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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Chelsea’s Italian head coach Antonio Conte (top) is thrown in the air by his players as they celebrate being confirmed Premier League champions after the English Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea at The Hawthorns stadium in West Bromwich, west Midlands on May 12, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Anthony Devlin (Photo credit should read ANTHONY DEVLIN/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea’s Italian head coach Antonio Conte (top) is thrown in the air by his players as they celebrate being confirmed Premier League champions after the English Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea at The Hawthorns stadium in West Bromwich, west Midlands on May 12, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Anthony Devlin (Photo credit should read ANTHONY DEVLIN/AFP via Getty Images) /

Kevin Peacock (Contributor)

As a 7-year-old, it was somewhere in my conscious that, having recently won the FA Cup and European Cup Winners Cup, Chelsea was a good football team. That was way back in 1972 and I can recall the disappointment of losing to Stoke City in the League Cup Final. The point at which I chose Chelsea as my team is less clear though. There was no parental or sibling influence, I don’t remember having any friends that were Blues supporters. That was something that carried on throughout my childhood in rural East Anglia.

In my head, I can well remember Chelsea appearing on Top of the Pops (google it kids) singing Blue is the Colour. That’s, romantically, how I like to think the link happened and I am happy to claim it as so. Maybe I was just a glory hunter. However, if that was the case, I was an exceptionally bad judge of football teams. It would be another 14 years until Chelsea tasted any real success, winning the magnificent Full Members Cup Final at Wembley in 1986.

Fast forward many years and I’m happy with the choice I made all those years ago. Even with all The Super League nonsense that has gone on, I could never change my affiliation. Other than family, it’s the longest relationship I’ve had in my life. Blue really is in my blood and what’s more, it is the colour.

Tan Yi Hao (Contributor)

I remember back in 2015, when I was just 15, I struggled a lot to fit in with my new classmates within a new classroom environment. In an attempt to have something in common to initiate conversations with, I decided to pick a football team of my own to support as a lot of my classmates adored football. Not wanting to go with a team that everyone else supported to avoid the risk of being labelled a “try-hard” (toxic, I know), I decided on Chelsea because it finished 10th that season. Therefore, I cannot be labelled a “glory hunter” and because, well, I liked the color blue.

Then the 2016/17 season rolled along. The Blues, under Antonio Conte, blitzed their way to the top of the league, despite being massive underdogs with the odds stacked against them. The determination and grit on display by the players, coupled with a certain level of romanticism with that being Terry’s last season at the club, captured my imagination and solidified my bond with the club. Although the Blues have hardly hit the heights achieved in that season since, the spirit of the team and what Chelsea stood for deeply resonated with me at a time when I struggled badly within the environment I was in. I was convinced there and then that no other club or sport could ever make me feel the same. That’s why I am Chelsea through and through to this very day.

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