I knew that my ticket was, as in the previous three league visits this fine stadium, down low in row three and I knew that my pocket camera would not be able to take too many decent photos. To make up for it, I had decided to turn the camera on us, the fans, and as I walked...
“The Standing Order” : we spotted a little pocket of Chelsea so joined them for a drink. This is a home pub, but as nobody tends to wear colours at away games, we glided in easily. “Stein Garten” : we met up with Alan and Gary in this German-style bar. We were joined by ...
On fifty-two minutes, the much-maligned Lukaku showed great perseverance to win the ball back and push on down into Parkyville, but his low cross into the six-yard box went begging with nobody set to pounce. “Shouldn’t he be in there, Al?” A few minutes later, there were two we...
Mount Lukaku – Werner Very soon into the evening, the away fans seized the moment. “Just like the old days, there’s nobody here.” One-nil to The Arsenal. Sigh. Chelsea responded with the same tune : “Champions of Europe. You’ll never sing that.” …thinking to myself : “…...
Mason Mount – off you go, you little twerp. Kai Havertz – thanks for Porto, yeah I know you’re not a false nine, but I grew tired of your lack of effort and your bleak and unsmiling high-cheek boned expression. N’Golo Kante – I loved you then, I loved you now, safe travels...
It is a mark of the man that virtually everybody had stayed behind for this. Often when there is a lap of honour at the end of a season such as this – no trophies – many drift off. But it again restored my faith in Chelsea Football Club to see so many supporters, evidently inclu...
But nobody celebrated. Not Havertz. My gaze centered on him. Was he sure he was offside? Not any of the players. Were they sure too? The stadium seemed still, frozen in time. Leicester fans – football fans always fear the worst – were stony silent as they presumed a goal had been...
There were three security checks to get into the stadium; a scan with an electronic device, a bag check, a body frisk. It seemed all a bit pointless. Anyway, my camera was in, unlike on 27 July 2019 when it was banned from a friendly at Reading. I would normally trawl the concourse...
Further in, there was a predictable altercation with a couple of stewards who wanted me to take my pocket camera – I had left my SLR at home, I am no fool – back to “bus.” Oh Christ. Here we go again. There was no bus. My car was half-an-hour away. I pleaded that it ...
His celebration was caught on camera too. His hands were cupped over his ears; our Portsmouth-born pup was enjoying this. Two more efforts from Mount – one just over, one screwed well wide – were evidence of our upper hand. But poor defensive play on the half-hour mark set us back....