10 Things You Didn’t Know About Chelsea FC

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Chelsea Football Club

Over the last decade, Chelsea have established themselves as an English and European powerhouse. They have won the Premier League four times, four FA Cups, 2 League Cups and a Europa League in this duration, but their crowning glory came when they lifted the Holy Grail of European football, the UEFA Champions League, in 2012.

Here are a few things you didn’t know about the Blues.

1. Chelsea were founded for Stamford Bridge

In 1904, an English businessman named Gus Mears acquired the Stamford Bridge athletics stadium in London with the aim of turning it into a football ground. An offer to lease it to nearby Fulham was turned down, so Mears opted to found his own club to use the stadium. As there was already a team named Fulham in the borough,after considering names like Kensington FC, Stamford Bridge FC and London FC, the name of the adjacent borough of Chelsea was chosen for the new club.

2. Chelsea were invited for the inaugural European Cup, but declined

The Blues won their first 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. The tournament was eventually won by Real Madrid, who beat Stade Reims 4-3.

3. Their stadium is owned by the fans

The Stamford Bridge freehold, the pitch, the turnstiles and Chelsea’s naming rights are owned by Chelsea Pitch Owners, a non-profit organisation in which fans are the shareholders. The CPO was created to ensure that the stadium could never again be sold to developers, after bankruptcy had led to this happening in 1972.

4. Records Galore

Chelsea hold the English 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), and the most consecutive clean sheets from the start of a league season (6, set during the 2005–06 season).

5. They are one of the four clubs to have won the three main European Trophies

To date, only four teams have won all three main UEFA club competitions (UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Europa League):

• Juventus, after their European Champions’ Cup win in 1985.
• Ajax, after their UEFA Cup win in 1992.
• Bayern Munich, after their UEFA Cup win in 1996.
• Chelsea, after their UEFA Europa League win in 2013.

6. Youngest and Oldest

Englishman Ian Hamilton, at 16 years and 138 days, vs. Tottenham Hotspur on 18 March 1967, became the youngest player ever to play for Chelsea.

Australian Mark Schwarzer, at 41 years and 218 days, vs. Cardiff City in the Premier League, on 11 May 2014 became the oldest player to ever play for Chelsea.

7. The Special One

Jose Mourinho is the club’s most successful manager with 2 Premier League titles, 3 League Cups, an FA Cup, and a Community Shield to his name. The only trophy he has been unable to win with the Blues is the Champions League, getting knocked out in the semi-finals thrice.

8. Stamford Bridge = Fortress

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. Even this season, Chelsea have a near 100% record at the bridge, only dropping points against Manchester City and Burnley.

9. Keeping Messi quiet

Chelsea is the only club that 4 time Ballon D’or winner Lionel Messi has played 7 matches against but just can’t seem to score against. He even missed a penalty against them at the Nou Camp in 2012!

10. Bryan Adams has dedicated a song to the club!

Canadian superstar Bryan Adams, a fan of Chelsea, dedicated the song “We’re Gonna Win” from the album 18 Till I Die to the club. Listen to it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sphM2Vp2STQ.