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NOTE: REGARDING THE NICKNAME "CHELSKI". WHILE THIS MAY BE A COMMONLY USED NICKNAME, IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE TO INSERT IT INTO THE INFOBOX BECAUSE IT IS A DEROGATORY NICKNAME. THE MEANING OF THE NAME IS DISCUSSED LATER IN THE ARTICLE.
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*** POLITE SUGGESTION to potential editors: This article is only meant to be a summary and is already too long by Wikipedia standards. It has been suggested that the temptation to provide a match by match commentary or a blow by blow account of Chelsea's recent history be avoided. More detailed information should be added to the [[History of Chelsea F.C.]] article. See Talk page. ***
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{{Infobox Football club |
clubname = Chelsea Football Club |
nickname = ''The Pensioners''<br>''The Blues''|
ground = [[Stamford Bridge (stadium)|Stamford Bridge]]<br />[[Fulham Road]]<br/>[[London|London SW6]]<br/>[[England]] |
capacity = 42,055<ref name="capacity">{{cite web | url=http://www.chelseafc.com/xxchelsea180706/index.html#/page/StadiumLayout | title=Stadium Layout |work=chelseafc.com | accessdate=21 January | accessyear=2007}}</ref> |
chairman = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bruce Buck]] <br>(for {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Roman Abramovich]]) |
manager = {{flagicon|Portugal}} [[José Mourinho]] |
captain = {{flagicon|England}} [[John Terry]] |
Chief Executive = {{flagicon|England}} [[Peter Kenyon]]|
Life President = {{flagicon|England}} [[Richard Attenborough]] |
league = [[Premier League]] |
season = [[Premier League 2006-07|2006–07]] |
position = Premier League, 2nd |
pattern_la1=_whiteshoulders|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=_whiteshoulders|
leftarm1=0000FF|body1=0000FF|rightarm1=0000FF|shorts1=0000FF|socks1=FFFFFF|
pattern_la2=_blackshoulders|pattern_b2=_thinblacksides|pattern_ra2=_blackshoulders|
leftarm2=D4FF00|body2=D4FF00|rightarm2=D4FF00|shorts2=000000|socks2=000000|
shirtsupplier=[[Adidas]]|
shirtsponsors=[[Samsung|Samsung Mobile]]|}}
'''Chelsea Football Club''' (also known as '''The Blues''' or previously '''The Pensioners''') are an [[England|English]] professional [[football (soccer)|football]] [[football team|club]] based in west [[London]]. Founded in 1905, they play in the [[Premier League]] and have spent most of their history in the top tier in [[Football in England|English football]]. They have had two broad periods of success, one during the [[1960s]] and early [[1970s]], and the second from the late 1990s to the present day. Chelsea have won three league titles, four [[FA Cup]]s, four [[Football League Cup|League Cup]]s and two [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]]s.<ref>{{cite web |
url=http://www.chelseafc.com/xxchelsea180706/index.html#/page/TrophyCabinet |
title=Trophy Cabinet |
work=chelseafc.com|
accessdate=25 January |
accessyear=2007 }}</ref>
Chelsea's home is the 42,055 capacity<ref name="capacity"/> [[Stamford Bridge (stadium)|Stamford Bridge]] football stadium in [[Fulham]], [[West London]], where they have played since their foundation. Despite their name, the club are based just outside the [[Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea]], in the [[London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham]]. In 2003, the club was bought by [[Russia]]n [[petroleum|oil]] tycoon [[Roman Abramovich]].<ref name="takeover">{{cite news |
date=[[2003-07-02]] |
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3036838.stm |
title=Russian businessman buys Chelsea |
publisher=BBC |
accessdate=2007-02-11 |
author=}}</ref>
The club's traditional [[Kit (football)|kit]] colours are royal blue shirts and shorts with white socks. Their traditional crest is a ceremonial blue lion holding a staff; a modified version of this was adopted in 2005.<ref name="new crest">{{cite news |
date=[[2004-11-12]] |
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/4008257.stm |
title=Chelsea centenary crest unveiled |
publisher=BBC |
accessdate=2007-01-02 |
author=}}</ref> Chelsea are one of the best-supported clubs in the [[United Kingdom]], with an estimated fanbase of around four million.<ref name="fanbase">{{cite web |
url=http://www.chelseafc.com/article.asp?hlid=404437&m=7&y=2006&nav=news&sub=latest%20news |
title=Chelsea voted one of UK's top brands |
work=chelseafc.com |
accessdate=2006-09-28
}}</ref>
==History==
{{Details2|History of Chelsea F.C.}}
[[Image: Chelsea_Team_1905.jpg|right|thumb|The first Chelsea team in September 1905.|250 px]]
Chelsea were founded on [[March 14]], [[1905]] at The Rising Sun pub (now The Butcher's Hook), 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 [[FA Cup]] final in 1915, where they lost to [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]]. Chelsea gained a reputation for signing big-name players<ref name="glanville">{{cite news |
date=[[2004-01-10]] |
url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,27-958357_1,00.html |
title=Little sign of change for Chelsea and their impossible dreams |
publisher=[[The Times]] |
accessdate=2006-12-29 |
author=[[Brian Glanville]]}}</ref> and for being entertainers, but made little impact on the English game in the inter-war years.
Former [[England national football team|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 in English football|1954–55]]. The following season saw [[UEFA]] create the [[UEFA Champions League|European Champions' Cup]], but after objections from [[The Football League]] and the [[The Football Association|FA]] Chelsea were persuaded to withdraw from the competition before it started.<ref>{{cite news |
date=[[2005-04-27]] |
url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,762-1586242,00.html |
title=The great Chelsea surrender |
publisher=[[The Times]] |
accessdate=2006-12-29 |
author=[[Brian Glanville]]}}</ref>
The 1960s saw the emergence of a talented young Chelsea side under manager [[Tommy Docherty]]. They challenged for honours throughout the decade, and endured several near-misses. They were on course for a treble of League, FA Cup and [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] going into the final stages of the [[1964-65 in English football|1964-65]] season, winning the League Cup but faltering late on in the other two.<ref>{{cite book | author=Glanvill, Rick | title=Chelsea FC: The Official Biography - The Definitive Story of the First 100 Years| publisher=Headline Book Publishing Ltd| year=2006| id=ISBN 0-7553-1466-2 | pages=p. 196}}</ref> In three seasons the side were beaten in three major semi-finals and were FA Cup runners-up. In 1970 Chelsea were FA Cup winners, beating [[Leeds United A.F.C.|Leeds United]] 2–1 in a [[FA Cup Final 1970|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]].
[[Image: ChelseaReserveProgramme.jpg|thumb|150px|left|One of the first post-[[World War II|War]] matchday programmes - Chelsea Reserves vs [[Crystal Palace F.C.|Crystal Palace]] Reserves, [[27 October]] [[1945]].]]
The late 1970s and the 1980s were a turbulent period for Chelsea. An ambitious redevelopment of Stamford Bridge threatened the financial stability of the club,<ref>{{cite book | author=Glanvill | year=2006 | title=Chelsea FC: The Official Biography | pages=pp. 84-87}}</ref> star players were sold and the team were relegated. Further problems were caused by a notorious [[hooliganism|hooligan]] element among the support, which was to plague the club throughout the decade.<ref>{{cite book | author=Glanvill | year=2006 | title=Chelsea FC: The Official Biography | pages=pp. 143-157}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book | author=Glanvill | year=2006 | title=Chelsea FC: The Official Biography | pages=pp. 89-90}}</ref> On the pitch, the team had fared little better, coming close to relegation to the [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] for the first time, but in 1983 manager [[John Neal (footballer)|John Neal]] put together an impressive new team for minimal outlay. Chelsea won the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] title in [[1983-84 in English football|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 in English football|1988-89]].
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.<ref>{{cite book | author=Glanvill | year=2006 | title=Chelsea FC: The Official Biography | pages=pp. 90-91}}</ref> Chelsea's form in the new [[Premier League]] was unconvincing, although they did reach the FA Cup final in [[FA Cup Final 1994|1994]]. 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, particularly [[Gianfranco Zola]], as the club won the [[FA Cup]] in [[FA Cup Final 1997|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 [[Football League Cup Final 1998|League Cup]] and the [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1997-98|Cup Winners' Cup]] in 1998, the FA Cup in [[FA Cup Final 2000|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 English football|2002–03]].
In June 2003, Bates sold Chelsea to [[Russia|Russian]] billionaire [[Roman Abramovich]] for £140 million, completing what was then the biggest-ever sale of an English football club.<ref name="takeover"/> Owing to Abramovich's Russian heritage, the club were soon popularly dubbed "Chelski" in the British media.<ref>{{cite news |
date=[[2003-08-24]] |
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/3174605.stm |
title=Chasing 'Mr Chelski' |
publisher=[[The BBC]] |
accessdate=2006-01-30 |
author=Steve Rosenberg}}</ref> Over £100 million was spent on new players, but Ranieri was unable to deliver any trophies, so he was replaced by successful [[Portugal|Portuguese]] coach [[José Mourinho]], who had just guided [[FC Porto]] to victory in the UEFA Champions League.
In 2005, Chelsea's [[centenary]] year, the club became Premiership champions in a record-breaking season (most clean sheets, fewest goals conceded, most victories, most points earned),<ref name="records">{{cite news |
date=[[2005-05-13]] |
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/football/teams/c/chelsea/4545045.stm |
title=Mourinho proud of battling finish |
publisher=BBC |
accessdate=2006-12-28 |
author=}}</ref> [[Football League Cup Final 2005|League Cup]] winners with a 3–2 win over [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] at the [[Millennium Stadium]] and reached the [[UEFA Champions League|Champions League]] semi-finals. [[2005-06 in English football|The following year]], they were again League Champions, equalling their own Premiership record of 29 wins set the previous season. They also became the fifth team to win back-to-back championships since the [[Second World War]] and the first London club to do so since [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] in [[1933-34 in English football|1933-34]].<ref>{{cite news |
date= |
url=http://www.sportinglife.com/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/06/03/12/SOCCER_Chelsea.html&TEAMHD=soccer |
title=Terry Eyes Back-to-Back Titles |
publisher=Sporting Life |
accessdate=2007-01-22 |
author=Matt Barlow}}</ref> In [[2006-07 in English football|2007]] Chelsea won the [[Football League Cup Final 2007|League Cup]] for the second time in three years,<ref>{{cite news |
date=[[2007-02-25]] |
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/6371613.stm |
title=Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal |
publisher=BBC |
accessdate=2007-03-19 |
author=}}</ref> and finished 2nd in the Premier League. To end the season, Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 in the [[FA Cup]] final, the first at the [[new Wembley Stadium]]<ref>{{cite news |
date=[[2007-05-20]] |
title=Something old, new and Blue|
url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,2083889,00.html |
publisher=[[The Observer]] |
accessdate=2007-05-20 |
author=Mitchell, Kevin}}</ref>
==Stamford Bridge==
[[Image: Chelsea_bt_W_Brom_1905.jpg |right|frame|Chelsea ''vs.'' [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]] at Stamford Bridge on [[September 23]] [[1905]]; Chelsea won 1-0.]]
{{details|Stamford Bridge (stadium)}}
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 (track and field)|athletics]] meetings and not at all for football.
In 1904 the ground was acquired by businessman [[Gus Mears]] and his brother, J T Mears, 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.<ref name="stadium">{{cite web |
url=http://www.chelseafc.com/xxchelsea180706/index.html#/page/StadiumHistoryHistory |
title=Stadium History |
work=chelseafc.com|
accessdate=21 January |
accessyear=2007 }}</ref>
Stamford Bridge was designed for the Mears family by the noted football architect [[Archibald Leitch]].<ref>{{cite book | author=Glanvill | year=2006 | title=Chelsea FC: The Official Biography | pages=pp. 69-71}}</ref> They offered the stadium to [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham Football Club]], but the offer was 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''.<ref>{{cite book | author=Glanvill | year=2006 | title=Chelsea FC: The Official Biography | pages=p. 55}}</ref>
Starting with an open bowl-like design and one covered terrace, Stamford Bridge had an original capacity of around 100,000.<ref name="stadium">{{cite web |
url=http://www.chelseafc.com/xxchelsea180706/index.html#/page/StadiumHistoryHistory |
title=Stadium History |
work=chelseafc.com|
accessdate=21 January |
accessyear=2007 }}</ref> 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.<ref name="stadium">{{cite web |
url=http://www.chelseafc.com/xxchelsea180706/index.html#/page/StadiumHistoryHistory |
title=Stadium History |
work=chelseafc.com|
accessdate=21 January |
accessyear=2007 }}</ref>
[[Image:Chelsea stand.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The East Stand, during a game with [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] in March 2006.]]
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.<ref name="stadium">{{cite web |
url=http://www.chelseafc.com/xxchelsea180706/index.html#/page/StadiumHistoryHistory |
title=Stadium History |
work=chelseafc.com|
accessdate=21 January |
accessyear=2007 }}</ref>
Work began on the East Stand in the early 1970s but the cost almost brought the club to its knees, and the [[Fee simple|freehold]] was sold to [[Real estate developer|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.<ref name="stadium">When Stamford Bridge was nearly no more</ref> 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.
The Stamford Bridge [[Football pitch|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 someone tries to move the football club to a new stadium they could not use the Chelsea FC name.<ref>{{cite book | author=Glanvill | year=2006 | title=Chelsea FC: The Official Biography | pages=pp. 91-92}}</ref>
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]] entrance, which places severe constraints on expansion due to [[health and safety]] regulations.<ref>{{cite book | author=Glanvill | year=2006 | title=Chelsea FC: The Official Biography | pages=p. 76 }}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite news
| date = [[2006-01-20]]
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/4630618.stm
| title = Chelsea plan Bridge redevelopment
| publisher = BBC
| accessdate = 2007-01-01
}}</ref> However, the club have reiterated their desire to keep Chelsea at their current home. <ref>{{cite news
| date = [[2006-04-12]]
| url = http://www.rte.ie/sport/2006/0412/stamfordbridge.html?rss
| title = Kenyon confirms Blues will stay at Stamford Bridge
| publisher = RTÉ Sport
| accessdate = 2007-01-01
}}</ref>
==Crest==
[[Image:Cfcpensioner.gif|thumb|left|150px|Chelsea's first crest.]]
[[Image:Chelsea's old badge.jpg|thumb|150px|Club crest 1953-1986.]]
[[Image:vilogo.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Club Crest 2005- (Centenary).]]
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.<ref name="crests">{{cite web |
url=http://www.chelseafc.com/xxchelsea180706/index.html#/page/ClubBadges |
title=Club Badges |
work=chelseafc.com|
accessdate=21 January |
accessyear=2007 }}</ref> 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 (stick)|staff]], which was to endure for the next three decades. [[Image:Chelseaoldcrest.gif|thumb|150px|left|Club crest 1986-2005.]]
This crest was based on elements in the [[coat of arms]] of the [[Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea]]<ref>{{cite web |
url=http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/lcc.html#chelsea%20bc |
title=CAMBERWELL METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL |
work=civicheraldry.co.uk|
accessdate=21 January |
accessyear=2007 }}</ref> with the "lion rampant regardant" taken from the arms of then club president [[Earl Cadogan|Viscount Chelsea]] and the staff from the [[Westminster Abbey|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.<ref name="crests"/>
In 1986, with new owners now at the club, Chelsea's crest was changed again as part of another attempt to modernise and to capitalise on new marketing opportunities.<ref name="crests"/> 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 in English football|2005-06]] season and marks a return to the older design of the blue heraldic lion holding a staff.<ref name="new crest"/> As with previous crests, this one has appeared in various colours, including white and gold.
==Colours==
{{Football kit box |
align = left |
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=|
pattern_b = |
pattern_ra = |
leftarm = 4682b4 |
body = 4682b4 |
rightarm = 4682b4 |
shorts = FFFFFF |
socks = 191970 |
title = Chelsea's first home colours, used from 1905 till c.1912.
}}
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.<ref>{{cite book | author=Glanvill, Rick | title=Chelsea Football Club: The Official History in Pictures| year=2006| id=ISBN 0-75531-467-0}} p.212</ref> 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 in English football|1964–65]] season.<ref>{{cite book | author=Mears, Brian | title=Chelsea: Football Under the Blue Flag| publisher=Mainstream Sport| year=2002| id=ISBN 1-84018-658-5 | pages=p.42 }}</ref>
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 [[Internazionale|Inter Milan]]-style blue and black stripes, again at Docherty's behest.<ref>The "Inter Milan" kit was worn for an [[FA Cup]] semi-final against [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]], on [[23 April]] [[1966]]. Reference: Mears (2002), p. 58</ref> 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 addition in the mid-1990s.<ref>All kits are discussed on the club's official website {{cite web
| url = http://www.chelseafc.com/xxchelsea180706/index.html#/page/ClassicKits
| title= Kits
| work = chelseafc.com
| accessdate = 2007-01-01
}}</ref> The 2007-2008 Chelsea away strip consists of an 'electric yellow' shirt with thick black lines forming separate panels of the shirt. The [[adidas]] three stripes are black, and run down the arms. It is worn with black shorts and black socks, but in the case of further clashes it is worn with "electric yellow" shorts and/or socks. The crest on the shirt is in "electric yellow" and black to go with the rest of the kit, instead of the usual blue, white, red and gold.
Chelsea's kit is currently manufactured by [[Adidas]], which is contracted to supply the club's kit from 2006 to 2011. Their previous kit manufacturer was [[Umbro]]. Chelsea's first shirt sponsor was [[Gulf Air]], agreed midway through the [[1983-84 in English football|1983-84]] season. Following that, the club were sponsored by [[Grange Farms]], [[Bai Lin]] tea and [[Italy|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 Brewing Company|Coors]] beer (1995-97), [[Autoglass]] (1997-2001) and [[Emirates Airline]] (2001-05). Chelsea's current shirt sponsor is [[Samsung|Samsung Mobile]].<ref>{{cite news |
date=[[2005-05-02]] |
url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,27-958357_1,00.html |
title=Clubs to cash in on mobile advertising |
publisher=[[The Times]] |
accessdate=2007-01-01 |
author=Ashling O'Connor}}</ref>
==
[[Image:Chelsea defend corner.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Chelsea fans at a match with [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]], on [[March 11]] [[2006]].]]
Chelsea have the fifth highest average all-time attendance in [[Football in England|English football]]<ref>{{cite web |
url=http://www.nufc.com/html/attendance-all-time.html |
title=All Time League Attendance Records |
work= |
accessdate=2006-08-27
}}</ref> and regularly attract over 40,000 fans to Stamford Bridge; they were the fifth best-supported Premiership team in the [[2005-06 in English football|2005-06]] season, with an average gate of 41,870.<ref>{{cite web |
url=http://www.footballeconomy.com/stats/stats_att_04.htm |
title=Top 30 English Football Clubs by Attendance |
work=footballeconomy.com attendance table 2002-2005 |
accessdate=2006-09-28
}}</ref> Chelsea's traditional fanbase comes from working-class parts of [[West London]], such as [[Hammersmith]] and [[Battersea]], from wealthier areas like [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]] and [[Kensington]], and from the [[Home Counties]]. The club estimates its UK fanbase at around four million.<ref name="fanbase"/> In addition to the standard [[football chant]]s, 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]].<ref>{{cite news |
date=[[2002-04-17]] |
url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,1563,685859,00.html |
title=Fans sent spinning after tossing salad |
publisher=[[The Guardian]] |
accessdate=2007-01-01 |
author=Scott Murray}}</ref>
Chelsea do not have a traditional rivalry, in the manner that [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] and [[Everton F.C.|Everton]], or [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] and [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] do. The club's nearest neighbours are [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]], but they are not seen as big rivals by Chelsea fans, because the clubs have spent most of the last 40 years 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 F.C.|Manchester United]]<ref>{{cite web |
url=http://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s120/st44186.htm |
title=Football Rivalries: The Complete Results |
work=Planetfootball.com |
accessdate=2007-01-02
}}</ref> Additionally, a strong rivalry with [[Leeds United A.F.C.|Leeds United]] dates back to several heated and controversial matches in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the [[FA Cup Final 1970|FA Cup final in 1970]]. <ref>{{cite book | author=Glanvill | year=2006 | title=Chelsea FC: The Official Biography | pages=pp. 321-325}}</ref> A more recent rivalry has grown with [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] following several clashes in cup competitions. In European competition, Chelsea's biggest rivals are [[F.C. Barcelona|Barcelona]], with the two competing to be among the best sides in [[Europe]] and having played in some highly controversial matches in the [[UEFA Champions League]] in recent seasons.<ref>For more details on the controversies in recent Chelsea vs FC Barcelona matches, see [[Chelsea F.C. and FC Barcelona football rivalry]]</ref>
During the 1970s and 1980s in particular, Chelsea supporters were long associated with [[Football (soccer) hooliganism|football hooliganism]]. The club's "[[football firm]]", known as the [[Chelsea Headhunters]], became nationally notorious for violent acts against hooligans from other teams, such as [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]]'s [[Inter City Firm]] and [[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]]'s Bushwhackers, both during and after matches.<ref>{{cite web |
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/hooligans/1962503.stm |
title=Making a new start |
work=BBC.com |
accessdate=2007-01-21
}}</ref> The increase in hooliganism in the 1980s led chairman Ken Bates to propose an electric fence to deter them from invading the pitch; the proposal was rejected by the [[Greater London Council|GLC]].<ref>{{cite web |
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/3037508.stm |
title=Bates: Chelsea's driving force |
work=BBC.com|
accessdate=21 January |
accessyear=2007 }}</ref> Chelsea's hooligan element were revealed to have links with [[neo-nazi]] groups such as [[Combat 18]], and other far-right or racist organisations including the [[British National Party]].<ref>{{cite web |
url=http://macintyre.com/content/view/62/105/ |
title=Headhunters unmasked |
work=MacIntyre.com |
accessdate=2007-01-21
}}</ref> Since the 1990s there has been a marked decline in crowd trouble at matches, as a result of stricter policing, [[Closed-circuit television|CCTV]] in grounds and the advent of [[All-seater stadium|all-seater stadia]].<ref>{{cite news |
date=[[1998-06-02]] |
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/hooligans/60146.stm |
title=Soccer hooliganism: Made in England, but big abroad |
publisher=BBC |
accessdate=2007-01-01 |
author=}}</ref>
==Records==
{{Details|Chelsea F.C. statistics}}
[[Image:Frank Lampard cropped.jpg|thumb|150 px|Among 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 (footballer)|Ron Harris]], who played in 795 first-class games for the club between 1961 and 1980.<ref name="stats">For the appearance and goalscoring records of all Chelsea players, see {{cite book | author=Glanvill | year=2006 | title=Chelsea FC: The Official Biography | pages=pp. 399-410}}</ref> This record is unlikely to be broken in the near future; Chelsea's current highest appearance-maker is [[Frank Lampard]] with 317.<ref name="current player">{{cite web |
url=http://www.soccerbase.com/ |
title=soccerbase.com |
work= |
accessdate=4 February|
accessyear=2007 }}</ref> The record for a Chelsea goalkeeper is held by Harris's contemporary, [[Peter Bonetti]], who made 729 appearances (1959-79). With 116 [[Cap (sport)|caps]] (67 while at the club), [[Marcel Desailly]] of [[France national football team|France]] is Chelsea's most capped international player.
[[Bobby Tambling]] is Chelsea's all-time top goalscorer, with 202 goals in 370 games (1959-70).<ref name="stats"/> Six other players have also scored over 100 goals for Chelsea: [[George Hilsdon]] (1906-12), [[George Mills (footballer)|George Mills]] (1929-39), [[Roy Bentley]] (1948-56), [[Jimmy Greaves]] (1957-61), [[Peter Osgood]] (1964-74 & 1978-79), and [[Kerry Dixon]] (1983-92), who is the only player in the club's recent history to have come close to matching Tambling's record, with 193 goals. Greaves holds the record for the most goals scored in one season (43 in [[1960-61 in English football|1960-61]]). Chelsea's current top-scorer is Frank Lampard with 89.<ref name="current player"/>
Officially, Chelsea's highest home attendance is 82,905 for a [[Football League First Division|First Division]] match against [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] on [[12 October]] [[1935]]. However, an estimated crowd of over 100,000 attended a [[friendly match]] against [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] team [[FC Dynamo Moscow|Dynamo Moscow]] on [[13 November]], [[1945]].<ref>The turnstiles for the Dynamo match were closed with 74,496 in the ground, but thousands continued to enter illegally. The attendance is invariably put at around 100,000. See {{cite web |
url=http://www.chelseafc.com/xxchelsea180706/index.html#/page/TeamHistory |
title= Team History |
work=chelseafc.com |
accessdate=29 December|
accessyear=2006 }}. </ref> 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 42,055.<ref name="capacity"/>
Chelsea hold numerous records in [[Football in England|English]] and European football. They hold the record for the highest points total for a league season (95), the fewest goals conceded during a league season (15), the most consecutive [[clean sheet]]s during a league season (10), 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 [[FA Premier League 2004-05|2004-05]] season),<ref name="records"/> and the most consecutive clean sheets from the start of a league season (6) ([[FA Premier League 2005-06|2005-06]]). Their 21–0 [[Aggregate score|aggregate]] victory over [[Jeunesse Hautcharage]] in the [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1971-72|UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1971]] remains a record in European competition.<ref>{{cite web |
url=http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/cwc.html#rec |
title=Cup Winners' Cup Trivia |
work=RSSSF |
accessdate=26 September |
accessyear=2006 }}</ref> Chelsea may also hold the [[British football transfer record|British transfer record]], but the fee for [[Andriy Shevchenko]], estimated at around £30m, remains unconfirmed.<ref name="sheva">Shevchenko's transfer fee is undisclosed and estimates vary from £25m to £35m, although this does top the £24m paid for [[Michael Essien]] (The official Chelsea website states that it is close on £30m). See {{cite news |
date=[[2006-05-31]] |
url=http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=391445&CPID=8&CLID=8&lid=&title=Shevchenko+moves+to+Chelsea&channel= |
title=Shevchenko moves to Chelsea |
publisher=Skysports.com |
accessdate=2006-12-29 |
author=}} and {{cite news |
date=[[2006-05-31]] |
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/5035604.stm |
title=Chelsea complete Shevchenko deal |
publisher=BBC |
accessdate=2006-12-29 |
author=}}</ref> [[Roberto Di Matteo]] holds the record for fastest goal in an FA Cup final at Wembley, which came 42 seconds into Chelsea's win over [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]] in [[FA Cup Final 1997|1997]].<ref>{{cite web |
url=http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFACup/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2003/05/48711.htm |
title=FA Cup Trivia |
work=thefa.com |
accessdate=1 July |
accessyear=2007 }}</ref>
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 F.C.|Swansea Town]].<ref>{{cite web |
url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamUnif/UnifNosNames.html |
title=Shirt Numbers |
work=England Football Online |
accessdate=1 October |
accessyear=2006 }}</ref> Chelsea were the first English side to travel by [[Fixed-wing aircraft|aeroplane]] to a domestic away match, when they visited [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] on [[19 April]] [[1957]],<ref>{{cite book | author=Glanvill | year=2006 | title=Chelsea FC: The Official Biography | pages=p. 96}}</ref> and the first [[Football League First Division|First Division]] side to play a match on a Sunday, when they faced [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]] on [[27 January]] [[1974]]. On [[December 26]] [[1999]], Chelsea became the first British side to field an entirely foreign (non-[[United Kingdom|UK]]) starting line-up in a [[Premier League]] match against [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]].<ref>{{cite news |
date=[[1999-12-27]] |
url=http://www.sportinglife.com/football/premiership/chelsea/reports/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/99/12/26/SOCCER_Southampton_Nightlead.html&TEAMHD=chelsea&DIV=prem&TEAM=CHELSEA&RH=Chelsea&PREV_SEASON=1998 |
title=Southampton 1 Chelsea 2 |
publisher=[[Sporting Life (newspaper)|Sporting Life]] |
accessdate=2007-01-27 |
author=Bradley, Mark}}</ref> On [[May 19]] [[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. <ref>{{cite news |
date=[[2007-05-20]] |
title=Something old, new and Blue|
url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,2083889,00.html |
publisher=[[The Observer]] |
accessdate=2007-05-20 |
author=Mitchell, Kevin}}</ref>
==In popular culture==
In [[1930 in film|1930]], Chelsea featured in one of the earliest football films, ''[[The Great Game (film)|The Great Game]]''.<ref>{{cite web |
url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020936/ |
title=The Great Game |
work=[[IMDb]] |
accessdate=1 October |
accessyear=2006 }}</ref> One-time Chelsea centre forward, [[Jack Cock]], who by then was playing for [[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]], was the star of the film and several scenes were shot at [[Stamford Bridge (stadium)|Stamford Bridge]], including the pitch, the boardroom and the [[dressing room]]s. It included guest appearances by then-Chelsea players [[Andrew Nesbit Wilson|Andrew Wilson]], [[George Mills (footballer)|George Mills]] and [[Sam Millington]].<ref>{{cite book | author=Glanvill | year=2006 | title=Chelsea FC: The Official Biography | pages=pp. 120-121}}</ref> Owing to the notoriety of the [[Chelsea Headhunters]], a [[football firm]] associated with the club, Chelsea have also featured in films about football [[hooliganism]], most recently ''[[The Football Factory]]''.<ref>{{cite news |
date=[[2004-05-10]] |
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3687227.stm |
title=Football firms hit the film circuit |
publisher=BBC |
accessdate=2007-01-25 |
author=Steve Hawkes}}</ref> Chelsea also appear in the [[Hindi language|Hindi]] film, ''[[Jhoom Barabar Jhoom]]''.<ref>{{cite news |
date=[[2006-09-25]] |
url=http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1055099 |
title=Chelsea teams up with Yash Raj Films |
publisher=DNA India |
accessdate=2007-01-01 |
author=}}</ref>
Up until the 1950s, the club had a long-running association with the [[music hall]]s, with their underachievement often providing material for comedians such as [[George Robey]].<ref>{{cite news |
date=[[2002-09-30]] |
url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/Match_Report/0,1527,-39862,00.html |
title=Di Canio has last laugh at Chelsea comedy store |
publisher=[[The Guardian]] |
accessdate=2007-01-01 |
author=Scott Murray}}</ref> It culminated in comedian Norman Long's release of a [[Novelty song|comic song]] in 1933, ironically titled "On The Day That Chelsea Went and Won The Cup", the lyrics of which described a series of bizarre and improbable occurrences on the hypothetical day when Chelsea finally won a trophy.<ref name="glanville"/>
The song "[[Blue is the Colour (Chelsea)|Blue is the Colour]]" was released as a single in the build-up to the 1972 [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] final, with all members of Chelsea's first team squad singing; it reached number five in the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref>{{cite web |
url=http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=5791 |
title=Blue Is The Colour |
work=Chart Stats|
accessdate=21 January |
accessyear=2007 }}</ref> The song was later adapted to "White is the Colour" and adopted as an anthem by the [[Vancouver Whitecaps]].<ref>{{cite web |
url=http://www.vancourier.com/issues02/045202/sports.html |
title=Caps' 'Proclaim' season opener |
work=vancourier.com |
accessdate=21 January |
accessyear=2007 }}</ref> In the build-up to the [[FA Cup Final 1997|1997 FA Cup final]], the song "Blue Day", performed by [[Suggs (singer)|Suggs]] and members of Chelsea's squad, reached number 22 in the UK charts.<ref>{{cite web |
url=http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=25206 |
title=Blue Day |
work=Chart Stats|
accessdate=21 January |
accessyear=2007 }}</ref> [[Bryan Adams]], a fan of Chelsea, dedicated the song "We're Gonna Win" from the [[album]] [[18 Til I Die]] to the club.
==Players==
''As of [[10 July]] [[2007]].''
===
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=1|nat=Czech Republic|pos=GK|name=[[Petr Čech]]}}
{{Fs player|no=2|nat=England|pos=DF|name=[[Glen Johnson (footballer)|Glen Johnson]]}}
{{Fs player|no=3|nat=England|pos=DF|name= [[Ashley Cole]]}}
{{Fs player|no=4|nat=France|pos=MF|name=[[Claude Makélélé]]}}
{{Fs player|no=5|nat=Ghana|pos=MF|name=[[Michael Essien]]}}
{{Fs player|no=6|nat=Portugal|pos=DF|name=[[Ricardo Carvalho]]}}
{{Fs player|no=7|nat=Ukraine|pos=FW|name=[[Andriy Shevchenko]]}}
{{Fs player|no=8|nat=England|pos=MF|name=[[Frank Lampard]]|other=[[vice-captain (football)|vice-captain]]}}
{{Fs player|no=9|nat=England|pos=MF|name=[[Steve Sidwell]]}}
{{Fs player|no=10|nat=England|pos=MF|name=[[Joe Cole]]}}
{{Fs player|no=11|nat=Ivory Coast|pos=FW|name=[[Didier Drogba]]}}
{{Fs player|no=12|nat=Nigeria|pos=MF|name=[[John Obi Mikel]]}}
{{Fs player|no=13|nat=Germany |pos=MF|name=[[Michael Ballack]]}}
{{football squad mid}}
{{Fs player|no=16|nat=Netherlands|pos=MF|name=[[Arjen Robben]]}}
{{Fs player|no=18|nat=England|pos=DF|name=[[Wayne Bridge]]}}
{{Fs player|no=19|nat=France|pos=MF|name=[[Lassana Diarra]]}}
{{Fs player|no=20|nat=Portugal|pos=DF|name=[[Paulo Ferreira]]}}
{{Fs player|no=21|nat=Ivory Coast|pos=FW|name=[[Salomon Kalou]]}}
{{Fs player|no=23|nat=Italy|pos=GK|name=[[Carlo Cudicini]]}}
{{Fs player|no=24|nat=England|pos=MF|name=[[Shaun Wright-Phillips]]}}
{{Fs player|no=26|nat=England|pos=DF|name=[[John Terry]]|other=[[captain (football)|captain]]}}
{{Fs player|no=40|nat=Portugal|pos=GK|name=[[Henrique Hilário]]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=Peru|pos=FW|name=[[Claudio Pizarro]]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=France|pos=MF|name=[[Florent Malouda]]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=Netherlands|pos=DF|name=[[Khalid Boulahrouz]]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=Israel|pos=DF|name=[[Tal Ben Haim]]}}
<!--Alex has been added to this list at least twice before he has signed. Please do not add him again until he is eligible for the first team. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not a transfer gossip page, and should deal in facts, not rumours.-->
{{Fs end}}
===Players out on loan===
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player | no=–– | nat=Argentina | pos=FW | name= [[Hernán Crespo]]| other=at [[F.C. Internazionale Milano|Internazionale]] until the end of his Chelsea contract, will not return to Chelsea}}
{{Fs player | no=—-| nat=Brazil | pos=DF | name= [[Alcides Araújo Alves|Alcides]]| other=at [[PSV Eindhoven]], until August 2008 <ref>{{cite news |
date=[[2007-01-10]] |
url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/news/kind=1/newsid=495890.html |
title=Alcides makes PSV loan move |
publisher=UEFA |
accessdate=2007-01-10 |
author=}}</ref> }}
{{Fs player | no=–– | nat=Serbia | pos=DF | name= [[Slobodan Rajković]]| other=at [[PSV Eindhoven]], until August 2008 <ref>{{cite news |
date=[[2007-06-18]] |
url=http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=472460 |
title=Blues starlet to join PSV |
publisher=Sky Sports |
accessdate=2007-06-19 |
author=Gerrit van Leeuwen}}</ref> }}
{{Fs blank column}}
{{Fs end}}
''For recent transfers, see [[List of English football transfers 2007-08]].''
===Reserves===
{{main|Chelsea F.C. Reserves}}
===Player of the year (1967–2007)===
{{Seealso|List of Chelsea F.C. players}}
{|
|valign="top"|
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Winner
|-
|1967||{{flagicon|England}} [[Peter Bonetti]]
|-
|1968||{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Charlie Cooke (footballer)|Charlie Cooke]]
|-
|1969||{{flagicon|England}} [[David Webb (footballer)|David Webb]]
|-
|1970||{{flagicon|England}} [[John Hollins]]
|-
|1971||{{flagicon|England}} [[John Hollins]]
|-
|1972||{{flagicon|England}} [[David Webb (footballer)|David Webb]]
|-
|1973||{{flagicon|England}} [[Peter Osgood]]
|-
|1974||{{flagicon|England}} [[Gary Locke (English footballer)|Gary Locke]]
|-
|1975||{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Charlie Cooke (footballer)|Charlie Cooke]]
|-
|1976||{{flagicon|England}} [[Ray Wilkins]]
|-
|1977||{{flagicon|England}} [[Ray Wilkins]]
|-
|1978||{{flagicon|England}} [[Micky Droy]]
|-
|1979||{{flagicon|England}} [[Tommy Langley]]
|-
|1980||{{flagicon|England}} [[Clive Walker]]
|-
|1981||{{flagicon|Yugoslavia}} [[Petar Borota]]
|-
|1982||{{flagicon|England}} [[Mike Fillery]]
|-
|1983||{{flagicon|Wales}} [[Joey Jones]]
|-
|1984||{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Pat Nevin]]
|-
|1985||{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[David Speedie]]
|-
|1986||{{flagicon|Wales}} [[Eddie Niedzwiecki]]
|-
|1987||{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Pat Nevin]]
|}
|width="1"|
|valign="top"|
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Winner
|-
|1988||{{flagicon|England}} [[Tony Dorigo]]
|-
|1989||{{flagicon|England}} [[Graham Roberts (footballer)|Graham Roberts]]
|-
|1990||{{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Kenneth Monkou|Ken Monkou]]
|-
|1991||{{flagicon|Ireland}} [[Andy Townsend]]
|-
|1992||{{flagicon|England}} [[Paul Elliott (footballer)|Paul Elliott]]
|-
|1993||{{flagicon|Jamaica}} [[Frank Sinclair]]
|-
|1994||{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Steve Clarke]]
|-
|1995||{{flagicon|Norway}} [[Erland Johnsen]]
|-
|1996||{{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Ruud Gullit]]
|-
|1997||{{flagicon|Wales}} [[Mark Hughes]]
|-
|1998||{{flagicon|England}} [[Dennis Wise]]
|-
|1999||{{flagicon|Italy}} [[Gianfranco Zola]]
|-
|2000||{{flagicon|England}} [[Dennis Wise]]
|-
|2001||{{flagicon|England}} [[John Terry]]
|-
|2002||{{flagicon|Italy}} [[Carlo Cudicini]]
|-
|2003||{{flagicon|Italy}} [[Gianfranco Zola]]
|-
|2004||{{flagicon|England}} [[Frank Lampard]]
|-
|2005||{{flagicon|England}} [[Frank Lampard]]
|-
|2006||{{flagicon|England}} [[John Terry]]
|-
|2007||{{flagicon|Ghana}} [[Michael Essien]]
|}
|}
==Notable managers==
{{Details|List of Chelsea F.C. managers}}
The following managers have all won at least one trophy when in charge of Chelsea:
{| class="wikitable"
!Name
!Period
!Trophies
|{{flagicon|England}} [[Ted Drake]]
|1952–1961
|[[Football League First Division|First Division Championship]], [[FA Community Shield|Charity Shield]]
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Tommy Docherty]]
|1962–1967
|[[Football League Cup|League Cup]]
|-
|{{flagicon|England}} [[Dave Sexton]]
|1967–1974
|[[FA Cup]], [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]]
|-
|{{flagicon|England}} [[John Neal (footballer)|John Neal]]
|1981–1985
|[[Football League Second Division|Second Division Championship]]
|-
|{{flagicon|England}} [[Bobby Campbell (footballer born 1937)|Bobby Campbell]]
|1988–1991
|[[Football League Second Division|Second Division Championship]]
|-
|{{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Ruud Gullit]]
|1996–1998
|[[FA Cup]]
|-
|{{flagicon|Italy}} [[Gianluca Vialli]]
|1998–2000
|[[FA Cup]], [[Football League Cup|League Cup]], [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]], [[FA Community Shield|Charity Shield]], [[European Super Cup]]
|-
|{{flagicon|Portugal}} [[José Mourinho]]
|2004—present
|2 [[Premier League|Premier Leagues]], 2 [[Football League Cup|League Cups]], [[FA Cup]], [[FA Community Shield|Community Shield]]
|-
|}
==Honours==
===
====League====
*{{sport honours|[[Football League First Division|First Division]]/[[Premier League]]<ref>Until 1992, when the Premier League was formed, the top tier of [[Football in England|English football]] was known as the First Division</ref>|3|1954-55, [[FA Premier League 2004-05|2004-05]], [[Premier League 2005-06|2005-06]]}}
*{{sport honours|[[Football League Second Division|Second Division]]/[[Football League Championship|Championship]]|2|1983-84, 1988-89}}
====Cups====
*{{sport honours|[[FA Cup]]|4|[[FA Cup Final 1970|1970]], [[FA Cup Final 1997|1997]], [[FA Cup Final 2000|2000]], [[FA Cup Final 2007|2007]]}}
*{{sport honours|[[Football League Cup|League Cup]]|4|[[Football League Cup Final 1965|1965]], [[Football League Cup Final 1998|1998]], [[Football League Cup Final 2005|2005]], [[Football League Cup Final 2007|2007]]}}
*{{sport honours|FA Charity Shield/[[FA Community Shield|Community Shield]]<ref>The trophy was known as the Charity Shield until 2002, and as the Community Shield ever since.</ref>|3|1955, 2000, 2005}}
*{{sport honours|[[Full Members Cup]]|2|1986, 1990}}
==
*{{sport honours|[[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]]|2|1971, [[1998 Cup Winners' Cup Final|1998]]}}
*{{sport honours|[[European Super Cup]]|1|1998}}
==
<div style="height: 220px; overflow: auto; padding: 3px; border:1px solid #AAAAAA; reflist4" >
<references/>
</div>
==
*{{cite book | author=Batty, Clive | title=Kings of the King's Road: The Great Chelsea Team of the 60s and 70s| publisher=Vision Sports Publishing Ltd| year=2004| id=ISBN 0-9546428-1-3}}
*{{cite book | author=Batty, Clive | title=A Serious Case of the Blues: Chelsea in the 80s| publisher=Vision Sports Publishing Ltd| year=2005| id=ISBN 1-905326-02-5}}
*{{cite book | author=Glanvill, Rick | title=Chelsea FC: The Official Biography - The Definitive Story of the First 100 Years| publisher=Headline Book Publishing Ltd| year=2006| id=ISBN 0-7553-1466-2}}
*{{cite book | author=Hadgraft, Rob | title=Chelsea: Champions of England 1954-55| publisher=Desert Island Books Limited| year=2004| id=ISBN 1-874287-77-5}}
*{{cite book | author=Harris, Harry | title=Chelsea's Century| publisher=Blake Publishing| year=2005| id=ISBN 1-84454-110-X}}
*{{cite book | author=Ingledew, John | title=And Now Are You Going to Believe Us: Twenty-five Years Behind the Scenes at Chelsea FC| publisher=John Blake Publishing Ltd| year=2006| id=ISBN 1-84454-247-5}}
*{{cite book | author=Matthews, Tony | title=Who's Who of Chelsea | publisher=Mainstream Publishing| year=2005| id=ISBN 1-84596-010-6}}
*{{cite book | author=Mears, Brian | title=Chelsea: A 100-year History | publisher=Mainstream Sport| year=2004| id=ISBN 1-84018-823-5}}
*{{cite book | author=Mears, Brian | title=Chelsea: Football Under the Blue Flag| publisher=Mainstream Sport| year=2002| id=ISBN 1-84018-658-5}}
==External links==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|Chelsea_FC.ogg|2007-04-07}}
{{commons2|Chelsea F.C.}}
<!--Please explain your reasoning on the talk page before adding fansites etc.-->
*[http://www.chelseafc.com Official Club site]
{{BBC Football Info|BBClinkname=c/chelsea}}
*[http://www.premierleague.com/chelsea-fc.html Chelsea FC - Premier League site]
*[http://www.football-lineups.com/games/?t=Chelsea%20in%20FA%20Premier%20League%202006/2007&campaign=12.8 Chelsea Formations]
*[http://www.footballteamnews.co.uk/chelsea/ Chelsea FC News]
*[http://www.carling.com/football/chelsea-fc.html Chelsea FC Team News from Carling]
*[http://www.theleftback.co.uk/ChelseaBadges.html History of Chelsea badges]
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{{Chelsea F.C.}}
{{FA Premier League}}
{{Champions League 2007-08}}
{{fb end}}
{{featured article}}
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[[ru:Челси (футбольный клуб)]]
[[sco:Chelsea FC]]
[[simple:Chelsea F.C.]]
[[sk:FC Chelsea]]
[[sr:ФК Челси]]
[[fi:Chelsea FC]]
[[sv:Chelsea FC]]
[[th:สโมสรฟุตบอลเชลซี]]
[[vi:Chelsea F.C.]]
[[tr:Chelsea F.C.]]
[[uk:Челсі (футбольний клуб)]]
[[bat-smg:Chelsea F.C.]]
[[zh:切尔西足球俱乐部]]
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