3/26/09 - The Atlantic Alliance
"YORK...OLDE AND NEW"
Archaeological evidence suggests that Mesolithic people settled in what is now York from 8000/7000 BC! The city of York dates back to AD 71 and was founded by the Romans although it took until around AD 1000 for the city to be named York. The entire Roman Empire was once governed from York (Eboracum, back then!) for two years by Emporer Septimius Severus!
From AD 866 to 954, the city was under Viking rule and became a major river port as part of the extensive Viking trading routes through Northern Europe.
In 954 AD, King Edred drove off the last Viking ruler, Eric Bloodaxe, thus completing the unification of England. Richard II wanted to make York the capital of England but was deposed before he could make this happen. George Hudson brought the railway to York in 1839 and York became a major railway centre and headquarters for the North East Railway.
Thanks to the emergence of tourism as a major industry, the historic core of York was designated a conservation area in 1968. In 1998, York became home to the York & District official supporters club of Chelsea Football Club.
Across the pond, Henry Hudson let out a huge Chelsea "who are ya" to the Indians and claimed New York in 1609. The Dutch colonised both the present-day Albany and Manhattan in 1624. These both fell to British annexation in 1664. Both New York state and city were named for the 17th century Duke of York, James Stuart. About one-third of the battles in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) took place in New York. New York City, New Amsterdam until 1664, was the capital of the United States from 1785 to 1790 and has been the nation's largest city since 1790. New York City is a leading global city, exerting a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture and entertainment. In 1998, Nevada Smith's pub in Manhattan became home to the New York Blues who became an official supporters club of Chelsea Football Club in 2002.
For more information on the York and District Blues click on their badge.
Archaeological evidence suggests that Mesolithic people settled in what is now York from 8000/7000 BC! The city of York dates back to AD 71 and was founded by the Romans although it took until around AD 1000 for the city to be named York. The entire Roman Empire was once governed from York (Eboracum, back then!) for two years by Emporer Septimius Severus!
From AD 866 to 954, the city was under Viking rule and became a major river port as part of the extensive Viking trading routes through Northern Europe.
In 954 AD, King Edred drove off the last Viking ruler, Eric Bloodaxe, thus completing the unification of England. Richard II wanted to make York the capital of England but was deposed before he could make this happen. George Hudson brought the railway to York in 1839 and York became a major railway centre and headquarters for the North East Railway.
Thanks to the emergence of tourism as a major industry, the historic core of York was designated a conservation area in 1968. In 1998, York became home to the York & District official supporters club of Chelsea Football Club.
Across the pond, Henry Hudson let out a huge Chelsea "who are ya" to the Indians and claimed New York in 1609. The Dutch colonised both the present-day Albany and Manhattan in 1624. These both fell to British annexation in 1664. Both New York state and city were named for the 17th century Duke of York, James Stuart. About one-third of the battles in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) took place in New York. New York City, New Amsterdam until 1664, was the capital of the United States from 1785 to 1790 and has been the nation's largest city since 1790. New York City is a leading global city, exerting a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture and entertainment. In 1998, Nevada Smith's pub in Manhattan became home to the New York Blues who became an official supporters club of Chelsea Football Club in 2002.
For more information on the York and District Blues click on their badge.
11/11/08 - Chelsea Youth Team play in Newark
Mike, Steve, Dominik and the new New York Blues flag joined the Chelsea Youth Team in the above photo !
4/21/08 - The Chelsea Blues Orchestra
Formed in Budapest, Hungary by conductor Gabriel Balint on October 24th 2007, the Chelsea Blues Orchestra is a 25-member wind orchestra and perform compositions dedicated to Chelsea FC. You can watch them on You Tube here starting off with Blue Is The Colour. The setlist mainly includes compositions connected to the blue colour, for example George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue and Johan Strauss: Blue Danube, but the talented group of young musicians are in the process of composing pieces dedicated to legends of Chelsea FC. Two have already been completed; one to William Foulkes, the other to Ossie and in the future, they plan on releasing an album of these pieces - Good Luck to you all from the New York Blues !8/10/06 - John Terry is the new England captain
Congratulations John, this is an amazing accomplishment and you truly deserve it ! Most of us have been following your career since you first broke into the Chelsea team as a teenager. We thought your sitting on the bench during the 2000 FA Cup Final was a shrewd move by Luca Vialli to give you a taste of the atmosphere of football at the top level. But little did we know what effect it would have and what you had in store for us when you got your chance to take control of the Chelsea defence. We've gone from strength to strength since and after leading us to back to back Premiership titles and a string of commanding performances in the England defence, you've now been rewarded with the England captaincy. All of us New York Blues wish you every success in the future and we're all incredibly proud of you. 
3/13/06 - Tommy Smoot meets some Chelsea Legends !
Tommy was over for the Tottenham game on 3/11, he witnessed the Peter Osgood tribute before the game and has sent us these amazing photo's of Chelsea Legends who he met afterwards.
Director of youth football development, Frank Arnesen was in the US last week, and took time out from attending the 59th Annual NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) Convention to oversea Fox Soccer Channel's new "Biggest Chelsea tattoo in the US" competition !
Tim Martin, of the Philadelphia Blues, won the competition easy and as many of us got to see the great work of art last summer, during Chelsea's 2005 US Tour, we knew we didn't stand a chance.
A big thanks to Matthew Eison, the official photographer of the Philly Blues, for sending the photo to us.
Chelsea has developed strong links with the United States over the past couple of years and toured here in consecutive pre-seasons. So, during the Convention, Frank was asked to give one of the keynote lectures and then field questions on his vision for player development and recruitment scouting. Shaun Gore, Chelsea's Football in the Community director, also attended the event and gave a demonstration on training methods. The four-day Convention was held at Philadelphia's Pennsylvania Convention Center.
A group of NY Blues went over for Christmas and took our smaller flag with them. Its to the left of the True Blue ad and partially covering up Orange's one ! We found this photo on the John Terry Barmy Army's photo website, they attend all Chelsea home and away games and put up lots of photos. Their website is http://community.webshots.com/user/ruudi1955
The signed shirt that Kerry Dixon presented to us at Nevada's on July 30th has now been framed by Nevada's and mounted on the wall above where we gather for Chelsea games ! There's even two lights shining on it so when Nevada's dim the main lights for games our shirt can still be seen. Thanks Tom !! A photo of Kerry presenting it to us is on the US Tour page.
Joe salutes us Chelsea fans cheering him off at the end of the game. Thanks to Matthew Eison of the Philadelphia Blues for capturing the moment.
3/14/05 - Chelsea launched 100 years ago today
It was 100 years ago today that Chelsea Football Club was officially conceived.
The first meeting to launch us took place in the The Rising Sun pub on Fulham Road, opposite the main entrance of Stamford Bridge.
At that first meeting Claude Kirby was appointed chairman of a six man board of directors.
On the board were Gus Mears and his brother Joseph. Both are now buried in Brompton Cemetery behind the East Stand, alongside the main path through the centre.The Mears were wealthy London businessmen who wanted to build a football ground. At first they hadn’t wanted to start a football club. Stamford Bridge was an athletics stadium. They purchased it and later obtained market garden property adjacent to it. But when they set about raising finance to develop it, they found interest was low. Gus Mears met financier Fred Parker, a friend, and confided he was going to sell the site to the Great Western Railway Company who wanted the land for coal and goods sidings.
Parker was upset. He believed in the project. During their discussion Mears’ scotch terrier dog suddenly bit Parker viciously in the leg. Parker’s response was to show pain but laugh through it. “You’re damned dog has bitten me. Scotch terrier, always bites before he speaks!” he exclaimed. The impressed Gus Mears immediately decided that he would mirror such courage and decided the project should go ahead. “Go to the chemist and get that leg seen to and we will meet here at nine tomorrow. Then we will get busy.”
And get busy they did. They went off to Glasgow to look at the three big stadia there, and they hired architect Archibald Leitch to build the 5,000 capacity East Stand which stood until the 1970s. Building started in February 1905. Fulham, already in existence and playing at Craven Cottage, were approached to rent the venue. They turned it down. The Mears wanted £1500 a year for matches only, and were intent on using the ground to stage other games as well.
Parker didn’t care. “You have the finest ground in the kingdom,” he told the brothers. “If they won’t come to terms, then tell them we’ll start a new club that is bound to become one of the best in the country.” Everyone was agreed. And so the seed of our football baby was planted.
But what to call it? Fulham was out because that existed. Stamford Bridge, Kensington and London were all considered. The name of ‘Stamford Bridge’ had been taken from the bridge that ran over the canal which no longer exists. In fact, the railway runs along the old canal route. It had been Sandford bridge, named after the Sand ford, and metamorphosed into Stamford bridge. But somehow, it didn’t seem right for the football club. First of all Stamford Bridge was more associated with the place where a famous battle occurred in Yorkshire. And secondly, Parker was against it. He couldn’t imagine people shouting: “Play up Stamford Bridge!”
A fuller version of this article will appear in the Matchday programme against West Bromwich Albion.
The new design was launched at Stamford Bridge by Chelsea’s chief executive Peter Kenyon, accompanied by life vice-president Lord Attenborough, manager José Mourinho and group business affairs director Paul Smith.
It replaces the previous badge which has been in place since 1986. Prior to that there have been only three official club badges during Chelsea’s 100 year history.
Fans have been keen for many years for a return to the badge first used by the club in 1953, which was also the official badge when the League Championship was won, marking Chelsea’s 50th anniversary in 1955.
It will be effective from May 2005, in time for the club’s Centenary Season and a special Centenary version of the badge will be used during that year.
Peter Kenyon said: “We are incredibly proud of Chelsea’s heritage. The design of this new badge is based on the one from the 1950s and it was a conscious decision to do this.
“As we approach our Centenary Year, and the club embarks on a new and very exciting era, it is appropriate that we have a new identity that reflects our tradition and can represent us for the next 100 years.”
It has also been announced that the name Chelsea Village will be phased out, leaving the club with the single, worldwide brand identity of Chelsea Football Club.
Kenyon said: “If you come to the ground to visit the hotels, the restaurants or the Megastore, you will be visiting Chelsea Football Club and not anything else. All successful business are built around one name, one brand, one identity and from today, ours is Chelsea Football Club.”
Lord Attenborough said: “It is an emblem that personifies not only our past but also our excitement, dedication, ambition and aspirations for the future. I think it is terrific. It personifies the club in so many areas. It is beautifully designed and we couldn’t ask for more artistically because it says something.”
Mourinho added: “When I look to this lion it looks arrogant, it is aggressive, it is powerful. He is proud of being a Chelsea lion.
“For me and for my players and for the people working with me who feel the responsibility of winning, I think it will make us even more aware of our ambition.
“The last thing we do every game before we go onto the pitch is someone asks in the dressing room who are you, and everyone says at the same time in a big shout from the heart, we are Chelsea. With this new identity, we may have a help.”
Smith explained: “The catalyst for this change was the Centenary and we thought it would be a fitting moment to pay tribute to the club’s longevity.
“A new era for Chelsea deserves and demands a new badge. In the past 100 years Chelsea has been content with being the most popular club in west London, but the new Chelsea vision sees us challenging the idea that we can be the most popular club in the western hemisphere, and we add the eastern hemisphere to that challenge.
