In the last six years FA Cup-ties against clubs such as Port Vale, Blackpool and Gillingham have drawn 34,000-plus. Chelsea's crowds have consistently fluctuated more than their main rivals.Take Arsenal. Highbury's capacity is 38,000, less for Champions' League games, but it is years since they last recorded a sub-30,000 gate outside of the disregarded League Cup. In addition Adrian Mutu was ineligible, Hernan Crespo still to sign, and the resting of Juan Sebastian Veron and Damien Duff had been well-trailed Yet so had the home debut of Joe Cole Tuesday's 23,408 gate was not a one-off.
More than 19,000 empty seats, including the entire upper tier of the West Stand, bore mute testimony to the fickle nature of Chelsea's support.Admittedly the tie was effectively over, Chelsea having won the first leg in Slovakia. To judge from the attendance at Tuesday's Champions' League qualifier against MSK Zilina they are not. I go to watch Chelsea, not the opposition." One would imagine, after the years of Hoddle and Gullit, Vialli and Zola, and now Veron and Crespo, that Chelsea would now be a big enough draw to fill Stamford Bridge in their own right. "Whenever I offer people a ticket they always ask: 'Who are you playing?' If it's Manchester United they'll come, if it's Coventry or Leicester they might not I hate that. I go to watch Chelsea, not the opposition." Shortly after the late Matthew Harding became a serious player in Chelsea's boardroom he told me of his aspirations for the club. He spoke not just of championships and European Cups, but of a desire that spectators would want to watch Chelsea regardless of the opposition.
Shortly after the late Matthew Harding became a serious player in Chelsea's boardroom he told me of his aspirations for the club. We finished third one year and if we can get close to that here I'll be delighted."With Hayden Foxe, Matthew Taylor and Tim Sherwood still out injured and last season's top scorer Svetoslav Todorov sidelined for the season with knee ligament damage, Redknapp was relieved there were no further casualties against Bolton.Despite the recruitment of Smertin, he is still convinced he needs to add to his squad before Sunday's transfer deadline.. He does everything with a quick brain."Patrik has been outstanding too, and I don't see why he can't keep this form going."This side reminds one of the one I played in at Nottingham Forest when Stan Collymore and Brian Roy scored a lot of goals. Teddy and Patrik are great examples already."Stone added: "You can't believe Teddy's age. Is he really 37? It's not all about when people talk about players' fitness. Teddy is all about speed of thought and being able to drop instinctively into that hole between midfield and attack. And it's up to people like me and Teddy and Patrik Berger, with a bit of experience, to show an example if we suddenly start to lose two or three in a row."I don't mean just by talking about it in the dressing-room You have to go out there and play and do it.
