March 21 2005

Crystal Palace

Only the most cock-eyed optimist could have expected a victory but to lose to Chelsea 4-1 was disappointing in the end, says Jamesey

It's always a nostalgic trip for me to walk down the Fulham Road to Stamford bridge, home of Chelsea FC.

As I have mentioned before in this column, I used to make the trip from South Croydon when I was a schoolboy in the 1950s and I still have many fond memories of seeing major players like Roy Bentley and Frank Blunstone run out onto the turf. And the only time I ever saw Stanley Matthews play live (Blackpool or Stoke?) was at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have gone through quite a few changes since then.

In the late 60s, after England's World Cup victory gave a declining game a massive shot in the arm, Chelsea was the most fashionable club to be seen at, and the fashionable ikons of the day flocked to games.

But the Blues have had their downs a well, getting relegated to the old Second Division at one point.

And during our great spell in the top tier of 89-93, Stamford Bridge regularly attracted meagre (by their standards) crowds of 18,000 or so.

So, I was carrying quite a load of emotional baggage as I entered the Lower East Tier for our game on Saturday (March 19) and some of the most untypical weather for mid-March I can ever remember.

I hadn't been to the Bridge since our 94-95 season and whether you like 'em or loathe 'em it is a pretty impressive stadium now, supported by Russian roubles or not.

I was glad I had brought my sun-hat and shades or I would have been nicely "cooked" at the final whistle.

For the first time in my several decades as a football supporter, I was seated right in the front, in Row C, at eye level with the pitch.

While it was good to be so near the game, I have been used to looking down on to the proceedings, which, I think, gives a far better impression of what's happening.

But I am not complaining. The away supporters used to be squashed into a pen behind the goal and the ground had a track running round it, so you seemed to be miles away from the action. And we were sometimes "kept in" until the home fans had dispersed in the bad old hooligan days.

So there we were, and after their first onslaught I thought we acquitted ourselves pretty well.

After his well taken goal, Frank Lampard made amends by letting a corner through to Aki, who accepted the chance gratefully.

But what a tragedy that two slip-ups by the season's two star performers should have changed the possible course of the game. Until I saw Andy Johnson's miss at the end of the first half on MOTD, I didn't realise what a gilt-edged chance it was.

And, of course, Gabor Kiraly's schoolboy error was another catastrophe... but, hey, nobody's perfect.

Anyhow, despite the eventual result I enjoyed the day out in the sun and it was truly a carnival atmosphere in west London, so now let's concentrate on the real tasks of the season, not beating Chelsea but getting points in the bag from some of our fellow strugglers.

Email Jamesey with any of your comments to Jevans3704@aol.com

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