eChelseafc

Ryan Bertrand may have Championship experience but he was humbled along with the other members of the team against Wycombe

Chelsea’s Reserves slumped to their second consecutive heavy defeat during pre-season, in a 5-1 thumping that will deflate the players, fans and management alike.

A blend of raw reserves and a splattering of youth with first team experience took on an experienced Wycombe side.

Chelsea XI:

Walker, B.Clifford, Ince, Deen-Conteh, Bertrand, Cork, C.Clifford, Kaby (Prosenik 59), Lalkovic (Philliskirk 59), Sinclair, Di Santo

It all started well for Chelsea who took the lead through Kaby after just 13 minutes, as he turned in the rebound from a powerful Scott Sinclair shot. However Chelsea went in behind at half time after goals from Ben Strevens and Scott Rendell. 

The result was framed in the final quarter of the game, American Jon Paul Pittman took the game by the scruff of the neck with a hat trick that took just 5 second half minutes.

The score was emphatic and gave little to cheer about on first glance, the only consolation being the goal from Kaby and the fact that a late show from Wycombe did not reflect the overall balance of the match,which was closer than the scoreline suggests.

This is a demoralising loss and there is no doubt improvement is needed, but the performances will come, stick with it Chelsea fans.

As everyone with more than a passing interest in the game will be aware Chelsea won the Premiership on the 9^th of May.

Hopefully you wont mind if I reminisce on my day watching Chelsea win the league.

The day started with an engineering works affected train journey to London, coupled with two cans of lager to settle the nerves.

I arrived at the first pub of the day at midday to start proceedings with the boys from the Chelsea Football Fancast.

This was the more reserved part of the day chatting to the podcast crew, musing over what the day had in store and feeling the nerves. However a few pints, a reassuring chip butty later and Chidge’s optimism made me feel as though we couldn’t fail.

Next up was O’Neils an Irish themed bar near Earls Court; this was to meet my Dad, who had the all important ticket and his adopted Chelsea family. I was predictably late and had received a couple of only half joiking texts from him saying he was just moments away from selling my ticket  to his mate Clive.

The banter in the pub as with the fancast crew was one of quiet optimism, although this is where I heard the first songs of the day. The pub occasionally belted out renditions of ‘Carefree’ and ‘Who the F%^K are Man United’ to punctuate the discussion that we couldn’t possibly throw it away, could we?

As game time approached we left O’Neil’s and after a short walk through West Brompton cemetery, I was through the turnstiles, with enough time to get a jet pack beer, and join in’ the liquidator’.

Coming out of the tube earlier and on the approach to the ground it was obvious that this was a huge game, the obvious barometer being the plethora of illegal football touts, whose buy and sell’ whispers echoed through the streets.

I had a perfect seat for the game, four rows back bang in the middle of the Shed End, the atmosphere before the game was electric but obviously tinged with nerves and excitement.

For the first time I can remember the old Shed terrace was back, everyone was stood up and roaring the team on, the whole ground was standing up uninterrupted by safety stewards, or others who seek to minimise the entertainment of football spectators.

This is what every football fan loves about football and we had waited three years for another shot.

The game itself was one of true nerves for only 6 minutes, when Anelka scored, the tension eased significantly, however once Frank Lampard fended of Didier Drogba to make it 2-0, the party began in earnest.

At half time anyone caught asking the Manchester United score was laughed at, we were storming to victory, few people seemed to care what Alex Ferguson’s men were up to a couple of hundred miles to the North.

As the second half got underway and the goals rolled in to extinguish any vague hopes of a Wigan revival, this allowed the party to start early and let the fans went through the whole Chelsea song repertoire. Although to answer one query from the home fans, I think those watching in Manchester may have turned off their TV in disgust a long time before the score resembled that of a rugby match.

Not that anyone was aware of the time, but all too quickly the the final whistle and pandemonium. After 3 years of near misses the title, was back at Chelsea and there was nothing that the moaning and mind games of Alex Ferguson could do about it.

First of all the crowd swayed to ‘One Step Beyond’ before belting out club classics such as ‘Blue Day’ before bouncing to baggy trousers.

Whilst this was going on the youth team paraded their silverware, the FA Youth Cup to a rapturous reception, then one by one the team made its way to the podium for the eruption upon lifting the trophy.

After the trophy was lifted the fans belted out the Queen classic and other champion based songs as the club paraded around the stadium. The music drowned out occasionally by the fans chanting the names of both John Terry and Carlo Ancellotti.

At this point I fought my way through the crowds to find my Dad’s seat and give him a massive bear hug as the celebrations continued. As we eventually left the ground we were confronted by the pandemonium of the Fulham road, all the pubs were full so after a quick trip to the off license we joined  the fans partying in the streets.

I however was not as brave as the fans climbing lampposts or swirling their tops around their heads, after over an hour of singing we made our way home, knowing that we could be doing it all again next week.

Champions of England

Alex Ferguson checks his watch, will he receive favourable timekeeping this season?

With the new season just around the corner, I have had a quick look at the things I think will be unchanged in 2010/2011.

1)      Chelsea will remain unloved by the mainstream media who will crave a Manchester United or Arsenal title regardless of the events on the pitch, scandals and bias articles will dominate the media.

 2)      Celery will remain the fans favourite vegetable.

 3)      Ashley Cole will be booed at every ground he visits (except Stamford Bridge), despite being one of the few England players to perform for England at the World Cup.

 4)      Arsenal will play attractive football that lacks substance, after flattering to deceive they will leave the title race with defeat to one of the Premier League’s minnows.

 5)      Frank Lampard will score 20 goals and still not even be considered for critical acclaim or the Player of the Year award.

 6)      Manchester United will win more than one game in the sixth minute of four minutes of added time.

 7)      Chelsea fans will do the ‘bouncy’ at away grounds around England and Europe

 8)      Liverpool will delude themselves that ‘this will be his year’ until around October, when everyone will reach the realisation that even Roy Hodgson cannot mesh a title contending team together.

 9)      Ten Men will leave to mow a meadow, taking their trusted dog spot with them

 10)   Chelsea will be writing history and not reliving it

Wycombe in Action

A Chelsea XI travel to face Wycombe tommorow in what is technically a senior game, however it is unlikely that the full team squad will be used in avengence until the games in Germany.

Instead I expect to see another young side, choc full of youth and potential.

However the first team squad is now back in training and with all the injuries that seem to be hitting the squad, fitness is going to be important and I it is possible that some players will receive some game time.

Although I expect whatever side put out will beat Wycombe, I would again reiterate my assertion that this is for the large part irrelevant.

Based 30 miles from Stamford Bridge at Adams Park, Wycombe will be playing in League Two next season meaning that with their season starting earlier they are likely to be further along in their preparation for their new season than Chelsea.

As a League Two side they do not have any names that stand out on their payroll, however expect a side looking to compete and enjoy their run out against the Champions of England.

It will not be glitz and glamour but Chelsea in some form will be in action tommorow.

Most of us know the agony of thinking a star player is going to join our club, only to wake up and find out that he has joined another club. The Robinho transfer saga was one that ended in sorrow for all Chelsea fans, even if in the end it looks like we were saved a great deal of money and hassle.

Today when a player like Ramires is ‘claimed’ to be on the verge of joining the club, it would be better to be more cautious.

Chelsea-bound Ramires passes to his Brazilian team mate Robinho

With the issue of 3rd parties owning Ramires, some claim that it won’t be much of a problem.

However, according to Premier League rules the transfer could be in jeopardy and we as fans musn’t get overconfident till we see the player holding a Chelsea Shirt at a Stamford Bridge press conference.

No doubt that such a transfer is leaning towards the Bridge, but we cannot be sure. Ever since the Robinho Kit Sale debacle its hard to say whether even the official site could be 110% right that the transfer will happen.

Fans can only hope that the club will sign the players that are needed to take the club forward. However, today there is the uncertainty of a last minute bid, a player changing his mind, politics and cash.

Robinho also chose City over Chelsea but his Brazilian counterpart, Ramires, has chosen Chelsea. Let’s hope that this time we can sign the player who truly wishes to be at the club.

Chelsea fans will have seen the name Kia Joorabchian is involved with the Ramires transfer and groaned, and understandably so. West Ham United fans will assure you that getting involved with the Iranian is not an ideal move.

The club was fined £5.5 million for breaching FA transfer rules when they fielded Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano (both then owned by Joorabchian’s Media Sports Investments) in the 2006-2007 campaign.

If West Ham was owned by a Russian billionaire who had had dealings with the Joorabchian team before, there would have been no such problems. Luckily for Chelsea, that is exactly the scenario here.

The rules in place in the Premier League mean that Chelsea must pay the whole transfer fee for Ramires to his club, Benfica. This is hindered only by virtue of the fact that he is owned 50% by Joorabchian and a further 30% by football agent Pini Zahavi. Any potential deal which goes through would have to be done by Chelsea and Benfica first, and then Benfica and other parties second.

For other clubs this may be a problem, with complicated contracts and two football agents involved. However, when Roman Abramovich took over the Blues in 2003, the deal was conducted by a super agent, none other than Pini Zahavi.

This will mean that the Russian’s people will no doubt have common ground with Zahavi and Joorabchian, which should mean that the transfer goes ahead as planned.

Ramires is said to be joining Chelsea for £20 million, with an eventual 80% of that fee going to the third and fourth parties. Benfica will see just £4 million for the Brazilian.

Joorabchian is set to more than triple the money he paid for the 23 year old back in April. Having paid just £3 million four months ago, he will land £10 million when Chelsea unveil their new signing next week.

Don’t believe the hype which will gather around this story, Ramires will be lining up next to Lampard and co in a few weeks time. Chelsea are too cautious after the tapping up incident with Ashley Cole and the Gael Kakuta affair to let this become another West Ham story.

It will be refreshing when web pages and newspaper columns once again feature reports of what happens on the pitch, this legal stuff gets very boring.

Keep upto date with the latest cfc news with upthechels.com

Every fan remembers the first time they go to watch their team play live and in the flesh. For some people this trip involves a trip on the underground or a long drive, for others such as Yasuko Sekine this involves a 12,000 mile round trip plane journey.

This vivid memory cares not for the occasion and includes the minutest details that would normally just fade into the background. From the stadium to the opposition and the bantering atmosphere of the fans, no detail can be classed as too small to remember.

Yasuko in traditional Japanese dress, however I am assured she also enjoys wearing a Chelsea shirt

Yasuko’s story is no different, like wives and girlfriends of football fans around the world, not only did Yasuko gain a friend and companion when she met her boyfriend Bob, she gained a football team, a passion and an obsession.

Over the next couple of years Bob waxed lyrical about the football club he supported back in England and how important it was to him, encouraging her to share his passion.

Yasuko was quickly swayed by his enthusiasm, watching the game on television with her boyfriend, which due to the time zone involved keeping some strange hours.

At Christmas last year Bob took Yasuko back to meet his family for Christmas, her first trip to England. Immediately he saw his opportunity to take Yasuko to a game, after calling in a few favours he was able to secure two tickets for the Premier League’s Boxing Day lunch time kick off.

The game may not have been the most glamorous game of the season with Chelsea playing away to Birmingham; however this mattered not, especially as the tickets were in the Chelsea end.

Here is Yasuko telling the story of her first Chelsea game.

Yasuko’s Story

From when I was a school kid myself, I’ve always loved the beautiful game of football. Both playing and watching that is. However, I’ve watched the Premiership on TV with my boyfriend for a while, but always wondered how it would compare to the Japanese league games that I’ve watched.

So when I heard from my boyfriend that on our Christmas trip England we were going to go to a Chelsea game, I almost couldn’t believe it. I get so emotional watching the games on TV in Japan, I wondered if I could even handle a real game! Time after time, I’d heard from Bob (my boyfriend) that the atmosphere was so great, you could never fully understand until you’d seen a game for real.

On arrival to England, the first thing that hit me was the obsession of the game. Every kid wanted to tell you their life-long picked out team, every shop window was full of team kits. This was not Japan anymore!

So as the finale to our Xmas England trip, we took a car up to Birmingham for the 2009 Boxing Day game Birmingham City Vs Chelsea F.C. On entering the stadium, we went to find our seats early and were really surprised that it was pretty empty right up until kick off.

However, this gave me a chance to see my favorite player, Peter Cech, about 20 meters from me warming up before game on an almost empty pitch. People close to me shouted his name and I was really surprised when he waved to them.

Seeing Chelsea player’s wave to their fans gave me a real sense of how close they were to their fans and this felt great.

Even throughout the game, players would take the time to acknowledge the supporters. It made me fall more in love with the blues right away!

I was really surprised however about how separate the fans were kept for the opposing teams. In Japan, you can freely walk between the different sections wearing opposition shirts and not worry about any trouble, but I was a little nervous to be honest.

I saw several people from both sides doing aggressive wrist shaking actions (that Bob surprisingly explained to me were signs of masturbation) to each other and didn’t really want to go anywhere away from my fellow Chelsea followers at that point.

Another fun thing was the bookies inside the stadium. I’d never put a bet on before and, after a short consultation with Bob, I decided to take John Terry as first goal scorer at 20/1. Obviously we cheered a little extra for him when he was close to the goal and got really excited whenever he went up for a header.

Of course I was impressed most of all by the singing. I had no idea (from my TV based supporting prior to the game) of the amount and persistence of songs from the Chelsea fans.

Among ‘Care Free’, ‘Blue Flag’, ’10 Men went to mow’ and other my favorite had to be the ‘bouncy song’. I’m not sure exactly what was happening, but after everyone singing “We’re all going to bounce in a minute”, I was suddenly jumping up and down like a crazy woman with my fellow fans for no apparent reason at all. It was a lot of fun.

Even though the game was a 0-0 boring draw, the game was a real eye-opener for me and one that made me go back to Tokyo and keep the blue flag flying high in the East. Next time, I hope to make it to Stamford Bridge and see them in action at home and maybe have time for some shopping in the MegaStore!

Do you have a Chelsea story you would like to share?

email Kristian_uk@hotmail.co.uk

For all the latest Chelsea news visit http://www.upthechels.com

Is Ramires on the way to the Bridge? If so who will follow him?

Every day I get asked by Chelsea fans, what is the latest transfer news? In recent days I am afraid that there has been little to tell them beyond shameless paper talk.

The only notable rumour is the strong rumblings that the signing of Ramires is a done deal, whilst I have no firm evidence to confirm this the rumours are strong and this will be a great signing for Chelsea.

So far Chelsea have been linked with over 40 players, the strongest rumours obviously centre on the superstars of the world such as Fernando Torres, Kaka, Aguero to bolster an ageing team.

However with 36 days left of this summer’s transfer window, I fear that many fans will be disappointed, as little appears to be on the horizon.

Liverpool appear to be demanding too much for injury prone Fernando Torres and little seems to be materialising for anyone apart from Ramires.

The coming weeks however do give hope to those hungry for new signings, most of the players that fans hope Chelsea will be targeting are only just returning to training after the World Cup, so it is likely that a quiet transfer window for most clubs will start to heat up.

Hopefully when this happens eChelseaFC will be here to give you the latest reaction to the transfer activity around the Bridge.

No other way to describe this goal celebration than absolutely epic.