The Pride of London
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The Pride of London’s 10,000th article: Chelsea fans’ origin stories

By The Pride of London Staff

Chelsea's German midfielder Kai Havertz (L) vies with Wolverhampton Wanderers' Belgian midfielder Leander Dendonckerduring the English Premier Lea gue football match between Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge in London on January 27, 2021. (Photo by NEIL HALL / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by NEIL HALL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea's German midfielder Kai Havertz (L) vies with Wolverhampton Wanderers' Belgian midfielder Leander Dendonckerduring the English Premier Lea gue football match between Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge in London on January 27, 2021. (Photo by NEIL HALL / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by NEIL HALL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 17: Oriol Romeu of Southampton battles for possession with Ben Chilwell of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge on October 17, 2020 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Matthew Childs – Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 17: Oriol Romeu of Southampton battles for possession with Ben Chilwell of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge on October 17, 2020 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Matthew Childs – Pool/Getty Images) /

Abhishek Pancholi (Contributor)

Watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup on television was my first proper introduction to football. I was dazzled by the array of superstars on show, and when the tournament ended with Ronaldo putting two past Oliver Kahn, I was left with an emptiness inside me. I wanted more but I didn’t know where to go. As far as I knew, these events only take place once every four years. What was I supposed to do until then?

It took me a few months before I discovered the thing that would change my life forever—club football. This wasn’t something that you needed to wait years for, it was on every weekend. You could turn on the TV, switch to a sports channel and there they were, 22 elite sportsmen battling for the control of the ball on a lush, green pitch. Turn up the volume and the fans could be heard cheering on their beloved team, bellowing out chants I could barely understand. All of this felt surreal. I couldn’t stop watching it, I was hooked.

Back then, the Internet was a luxury few could afford, with speeds slow enough and the resulting phone bills high enough to make a grown man cry. Instead of getting my football fix off Twitter, Youtube and what-not—like I do today—I would spend hours watching anything that involved the English Premier League on TV. Ironically, that would not include the matches themselves because I did not have control of the TV remote in the evenings. I watched highlights, talk shows (like Football Focus with John Dykes) and even the preview shows during the daytime. This carried on for a year or so, the only time in my life I have been one of the neutrals that are ruining football. It wasn’t until I caught a glimpse of a team in blue smashing a team in red and white stripes, that a switch was flipped. I didn’t know it back then, but those were the final few days of Claudio Ranieri’s tenure as Chelsea manager. I had just watched Chelsea dismantle Southampton by four goals to nil, and I had loved every minute of it.

I started looking out for the Blues’ results, their players, their history and making the best of whatever I could find on my super-slow Internet. I went down a rabbit-hole from where I am yet to emerge. I didn’t choose the club, the club chose me, is what I believe. Supporting Chelsea wasn’t even a carefully thought out decision; it just happened. It completely changed my life, sometimes for the worse, but mostly for the better.

Over my years of supporting this club, I have completed school, passed out of college, fallen in love many times over, had my heart broken, broken a few hearts along the way, found the love of my life, became a husband, became a father, all while keeping my schedule clear for the two to four hours a week when Chelsea play. Unless Roman Abramovich decides to move the club to a fancy new stadium and rename it to Gazprom London Blue or some other horrific name, I’ll bleed blue for as long as I breathe.

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