followed Neil McNab trying to keep up with the Chelsea right winger flying towards the Platt Lane, and using every last reserve of strength, managing to just get close enough to clatter him across the touchline with an intention of going for the ball of absolute zero. Classic eighties TV!

As to the Chelsea support that day, it was huge. They filled the Platt Lane and the standing section next to it. Easily 8,000 I would say. They could certainly call on notable levels of support when required.

It's incredible to think that was only a quarter of a century ago. Both on and off the pitch it was another world and little did any of us realise that a result that day a few miles away at Old Trafford would set off a chain of events that would change the landscape of English football forever.

According to Bluemoon's very own history section the other goal was scored by the aforementioned Neil McNab. It also says there was just over 40,000 in Maine Road that day, which in the 1980's, in a second division match, is a huge crowd, especially considering only the week before there'd been just 22,000 at Maine Road to see us beat Leicester City.

Thanks Matty. Just found this, and yes, "McNab the Crab" did score a pen. You can actually see the camera on wheels being used for their third goal, although it doesn't look like a spirit measure was employed when laying down the track!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4mmRrt1lHU[/youtube]

 

[moomba]

Never ceases to amaze me how easily Mourinho can wind people up.

Doesnt wind me up. I used to like him but he's lost the charm that used to go along with his wummery. Its boring now, starting a fight with himself because no one else wants to play.

Or perhaps you're reading a bit too much into everything he says. I believe someone on here once said his greatest achievement was convincing the world that he's some sort of Machiavellian evil genius. Half the time I think he's just taking the piss out of these people that hang off his every word. He's been winding Wenger up for weeks and Pellegrini has been in the press having a moan. Seems to me like he's managing to wind some people up. Conveniently, the two managers he's competing with. Maybe he is an evil genius.

No, not reading too much into anything. He's pretty transparent Jose. And a bit dull nowadays.

Not sure Pellegrini or Wenger have reacted to anything he's said so I don't know why you think he's wound them up either.<br /><br />-- Wed Jan 29, 2014 12:32 pm --<br /><br />

Well everything Mourinho says is picked apart so I feel his little rant about Mata along with Wenger suggests something got under his skin or he wouldn't have commented. All interpretation though.

Maybe it was nothing more than Pellegrini being asked a question about Mata and him answering it (FWIW I disagreed with what he said but I think Jose was stupid selling).

 

[aguero93:20]

Doesnt wind me up. I used to like him but he's lost the charm that used to go along with his wummery. Its boring now, starting a fight with himself because no one else wants to play.

Or perhaps you're reading a bit too much into everything he says. I believe someone on here once said his greatest achievement was convincing the world that he's some sort of Machiavellian evil genius. Half the time I think he's just taking the piss out of these people that hang off his every word. He's been winding Wenger up for weeks and Pellegrini has been in the press having a moan. Seems to me like he's managing to wind some people up. Conveniently, the two managers he's competing with. Maybe he is an evil genius.

No, not reading too much into anything. He's pretty transparent Jose. And a bit dull nowadays.

Not sure Pellegrini or Wenger have reacted to anything he's said so I don't know why you think he's wound them up either.

Wenger definitely got wound up, I haven't seen MP's presser but I read a transcript and he just seems to answer a question, very disinterestedly may I add!

 

[whyalwaysyou]

Mourinho knows exactly what he is doing and by people slagging him off and cursing him after every presser, what he is trying to do is working, Now Fergie is gone he is the best manager on the planet.

 

[sh249]

Mourinho knows exactly what he is doing and by people slagging him off and cursing him after every presser, what he is trying to do is working, Now Fergie is gone he is the best manager on the planet.

Certainly knows what he's doing, and arguably the best manager on the planet. But also fucking boring.

Unfortunately, the press-pack hangs on his every word and no-one has the balls to pull him up when he's talking shit. For example, when he's peddling the ridiculous,'we're the plucky underdogs and a side in transition'-line, it would be nice to hear someone point out the blatantly obvious to him - that they're not in transition, that his only change has been to make them even more pragmatic and boring (if more effective) than they were under Benitez (the two games against Utd and Arsenal that he set out to spoil from the start were amongt the worst I've ever had the misfortune to watch), and that if they don't win the league this season, it would be an obvious disappointment - precisely because both us and the Rags have undergone an actual transition.

 

[mike channon´s windmill]

Mourinho knows exactly what he is doing and by people slagging him off and cursing him after every presser, what he is trying to do is working, Now Fergie is gone he is the best manager on the planet.

Certainly knows what he's doing, and arguably the best manager on the planet. But also fucking boring.

Unfortunately, the press-pack hangs on his every word and no-one has the balls to pull him up when he's talking shit. For example, when he's peddling the ridiculous,'we're the plucky underdogs and a side in transition'-line, it would be nice to hear someone point out the blatantly obvious to him - that they're not in transition, that his only change has been to make them even more pragmatic and boring (if more effective) than they were under Benitez (the two games against Utd and Arsenal that he set out to spoil from the start were amongt the worst I've ever had the misfortune to watch), and that if they don't win the league this season, it would be an obvious disappointment - precisely because both us and the Rags have undergone an actual transition.

In Spain he got ridiculed and lambasted for this kind of stuff - gave him the reason to come out with shite like "I´m not loved here" like a mard arse. In the UK the hacks just lap it up and hang on his every utterance. Anything for copy
Has to be brought down a few pegs imho - let´s hope it´s this season or we´ll have to put up with this insufferable behaviour until he inevitably throws his toys out and does one again, probably to replace wee Davy

 

[moomba]

Mourinho knows exactly what he is doing and by people slagging him off and cursing him after every presser, what he is trying to do is working, Now Fergie is gone he is the best manager on the planet.

Do you honestly think people slagging him off on an internet forum makes any difference to anything at all?