So how do you do a history lesson against a team that we’ve never played before. Well its difficult, so what I've done is tried to find some “trivia’ about the Town of Macclesfield. So Macclesfield is home to “the silkmen”, whose season ticket prices range from 50 quid up to wallet breaking 284 quid (unobstructed view I bet!!!). Their clubs honors include…3^rd division runners up 97/98, FA challenge trophy winners 69/70 AND 95/96, and conference champions 94/95 and 96/97. Macclesfield has a population of around 51,000 and is considered one of 30 wealthiest town’s in England. They are famous, (if famous is what your looking for), for the silk textile industry, its also where Hovis bread was born, which if your English and reading this your are now reminiscing about the old commercials with that poor kid and his bike going t’up hill wit loaf of bread, which by the way was directed by Ridley Scott (of alien, aliens movie fame). Musically, Joy Division/New Order were from here, as was the great band Macc Lads. SOMEBODY please tell me you’ve heard of this band, they had classics like sweaty betty, Julie schooly, beer chips and gravy, smash yer face in. They were the 90’s Sex pistols. Totally brilliant. Sorry the lesson isn’t up to much this week but blame the FA they done the draw not me!!!

Games from this week in years gone by:FA Cup 3^rd games

Feb 20 1915 Vs Manchester City (A) W 1-0 .Goalscorer Thomson...Att 39,000

Jan 28^th 1967 Vs Huddersfield Town (A) W 2-1.Goalscorers Houseman Tambling...Att 36,407

Jan 3^rd 1970 Vs Birmingham City (H) W 3-0.Goalscorers Osgood Hutchinson 2...Att 45,088

Mark Bosnich 13th

CHELSEA LEGEND.Vialli Vialli Vialli Vialli Was the oh so often cry heard around Stamford Bridge during the late 90’s. Luca signed for us on the back of winning the ECL with Juventus and for the first time in a long time a lot of expectation was around Stamford Bridge.Luca only played a total of 83 games but bagged a total of 40 goals. After winning a plethora of medals in his native Italy Luca came here in 96, at first he seemed as if he was trying to hard to please the crowd but once that first goals went in at home to Coventry there was no stopping him. In 98, in the space of 5 months he added the League cup, European cup winner’s cup & the super cup to his already bulging medal collection, of which in 97 he had already won a FA Cup medal. In Feb 98 Luca took over as player manager and straight away led us to victory over Le Arse in that classic semi final league cup game. He managed Chelsea for a total of 143 games of which we won 76 drew 38 and lost 29, a percentage of 53%,but much to his disappointment and after spending close on 60million quid on players Luca couldn’t get us that Championship title. During his days at Chelsea as a manager we played some beautiful football and in season 98-99 I think everyone will say that this was our best year for style and entertainment, it really was a joy to watch, plus we finished 3^rd which believe it or not we should have done better but for that damn West Ham game. After this game I think the players lost belief in themselves and that the title was out of reach, this is where Vialli the Manager should have come in but I think the players still saw him more as a player than the boss and this could have been his downfall, but overall it was great to have such a legend arrive at the club and do so well and leave with the legend tag still in place Gianluca Vialli a damn decent and polite bloke and a true…CHELSEA LEGEND.

CHELSEA TRIVIA: Players who played other sports: Clive Allen (American football), Eric Parsons (national bowls champion. well done rabbit), John Phillips (water skier), Carlo Cudicini (golf & good at it!), Mal Donaghy (Gaelic football), Ben Baker (water polo, he only played one game as his horse drowned!!!!), and Max Woosnam (played Davis cup tennis for GB)

QUIZ QUESTIONS:

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS:

1: The 5 teams to win the FA Cup with a c in there name are…Chelsea, Coventry, Cardiff, Charlton & Clapham Rovers.

2; The team to win the European cup more than their league is Nottm Forest, they won it in 78 & defended it in 79

This Weeks Questions:

1; Which teams are furthest North, South, East & West in England?

2: Which team has played in the Prem ,Divs 1, 2, 3 & 4 & Div 3 south & div 3 North?

Next weeks lesson is Vs Wigan Ath

Until Next Time Then…….Cheerio! Tel