Chelsea F. C.
Full name	Chelsea Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Pensioners The Blues
Founded	14 March 1905
Ground	Stamford Bridge Fulham Road London SW6 England (Capacity 42,055[1])
Chairman	Bruce Buck
Manager	Luiz Felipe Scolari (from July 1, 2008)
League	Premier League
2007-08	Premier League, 2nd
Home colours 　 Away colours
Current season

Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are a professional English football club based in west London. Football club names are a part of the sport 's culture reflecting century-old traditions This is a of lists of the use of Nicknames in football (soccer. Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Stamford Bridge is a football Stadium on the border of Fulham and Chelsea, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham that 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 London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The following is a list of Association football stadia. They are ordered by their capacity, that is the maximum number of spectators that the Bruce M Buck is a founding managing partner of the London office of U Luiz Felipe Scolari, ComIH (born November 9, 1948 in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) also known as Felipão "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The 2007-08 season was Chelsea Football Club's 16th consecutive season in the Premier League. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered A football team or a football club, in football (soccer is the collective name given to a number of players who play together in a Football game be it Association London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier in English football. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Football is the National sport of England and plays a significant role in English culture. They have had two broad periods of success, one during the 1960s and early 1970s, and the second from the late 1990s to the present day. Chelsea have won three league titles, four FA Cups, four League Cups, two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, and have reached one UEFA Champions League final. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club ^[2]

Chelsea's home is the 42,055-person capacity^[1] Stamford Bridge football stadium in Fulham, West London, where they have played since their establishment. Stamford Bridge is a football Stadium on the border of Fulham and Chelsea, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham that Fulham (pronounced "fullum" is an area of south-west London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, (the successor to the Metropolitan Borough of Fulham West London is the area of Greater London to the west of Central London. Despite their name, the club are based just outside the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea ( (often abbreviated to RBKC) is a London borough in the west side of Central London. The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham ( is a London borough in West London and forms part of Inner London. In 2003, the club was bought by Russian oil magnate Roman Abramovich. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich (rɐˈman ɐrˈkadʲjevʲɪtɕ ɐbrɐˈmovʲɪtɕ Рома́н Арка́дьевич Абрамо́вич born on 24 October 1966 ^[3]

The club's traditional kit colours are royal blue shirts and shorts with white socks. A kit (also known as a "strip" or "uniform" is the standard equipment and attire worn by players in Association football. Their traditional crest is a ceremonial blue lion holding a staff; a modified version of this was adopted in 2005. ^[4]

History

For more details on this topic, see History of Chelsea F.C.

The first Chelsea team in September 1905. Chelsea Football Club, as one of the most famous Association Football clubs in England, has a long unique and idiosyncratic history and has experienced

Chelsea were founded on 14 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. Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting 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 The club's early years saw little success; the closest they came to winning a major trophy was reaching the FA Cup final in 1915, where they lost to Sheffield United. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Chelsea gained a reputation for signing big-name players^[5] and for being entertainers, but made little impact on the English game in the inter-war years.

Former England centre-forward Ted Drake became manager in 1952 and proceeded to modernise the club. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football Edward Joseph "Ted" Drake (16 August 1912 - 30 May 1995 was an English football player and manager 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 term Chelsea pensioner is used to refer to an in-pensioner at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, that is a former British Soldier who lives within the Royal 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. The Union of European Football Associations (Union des associations européennes de football is the administrative and controlling body for European football. See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey ^[6]

The 1960s saw the emergence of a talented young Chelsea side under manager Tommy Docherty. Thomas Henderson Docherty (born Gorbals, Glasgow on 24 April, 1928) usually known as ' Tommy Docherty' or ' The Doc', is They challenged for honours throughout the decade, 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. The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition ^[7] In three seasons the side were beaten in three major semi-finals and were FA Cup runners-up. In 1970 Chelsea were FA Cup winners, beating Leeds United 2–1 in a final replay. Leeds United Association Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Leeds United or informally Leeds, are an English professional football The first 1970 FA Cup Final took place on 11 April 1970 at Wembley Stadium and ended 2&ndash2 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. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's

The late 1970s and the 1980s were a turbulent period for Chelsea. An ambitious redevelopment of Stamford Bridge threatened the financial stability of the club,^[8] 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. ^[9] 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. Kenneth William "Ken" Bates (born 4 December 1931) is a British Businessman and football executive ^[10] 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. From the 1992-93 to the 2003-04 season, the Football League Third Division was the third-highest division of The Football League and the fourth-highest John Neal (born 3 April 1932 in County Durham) is a former English football player and manager Chelsea won the Second Division title in 1983–84 and established themselves in the top division, before being relegated again in 1988. From 1892 until 1992 the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football. 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. ^[11] Chelsea's form in the new Premier League was unconvincing, although they did reach the FA Cup final in 1994. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The 1994 FA Cup Final was the 49th FA Cup final to be held since the Second World War and was contested between Manchester United and Chelsea It was not until the appointment of former European Footballer of the Year Ruud Gullit as player-manager in 1996 that their fortunes changed. The "fr '''Ballon d'Or'''" ( French for " Golden Ball " often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award is an association football (born as Ruud Dil, September 1 1962 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch football coach and former player who played professionally in the 1980s Player-manager is a sports term used to described a manager of a team who is also registered to play for the team He added several top-class international players to the side, particularly Gianfranco Zola, as the club won the FA Cup in 1997 and established themselves as one of England's top sides again. Gianfranco Zola OBE (born July 5, 1966 in Oliena, Sardinia) is a retired Italian footballer The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The 1997 FA Cup Final took place on 17 May 1997 at Wembley Stadium and was won by Chelsea with a 2&ndash0 victory over Middlesbrough Gullit was replaced by Gianluca Vialli, who led the team to victory in the League Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1998, the FA Cup in 2000 and the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in 2000. Gianluca Vialli (born July 9, 1964 in Cremona) is a retired Italian football Striker and manager The 1998 Coca-Cola Cup Final was a football match played between Chelsea and Middlesbrough on 29 March 1998 at Wembley Stadium The 2000 FA Cup Final took place on 20 May 2000 and was the last to be played at the old Wembley Stadium. See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club 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. Claudio Ranieri, born on October 20, 1951 in Rome, is an Italian football manager and former player currently manager The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after

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. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich (rɐˈman ɐrˈkadʲjevʲɪtɕ ɐbrɐˈmovʲɪtɕ Рома́н Арка́дьевич Абрамо́вич born on 24 October 1966 ^[3] Owing to Abramovich's Russian heritage, the club were soon popularly dubbed "Chelski" in the British media. ^[12] Over £100 million was spent on new players, but Ranieri was unable to deliver any trophies, so he was replaced by successful Portuguese coach José Mourinho, who had just guided FC Porto to victory in the UEFA Champions League. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho, GOIH (ʒuˈzɛ moˈɾiɲu (born 26 January 1963 in Setúbal) is a Portuguese Futebol Clube do Porto ( pron futɨ'bɔɫ 'klub(ɨ du 'poɾtu - short FC Porto or FCP - is a Portuguese Sports club best known

In 2005, Chelsea's centenary year, the club became Premiership champions in a record-breaking season (most clean sheets, fewest goals conceded, most victories, most points earned),^[13] League Cup winners with a 3–2 win over Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium and reached the Champions League semi-finals. A century (from the Latin centum, meaning one hundred is One hundred consecutive Years Centuries are numbered ordinally (e The 2005 Carling Cup Final was played between Chelsea and Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Sunday 27 February 2005 Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. The Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm is the National stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff. See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club The following year, they were again League Champions, equalling their own Premiership record of 29 wins set the previous season. They also became the fifth team to win back-to-back championships since the Second World War and the first London club to do so since Arsenal in 1933–34. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ^[14] In 2007, Chelsea won the FA Cup and League Cup,^[15][16] but finished runners-up to Manchester United in the Premier League. The 2007 FA Cup Final was played on Saturday 19 May 2007 between Chelsea and Manchester United, who had come up against Premier League The 2007 Carling Cup Final was played on Sunday 25 February 2007 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. On 20 September 2007, Mourinho parted company with Chelsea and was replaced by Israeli Director of Football Avram Grant,^[17][18] under whom the club finished as runners-up in the Premier League and the League Cup, and reached their first UEFA Champions League final, where they lost on penalties to Manchester United. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Avraam Grant (אברהם "אברם" גרנט born Avraham Granat on 4 May 1955 in Petah Tikva Israel) is an Israeli Association The 2008 Carling Cup Final was a football match played on 24 February 2008. On 24 May 2008, Grant's contract was terminated. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[19] On 11 June 2008, it was announced that Luiz Felipe Scolari would be taking over as manager on 1 July 2008. Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Luiz Felipe Scolari, ComIH (born November 9, 1948 in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) also known as Felipão "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[20]

Stamford Bridge

Chelsea vs. West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge on September 23, 1905; Chelsea won 1-0. West Bromwich Albion Football Club (also known as West Brom, The Baggies, Albion, The Albion, The Throstles or WBA) are Events 1122 - Concordat of Worms. 1459 - Battle of Blore Heath, the first major battle of the English Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting

For more details on this topic, see Stamford Bridge (stadium). Stamford Bridge is a football Stadium on the border of Fulham and Chelsea, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham that

Chelsea have only ever had one home ground, Stamford Bridge, where they have played since foundation. It was officially opened on 28 April 1877. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Year 1877 ( MDCCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 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, J T Mears, who had previously acquired additional land (formerly a large market garden) with the aim of staging football matches on the now 12. Henry Augustus "Gus" Mears (1873-1912 was an English businessman most notable for founding Chelsea Football Club. "Market garden" redirects here For the World War II operation see Operation Market Garden. 5 acre (51,000 m²) site. ^[21]

Stamford Bridge was designed for the Mears family by the noted football architect Archibald Leitch. Archibald "Archie" Leitch ( April 27, 1865 &ndash April 25, 1939) was a Scottish Architect, most famous for his ^[22] They offered the stadium to Fulham Football Club, but the offer was turned down. Fulham Football Club is an English football team based in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. 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 rejected names such as Kensington FC, Stamford Bridge FC and London FC. ^[23]

Starting with an open bowl-like design and one covered terrace, Stamford Bridge had an original capacity of around 100,000. ^[21] 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. Corrugated galvanised iron (colloquially corrugated iron, commonly abbreviated CGI is a Building material composed of sheets of hot-dip galvanised ^[21]

The East Stand during a match in 2006. The cost of building this stand caused many of Chelsea's financial problems during the 1970s and 1980s.

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. ^[21] Work began on the East Stand in the early 1970s but the cost almost brought the club to its knees, and the freehold was sold to property developers. Fee simple is an estate in land in Common law. It is the most common way Real estate is owned in common law countries and is ordinarily the most 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. ^[21] 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.

The Stamford Bridge pitch, the freehold, the turnstiles and Chelsea's naming rights are now owned by Chelsea Pitch Owners, a non-profit organisation in which fans are the shareholders. Naming rights are the right to name a piece of Property, either tangible property or an event usually granted in exchange for financial considerations Chelsea Pitch Owners plc a is a Non-profit organisation that owns both the freehold of the Stamford Bridge stadium and the Naming rights of the The CPO was created to ensure the stadium could never again be sold to developers. It also means that if someone tries to move the football club to a new stadium they could not use the Chelsea FC name. ^[24]

The club plans to increase its capacity 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 entrance, which places severe constraints on expansion due to health and safety regulations. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. 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 Occupational safety and health is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting the Safety, Health and welfare of people engaged in ^[25] 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. The Earls Court Exhibition Centre (also known as Earls Court Arena or often simply Earls Court) is an entertainment venue located in West London, Battersea Power Station is a defunct coal-fired power station in Battersea, London, that was the first in a series of large coal-fired electrical generating Chelsea Barracks was a British Army Barracks located in the City of Westminster, London, adjacent to Chelsea, on Chelsea Bridge ^[26] However, the club have reiterated their desire to keep Chelsea at their current home. ^[27]

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 pensioner, which obviously contributed to the "pensioner" nickname, and remained for the next half-century, though it never appeared on the shirts. The term Chelsea pensioner is used to refer to an in-pensioner at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, that is a former British Soldier who lives within the Royal 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. Edward Joseph "Ted" Drake (16 August 1912 - 30 May 1995 was an English football player and manager ^[28] 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. The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. For other uses of the word staff see Staff. A staff is a large thick Stick or stick-shaped object used to help with Walking This crest was based on elements in the coat of arms of the Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea^[29] 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. A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people The Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London between 1900 and 1965 Earl Cadogan is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Great Britain. The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a large mainly Gothic church 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. ^[28]

In 1986, with new owners now at the club, Chelsea's crest was changed again as part of another attempt to modernise and to capitalise on new marketing opportunities. ^[28] The new badge featured a more naturalistic non-heraldic lion, yellow 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. 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. A century (from the Latin centum, meaning one hundred is One hundred consecutive Years Centuries are numbered ordinally (e 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. ^[4] As with previous crests, this one has appeared in various colours, including white and gold.

Chelsea's first crest	Club crest 1952-1953	Club crest 1953–1986	Club crest 1986–2005
Club crest 2005–2006 (centenary)

Colours

Chelsea's first home colours, used from 1905 until c. 1912.

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 Cadogan. Earl Cadogan is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Great Britain. The light blue shirts were short-lived, however, and replaced by a royal blue version in around 1912. ^[30] When Tommy Docherty became manager in the early 1960s he changed the kit again, adding blue shorts (which have remained ever since) and white socks, believing it made the club's colours more distinctive, since no other major side used that combination; this kit was first worn during the 1964–65 season. Thomas Henderson Docherty (born Gorbals, Glasgow on 24 April, 1928) usually known as ' Tommy Docherty' or ' The Doc', is ^[31]

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 Inter Milan-style blue and black stripes, again at Docherty's behest. Football Club Internazionale Milano, most commonly referred to as simply Internazionale, or Inter, is an Italian professional football club ^[32] 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 addition in the mid-1990s. ^[33]

Chelsea's third kit for the 07/08 season.

The 2007/2008 Chelsea away strip consists of an 'electric yellow' shirt with thick black lines forming separate panels of the shirt. The adidas three stripes are black, and run down the arms. WikipediaManual of Style (trademarks, which says "Lowercased trademarks with no internal It is worn with black shorts and black socks, but in the case of further clashes it is worn with "electric yellow" shorts and/or socks. The crest on the shirt is in "electric yellow" and black to go with the rest of the kit, instead of the usual blue, white, red and gold. For the 07/08 season, there is also a third kit, which is all white with blue and black trim.

Chelsea's kit is currently manufactured by Adidas, which is contracted to supply the club's kit from 2006 to 2011. WikipediaManual of Style (trademarks, which says "Lowercased trademarks with no internal Their previous kit manufacturer was Umbro. Umbro ( is a British sportswear and equipment supplier based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England. Chelsea's first shirt sponsor was Gulf Air, agreed midway through the 1983–84 season. Gulf Air (طيران الخليج is the Flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 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. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Simod are an Italian Sportswear manufacturer based in Piove di Sacco. Commodore, the commonly used name for Commodore International, was a US-American Electronics company based in West Chester Pennsylvania The Amiga is a family of Personal computers originally developed by Amiga Corporation. Chelsea were subsequently sponsored by Coors beer (1995–97), Autoglass (1997–2001) and Emirates Airline (2001–05). The Coors Brewing Company is a regional division of the world's fifth-largest brewing company, the Molson Coors Brewing Company. Emirates Airline (shortened form Emirates) ( Arabic: طيران الإمارات Tayarān al-Imārāt) is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group Chelsea's current shirt sponsor is Samsung. The Samsung Group ( Korean:, Samsung Guerup) is South Korea 's largest company or Chaebol and the world's largest conglomerate ^[34]

Supporters

Chelsea fans at a match with Tottenham Hotspur, on 11 March 2006. Tottenham Hotspur, ˈtɒʔnəm is an English professional football club which currently plays in the Premier League. Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

Chelsea have the fifth highest average all-time attendance in English football^[35] and regularly attract over 40,000 fans to Stamford Bridge; they were the fifth best-supported Premiership team in the 2005–06 season, with an average gate of 41,870. Football is the National sport of England and plays a significant role in English culture. ^[36] Chelsea's traditional fanbase comes from working-class parts of West London, such as Hammersmith and Battersea, from wealthier areas like Chelsea and Kensington, and from the Home Counties. West London is the area of Greater London to the west of Central London. Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, approximately 5 miles (8km west of Charing Cross on Battersea is a place in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is an inner-city district located 2 Chelsea is an area of south-west London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along Kensington is a district of West London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, located west of Charing Cross. " Home counties " is an informal phrase used to designate the group of counties that border or surround London, England. In addition to the standard football chants, Chelsea fans sing songs like "Carefree", "Blue is the Colour", "We all follow the Chelsea" (to the tune of Land of Hope and Glory), "Ten Men Went to Mow", "Zigga Zagga", "Hello! Hello!" and the celebratory "Celery", with the latter often resulting in fans ritually throwing celery. A football chant, also referred to as terrace chants, is a term that refers to songs or chants sung at Football matches Usage as the national anthem of England See also National anthem of England Land of Hope and Glory has long been traditionally sung amidst much flag-waving See also Wild celery Apium graveolens is a plant species in the family Apiaceae, and yielding celery and Celeriac ^[37]

Chelsea do not have a traditional rivalry, in the manner that Liverpool and Everton, or Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur do. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. Tottenham Hotspur, ˈtɒʔnəm is an English professional football club which currently plays in the Premier League. The club's nearest neighbours are Fulham, but they are not seen as big rivals by Chelsea fans, because the clubs have spent most of the last 40 years in separate divisions. Fulham Football Club is an English football team based in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. 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. ^[38] Additionally, a strong rivalry with Leeds United dates back to several heated and controversial matches in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the FA Cup final in 1970. Leeds United Association Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Leeds United or informally Leeds, are an English professional football The first 1970 FA Cup Final took place on 11 April 1970 at Wembley Stadium and ended 2&ndash2 ^[39] A more recent rivalry has grown with Liverpool following several clashes in cup competitions. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England.

During the 1970s and 1980s in particular, Chelsea supporters were long associated with football hooliganism. Football hooliganism such as brawls vandalism and intimidation carried out by Association football club supporters and fans 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 Bushwhackers, both during and after matches. Football hooliganism such as brawls vandalism and intimidation carried out by Association football club supporters and fans The Chelsea Headhunters are an English hooligan firm linked to the London football team Chelsea F } West Ham United Football Club is an English football club based in Upton Park, London Borough of Newham, East London, who have played The Inter City Firm ('ICF' is a UK football hooligan firm active in the 1970s and 1980s linked to West Ham United. Millwall Football Club are an English professional football team based at The New Den, referred to by fans as The Den in Bermondsey, ^[40] The increase in hooliganism in the 1980s led chairman Ken Bates to propose an electric fence to deter them from invading the pitch; the proposal was rejected by the GLC. The Greater London Council (GLC was the top-tier Local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986 ^[41] Chelsea's hooligan element were revealed to have links with neo-nazi groups such as Combat 18, and other far-right or racist organisations including the British National Party. The term neo-Nazism refers to post- World War II Political movements Social movements and ideologies seeking to revive Nazism, Combat 18 (or C18) is the "armed wing" of the British neo-Nazi organisation Blood & Honour. The British National Party (BNP is a Far-right and whites only political party in the United Kingdom. ^[42] 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. Closed-circuit television ( CCTV) is the use of Video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place limited set of monitors All-seater stadium is the terminology applied to those sports stadia in which every spectator has a seat ^[43]

Records

For more details on this topic, see Chelsea F.C. statistics. Below are statistics and records related to Chelsea Football Club.

Among Chelsea's current players, Frank Lampard has made the most appearances and scored the most goals. Frank James Lampard Jr (born 20 June 1978 in Romford, London) is an English football Midfielder currently playing for Premier

Chelsea's highest appearance-maker is ex-captain Ron Harris, who played in 795 first-class games for the club between 1961 and 1980. Ronald Edward Harris (born November 13, 1944 in Hackney London) better known as Ron "Chopper" Harris, is a former English ^[44] This record is unlikely to be broken in the near future; Chelsea's current highest appearance-maker is Frank Lampard with 366. Frank James Lampard Jr (born 20 June 1978 in Romford, London) is an English football Midfielder currently playing for Premier ^[45] The record for a Chelsea goalkeeper is held by Harris's contemporary, Peter Bonetti, who made 729 appearances (1959–79). Peter Phillip Bonetti (born 27 September 1941 in Putney, London of Swiss parents from Canton Ticino) was a football With 116 caps (67 while at the club), Marcel Desailly of France is Chelsea's most capped international player. A cap is an appearance for a select team such as a school county or international team in sports Marcel Desailly (born September 7 1968 in Accra Ghana as Odenke Abbey) is a former French footballer and star of The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football.

Bobby Tambling is Chelsea's all-time top goalscorer, with 202 goals in 370 games (1959–70). Robert Victor 'Bobby' Tambling (born 18 September, 1941 in Storrington, Sussex) is a retired English footballer, who played ^[44] Seven 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 & 1978–79), Kerry Dixon (1983–92), and Frank Lampard (2001–). George Richard 'Gatling Gun' Hilsdon ( 10 August 1885 - 10 September 1941) was a footballer who began his career at West Ham United George Robert Mills (born 29 December 1908 in Deptford, died 15 July 1970) was an English footballer, principally Roy Thomas Frank Bentley (born 17 May 1924) is a retired English football player who played most notably for Chelsea and the James Peter 'Jimmy' Greaves (born 20 February, 1940 in East Ham, London) is a legendary English former football player Peter Leslie Osgood ( February 20, 1947 - March 1, 2006) was an English footballer who was active during the 1960s and 1970s Kerry Michael Dixon (born 24 July 1961, in Luton) is a retired English professional footballer who played most notably for Chelsea With 193 goals, Dixon is the only player in the club's recent history 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. ^[45]

Officially, Chelsea's highest home attendance is 82,905 for a First Division match against Arsenal on 12 October 1935. The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. However, an estimated crowd of over 100,000 attended a friendly match against Soviet team Dynamo Moscow on 13 November 1945. An exhibition game (also known as an exhibition match or simply exhibition, or a demonstration or demo event is a sporting event The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Dynamo Moscow (Dinamo Moscow Dinamo Moskva Russian: Динамо Москва) is a Russian football club based in Moscow. Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar ^[46] 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 42,055. ^[1]

Chelsea hold numerous records in English and European football. Football is the National sport of England and plays a significant role in English culture. They hold the record for the highest points total for a league season (95), the fewest goals conceded during a league season (15), the most consecutive clean sheets during a league season (10), 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),^[13] and the most consecutive clean sheets from the start of a league season (6) (2005–06). A clean sheet is a football term meaning a game in which the team referred to have not conceded any goals ^[47]

The club's 21–0 aggregate victory over Jeunesse Hautcharage in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1971 remains a record in European competition. UN Käerjéng 97 is a football club, based in Bascharage, in south-western Luxembourg. ^[48] Chelsea may also hold the British transfer record, but the fee for Andriy Shevchenko, estimated at around £30m, remains unconfirmed. The progression of the British football transfer fee record tracks the increases in the record for the highest transfer fee paid or received by British Association Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko (Андрій Миколайович Шевченко Andrij Mykolajovyč Ševčenko; born September 29 1976 in Dvirkivschyna, ^[49] Roberto Di Matteo holds the record for fastest goal in an FA Cup final at Wembley, which came 42 seconds into Chelsea's win over Middlesbrough in 1997. Roberto Di Matteo (born May 29, 1970 in Schaffhausen, Canton of Schaffhausen) is a Swiss - Italian former professional Middlesbrough Football Club, also known as The Boro are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Premier League. The 1997 FA Cup Final took place on 17 May 1997 at Wembley Stadium and was won by Chelsea with a 2&ndash0 victory over Middlesbrough ^[50] Chelsea hold the record for the longest streak of unbeaten matches at home in the English top-flight. They secured the record on 12 August 2007, beating the previous run of 63 matches set by Liverpool between 1978 and 1980. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[51] The record is ongoing, and currently stands at 81 matches. ^[52]

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. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Swansea City AFC ( Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Abertawe) is a Welsh football team playing in the Coca Cola Championship from ^[53] Chelsea were the first English side to travel by aeroplane to a domestic away match, when they visited Newcastle United on 19 April 1957,^[54] and the first First Division side to play a match on a Sunday, when they faced Stoke City on 27 January 1974. Overview Fixed-wing aircraft range from small training and recreational aircraft to Wide-body aircraft and military cargo aircraft. Newcastle United Football Club (also known as The Magpies or The Toon) is an English football club based in Newcastle upon Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between Stoke City Football Club is a football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. On 26 December 1999, Chelsea became the first British side to field an entirely foreign (non-UK) starting line-up in a Premier League match against Southampton. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Southampton Football Club is a professional English football team, nicknamed The Saints and based in the city of Southampton. ^[55] 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. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Wembley Stadium is a Stadium in Wembley, located in the London Borough of Brent in London, England. ^[15] After the conclusion of the 2007/2008 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 Union of European Football Associations (Union des associations européennes de football is the administrative and controlling body for European football. See also UEFA European Football Championship, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup In European football, the UEFA coefficients ^[56]

In popular culture

In 1930, Chelsea featured in one of the earliest football films, The Great Game. The Great Game is a 1930 British Film. It was one of the earliest Feature films to use football as a central theme ^[57] One-time Chelsea centre forward, Jack Cock, 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. John Gilbert "Jack" Cock DCM MM ( 14 November 1893 - 19 April 1966) was an English footballer Millwall Football Club are an English professional football team based at The New Den, referred to by fans as The Den in Bermondsey, Stamford Bridge is a football Stadium on the border of Fulham and Chelsea, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham that It included guest appearances by then-Chelsea players Andrew Wilson, George Mills and Sam Millington. Andrew Nesbit Wilson (14 February 1896 &ndash 15 October 1973 was a Scottish international footballer who played for Middlesbrough, Heart of Midlothian George Robert Mills (born 29 December 1908 in Deptford, died 15 July 1970) was an English footballer, principally Simeon "Sam" Millington was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper during the 1920s and 1930s mainly for Chelsea. ^[58] Owing to the notoriety of the Chelsea Headhunters, a football firm associated with the club, Chelsea have also featured in films about football hooliganism, most recently The Football Factory. The Chelsea Headhunters are an English hooligan firm linked to the London football team Chelsea F Football hooliganism such as brawls vandalism and intimidation carried out by Association football club supporters and fans The Football Factory is a 2004 English Film directed by Nick Love and stars Danny Dyer and Frank Harper ^[59] Chelsea also appear in the Hindi film, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Jhoom Barabar Jhoom ( English: Dance Baby Dance) is a 2007 Bollywood film starring Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta ^[60]

Up until the 1950s, the club had a long-running association with the music halls, with their underachievement often providing material for comedians such as George Robey. Music hall is a form of British theatrical Entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960 George Edward Wade ( 20 September 1869 – 29 November 1954) better known by his stage name George Robey, was an English ^[61] 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 described a series of bizarre and improbable occurrences on the hypothetical day when Chelsea finally won a trophy. A novelty song is a silly or nonsensical Song, performed principally for its comical effect. ^[5]

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 1972 Football League Cup Final took place on 4 March 1972 at Wembley Stadium and was contested by Chelsea and Stoke City The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC on behalf of the British record industry ^[62] The song was later adapted to "White is the Colour" and adopted as an anthem by the Vancouver Whitecaps. For information about the original NASL team see Vancouver Whitecaps (NASL. ^[63] In the build-up to the 1997 FA Cup final, the song "Blue Day", performed by Suggs and members of Chelsea's squad, reached number 22 in the UK charts. The 1997 FA Cup Final took place on 17 May 1997 at Wembley Stadium and was won by Chelsea with a 2&ndash0 victory over Middlesbrough Graham McPherson (born on 13 January 1961 in Hastings) better known as Suggs, is an English Singer, actor former radio DJ and TV personality ^[64] Bryan Adams, a fan of Chelsea, dedicated the song "We're Gonna Win" from the album 18 Til I Die to the club. {Otherpeople|Brian Adams}} Bryan Adams OC, OBC, (born Bryan Guy Adams on November 5, 1959) is a Canadian rock An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public 18 til I Die is a rock album by Canadian Singer/songwriter Bryan Adams released in 1996 (see 1996 in music)

Players

As of 12 May 2008. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[65]

Current squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Petr Čech 2 DF Branislav Ivanović 3 DF Ashley Cole 4 MF Claude Makélélé 5 MF Michael Essien 6 DF Ricardo Carvalho 7 FW Andriy Shevchenko 8 MF Frank Lampard (vice-captain) 9 MF Steve Sidwell 10 MF Joe Cole 11 FW Didier Drogba 12 MF John Obi Mikel 13 MF Michael Ballack 14 FW Claudio Pizarro 15 MF Florent Malouda

No. In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports Petr Čech ( (born 20 May 1982 in Plzeň, Czechoslovakia, now Czech Republic is a Czech international football In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Branislav “Bane” Ivanović ( Serbian Cyrillic: Бранислав Ивановић - Бане born February 22, 1984) is a Serbian footballer In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Ashley Cole (born 20 December 1980 in Stepney, London) is an English footballer of Barbadian descent For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Claude Makélélé Sinda (born 18 February 1973 is a French international football player who currently plays defensive midfield for Paris St For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Michael Kojo Essien or Mickaël Essien (born December 3, 1982 in Ghana) is a Ghanaian footballer nicknamed 'The Bison' due to his formidable In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Ricardo Alberto Silveira Carvalho, OIH (born 18 May 1978 in Amarante, Portugal) pronounced ʁi'kaɾdu kɐɾ'vaʎu Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko (Андрій Миколайович Шевченко Andrij Mykolajovyč Ševčenko; born September 29 1976 in Dvirkivschyna, For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Frank James Lampard Jr (born 20 June 1978 in Romford, London) is an English football Midfielder currently playing for Premier For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Steven James Sidwell (born 14 December 1982) is an English professional footballer who plays as a Midfielder for Aston Villa For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Joseph John "Joe" Cole (born 8 November 1981 in Islington, London) is a professional footballer who plays for Chelsea of the English Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Didier Drogba Tebily (born 11 March 1978 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire) is an Ivorian Footballer who plays for Chelsea in For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Mikel John Obi (the preferred order of naming however he is also known as John Obi Mikel or John Mikel Obi) (born April 22 1987 in Jos For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Michael Ballack (born September 26, 1976 in Görlitz, Saxony) is a German footballer. Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Claudio Miguel Pizarro Bosio (born October 3, 1978 in Callao, Peru) is a Peruvian professional football forward For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Florent Johan Malouda (born June 13 1980 in Cayenne, French Guiana) is a French footballer. Position Player 17 FW Scott Sinclair 18 DF Wayne Bridge 20 DF Paulo Ferreira 21 FW Salomon Kalou 22 DF Tal Ben Haim 23 GK Carlo Cudicini 24 MF Shaun Wright-Phillips 26 DF John Terry (captain) 27 FW Ben Sahar 33 DF Alex 35 DF Juliano Belletti 39 FW Nicolas Anelka 40 GK Henrique Hilário –– DF José Bosingwa

Players out on loan

No. Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Scott Andrew Sinclair (born March 25 1989 in Bath Somerset) is an English footballer, currently playing for FA Premier League team Chelsea In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Wayne Michael Bridge (born 5 August 1980 is an English football defender, who currently plays as a left-back for Chelsea and England In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Paulo Renato Rebocho Ferreira, OIH, commonly known as Paulo Ferreira, ( pron Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Salomon Kalou (born August 5 1985 in Oumé, Côte d'Ivoire) is an Ivorian football player who currently plays for Chelsea In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Tal Ben Haim or Tal Ben-Haim (טל בן-חיים born March 31, 1982 in Rishon LeZion, Israel) is an Israeli professional In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports Carlo Cudicini (born September 6 1973 in Milan) is an Italian Goalkeeper. For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Shaun Lombe Cameron Wright-Phillips (born 25 October 1981 in Greenwich, London is an English football player and is currently playing in his second spell at In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring John George Terry (born 7 December 1980 in Barking, London is an English Professional footballer. Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Ben Sahar (בן סהר born 10 August, 1989 in Holon, Israel) is an Israeli footballer contracted to Chelsea, currently In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa, better known as Alex, (born 17 June 1982 in Niterói) is a Brazilian professional football player In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Juliano Haus Belletti (born June 20, 1976 in Cascavel, Brazil) often known as Belletti, is a Brazilian football Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Nicolas Anelka (born March 14, 1979 in Versailles, France) is a French football Striker who plays for In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports Henrique Hilário Meireles Alves Sampaio (born October 21, 1975 in São Pedro da Cova, Gondomar, Porto) known simply as Hilário In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring José Bosingwa da Silva (born August 24, 1982 in Kinshasa) is a Congolese -born Portuguese footballer currently contracted Position Player –– DF Alcides (at PSV Eindhoven until June 2008) [66] –– DF Khalid Boulahrouz (at Sevilla until June 2008)[67] –– DF Slobodan Rajković (at PSV Eindhoven until June 2008)[68] –– FW Hernán Crespo (at Internazionale until June 2008)[69]

For recent transfers, see List of English football transfers Summer 2007. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Alcides Eduardo Mendes de Araújo Alves, best known as Alcides (born in São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo State, March 13, Philips Sport Vereniging ( English: Philips Sports Union) widely known either as PSV or PSV Eindhoven, is a Sports club from In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Khalid Boulahrouz December 28, 1981, in Maassluis, Netherlands is a Dutch footballer of Berber Moroccan Sevilla Fútbol Club is a Spanish professional football club that plays in the top-flight Spanish La Liga championship In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Slobodan Rajković ( Serbian Cyrillic: Слободан Рајковић (born February 3, 1989 in Belgrade) is a Serbian Philips Sport Vereniging ( English: Philips Sports Union) widely known either as PSV or PSV Eindhoven, is a Sports club from Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Hernán Jorge Crespo (born July 5, Football Club Internazionale Milano, most commonly referred to as simply Internazionale, or Inter, is an Italian professional football club This is a list of English football transfers for the 2007 Summer transfer window.

Reserves and Youth Team

Main article: Chelsea F.C. Reserves and Youth Team

Player of the year (1967–2008)

See also: List of Chelsea F.C. players

Year Winner 1967 Peter Bonetti 1968 Charlie Cooke 1969 David Webb 1970 John Hollins 1971 John Hollins 1972 David Webb 1973 Peter Osgood 1974 Gary Locke 1975 Charlie Cooke 1976 Ray Wilkins 1977 Ray Wilkins 1978 Micky Droy 1979 Tommy Langley 1980 Clive Walker 1981 Petar Borota 1982 Mike Fillery 1983 Joey Jones 1984 Pat Nevin 1985 David Speedie 1986 Eddie Niedzwiecki 1987 Pat Nevin

Year Winner 1988 Tony Dorigo 1989 Graham Roberts 1990 Ken Monkou 1991 Andy Townsend 1992 Paul Elliott 1993 Frank Sinclair 1994 Steve Clarke 1995 Erland Johnsen 1996 Ruud Gullit 1997 Mark Hughes 1998 Dennis Wise 1999 Gianfranco Zola 2000 Dennis Wise 2001 John Terry 2002 Carlo Cudicini 2003 Gianfranco Zola 2004 Frank Lampard 2005 Frank Lampard 2006 John Terry 2007 Michael Essien 2008 Joe Cole

Notable managers

For more details on this topic, see List of Chelsea F.C. managers. Chelsea Reserves are the reserve team of Chelsea Football Club. This is a list of notable players for Chelsea Football Club, whether or not they have a Wikipedia article Peter Phillip Bonetti (born 27 September 1941 in Putney, London of Swiss parents from Canton Ticino) was a football Charles 'Charlie' Cooke (born 14 October, 1942 in St Monans, Scotland) is a former Scottish footballer. David James Webb (born 9 April, 1946) is an English former professional footballer and football manager John William Hollins MBE (born July 16, 1946) is an English former football player and coach John William Hollins MBE (born July 16, 1946) is an English former football player and coach David James Webb (born 9 April, 1946) is an English former professional footballer and football manager Peter Leslie Osgood ( February 20, 1947 - March 1, 2006) was an English footballer who was active during the 1960s and 1970s Gary Locke (born 12 July 1954 in Park Royal) is a retired English footballer. Charles 'Charlie' Cooke (born 14 October, 1942 in St Monans, Scotland) is a former Scottish footballer. Raymond Colin 'Butch' Wilkins MBE (born 14 September 1956 in Hillingdon, Middlesex) is an English former football Raymond Colin 'Butch' Wilkins MBE (born 14 September 1956 in Hillingdon, Middlesex) is an English former football Micky Droy (born 7 May 1951 in Highbury, London) is a retired English footballer who played during the 1970s and 1980s Tommy Langley (born 8 February 1958 in the Elephant & Castle, London) is a retired English footballer who played in the Clive Walker (born 26 May 1957 in Oxford England) is a retired English footballer. Petar Borota (born 5 March 1952 in Belgrade, Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia) is a Retired Serbian footballer Michael Christopher Fillery (born September 17 1960 in Mitcham, London) is an English former professional footballer who played for Joseph Patrick "Joey" Jones (born 4 March 1955 in Bangor, Gwynedd) is a former professional football full-back who played for Patrick Kevin Francis Michael Nevin (born 6 September, 1963 in Glasgow) is a Scottish former footballer. David Robert Speedie (born 20 February 1960 in Glenrothes, Scotland is a former Scottish footballer who played for numerous clubs Eddie Niedzwiecki (born 3 May 1959 in Bangor) is a retired Welsh footballer of Polish origin who played as a Patrick Kevin Francis Michael Nevin (born 6 September, 1963 in Glasgow) is a Scottish former footballer. Anthony Robert Dorigo (born 31 December 1965 in Melbourne, Australia) is a Retired English Football (soccer player Graham Paul Roberts (born 3 July 1959 in Southampton) is a Retired English footballer who played for numerous clubs in Kenneth "Ken" Monkou (born 29 November 1964 in Suriname) is a Retired footballer who played in a defensive role Andrew David Townsend (born July 23 1963, Maidstone, Kent) is a former professional footballer who played in two World Cups for the Paul Elliott MBE (born 18 March 1964 in Lewisham, London) is a former footballer who played as a defender. Frank Mohammed Sinclair (born December 3, 1971 in Lambeth, London) is an English -born Jamaican footballer, who Stephen "Steve" Clarke (born August 29, 1963 in Saltcoats, Scotland) is a retired Scottish international footballer and Erland Johnsen (born April 5, 1967 in Moss) is a Norwegian football coach and former player (born as Ruud Dil, September 1 1962 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch football coach and former player who played professionally in the 1980s Leslie Mark Hughes (born 1 November 1963 in Ruabon, Wrexham, Wales) nicknamed Sparky, is a former Welsh international football Dennis Frank Wise (born 16 December 1966 in Kensington, West London) is an English former football manager and player and is Gianfranco Zola OBE (born July 5, 1966 in Oliena, Sardinia) is a retired Italian footballer Dennis Frank Wise (born 16 December 1966 in Kensington, West London) is an English former football manager and player and is John George Terry (born 7 December 1980 in Barking, London is an English Professional footballer. Carlo Cudicini (born September 6 1973 in Milan) is an Italian Goalkeeper. Gianfranco Zola OBE (born July 5, 1966 in Oliena, Sardinia) is a retired Italian footballer Frank James Lampard Jr (born 20 June 1978 in Romford, London) is an English football Midfielder currently playing for Premier Frank James Lampard Jr (born 20 June 1978 in Romford, London) is an English football Midfielder currently playing for Premier John George Terry (born 7 December 1980 in Barking, London is an English Professional footballer. Michael Kojo Essien or Mickaël Essien (born December 3, 1982 in Ghana) is a Ghanaian footballer nicknamed 'The Bison' due to his formidable Joseph John "Joe" Cole (born 8 November 1981 in Islington, London) is a professional footballer who plays for Chelsea of the English This is a list of all managers of Chelsea, including performance records and honours

The following managers have all won at least one trophy when in charge of Chelsea:

Name	Period	Trophies
Ted Drake	1952–1961	First Division Championship, Charity Shield
Tommy Docherty	1962–1967	League Cup
Dave Sexton	1967–1974	FA Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
John Neal	1981–1985	Second Division Championship
John Hollins	1985–1988	Full Members Cup
Bobby Campbell	1988–1991	Second Division Championship, Full Members Cup
Ruud Gullit	1996–1998	FA Cup
Gianluca Vialli	1998–2000	FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Charity Shield, European Super Cup
José Mourinho	2004–2007	2 Premier Leagues, 2 League Cups, FA Cup, Community Shield

Honours

Domestic

League

• First Division/Premier League^[70]

Winners (3): 1954–55, 2004–05, 2005–06

Runners-up (3): 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08

• Second Division

Winners (2): 1983–84, 1988–89

Runners-up (5): 1906–07, 1911–12, 1929–30, 1962–63, 1976–77

Cups

• FA Cup

Winners (4): 1970, 1997, 2000, 2007

Runners-up (4): 1915, 1967, 1994, 2002

• League Cup

Winners (4): 1965, 1998, 2005, 2007

Runners-up (2): 1972, 2008

• FA Charity Shield/Community Shield^[71]

Winners (3): 1955, 2000, 2005

Runners-up (4): 1970, 1997, 2006, 2007

• Full Members Cup

Winners (2): 1986, 1990

European

• UEFA Champions League

Runners-up (1): 2007–08

• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

Winners (2): 1971, 1998

• European Super Cup

Winners (1): 1998

Footnotes

References

• Batty, Clive (2004). Kings of the King's Road: The Great Chelsea Team of the 60s and 70s. Vision Sports Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-9546428-1-3.  
• Batty, Clive (2005). A Serious Case of the Blues: Chelsea in the 80s. Vision Sports Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-905326-02-5.  
• Glanvill, Rick (2006). Chelsea FC: The Official Biography - The Definitive Story of the First 100 Years. Headline Book Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7553-1466-2.  
• Hadgraft, Rob (2004). Chelsea: Champions of England 1954-55. Desert Island Books Limited. ISBN 1-874287-77-5.  
• Harris, Harry (2005). Chelsea's Century. Blake Publishing. ISBN 1-84454-110-X.  
• Ingledew, John (2006). And Now Are You Going to Believe Us: Twenty-five Years Behind the Scenes at Chelsea FC. John Blake Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84454-247-5.  
• Matthews, Tony (2005). Who's Who of Chelsea. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 1-84596-010-6.  
• Mears, Brian (2004). Chelsea: A 100-year History. Mainstream Sport. ISBN 1-84018-823-5.  
• Mears, Brian (2002). Chelsea: Football Under the Blue Flag. Mainstream Sport. ISBN 1-84018-658-5.  

External links

• Official Club site
• Chelsea FC - Premier League site

• Chelsea F. C. on BBC Sport: Club News - Recent results - Upcoming fixtures - Club stats
• Chelsea Formations
• Chelsea FC News
• Chelsea FC Team News from Carling
• History of Chelsea badges
• All Chelsea's competitive results and League tables