THIS WEEK'S FIXTURE - -Chelsea Vs Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn at home used to give me nightmares, for some reason we could never beat them, plus they have had some really awful away kits, maybe that’s what put the boys off. Anyway we have a decent home record against them considering in recent years we haven’t done that good against them. So we have played them 45 times at the Bridge winning 22, drawing 11 & losing 12.Our biggest wins there have only been 0-3 and they were in 58 & 65, also our biggest losses have been by the same score in 62, 82 & 95, as for high scoring draws they don’t get better than 2-2 the last being in 1963 with Bridges & Murray getting the goals.

Recent Statistics: In recent years our stats have been ok but not great, in our last 10 games in Jack Walker land we have won 4 lost 4 and drawn 2, our best win was the 4-3 in Sept 98.The season I’ve picked this week was Rudi’s first season in charge, 96-97.We didn’t get any favors from the blackeyes as we only managed two 1-1 draws against them, with Super Dan & Scott Minto getting the goals home & away respectively. By the end of the season we finished a decent 6^th but Blackburn finished in 13^th, which two years out from winning the league wasn’t very good. Our top scorer was Luca with a defenders total of 9 from 28 games ,Blackeyes top scorer was none other than Chris Sutton with a net busting 11 from 25 games…”Must have left them shooting boots up north Chrisy boy” 

Memorable Game: The memorable game has got to be the game from Sept 98.I was up in Edinburgh for this game, don’t ask me why I just was. Anyway I knew the game was on TV so I had to convince a Scottish pub owner that it’s going to be a classic, thankfully he let up. So the game started and it was a bit slow and the pub owner was desperate to watch Coronation Street but there was a penalty unfortunately it was to Rovers.1-0, so the pub guy was happy cos I wasn’t.Lebeouf managed to get one back 1-1, but Rovers scored again through Sutton if I remember correctly, 2-1, by this time I had gone from my little corner of the bar to propping the bar up with 2 Heart of Midlothian fans. We won a freekick which only Zola could take; it was just to the left of the goal just outside the area. And what a goal, Flowers was nowhere 2-2, by this time the Guinness was starting to do its singing. Anyway the second half wasn’t anything special until the last 5 minutes, The Blackeyes scored again through Wilcox. The Hearts fans by now were laughing at me as was the pub owner, but I had faith, that or the beer had finally taken hold. I realized it must have been faith as Vialli decided to bring Flo on. Within seconds Flo had scored 3-3, that was it I was on the bar, beer went everywhere, the Scots told me to shut up and sit down. Two minutes later I was at it again Flo scored again 3-4, even the two Hearts fan had a smile on their faces, that or they had trapped wind. The whistle went, I think the pub owner was disappointed we had won so in my drunken state I said “at least you got a home win in Bannockburn”…Time to leave. Great game good atmosphere, even being chased wasn’t that bad (my hotel was literally just over the road!!!)

 

 

 

 

Games from This Week in Years Gone By:

Jan 22^{nd 49} Vs Everton (A) L 1-2..Goalscorer..Jones..Att 52,700

Jan 31^st 70 Vs Sunderland (H) W 3-1..Goalscorer..Osgood 3..Att 37,775

Jan 31^st 87 Vs Norwich City (A) D 2-2..Goalscorers.. Bumstead Wicks..Att 16,562

CHELSEA LEGEND: This player when he arrived was already a world legend its none other than “the rock” himself Marcel Desailly.Marce arrived at Chelsea in Aug 98 for a fee of around $9.25 million .A great defender with a commanding presence he was recognized as one of the world’s greatest defender’s, he had speed (early in his career) aggression and a total command of his defensive area, not a lot used to get past him. He had a couple of years of being Captain a position he didn’t really want but still done like the professional he was. By the time Marce got to Chelsea he had already reached over 400 games in Italy & France, where he was the first player to win the European Champions League with 2 different clubs (AC Milan & Marseilles),plus he was also a runner up in 95.He was sent off in the 98 World Cup Final but within 2 years he won the European Championship with France but more importantly he was a member of the Chelsea team who lift the FA Cup for the last time at Wembley in 2000.Marcel Desailly one of the world’s greatest defenders and a true…CHELSEA LEGEND! 

CHELSEA TRIVIA: Fewest goalscorers in a season: 1938/39  -7, 1908/09 & 67/68  -8, 1936/37, 49/50, 53/54   -9, 1907/08, 14/15, 33/34, 61/62, 68/69, 69/70  -10.

QUIZ QUESTIONS:

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS:

   1: An orange ball was used in the 73 final and never used again

   2: Paul Ince & Christian Ziege have played in Mersey, North East, London & Milan derbies

THIS WEEK’S QUESTIONS

   1: Name 9 international England players who’s last name starts & ends with the same letter  

   2: Name 3 players to scored a hat trick for 3 premiership teams                                                                                                           

NEXT WEEK’S LESSON IS CHARLTON ATHLETIC

Until Next Time Then…….Cheerio!  Tel