When Wise went up to lift the FA Cup - we were there

So it's FA cup weekend and I thought it might be pretty cool and nostalgic to reflect on one of my earlier FA cup memories from when I was younger - our FA cup victory in the 1996-97 season. Back then I was an 11/12 year old who like most young children was relatively new in discovering their love of the game. I was already acquainted with Chelsea, my dad took me to my first game on my 10th birthday when beforehand we met and spoke to Chelsea's number 10 Gavin Peacock who wished me a 'happy birthday', which led to my dad saying he might put a bet on 'number 10' to score the first goal .... we lost of 3-0 to Leeds haha. Back then, unlike nowadays, it was much easier to approach players in the car park and ask for their autographs before the match. I still have an autograph book full of autographs for most players around the 1995-1996 era, before I lost it and then found it again some years later stashed in my room somewhere!

The 1996-97 season though was the first season I remember I actually became a 'football fan' rather than 'just a Chelsea fan'. I became familiar with players and stats concerning other teams and started watching other games that didn't even concern Chelsea. One stat that stands out was our 26 year wait for a trophy, although for a club the size of Chelsea at the time, it wasn't as big of a stat as it might be if the current Chelsea team of today went that long given our achievements over the last decade, but even so. My dads friends and other people of that generation would often reminisce about the glory days of the seventies, Osgood, Hutchinson, Chopper Harris and our FA cup with in 1970 followed by the European cup winners cup win of 1971. I would often wonder if the team I was destined to follow would ever go through such a period in my generation.

Most of what I will be reporting in the blog though will be events as I viewed them from my point of view (as a 12 year old), so certain details that might be out of my memories reach may not be reported with such accuracy. I do remember the 1996-97 season started with more hope and promise though any other season due to an exciting acquisition of talent never seen at the Bridge, or at least not for a long time. Ruud Gullit was appointed our player manager following Glen Hoddles departure for the England team. We had signed European cup winner Gianluca Vialli (who I just referred to as 'the bald guy'), Roberto Di Matteo (the cool guy, based on his goal celebrations) and Frank Leboeuf (the 'almost bald' guy). Later that season we would sign a certain Gianfranco Zola - probably my favourite ever player. It was also a season tainted by tragedy, as Matthew Harding, vice chairman and fan, was killed in a helicopter crash on its way back from a league cup match at Bolton. As a result, the North stand was named after him as much of his input into the club had helped pay for its re-development.

Some say the FA Cup has lost its magic in recent years, and I have to agree. It doesn't appear to be the huge match it was in the nineties, the Premier League and Champions have put paid to this. The all day build up on the day of the final, the feeling of the whole town getting behind the team with street parties etc seems a thing of the past. Some teams consider it a distant third priority in the ranking of trophy importance, in recent this is regrettably how I confess to feeling given the importance placed in the champions league. This season, the FA cup had not died down just yet and one of the many games I attended that season was the third round tie versus West Brom. Obviously being 11 years old at the time, I thought the team we were facing were based at 'West Brompton', the tube station up from Fulham Broadway haha, before my dad explained that West Brom are actually based in the midlands near Birmingham. So not quite the derby I believed it was then haha. Back in those days, our pre-match routine was a drink meal/in Drakes (not sure that is easily done nowadays, bit more for corporate hospitality I think). Chelsea TV would be on the screen with highlights of previous matches and pre/post match interviews that couldn't be seen elsewhere. We were sitting behind the goal of the Matthew Harding lower, and the game was won convincingly enough, 3-0 with goals from Dennis Wise, Craig Burley (on as a sub, but later carried off from what I remember was a serious injury that kept him out for much of the remainder of the campaign) and Zola. Mark Hughes, if I remember correctly did not have one of his better games ..... but I think he more than made up for it in later rounds.

The fourth round tie was undoubtedly the tie of the round: Chelsea vrs Liverpool. Liverpool were going through the so called 'spice boy' era and were top of the league, some considered them favourites to win the cup that year. The match was picked for live TV on the BBC Sunday afternoon, back in the days when live games were far from as frequent as they are now, and the Match of the day studio could be seen set up on the right hand side of the stand with Des Lynam, Alan Hansen and Jimmy Greaves all spotted through the glass window doing their bit for tv. Myself and dad attended this game and sat a bit more directly behind the goal in the same stand as we did in the last round. The pre match nerves started to hit as I watched the players warm up, particularly Kevin Hitchcock and sub keeper that day (can't remember who that was). This was our biggest game of the season. Twenty minutes and it looked all over, Fowler and Collymore had put Liverpool 2-0 up, the second coming from an error by Eddie Newton, who had an FA cup score to settle following the penalty he gave away to Man Utd in the 1994 final (but we'll come back to that later). Vialli, starting in place of Mark Hughes who was surprisingly benched by Gullit, by his standards had a poor half, and the dissent in the stands were calling for him to be hauled off at half time in place of Hughes. At half time I was feeling sick (because football means more to you at that age doesn't it?) but our season was virtually over. How wrong I was.

Hughes DID come on, but in place of Scott Minto instead of Vialli. in those days it was just the 3 subs for FA cup games so Gullit would have to be careful regarding making any other changes, but it wouldn't matter. Five minutes in and the tide of the match changed - hughes scored on a shot and turn, and suddenly the game was alive again. Unfortunately where we were sitting the view was the greatest but you could just about make out the goals at the other end of the pitch (the currently being refurbished Shed end). Hughes was everywhere though, he got stuck in, started roughing up the Liverpool defence and on 55 mins, poked the ball to Zola who 20 yards out, bent in a trademark curling shot to equalise. The stadium erupted and Chelsea were back. Back, but not finished. Withing an hour, Chelsea were ahead. My favourite player Dan Petrescu (who was my favourite player purely because he looked like Fox Mulder from The X Files, a programme I was really too young to be watching!) supplied a through ball for Vialli who poked the ball past James. 3-2. Unbelievable. Chants of HANSEN, WHAT'S THE SCORE?, HANSEN HANSEN WHAT'S THE SCORE? were directed at Alan Hansen in the Match of the day studio, and Hansen himself could be seen trying to hide his face (albeit with a smile). But Chelsea wasn't done with the scoring and a fourth goal followed on 71 - a Zola free kick onto the bald head of Vialli and into the goal, 4-2 for the most unexpected turnaround. The final whistle was greeted by 40,000 odd thousand roaring cheers, singing and applause that continued for a good 10 minutes afterwards. To this day, I'm not entirely I've seen a reaction quite it - for the club Chelsea were in those days, following the dark days of the eighties there was a real sense that this was a defining moment. Looking back, it most certainly was. The fact that, until we won the league in 205 this single game was voted the greatest match in Chelsea's history speaks volumes. Drakes afterwards was unlike anything I had seen, grown men hugging and celebrating with each other as the scale of Chelsea's achievement took hold. It was even the first time Liverpool had lost a two goal for something like 20 or 30 years (I may need correcting on that). Cheers erupted in the bar as Chelsea were drawn away to Leicester in the fifth round draw, could this really be our year? The excitement, promise and hopefulness at the time, even for a young lad such as myself was something many folk had not experienced for a long time, maybe almost just about replicated in the champions league winning season of 2011/12.

The fifth round sadly was not as straight forward as it looked on paper (but that's football eh?). Chelsea by now were the cup favourites, Man Utd, Arsenal, Leeds, Newcastle (a big club then remember) and of course, Liverpool, had all fallen in the fourth round. Chelsea were the highest placed and strongest team left in the competition, so surely ours to lose? Having already beaten Leicester away in the league, I was pretty confident. Live on Match of the day again so I got to experience this round from my armchair. We made a storming start, Di Matteo with a thumping shot into the top corner and a super-cool badman celebration, and then a counter attack finished by FA cup warhorse Mark Hughes. 2-0 up at half time. What could go wrong? Well .... enter Martin O'neil and his knack of making teams ridiculously difficult to beat. Steve Walsh pulled Leicester back into it, a poor error by Hitchcock really as he came off his line to claim a cross from a free kcik but didn't make it, with Walsh flicking home. Zola missed a chance to put us 3-1 up, just a few days after he had fired past Ian Walker for Italy versus England in the Azurri's 1-0 win. Not quite the best game for Zola as a result, the crowd were a bit on his back as a result of him doing his job for Italy (the sad world of a football fan sometimes). Two minutes to go though, all seemed ok, but then disaster as Eddie Newton (again seemingly enduring an ongoing nightmare with the cup) sliced the ball into his own goal. I'd say him an Hitchcock were equally to blame but it didn't matter - it was 2-2. Last round we came back from 2-0 down at half time and this time we blew a 2-0 half time lead, typical Chels. Only at least we were still in the cup, and so a replay beckoned.

Didn't go to this game, nor did I watch it on tv due to not having sky, but I am familiar with the main talking point which I later saw highlights of. The only main highlight of the replay. Never mind the performance of Kasey Keller (which would suggest we were deserved winners anyway) or the goal line clearance of Leboeuf from Heskey in the final minute of normal time. No. The penalty. Three minutes from the end of extra time, Erland Johnsen, the most un-confrontation and cleanest player ever, picked up the ball, ran from inside his own half, played a one two with Vialli, and on reaching for the ball, collided with Prior and Elliott. Mike Reid (not the ex-Eastender comedian, that was actually the refs name) gives Chelsea a penalty. It all kicks off, players trying to fight each other (not just Wise for once haha), O'neil fuming on the touchline and after the game. All irrelevant though as Lebouef dispatched the penalty to put us through. Was it a penalty or wasn't it? Was it fate that this WAS to be our year? Even as I watch replays of the incident since on youtube, I confess it might not have been, but then again I have seen them given before (especially when watching Man Utd haha).

Portsmouth away in the quarters next. Terry Venables I seem to remember being chairman (who remembers that?!). Portsmouth had won 3-2 at Elland Road against Leeds in the previous, and because Leeds had beaten us 2-0 (Ian Rush) in the league that season, I assumed that if they could beat Leeds, they might well beat us and I was worried. This was going to be a teletext job for me, not having Sky and all. Back in the days before Soccer Saturday etc, Teletext was considered the original Soccer Saturday (more so if you didn't have a radio). So I expected this to be a hard game as I said.....no. We ran out 4-1 winners. Hughes with a storming volley, two goals from Wisey and one from Zola. The first Wise goal he actually stole from Steve Clarke, as Clarkes header was about to go in but Wise stole a touch on the line. It emerged that poor Clarkey had gone something like 7, 8 or 9 years without a goal! That would become an recurring theme through the rest of the season with numerous players attempting to set Clarke up for a goal (it would be a year though before he could eventually score).

The semi final draw was Wimbledon v Chelsea and Chesterfield v Middlesbrough. Chesterfield were the surprise giant - killing package of the FA cup that year, but we didn't have to contend with them. We had to contend with the crazy gang. The masters of the cross and header long ball game. Wimbledon had destroyed 4-2 at the Bridge that season and by their standards were having a decent season. They'd also reached the semi finals of the league cup, losing on away goals to Leicester. This was going to be a hard game many thought. Highbury was the selected semi final venue. Me and dad and a few others trekked up there to the (not at all) glorious surroundings of Highbury and Islington. Different kind of set up the bridge, Highbury seemed more crammed into a residential area, with locals (no doubt Arsenal fans) observing the masses of Chelsea and Wimbledon fans descending on their turf. Situated behind the goal but further up at the end which wasn't the clock end (whatever it was called) I noticed we seemed to have sold our allocated, whilst Wimbledon's end seemed to have loads of gaps and empty seats, which I found odd at the time. Gullit had no doubt done his homework and gave another rare start for Erland Johnsen, no doubt to combat the aerial threat of Wimbledon. Another typical aspect of Wimbledon's style was to, in no uncertain terms, 'get stuck in'. There were known for their physical approach to games, so it was no suprise when one of their players (can't remember who) was yellow carded after something like 5 seconds. Chelsea players proceeded to surround the referee every time something like this happened, meaning that player had to walk on ice for the rest of the game. Ruud mind games no doubt - I later learned that Gullit himself had personally greeted every Wimbledon player upon their arrival off the bus as some kind of mind games - gamesmanship tactic! "Hey Vinnie, hey are you? Good luck for today!", hehe. Anyway back to the game. The papers were bigging up Mark Hughes, at the time on the verge of becoming the most successful player in the history of the FA cup, and his performance duly delivered. He scored just before half time, a scrambled goal I couldn't make out from where I was, later in the highlights seeing it was a Neil Ardley clearance in the six yard box that smashed straight against Hughes for him to smash in from close range. The second goal though, on about the hour mark, was a goal of real beauty. That man Zola, picking up a pass from Di Matteo, back heeling the ball first time, bamboozling Dean Blackwell and stroking the ball. Fantastic goal, so glad I was there to see it ... or at least I would have if the person sitting in front of me had not obscured my view with his head! The perils of being a short 12 year old.... oh well. I wasn't too bothered at the time (although I should have been), Hughes finished the game off at the end and we won 3-0.... QUE SERA SERA - WHATEVER WILL BE WILL BE, WE'RE GOING TO WEMBLEY! I couldn't believe the team I supported we in a cup final. Literally. Could. Not. Believe. It.

May 17th 1997. We were off to Wenbley. Middlesbrough awaited. They, like us, had a summer of recruiting continental talen, but unlike us, It did not help do much good for them as they ended the season relegated from the Premier league, with a 3 point deduction as well for not fulfilling a fixture which cost them dear in the end. Ravenelli, Vialli's friend from Juventus, had some in over 30 goals yet somehow it wasn't enough to save Boro from the drop. They own little version of Zola in the form of the Brazilian Juninho. All the talk prior to the match would be who out of the two would come out on top. Suggs sang the cup final song (remember the days when teams used to record cup final songs? In a way, it is a shame that has stopped) called 'Blue day'. I even bought the single; and really bought into the event as a whole. Back then, being in the cup final was a huge achievement. A huge event. So matchday arrived, and me, dad and a relative of his partner at the time, who funnily enough, I can't remember at all. Got my face painted and everything, all scarved and flagged. Got on the tube at Southfields and lots of other groups of Chelsea fans could be seen scattered around on the tube obviously going to the game. I can remember the amazement and wonder at seeing the famous towers of Wenbley as we got closer on the tube. We found a place to eat near the stadium and then a pub full of Chelsea fans, voices in full swing. WHEN WISE, GOES UP, LIFT THE FA CUP, WE'LL BE THERE, WE'LL BE THERE. A couple of Middlesbrough fans even walked in,everyone in the pub booed and then cheered when they walked our straight away. All good banter though. I even called my mum from a phone booth to check she was recording the match on TV so I could watch it all again when I got home (not if we lost of course haha). Then it came to taking our seats and the procession that proceeded kick off. God Save the queen and Cliff Richard singing Abide with me, while one Chelsea fan behind me sang HE'S HERE, HE'S THERE,   .... (something something) CLIFF RICHARD! CLIFF RICHARD! The teams walked out. Que a sea of blue and red flags waving ferociously around the ground. We were seated about half way up, between the goal and the top. Nerves had been rife since we reached the final but they were really kicking in now. The game started and the roar of the Wembley crowd subsided as the fans awaited who would take the upper hand early. Chelsea made an early counter attack, with Di Matteo striving forward. He had scored a number of long range goals that season, but I still think he surprised everyone when he smashed the ball home from 25 yards in off the underside of the bar after just 43 seconds - the quickest Wembley cup final (a record that stood until Saha broke the record against us in 2009). As the ball hit the back of the net, I seem to remember that was about a second before every Chelsea fan went mental, it really did take everyone by surprise. 'Who scored??' my dad asked me. He wasn't even paying attention! He was too busy admiring the stadium, not expecting an early goal and as a result missed one the greatest single moments in our history (this time there was no one blocking my view!). The game stayed 1-0 for a substantial period of time, some half chances came and went, Ravenelli went off injured and aside from a brief period in the second half when Boro won a couple of close range free kicks right on the edge of the penalty area, I can't say Boro really threatened to score at any point. It too until the 83rd minute before we sealed the cup - a glorious chip by Dan Petrescu followed by an even more glorious back heel from Zola finished off by Eddie Newton. Newton had some FA cup demons to settle as I mentioned earlier, a couple of bad mistakes in the earlier rounds as well as the penalty conceded in the 1994 final, this was his redemption. Effectively it marked the end of the final as a contest. 'When Wise Goes up ...' was sung louder and louder until the final whistle.

There it was. Chelsea had won the FA cup. Their first major honour for 26 years. Que numerous player celebrations in front of the home fans the infamous Chelsea 'celebration run and slide across the pitch' or whatever its called. I could just about make out the silver outline of the cup as Wisey did in fact 'lift' the cup, thus causing the fans song to change to 'When Wise WENT up to lift the FA cup...' etc. The Suggs cup final song player and about 40,000 odd fans sang along. That was a moment I liked. Particularly the part of the song that goes 'Now even heaven, is Blue today, you should hear the Chelsea roar...' followed by an actual roar from the fans joining in the song. Blue is the colour was played as well. Matthew Harding was not forgotten either 'MATTHEW HARDINGS BLUE ARMY' had been sung numerous times throughout that season but was sung more so that afternoon. Perhaps it was just destiny we did that year of all years.

So that was that. That was Chelsea winning the cup in 1997 from my point of view, from what I can remember. Not the occasion it once was sadly. I even still have somewhere in the house the tape cassette of the final. Some years later I would sometimes watch the all day build up prior to the game and wonder if it would ever got back to the way it was, somehow I doubt it. The champions league has seen to that, not through any fault of it mind. But I do have a fond regard for the compettion as the 1996/97 cup win was one of my earliest football memories and, like my dad before me when he saw us win the cup in 1970. Good days. Little did I know that was just start of it though. It's funny looking back at the time, with us being a relatively small-ish club, that it was such an achievement that season for us to win it, compared to how much grown and won since. Incredible really.

And hopefully it will continue!

Who should Chelsea sign?

                                                  Who should Chelsea sign?

It's been a while since my last blog, and with the season now even, not much chance of me doing match reports over the summer (might do a few world cup match reports though, providing i can find the time to watch the games!). So I thought I'd write a blog on who Chelsea might end up signing this summer and other potential up and coming stars that they may benefit from brining in.

First up its the position we seem to have been struggling to fill for over a year now - the striker position. Torres looks like he might just have player his last game for us with his goal and muted celebration at Cardiff at the weekend. I have mixed thoughts on Torres, some of dismay and despair, others of sympathy (I'll never know what it's like to have a £50 million price tag on my shoulders and neither will anyone else) but regardless, his work rate can't be faulted. Ba is another striker I actually LIKE as he does get the odd goal when he plays, whether Jose feels he puts the work rate in is another matter. Eto' from what I've heard is on his way out. Just as I'm writing, it's been confirmed that that Chelsea have agreed a 32 million feed with Athletico Madrid for Mark Ruffalo/The incredible Hulk/Diego Costa. Great. 36 goals in 50 games this season (so far) and 20 in 44 this season. He can definitely fill the Drogba void. A similar striker - he is big and aggressive. A Mourinho striker I'd say. A friend of mine said a few months ago that if we signed him he would 'put us on a par with Bayern Munich' (that was before Munich got their backsides firmly handed to them on a plate by Real Madrid in the champions league!).

So who joins him? Do Chelsea bring Lukaku back? Why not? Some say (including me) that he should have been there this season and arguably he did more than enough to warrant that after his performances at West Brom, 17 goals in 38 games and 16 in 33 for Everton this season. He has been the main star for both those teams (just look at West Brom this season) but the question is, would he be happy playing second fiddle to Costa? Just who would in realistically come to Chelsea and not be guaranteed the number one striker role assuming Costa is going to be given that role? Surely not Mario Mandzukic. The croatian striker has been on top form for Bayern the last couple of years, know for his back tracking, surely he would fit into a Mourinho-style team? At £25 million, would Chelsea want to splash big on another striker though? (You've got to admit though it would be an awesome strike force!)

Kurt Zouma, signed in January, is already on the way. A 19 year old centre back marked as one for the future from Saint Etienne. We might need another defender and/or a defensive midfielder if Luiz goes to Barcelona, although I think we need another defensive midfielder regardless. Rumour has it that Jose wants to bring Raphael Varane to Chelsea after taking him to Real Madrid from Lens in 2011. Said to be one of the central defenders of the future, Varane would surely not be cheap and if he were to come, that would make two very young Chelsea defenders in the defensive set up along with Zouma, indicating the rebuilding project Jose is carving out is set to be a long one. So, add to that, Luke Shaw. The 18 year old Southampton is said to be a Chelsea fan, but looks destined for Man Utd this season, and what a summer it looks like being for him. World cup call up and potential big money move to Manchester Utd. If he doesn't have a girlfriend, he will have surely had a few by August! Shaw at one point looked the certain replacement for Ashley Cole, who can't have too many years left in him, but looks to have done enough to stay on another year at least.

Speaking of players who surely can't have too many years left in them, how long can Lampard's beast of an engine run for? Well, hopefully forever I say! But Chelsea have surely got to be on the lookout for re-inforcements in midfield, surely with the aim of replacing the chelsea legend. I saw a couple of tweets on social media that Ross Barkley will be a Chelsea player next season (so it must be true if it was on Twitter lol). I'd fancy Barkley, not just because he's english and Chelsea are likely to be encouraged to promote more English players over the next few years, but he works hard and can seemingly play anywhere across the middle of the park, Another player, not english though, who could do this, is 20 year old Paul Pogba, once of Man Utd now of Juventus. Deemed not good enough by mighty Ferguson, he has since restored his reputation and his ability to play midfield or attacking midfield and been one of the up and coming stars in Juventus' revival in Serie A. Remind me of the Nemanja Matic situation, once on Chelsea's books, then sold on for free before being bought back for £21 million a completely different player, and as I mentioned earlier, I think Matic needs a hand.I don't fancy Mikel to be the one to partner him, and Luiz could potentially be Barca bound. Attacking midfield, well we have all the attacking midfield it seems haha. Room for more? How about Draxler of Schalke? Versatile attacking midfield that seems to have shone on Arsenals radar, despite a recent injury that has stumped his progress, rumour has it that Schalke have slapped a £40 million price tag on him, so not sure if Chelsea would fancy that.

Have I missed anyone? Agree of disagree? Leave a comment and let me know!