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Chelsea have just been named EPL Champions for 2016-17 with two games to spare, and what a rush!
Our first two titles were on our 50th anniversary and 100th anniversary, so I was wondering if we would win the title only every 50 years, but luckily we brought home the goods this season.
As someone who has been following Chelsea since the late 1970s from New Zealand, it amazes me how easy it is to get Chelsea news nowadays. Why did I choose Chelsea? Blue is my favourite colour, and when I was looking at buying my first Subbuteo team I saw an all-blue set with white socks. I liked the look, checked the name and learned that it was Chelsea.
During the next four to five years I was getting all my information from the Guardian newspaper and Shoot magazine, which were always a few weeks old.
When I moved to Australia in 1987 my information sources dried up, but I still found ways to get my Chelsea new fix via magazines and TV. I kept as up to date as I could through the 1990s while I was in the army, and then when the internet came along I had all the information I needed and more!
One of my overriding Chelsea memories was 2003, and what a crucial year it was when Roman Abramovich bought us, and I almost lost my job as I was constantly refreshing NewsNow to see who we had bought. Frank Lampard, Ashely Cole, Damien Duff, Juan Sebastian Veron, Hernan Crespo, Claude Makelele – it just kept going!
I was a tad disappointed when local lads like Jody Morris did not get a look in, but John Terry was good enough and he became captain, leader and legend, epitomising the Chelsea spirit.
Jose Mourinho was a blessing and a curse. He won us titles, but his arrogance, defensive style and lack of faith in youth put me offside. I wanted the Chelsea youth to make the squad and to have their chances instead of being sold and starring at other clubs.
I was extremely happy when Guus Hiddink took over, and now with Antonio Conte, the perfect manager, I am ecstatic. I also had a chuckle when Jose signed for Manchester United, where he is doing to them what he did to us.
Nowadays being a Chelsea fan you get called a bandwagoner because they are popular and successful. I have had a few arguments with various people about that, but that’s part and parcel of being a fan of a big club.
The future is exciting, with a great manager and an amazing new stadium being built. Maybe one day I will get over there to see it for myself.
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