Chelsea FC: The Blue Lions

[King-Osgood-1690]

Boardroom:
Owner: Roman Abramovich
Chairman: Bruce Buck
Director: David Barnard


Management:
Manager: Luiz Felipe Scolari
Coach: Ray Wilkins
Coach: Flavio Teixeira
Fitness Coach: Darlan Schneider
Goalkeeper Coach: Christophe Lollichon
Head Scout: Michael Emenalo
Match Observer: Mike McGiven
Reserves Manager: Brendan Rodgers
Club Doctor: Brian English
Chief Of Youth Development: Frank Arnesen
Youth Team Manager: Paul Clement
Academy Manager: Neil Bath
Match Analyst: James Melbourne


Stadium:



Stamford Bridge
Location: Fulham Broadway, West London, England
Opened:1877
Owner: Chelsea Pitch Owners plc
Operator: Chelsea Football Club
Capacity: 42,055
Tenants: Chelsea Football Club (1905-Present)

Club Honours:

First Division/FA Premier League

1954/1955
2004/2005
2005/2006

Second Division

1983/1984
1988/1989

FA Cup

1970
1997
2000
2007

League Cup

1965
1998
2005
2007

FA Charity Shield/ Community Shield

1956
2000
2005

Full Members Cup

1986
1990

Uefa Cup Winners Cup

1971
1998

Uefa Super Cup

1998

Club Records:

Attendance
100,000+(estimate): Chelsea FC Vs Dynamo Moscow, November 13 1945

82,905(official): Chelsea FC Vs Arsenal FC, October 12 1935

Appearances
Ron Harris: 795
Frank Lampard(current): 389

All Time Goal scorers
Bobby Tambling: 202
Frank Lamaprd(current): 118

Clean Sheets
Peter Bonetti: 208

Firsts
First Match: Chelsea 0-1 Stockport County, September 1 1905
First Win: Chelsea 4-0 Liverpool, September 4 1905

Results
Win: 13-0 Vs Jeunesse Hautcharage, 1971
Draw: 5-5 Vs West Ham United, 1966
Loss: 1-8 Vs Wolverhampton, 1953

Kits:

Home Kit



Away Kit



Third Kit



Chelsea Football Club: A History



Chelsea Football Club have a very rich history in English football, and over the years have seen both the highs and lows of club football.

Stamford Bridge had been opened in 1877, and was used as a home for the London Athletics Club. The stadium was used to host athletic events up until 1904, when the lease to the stadium was purchased by Gus and Joseph Mears, who had the vision to turn Stamford Bridge into a first class football venue. They offered the use of the stadium to local team Fulham, however Fulham turned down the offer, and the Mears were left in a spot of bother. They considered selling the ground to the Great Western Railway Company, who intended to use the land as a coal dumping yard, however after much thought, decided on forming there own football team to play at Stamford Bridge.

Thus in 1905, Chelsea Football Club was born, founded at The Rising Sun Pub, which sat opposite the entrance to the ground, and today is known as The Butchers Hook. Since there was already a team in the borough with the name Fulham, the name Chelsea was decided apon, taken from the adjacent borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Chelsea joined the football league on the 29th of May, 1905, and played there first league match away to Stockport County, which resulted in a 1-0 loss.

Chelsea's first squad was made up of established players signed from other clubs, and in their first season the team finished 3rd place in the league.



The following seasons however, saw tougher times for the blues, as they went back and forth through the two divisions. Despite the poor success, the club quickly became very popular, with a reputation for entertaining, attacking football. Throughout the early years of the club, several attendance records were set, with 67,000 attending a match against Manchester United to set the second division record, and 55,000 attending the first ever London derby in the top division, setting the first division attendance record at the time.

Chelsea reached there first ever FA Cup final during world war 1, but lost the match 3-0 to Sheffield United. Chelsea's mixed fortunes continued untill the 1954/1955 league season, which saw them crowned league champions under then manager Ted Drake. The title winning team were known as Drakes Ducklings, due to their young age.

Chelsea's next period of success was the 1970's. The period would see arguably the best team of players in Chelsea's history, and under manager Dave Sexton they would go on to achieve great things. The team was known for several standout players, with Peter Osgood, Ron Harris, Charlie Cooke, Tommy Baldwin, Peter Bonetti, and Alan Hudson among others.

During this period, the clubs league positions improved over the years, and the club won two major trophies, with the FA Cup win of 1970, and the clubs first cup on the European stage, the Uefa Cup Winners Cup, in 1971, beating Spanish giants Real Madrid.



The late 70's and early 80's were probably the worst times in Chelsea's history, both on and off the pitch. On the pitch, the club was on the decline after the sale of several stars from the Cup Double team of the early 70's. The club were relegated to the second division in 1975, and things looked to be heading backwards. Off the pitch, the building of the new East Stand nearly crippled the clubs finances, as the building costs went out of control. Due to the financial downturn within the club, they could not purchase a single player from 1974 to 1978.

Attendances started to drop further, adding to the financial troubles, and the problem of football hooliganism affected Chelsea like the majority of English teams, with the teams "firm", the Chelsea Headhunters, being notorious for violence inside and outside of the ground.

Amongst all the problems, manager and former player Eddie McCreadie managed to bring the club back up to the first division in the 1976/1977 season, however it would not last long, as once again the club were relegated.

The club began a massive turn around in 1983, with the team winning the second division title and gaining promotion to the first division. The turn around did not last long though, as the club were once again relegated after the sale of several players. This trip to the second division would not last long though, and the club won the second division again in 1988/1999.

In there first season back in the first division, Chelsea managed to finish fifth, and looked to be once again on the rise, and in 1990 the club won its second Full Members cup. Ken Bates was to become Chelsea's hero in 1992, when he managed to get ownership of the stadium back from the property developers, a move which ended the clubs financial uncertainty. After this, the Chelsea Pitch Owners plc was created, and to this day own the freehold of the stadium, the clubs naming rights and the pitch to make sure no outside company could purchase the ground.

Stamford Bridge saw massive changes in the 90's. After the Hillsborough disaster where 96 football fans were crushed to death at and FA Cup match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool, the classic terracing at all football grounds in England was deemed unsafe, and all seater stadiums became compulsory. Due to this, the clubs two terraces had to go. The famous Shed End, home of Chelsea's most vocal supporters became an all seater stand of the same name, and Stamford Bridge's North Bank became what is now known as the Matthew Harding Stand. The old West Stand was also replaced by a new one, which is now one of the most modern stands in the country.

With the club starting to make money again, several players were brought into the team, and league from continued to improve. The late 90's and early 2000's were to be one of the most successful periods of the clubs history. The team had several standout players, such as captain Dennis Wise, and fan favorite Gianfranco Zola. Under managers Ruud Gullit and Gianluca Vialli, the club went on to win two FA Cups in 1997 and 2000, a league cup in 1998, the Charity Shield in 2000, and in 1998 two European cups, the Uefa Super Cup and the Uefa Cup Winners Cup.



The clubs success attracted Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in 2003, who purchased the club from Ken Bates. The manager at the time, Claudio Ranieri went on a spending spree, purchasing several big name players. Money could not buy immediate success, however the club managed to finish second in the league. It was decided that a new manager was required, and in 2004 Jose Mourinho was appointed as manager. During his first season in charge, the club went on to win the Barclays Premier League title and The League cup.

The following season was Chelsea's centenary season, marking the 100th year of the club. Jose Mourinho would lead the team to a repeat win in the league, but the club were denied European success, loosing to Barcelona in the Uefa Champions League semi final. The 2006/2007 season saw Manchester United beat the blues to the league title, however Chelsea achieved a memorable cup double, winning both the FA and League cups.

Jose Mourinho's run ended at the start of the 2007/2008 season when he left the club by "mutual consent". Media speculation continues to this day as to the reason, however it has never been officially revealed. His strained relationship with owner Roman Abramovich had been seen as the main cause, and he left England winning every domestic title available to a manager.

Avram Grant took over the reigns after the departure, and lead Chelsea to there first ever Uefa Champions League final, which ended in a penalty shootout loss to Manchester United. Chelsea were also runners up in the premier league. Earlier in the season, Chelsea were disappointed in the League Cup final, loosing out to local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

After the disappointing season, Avram Grant was sacked by the club, and World Cup Winning manager Luiz Felipe Scolari was given the job.

Chelsea's recent form suggests a massive future for the club, and under new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari the club will be looking to fulfill there European ambitions.

[King-Osgood-1690]

Shed End Legends

Peter Osgood

Peter Leslie Osgood played for Chelsea from 1964 to 1974, and had another brief spell at the club from 1978 to 1979.

He signed for the club as a youngster and worked his way up the ranks quickly to establish himself as a premier striker. He was always known as the fan favorite amongst the fans, and for his exploits was given the nickname, "The King Of Stamford Bridge".

Peter Osgood played a key part in the 1970 FA Cup final, helping the club lift the trophy for the first time in its history. He also scored the winning goal in the 1971 Uefa Cup Winners Cup final.

After the teams cup winning exploits, Ossie remained a key player in the league, however the club started to slip backwards. After falling out with manager Dave Sexton, Osgood was sold to Southampton.

Osgood returned for a short time in the 1978/1979 season, but could not help the club stay in the top flight, and decided to retire.

Peter Osgood's career spanned 15 years, and he made 189 league appearances for Chelsea, scoring 105 league goals. He continued to be a part of the club as a hospitality host, but sadly passed away in 2006. He will always be remembered as a great player in Chelsea's history, and to this day fans chant his name at Stamford Bridge.

Osgood, Osgood,
Osgood, is good,
Born is the king of Stamford Bridge,
Osgood, Osgood,
Osgood is good,
Born is the king of Stamford Bridge.




Dennis Wise

It was often said that Dennis Wise could start a fight in an empty room, but it is not just his fiery temperament that he will be remembered for.

Dennis Wise played for Chelsea from 1990 to 2001, after being signed from Wimbledon.

On the field, Wise was a commanding midfielder who often wore his heart on his sleeve. He captained the club to 6 trophies, and scored many crucial goals, including a memorable champions league equalizer, which spawned the chant,
"Oh Dennis Wise, scored a fuc*ing great goal,

in the San Siro, with ten minutes to go"

Off the field however, Dennis Wise was often in controversy. He was involved in several incidents, and in 1995 was convicted of assaulting a London taxi driver.

Dennis played for the England National Team, making 21 appearances for his country. He left Chelsea in 2000, and retired from football in 2006, after spells at Leicester City, Millwall, Southampton and Coventry City. He then went on to manage Swindon Town and Leeds United, before taking up his current role as an Executive at Newcastle United.

During his career at Chelsea he made an impressive 445 appearances, and scored 76 goals. Despite his off the pitch exploits, Dennis Wise will always be remembered as a key player throughout the 90's.



Gianfranco Zola

Gianfranco Zola is undoubtably Chelsea's most famous foreign player. Coming from Italy, the little legend is the defining player of the 90's and early 2000's for the club.

He was signed from Parma in 1996, and quickly became a massive part of the Chelsea team. His fluid, pacey style of play earned him many admirers from within Chelsea, and abroad.

In his first two seasons at the club, Zola put in many great performances, scoring a number of goals along the way. In 1997 he played a big role in the teams FA Cup success, and the following season was a crucial part of the team that one three trophies.

In the early 2000's, Zola started to get less playing time due to a rotation policy from manager Gianluca Vialli, but when he stepped onto the pitch he almost always performed well.

In 2003 he decided to end his time at Chelsea, as he had promised his local Italian team Cagliari that he would end his career with them. He had played a total of 312 games for Chelsea, and scored 80 goals. He was a member of the Chelsea centenary team, and was voted by Chelsea fans as the clubs best ever player. He also holds a very special title, being an honorable member of the order of the British empire. Since his departure, no player had worn his famous number 25 shirt.

After helping Cagliari gain promotion to the Serie A, he ended his professional career in 2005, a week away from turning 39. In 2006, Zola became the assistant manager of the Italian Under 21 team, and has since become the manager of English club West Ham United.

Gianfranco Zola will always be remembered as a true great, and he has said several times that he will one day return to Stamford Bridge, probably in a management role.

[King-Osgood-1690]

Goalkeepers



Peter Cech

Age: 26
Nation: Czech Republic
Rating: 88
Squad number: 1



Carlo Cudicini

Age: 35
Nation: Italy
Rating: 75
Squad number: 23



Rhys Taylor

Age: 18
Nation: Wales
Rating: 67
Squad number: 30

[King-Osgood-1690]

Defenders:



Jose Bosingwa

Age: 26
Position: RWB
Nation: Portugal
Rating: 82
Squad number: 17



Michael Mancienne

Age: 20
Position: CB
Nation: England
Rating: 66
Squad number: 41



Branislav Ivanovic

Age: 24
Position: CB
Nation: Serbia
Rating: 78
Squad number: 2



Alex

Age: 26
Position: CB
Nation: Brazil
Rating: 82
Squad number: 33



Ricardo Carvalho

Age: 30
Position: CB
Nation: Portugal
Rating: 85
Squad number: 6



John Terry (C)

Age: 27
Position: CB
Nation: England
Rating: 88
Squad number: 26



Wayne Bridge

Age: 28
Position: LB
Nation: England
Rating: 77
Squad number: 18



Ashley Cole

Age: 27
Position: LWB
Nation: England
Rating: 83
Squad number: 3



Fernando Navarro

Age: 26
Position: LB
Nation: Spain
Rating: 77
Squad number: 25

[King-Osgood-1690]

Midfielders:



John Mikel Obi

Age: 21
Position: CM
Nation: Nigeria
Rating: 81
Squad number: 12



Barry Ferguson

Age: 30
Position: CM
Nation: Scotland
Rating: 80
Squad number: 9



Yoann Gourcuff

Age: 22
Position: CM
Nation: France
Rating: 75
Squad number: 4



Michael Essien

Age: 25
Position: CM
Nation: Ghana
Rating: 86
Squad number: 5



Deco

Age: 31
Position: CAM
Nation: Portugal
Rating: 85
Squad number: 20



Frank Lampard (VC)

Age: 30
Position: CAM
Nation: England
Rating: 86
Squad number: 8



Michael Ballack

Age: 32
Position: CAM
Nation: Germany
Rating: 86
Squad number: 13

[King-Osgood-1690]

Forwards:



Salomon Kalou

Age: 23
Position: LF
Nation: Ivory Coast
Rating: 79
Squad number: 21



Joe Cole

Age: 27
Position: RW
Nation: England
Rating: 84
Squad number: 10



Nicolas Anelka

Age: 29
Position: ST
Nation: France
Rating: 83
Squad number: 39



Didier Drogba

Age: 30
Position: ST
Nation: Ivory Coast
Rating: 87
Squad number: 11



Kris Boyd

Age: 25
Position: ST
Nation: Scotland
Rating: 79
Squad number: 14



Kyle Lafferty

Age: 20
Position: ST
Nation: Northern Ireland
Rating: 71
Squad number: 22



Scott Sinclair

Age: 19
Position: LW
Nation: England
Rating: 71
Squad number: 16



Aiden McGeady

Age: 22
Position: LW
Nation: Republic Of Ireland
Rating: 83
Squad number: 2

[King-Osgood-1690]

Luiz Felipe Scolari: A New Beginning

In his first press conference as Chelsea manager today, Luiz Felipe Scolari has outlined his plans for the West London club.

"This club is a very big club, and i want to bring more success to Chelsea, as it is my job", said Scolari through his translator.

"It is an honor to be here, but in a way it is also a curse, as if i do not do well i will not last very long.

"There are very good players here, i have met most of them already and all of them are very friendly people. I already know the players here from Portugal as i have been coaching them with the national team for a long time, and they have helped me to settle in, as it is nice to see familiar faces.

"I can not say though if they will all be here in a few weeks, as i would like a smaller squad to work with, and i may want to buy a player or two. Or three", he laughed.

When asked what title was his main ambition, he replied, "All competitions are very important to me. The league is our goal but i know the fans would like to win in the champions league, and the FA Cup and League Cup are also very important to us".

Luiz Felipe Scolari, or Big Phil as he is known, comes to the West London club with high hopes. After finishing as runners up in three competitions last year, the club will be looking to get back to their winning ways with Scolari at the helm.

"Tomorrow i go to Cobham for the first time, and i will watch the team train. I have seen them on videos but i have to see them train to decide what to do", said Scolari.

[King-Osgood-1690]

Transfer Talk: Chelsea FC

With the transfer window open, Chelsea are looking to add talent to there squad that fell short three times last year. It is not known how many signings will be made, but new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has said he prefers to work with a smaller squad, suggesting that any players coming in to the club will result in players moving on.



Yoann Gourcuff

AC Milan's French wonder kid Yoann Gourcuff is believed to be on Scolaris books. The talented 22 year old has been at AC Milan since 2006, and is currently on loan at Bourdeaux, but AC Milan have the power to recall him if they want to complete a deal with Chelsea. The talented young midfielder can also play at center forward, and is seen as one of the best young Frenchmen in the game today.



Barry Ferguson

Scottish born Rangers captain Barry Ferguson is another name to be linked to the club. After recently saying that he would relish the chance to end his career in the English premier league, several clubs have been chasing the 30 year old midfielder. Scolari could bring the Scotsman in to provide valuable experience to the younger midfield players at his disposal.



Kyle Lafferty

Another Rangers player on Chelsea's list is the 21 year old Northern Irish striker, Kyle Lafferty. Kyle's career began with Burnley, before attracting the attention of Scottish giants Rangers. Recently he has been quoted as being annoyed by lack of first team opportunity's, and that if it were to continue that he would not hesitate to request a transfer. Chelsea could see him as a replacement for Franco Di' Santo, who's Chelsea career could be coming to an end after announcing his desire to move for Barcelona.



Kris Boyd

With the departures of Andriy Shevchenko and Claudio Pizarro, Scolari will be looking to bring an experienced striker to the club. With six years of topflight experience in Scotland, Kris Boyd could be the man for the job. Kris Boyd has often said that his career goal was to end up playing in England, and there is little doubt that if Chelsea came knocking he would take the chance.

[King-Osgood-1690]

My aim is to make this the best Chelsea manager mode on the forums. I have a lot of passion for Chelsea and have been a blue since 1993, so i have a big knowledge of the club that i feel will help me achieve my goal. My first manager mode on the forums was a Chelsea one, however i decided to end it. After a month of learning, i now feel im ready to produce a premier Chelsea MM, and hope that you will enjoy it. I will still continue my Rangers MM, and will no longer be continuing my England: The Three Lions manager mode as i do not have that much time on my hands. Cheers.

[King-Osgood-1690]

anyone?

[GK01]

sorry I don't know any way.

[King-Osgood-1690]

Originally Posted by GK01

sorry I don't know anyone.

lalalala, did you happen to see them before? took me hours, realy gutted at the moment. if i cant get em back ill just have to do the squads like i have the GK's now, wadda ya reckon?

[r0000ney]

Great start, even if you have lost all the profiles it's got plenty of information.

[GK01]

I reckon, if you do it like the GK's it will be fine

[r0000ney]

I agree, the detail in the OP more than makes up for the profile, not many people even read that stuff anyway. What's important is everything that follows

[King-Osgood-1690]

If you can, take the time to visit my other Manager Mode.

Rangers F.C. - We Are The People

[King-Osgood-1690]

I now declare the thread open! thanks to all for holding back your comments, its a big help with getting everything in place. Please take the time to read through the opening post, take a glance at the squad lists, and read the two news pieces, Scolari's first interview and our transfer targets.

Oh and please tell me what you think! i love hearing comments from you fine people so please do check back from time to time.

Cheers folks!

[nzgangster]

awesome mm dude.

[Caldera31]

Great start mate! Love the blues!

[King-Osgood-1690]

mixed reactions, someone gives me 5 stars then suddenly im back down to 3 Is it really that terrible?

[GK01]

hmmmm, alot of Rangers targets.

[TinyGiantz]

chelsea rox...good to see a chelsea MM

[King-Osgood-1690]

Originally Posted by GK01

hmmmm, alot of Rangers targets.

Yea mate but there only targets, no pens to paper yet!

[14Atlas]

dont worry about the stars. you get some idiots messing around with the 1 star button. and WOW! so much detail in your OP lets see if you can keep it up terrific start.. check out my chelsea thread link in sig

[r0000ney]

Nice targets, and not too unrealistic either, as Chelsea have said they won't be splashing loads of cash on big names anymore.