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Chelsea History [Sejarah Chelsea]



Nama lengkap : Chelsea Football Club
Julukan : The Blues
Didirikan : 1905
Lapangan : Stamford Bridge, London
Kapasitas : 42.449
Ketua : Bruce Buck
Manajer : Jabatan kosong
Liga : Liga Utama Inggris
2006-07 Liga Utama Inggris (2)

Pemain-pemain terkenal:
1900-an: William 'Fatty' Foulke, George 'Gatling Gun' Hilsdon, Robert McRoberts, John Tait Robertson, Ben Warren

1910-an: Jack Harrow, Nils Middelboe, Robert Whittingham

1920-an: Ben Howard Baker, Jack Cock, Tommy Law, Tommy Meehan, GR Mills, Jack Townrow, Bob Turnbull, Andrew Wilson

1930-an: Hughie Gallacher, Sam Weaver, Vic Woodley, George Mills

1940-an: John Harris, Tommy Lawton, Willi Steffen

1950-an: Ken Armstrong,Roy Bentley, Jimmy Greaves

1960-an: Frank Blunstone, Peter Bonetti, Eddie McCreadie, Ken Shellito, Bobby Tambling, Terry Venables

1970-an: Charlie Cooke, Ron Harris, John Hollins, Alan Hudson, Ian Hutchinson, Peter Osgood, Ray Wilkins

1980-an: Paul Canoville, Kerry Dixon, Pat Nevin, Nigel Spackman, David Speedie, Clive Walker

1990-an: Steve Clarke, Roberto Di Matteo, Ruud Gullit, Glenn Hoddle, Mark Hughes, Frank Leboeuf, Graeme Le Saux, Dan Petrescu, Gianluca Vialli, George Weah, Dennis Wise, Ed de Goey, Dimitri Kharine, Tore André Flo, Gianfranco Zola

2000-an: Marcel Desailly, Eiður Smári Guðjonsen, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Carlo Cudicini, Damien Duff, Arjen Robben, Didier Drogba, Petr Čech, Paulo Ferreira, Michael Ballack

Chelsea F.C. (Chelsea Football Club), juga dikenal sebagai The Blues atau sebelumnya sebagai The Pensioners, adalah sebuah klub sepak bola Inggris yang bermain di Liga Utama Inggris dan bermarkas di kota London. Klub ini didirikan oleh H.A. Mears pada tahun 1905, dan memiliki lapangan sendiri yang dapat menampung sekitar 42.360 penonton, bertempat di Fulham, London Barat.

Chelsea sudah menghabiskan banyak sejarah dalam dunia sepak bola Inggris, dan mengalami kesuksesan sebanyak dua periode, sepanjang tahun 1960-an dan awal 1970-an, kemudian pada akhir 1990-an hingga saat ini. Chelsea telah memenangi tiga gelar Liga Utama Inggris (1954-55, 2004-05, 2005-06), empat Piala FA (1970, 1997, 2000, 2007), empat Piala Liga (1965, 1998, 2005, 2007), dan dua Piala Winners (1971, 1998).

Manajer pertama adalah John Roberson (1905-1906). Chelsea menjuarai Liga Utama Inggris (Premiership) pada tahun 1955 pada masa jabatan Ted Drake sebagai manajer.

Chelsea kembali menjadi juara Liga Utama Inggris 50 kemudian, yaitu pada tahun 2005, pada masa jabatan manajer Jose Mourinho (2004 – 2007), yang saat itu mendapat dukungan penuh dari pemilik milyader minyak berkebangsaan Rusia, Roman Abramovich. Tapi beberapa penampilan yang buruk pada awal kompetisi 2007/2008 ditambah dengan ketidak sesuaian keduanya, akhirnya Jose Mourinho mengundurkan diri dari jabatan manager, dan digantikan oleh Avram Grant mantan manajer tim nasional Israel.

Pada tahun yang sama (2005), Chelsea juga menjuarai Piala Carling dengan mengalahkan Liverpool. Pada tahun 2006, Chelsea mampu kembali menjuarai Liga Utama Inggris. Tahun 2007, Chelsea berhasil juara Piala Carling setelah mengalahkan Arsenal 2-1 dan juara Piala FA setelah mengalahkan Manchester United 1-0 lewat babak perpanjangan waktu.

Pada musim 2007-08, pelatih Jose Mourinho diganti oleh Avram Grant. Diawal masa kepelatiha Grant, banyak kalangan yang memandangnya sebelah mata. Meski demikian, Avram Grant mampu membawa Chelsea menjadi treble runner-up yaitu diajang Piala Carling sebelum dikalahkan Tottenham Hotspur dengan skor 2-1. Disusul menjadi runner-up Liga Utama Inggris dibawah Manchester United dan menjadi runner-up di ajang Liga Champions setelah kalah adu penalti 6-5 dari Manchester United. Namun prestasi yang cukup baik itu tetap membuat Grant harus dipecat di akhir musim.

Chelsea memiliki beberapa pemain-pemain Inggris yang dianggap terbaik saat ini, di antaranya yaitu John Terry (kapten) dan Frank Lampard.


Chelsea FC sebagai klub sepak bola memiliki sebuah icon yaitu seekor singa jantan yang di juluki Stamford The Lion.Sementara lagu utama Chelsea FC adalah Blue Is The Colour.Lagu ini diliris pada tahun 1970 yang bertepatan dengan berlaganya Chelsea FC di kancah UEFA Cup.Lagu ini dekeluarkan oleh perusahaan Penny Records dan mencapai nomor 5 di chart pada bulan Maret 1970.Hal ini telah menjadi salah satu lagu sepakbola Inggris yang paling dikenal.Lagu ini dinyanyikan oleh sekelompok orang yang dijuluki Singing squad yang terdiri dari 14 orang,mereka adalah Tommy Baldwin,Peter Bonetti,Charlie CookeJohn Dempsey,Ron Harris,Marvin Hinton,John Hollins,Peter Houseman,Alan Hudson,Steve Kember,Eddie McCreadie,Paddy Mulligan,Peter Osgood dan David Webb.

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Brief History Chelsea FC

Founded: 1905
Address: Stamford Bridge, London SW6 1HS England
Chairman: Roman Abramovich

Club History
Chelsea F.C. (Chelsea Football Club), juga dikenal sebagai The Blues atau sebelumnya sebagai The Pensioners (London F.C.), adalah sebuah klub sepak bola Inggris yang bermain di Liga Utama Inggris dan bermarkas di kota London. Klub ini didirikan oleh H.A. Mears pada tahun 1905, dan memiliki lapangan sendiri yang dapat menampung sekitar 42.360 penonton, bertempat di Fulham, London Barat.
Chelsea sudah menghabiskan banyak sejarah dalam dunia sepak bola Inggris, dan mengalami kesuksesan sebanyak dua periode, sepanjang tahun 1960-an dan awal 1970-an, kemudian pada akhir 1990-an hingga saat ini. Chelsea telah memenangi tiga gelar Liga Utama Inggris (1954-55, 2004-05, 2005-06), lima Piala FA (1970, 1997, 2000, 2007, 2009), empat Piala Liga (1965, 1998, 2005, 2007), dan dua Piala Winners (1971, 1998).
Manajer pertama adalah John Roberson (1905-1906). Chelsea menjuarai Liga Utama Inggris (Premiership) pada tahun 1955 pada masa jabatan Ted Drake sebagai manajer.
Chelsea kembali menjadi juara Liga Utama Inggris 50 kemudian, yaitu pada tahun 2005, pada masa jabatan manajer Jose Mourinho (2004 - 2007), yang saat itu mendapat dukungan penuh dari pemilik milyader minyak berkebangsaan Rusia, Roman Abramovich. Tapi beberapa penampilan yang buruk pada awal kompetisi 2007/2008 ditambah dengan ketidak sesuaian keduanya, akhirnya Jose Mourinho mengundurkan diri dari jabatan manager, dan digantikan oleh Avram Grant mantan manajer tim nasional Israel.
Pada tahun yang sama (2005), Chelsea juga menjuarai Piala Carling dengan mengalahkan Liverpool. Pada tahun 2006, Chelsea mampu kembali menjuarai Liga Utama Inggris. Tahun 2007, Chelsea berhasil juara Piala Carling setelah mengalahkan Arsenal 2-1 dan juara Piala FA setelah mengalahkan Manchester United 1-0 lewat babak perpanjangan waktu.
Pada musim 2007-08, pelatih Jose Mourinho diganti oleh Avram Grant. Diawal masa kepelatiha Grant, banyak kalangan yang memandangnya sebelah mata. Meski demikian, Avram Grant mampu membawa Chelsea menjadi treble runner-up yaitu diajang Piala Carling sebelum dikalahkan Tottenham Hotspur dengan skor 2-1. Disusul menjadi runner-up Liga Utama Inggris dibawah Manchester United dan menjadi runner-up di ajang Liga Champions setelah kalah adu penalti 6-5 dari Manchester United. Namun prestasi yang cukup baik itu tetap membuat Grant harus dipecat di akhir musim.
Pada akhir bulan Januari 2009 Chelsea menggantikan Avram grant dengan Luiz Felipe Scolari.Pelatih asal Brazil itu Memberikan prestasi yang tidak memuaskan bagi Roman Abrahamovich.Sehingga pada akhir April 2009 ia dipecat.Selanjutnya,Posisi kosong manajer Chelsea di isikan oleh pelatih Timnas Rusia Guus Hiddink.Kontrak pelatih Guus Hiddink hanyalah sampai akhir musim 2008-2009.Pada akhir bulan Mei,Guus Hiddink memberikan kenangan pada Chelsea yaitu berupa sebuah Piala FA sebelum akhirnya ia keluar dari Chelsea. Kemudian,Chelsea menggantikan Hiddink dengan pelatih klub besar italy AC Milan yaitu Carlo Ancelotti yang kontraknya akan habis pada akhir musim 2011-2012.

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Team History

Stamford Bridge 1920
 Team
 History
 

Chelsea Football Club telah baik merayakan peringatan khusus. Tahun 2005 melihat kami mencapai tonggak utama berusia 100 tahun. Apa cara yang lebih baik ada di sana untuk menandai ulang tahun keseratus dari dengan menjadi juara dari Inggris untuk kedua kalinya dalam keberadaan kita?
Yobel emas kami telah sama dihormati. Klub ini memenangkan perak pada tahun 1960, tahun 70-an, tahun 90-an dan pada pergantian milenium baru, tetapi 1955 adalah tahun kami selesai di atas semua tim lain di Liga untuk pertama kalinya.
Itu juga awal trofi utama Chelsea. Lima dekade pertama melihat klub berkembang menjadi bagian integral dari kehidupan olahraga di ibukota Inggris dengan pemain terkenal dan sebuah stadion, besar sering penuh.
Chelsea sangat populer, tapi prestasi jatuh jauh singkat yang kini dinikmati oleh tim saat ini, yang memulai 100 tahun kedua sejarah Chelsea sebagai yang terbaik di tanah dan cerita sepak bola terbesar di seluruh dunia.
Bahkan jika berhasil piala terbukti sulit dipahami dalam 50 tahun pertama, klub telah dibentuk untuk waktu besar dari saat Henry Augustus Mears telah berubah pikiran pada suatu Minggu pagi di musim gugur 1904.
Dari semua keputusan yang telah membentuk sejarah Chelsea FC, ada bisa tidak ada yang lebih penting daripada pengusaha yang satu ini Edwardian membuat hari itu.
Gus Mears adalah antusias untuk sebuah olahraga yang telah diambil Inggris utara oleh badai tetapi belum lepas landas di ibukota dalam cukup dengan cara yang sama. London pada pergantian abad gagal untuk menyediakan satu tim ke Football League Divisi Pertama.
Mears telah melihat potensi sebuah klub sepak bola untuk bermain di sebuah lapangan atletik tua di Stamford Bridge, sepotong terbuka tanah di London barat. Itu adalah tanah ia berencana untuk membangun kembali secara besar-besaran.
Namun masalah tak terduga telah diikuti, seperti yang dilakukan tawaran menguntungkan bagi tanah. Mears berada di ambang penjualan dan meninggalkan mimpi olahraga nya.
Rekan Frederick Parker, seorang pendukung antusias dari proyek stadion sepak bola berusaha untuk mencegahnya tetapi pada hari Minggu pagi naas itu, Parker mengatakan ia menghabiskan waktu.
Sebagai dua berjalan, tanpa peringatan anjing Mears 'bit Parker, gambar darah dan menyebabkan rasa sakit yang hebat, tetapi hanya reaksi geli dari Parker.
"Kau mengambil gigitan yang betul," mengumumkan Mears sebelum memberitahu kaki ia sekarang akan percaya penilaiannya atas orang lain. "Temui aku di sini di sembilan besok dan kami akan mendapatkan sibuk," katanya. Stamford Bridge masih hidup sekali lagi.
Bukan berarti Chelsea FC berada di rencana semula. Stadion olahraga terbaik di London tampak sedikit dari tempat di tepi Chelsea makmur dan arty tetapi sebagai sejarah menunjukkan, Mears telah dipilih dengan baik. Kedekatan ke pusat kota yang dinamis membuatnya sempurna sebagai tempat baru untuk sepak bola.
Karena ketidaksepakatan keuangan, dekat Fulham Football Club, sudah ada menolak tawaran untuk meninggalkan Craven Cottage kurang besar dan bergerak masuk Jadi berbeda dengan sejarah begitu banyak klub, Mears memutuskan untuk membangun sebuah tim untuk stadion, daripada putaran lain cara.
Pada 10 Maret 1905, sebuah pertemuan diselenggarakan di seberang stadion di pub sekarang bernama The Butcher's Hook. Salah satu agenda itu adalah nama untuk klub baru. Stamford Bridge FC, Kensington FC dan menggugah rasa ingin tahu, London FC semuanya ditolak. Chelsea FC adalah apa rasanya menjadi - dan cerita itu dimulai.
John Tait Robertson, seorang internasional Skotlandia adalah pemain pertama / manajer dan skuad pemain dihormati ditandatangani, menyediakan liga dapat ditemukan untuk bersaing masuk
Liga Selatan adalah pilihan alami untuk lokasi kami tetapi mereka tidak ramah upstarts ini. Gentar, Chelsea cukup menetapkan pemandangan kita yang lebih tinggi dan langsung untuk Football League utara didominasi.
Pada tanggal 29 Mei 1905, Football League RUPS secara dramatis terpilih kita ke Divisi II. Parker kembali membuktikan persuasif seperti yang kita menjadi klub pertama yang membuat Liga tanpa menendang bola.

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Records

Of Chelsea's current players, Frank Lampard has made the most appearances and scored the most goals
Chelsea's highest appearance-maker is ex-captain Ron Harris, who played in 795 first-class games for the club between 1961 and 1980.[47] This record is unlikely to be broken in the near future; Chelsea's current highest appearance-maker is Frank Lampard with 477.[48] The record for a Chelsea goalkeeper is held by Harris's contemporary, Peter Bonetti, who made 729 appearances (1959–79). With 82 caps (80 while at the club), Frank Lampard of England is Chelsea's most capped international player.
Bobby Tambling is Chelsea's all-time top goalscorer, with 202 goals in 370 games (1959–70).[47] Eight 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), Frank Lampard (2001–) and Didier Drogba (2004–). 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 with 157.[48]
Officially, Chelsea's highest home attendance is 82,905 for a First Division match against Arsenal on 12 October 1935. However, an estimated crowd of over 100,000 attended a friendly match against Soviet team Dynamo Moscow on 13 November 1945.[49] 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 41,841.[1]
Chelsea hold numerous records in English and European football. They hold the record for the highest ever points total for a league season (95), the fewest goals conceded during a league season (15), 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),[50] and the most consecutive clean sheets from the start of a league season (6).[51]
The club's 21–0 aggregate victory over Jeunesse Hautcharage in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1971 remains a record in European competition.[52] Chelsea hold the record for the longest streak of unbeaten matches at home in the English top-flight, which lasted 86 matches from 20 March 2004 to 26 October 2008. They secured the record on 12 August 2007, beating the previous record of 63 matches unbeaten set by Liverpool between 1978 and 1980.[53][54] Chelsea's streak of eleven consecutive away league wins, set between 5 April 2008 and 6 December 2008, is also a record for the English top flight.[55]
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.[56] Chelsea were the first English side to travel by aeroplane to a domestic away match, when they visited Newcastle United on 19 April 1957,[57] and the first First Division side to play a match on a Sunday, when they faced Stoke City on 27 January 1974. On 26 December 1999, Chelsea became the first British side to field an entirely foreign starting line-up (no British or Irish players) in a Premier League match against Southampton.[58] 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.[59] After the conclusion of the 2007–08 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 first English club to do so in the 21st century.[60] During the final day of the 2009–10 season, Chelsea became the first team in Premier League history to score at least 100 goals in a single season.

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Supporters and rivalries

Chelsea have the fifth highest average all-time attendance in English football[40] and regularly attract over 40,000 fans to Stamford Bridge; they were the fifth best-supported Premier League team in the 2009–10 season, with an average gate of 41,423.[6] 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. 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.[41]
Chelsea do not have a traditional rivalry on the scale of the Merseyside derby or the North London derby; their West London derby with Fulham has not been as prominent over the years, with the two clubs often spending time in separate divisions. 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.[42] Their rivalry with Tottenham Hotspur is said to have developed following the 1967 FA Cup Final, the first cup final held between two London clubs.
Additionally, a strong rivalry with Leeds United dates back to several heated and controversial matches in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the 1970 FA Cup Final.[43] A more recent rivalry has grown with Liverpool following several clashes in cup competitions – particularly after what José Mourinho dubbed a "ghost goal" by Luis García in the UEFA Champions League 2004–05 semi-final, knocking them out of the competition.
During the 1970s and 1980s in particular, Chelsea supporters were long associated with football hooliganism. 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 Bushwackers, both during and after matches.[44] The increase in hooliganism in the 1980s led chairman Ken Bates to propose erecting an electric fence to deter them from invading the pitch; the proposal was rejected by the GLC.[45] 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.[46]

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Colours

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. The light blue shirts were short-lived, however, and replaced by a royal blue version in around 1912.[35] 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.[36]
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.[37] 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 edition in the mid-1990s.[38]
Chelsea's kit is currently manufactured by Adidas, which is contracted to supply the club's kit from 2006 to 2011. Previously, the kit was manufactured by Umbro (1968–81), Le Coq Sportif (1981–86), The Chelsea Collection (1986–87) and Umbro again (1987–2006). Chelsea's first shirt sponsor was Gulf Air, agreed midway through the 1983–84 season. 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. Chelsea were subsequently sponsored by Coors beer (1995–97), Autoglass (1997–2001) and Emirates Airline (2001–05). Chelsea's current shirt sponsor is Samsung [39] who took over the sponsorship from their mobile division in 2007-08.

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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. 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.[33] 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. This crest was based on elements in the coat of arms of the Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea[34] 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. 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.[33]
In 1986, with Ken Bates now owner of the club, Chelsea's crest was changed again as part of another attempt to modernise and to capitalise on new marketing opportunities.[33] 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. 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.

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Stamford Bridge

Chelsea vs. West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge on 23 September 1905; Chelsea won 1–0.
Chelsea have only ever had one home ground, Stamford Bridge, where they have played since foundation. It was officially opened on 28 April 1877. 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 Joseph, who had previously acquired additional land (formerly a large market garden) with the aim of staging football matches on the now 12.5 acre (51,000 m²) site.[24]
Stamford Bridge was designed for the Mears family by the noted football architect Archibald Leitch.[25] They offered to lease the stadium to Fulham, but were turned down. 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.[26]
Starting with an open bowl-like design and one covered terrace, Stamford Bridge had an original capacity of around 100,000.[24] 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.[24]
View from the West Stand, Stamford Bridge during a Champions League game
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.[24] Work began on the East Stand in the early 1970s but the project was beset with problems and the cost almost brought the club to its knees, culminating in the freehold being sold to property developers. 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.[24] 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.
When Stamford Bridge was redeveloped in the Ken Bates era many additional features were added to the complex including two hotels, apartments, bars, restaurants, the Chelsea Megastore, and an interactive visitor attraction called Chelsea World of Sport. The intention was that these facilities would provide extra revenue to support the football side of the business, but they were less successful than hoped and before the Abramovich takeover in 2003 the debt taken on to finance them was a major burden on the club. Soon after the takeover a decision was taken to drop the "Chelsea Village" brand and refocus on Chelsea as a football club. However, the stadium is sometimes still referred to as part of "Chelsea Village" or "The Village".
The Stamford Bridge West Stand – Entrance.
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. The CPO was created to ensure the stadium could never again be sold to developers. It also means that if the club moves to a new location, they could not use the Chelsea FC name.[27]
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 entrances, which places severe constraints on expansion due to health and safety regulations.[28] 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.[29] However, the club have reiterated their desire to keep Chelsea at their current home.[30]
Chelsea's training ground is located in Cobham, Surrey. Chelsea moved to Cobham in 2004. Their previous training ground in Harlington was taken over by QPR in 2005.[31] The new training facilities in Cobham were completed in 2007.[32]

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History

The first Chelsea team in September 1905
Chelsea were founded on 10 March 1905 at The Rising Sun pub (now The Butcher's Hook),[7] opposite the present-day main entrance to the ground on Fulham Road, and were elected to the Football League shortly afterwards. The club's early years saw little success; the closest they came to winning a major trophy was reaching the 1915 FA Cup Final, where they lost to Sheffield United. Chelsea gained a reputation for signing big-name players[8] and for being entertainers, but made little impact on the English game in the inter-war years.
Former Arsenal and England centre-forward Ted Drake became manager in 1952 and proceeded to modernise the club. 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 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.[9]
Chart showing the progress of Chelsea's league finishes from 1905–1906 to 2007–08
They challenged for honours throughout the 1960s, 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.[10] In three seasons the side were beaten in three major semi-finals and were FA Cup runners-up. Chelsea won the FA Cup in 1970, beating Leeds United 2–1 in a final replay. 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.
The late 1970s through to the 1980s was a turbulent period for Chelsea. An ambitious redevelopment of Stamford Bridge threatened the financial stability of the club,[11] 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.[12] In 1982 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.[13] 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. Chelsea won the Second Division title in 1983–84 and established themselves in the top division, before being relegated again in 1988. The club bounced back immediately by winning the Second Division championship in 1988–89.
Chelsea supporters passing a tifo flag before a match
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.[14] Chelsea's form in the new Premier League was unconvincing, although they did reach the 1994 FA Cup Final. It was not until the appointment of former European Footballer of the Year Ruud Gullit as player-manager in 1996 that their fortunes changed. He added several top-class international players to the side, as the club won the FA Cup in 1997 and established themselves as one of England's top sides again. Gullit was replaced by Gianluca Vialli, who led the team to victory in the 1998 Football League Cup Final and the 1998 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final in 1998, the FA Cup in 2000 and the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in 2000. 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.
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.[3] Over £100 million was spent on new players, but Ranieri was unable to deliver any trophies, so he was replaced by Portuguese coach José Mourinho. Under Mourinho, Chelsea became the fifth English team to win back-to-back league championships since the Second World War (2004–05 and 2005–06),[15] in addition to winning an FA Cup (2007) and two League Cups (2005 and 2007). In September 2007 Mourinho was replaced by Avram Grant,[16] who led the club to their first UEFA Champions League final, in which they lost on penalties to Manchester United. Grant was fired days later[17] and succeeded by Luiz Felipe Scolari in July 2008.[18]
Scolari spent only seven months in the job before being dismissed after a string of poor results.[19] Russia coach Guus Hiddink was appointed caretaker manager until the end of the 2008–09 season,[20] and guided Chelsea to a second FA Cup triumph in three years.[21] Two days later former Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti was confirmed as Chelsea's new manager.[22] In his first season, Ancelotti led Chelsea to their first league and FA Cup "Double"; in addition, Chelsea became the first English top-flight side to score over 100 league goals in a season since 1963.[23]

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