The Blues

Chelsea Football Club are a professional football club based in Fulham, London, who play in the Premier League, the highest level of English football. Founded in 1905, the club have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. The club's home ground is the 41,837-seat Stamford Bridge stadium, where they have played since their formation.

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One of the most successful clubs in English football, Chelsea had their first major success in 1955, when they won the league championship, and subsequently won various cup competitions between 1965 and 1990.

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The club have enjoyed their greatest period of success in the past two decades, winning 17 major trophies since 1997. Domestically, Chelsea have won five league titles, seven FA Cups, five League Cups and four FA Community Shields, while in continental competitions they have won one UEFA Champions League, two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, one UEFA Europa League and one UEFA Super Cup. Chelsea are the only London club to win the UEFA Champions League, and one of four clubs, and the only British club, to have won all three main UEFA club competitions.

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Chelsea's regular kit colours are royal blue shirts and shorts with white socks. The club's crest has been changed several times in attempts to re-brand the club and modernise its image. The current crest, featuring a ceremonial lion holding a staff, is a modification of the one introduced in the early 1950s.

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The club have sustained the fifth-highest average all-time attendance in English football.

Their average home gate for the 2013–14 season was 41,572, the seventh highest in the Premier League.

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Since July 2003, Chelsea have been owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. In May 2015 they were ranked by Forbes Magazine as the sixth most valuable football club in the world, at £898 million ($1.37 billion).

 

A few facts that you might not know about Chelsea FC

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• John Robertson was Chelsea’s First Manager in 1905. He was a

  Player manager who eventually managed to score 7 goals in 36

  appearances.

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• Chelsea lost its first official match as a team 1-0 to Stockport County,

  Second Division on 1 September 1905. It was an away game.

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• Chelsea won their first match at home 3 days later against Liverpool

  4-0.

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• Chelsea, jointly with Arsenal, were the first clubs to play with numbered

   shirts - on 25 August 1928 in their match against Swansea City.

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• Chelsea were the first English team to qualify for the UEFA European

  Cup, winning the 1954/55 1st Division title (though Chelsea were not

  allowed to participate by the FA).

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• In 1930, Chelsea featured in one of the earliest football films – The

  Great Game. Former Chelsea centre forward, Jack Cock starred in the

  film and several scenes were shot at Stamford Bridge, including the

  pitch, the boardroom, and the dressing rooms. Guest appearances

  were given by the then Chelsea players Andrew Wilson, George Mills,

  and Sam Millington.

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• Chelsea's official highest home attendance is 82,905 for a First

  Division match, against Arsenal on 12 October 1935. However, over

  100,000 attended a friendly match against Soviet team Dynamo

  Moscow on 13 November 1945.

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• Chelsea's highest appearance maker is Ron Harris, who played in 795

  first-class games for the club between 1961 and 1980.

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• 'The Liquidator' by the Harry J Allstars is heard before kick-off in home

  games. Chelsea claim to be the first team to have used the song at a

  football match in 1969.

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• The club's 21–0 aggregate victory over Jeunesse Hautcharage in the

  UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1971 is a European record.

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• Chelsea became the first English club to name a completely foreign

  starting lineup in a Premier League match against Southampton in

  December 1999.MM

The Chelsea FC team in November 1947

Winners of the Double in 2010

Frank Lampard is Chelsea's all-time highest goalscorer.