Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #88873 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-31
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Synopsis
CHELSEA FC: THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHYgoes to the heart of what gives the club its personality. The author has access to all the key characters, including Mourinho, Abramovich and the star players, plus legendary names of the past.He addresses all the controversies, including: the near suffocation through lack of cash in the 1970s and in 2002; the impact of Abramovich's money; the club and fans' response to racism; how the hooliganism which dogged Chelsea for years has been tackled. On the lighter side, Chelsea is regarded as the country's glamour club, and fashions, good and dreadful, will feature alongside celebrity fans and the worlds of art and music. And then there is the football at the core of it all, creating moments of huge tension and excitement.

Customer Reviews

A must read for all fans
A must read for any Chelsea fan, and even non fans as it's written in an objective manner. Really interesting to see how the club has continually shot itself in both feet over the years, and always just as the team were just about to start delivering.

Blue Love
Long time fan, the grouping by subject rather than chronology is an excellent idea. There were lots i did n`t realise, and lots I laughed out loud at, and I love my club even more.
Good work Rick, well done.

Surprisingly intelligent insight into the Blues
This book is a real surprise. I am a Chelsea fan with over 35 years service and thought I knew our history, but I learnt much. The narrative, if sometimes a bit chatty and rooted in the present, explores the chequered history of the club without airbrushing the hooligan and racist episodes. It also revealed the fact that CFC has always been a rich club. I knew we had been historically inconsistent, but hadn't realised the extent that our location and history made us different from others. And that squandering money and talent had been a constant theme. Dividing the history into themes rather than the typical chronological approach has been a bold step which is completely vindicated. Even non CFC fans will find much of interest.