'New Age' Chelsea Supporters Are An 'Absolute Disgrace'
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ABUSE ... Wright-Phillips gets some stick during his Chelsea days
WHEN my son Shaun played for Chelsea, I would go to Stamford Bridge regularly. After a while, I stopped. The amount of moaning and complaining coming from certain sections of the stands was unbelievable. I'd never heard anything like it.
In the end, it got to the point when I'd just had enough of it. My seat was near the players who were not involved. Just in front of us, there was one bloke who, win or lose, did not stop complaining. He was never happy, even with a convincing home win.
Since the summer of 2004, Chelsea have played 160 matches at home and lost just three times - against Barcelona, Liverpool and Arsenal. Yet, despite this astonishing record, it does not surprise me that Chelsea's players were booed off the pitch following their 3-3 draw with Everton on Saturday.
Those fans who jeered are an absolute disgrace. They might have plenty of money but, in football terms, they have no class whatsoever. They have either forgotten where their club has come from or they have no idea about Chelsea's problems down the years.
I have got mates who support Chelsea and they are disgusted and embarrassed by the New Age fans who have crawled out of the woodwork to support this now successful club.
Yet they have absolutely no sense of perspective and, like the bloke who used to sit near me, they expect the team to win every week.
Many of their fans saunter to the hospitality areas in their expensive suits and fancy shoes, drink fine champagne and probably think they are too good for prawn sandwiches let alone hot dogs.
A large number of people hate Chelsea because of the way they have bought their success and, I must admit, some of the fans are not helping the club's reputation. People sing 'Where were you when you were s**t?' - and never before has a chant been more accurate.
Most Chelsea fans then argue that they have always supported the club through thick and thin but, historically, they have not been a big club. I once went to Stamford Bridge with Mark Bright in the early 1990s to watch our mate Robbie Earle play for Wimbledon. The crowd was tiny.
For a Premier League game against Coventry in May 1994, the attendance at Stamford Bridge was less than 9,000. Yet all the fans turned out to pack Wembley 10 days later for the FA Cup final against Manchester United.
Chelsea are not on the best of runs by their super-high standards and the draw on Saturday was hardly the greatest of results. But they didn't lose.
Petr Cech did not have a great match but he has done so well for them and does not deserve any of the criticism directed his way.
ABUSE ... Blues fans dish it outThose Chelsea fans should be getting behind their team, not just whinging. I understand that they pay good money, but surely they must be intelligent enough to realise that constant moaning does not benefit anybody.
The Londoners should learn a few lessons from the fans up at Liverpool. Considering the state of their team, they have every right to tear both Rafa Benitez and the team apart but they have stayed loyal.
Maybe too loyal, if the truth be known. But this is a club where fans know how to respect not only their own players, but visiting ones and that is something I have always admired.
Benitez, though, is clearly in deep trouble. Sunday's 2-1 home defeat to Arsenal just proved there is no way they will finish in the top four. And if they fail to get decent results in their next two games, against strugglers Wigan and Portsmouth, then they probably won't even manage to finish in the top six.
This would be unbelievable for a team with players like Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard - a team that finished league runners-up last season. And it's not as though Liverpool fielded an under-strength side against Arsene Wenger's Gunners on Sunday.
Torres, undoubtedly, will start to worry about the direction Liverpool are going in. A year ago, they were top of the Premier League and now they are seventh - and looking every inch a team that is not going to win anything this season.
If Torres returns to Merseyside in the summer as a World Cup winner, something which is possible, then I can't believe he would want to play for a club which is not in the Champions League.
In fact Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson would probably fancy his chances of taking Torres to Old Trafford. Reds skipper Gerrard could be another problem. He is proud to play for Liverpool but there will come a time when he takes a step back and thinks 'How can I remain on Merseyside?'
I never like to see managers get the sack and I hope Benitez can somehow turns things around. But now, for the first time, even some people at Anfield are wondering whether this is a step too far for the Spaniard.
IAN WRIGHT was talking to CHARLIE WYETT Courtesy SEM Group
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Ian Wright: 'New Age' Chelsea Supporters Are An 'Absolute Disgrace'
Newer Blues fans lack respect, claims Wright.
Carling Cup: Chelsea fans banner, Hull City - Chelsea (PA)Arsenal legend Ian Wright has branded the Chelsea boo-boys as an "absolute disgrace" to their club and everything that it stands for.
The west London side had not conceded in the Premier League in ten games at Stamford Bridge, until Everton recently hammered in three to secure a draw.
However, despite salvaging a point from the encounter, the team were booed off the pitch by a section of the crown when the referee brought the proceedings to a close.
"Those fans who jeered are an absolute disgrace," Wright said in his column for The Sun.
"They might have plenty of money but, in football terms, they have no class whatsoever.
"They have either forgotten where their club has come from or they have no idea about Chelsea's problems down the years.
"I have got mates who support Chelsea and they are disgusted and embarrassed by the New Age fans who have crawled out of the woodwork to support this now successful club.
"A large number of people hate Chelsea because of the way they have bought their success and, I must admit, some of the fans are not helping the club's reputation.
"They have either forgotten where their club has come from or they have no idea about Chelsea's problems down the years." -
its true..i started supporting at a time when chelsea was still trying to break into the top 3 just to get a champions league spot..back then it was only arsenal and man u constantly, and we were like a mid table team with topsy turvy results..something like spurs of late.. but then again, now that the team has come so far, it also isnt right to expect us to swallow rubbish results..
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londoners are like that la. arsenal fans are also quit abusive.
city dwellers are less compassionate and patience, this are true everywhere around the world.
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Originally posted by stellazio:
its true..i started supporting at a time when chelsea was still trying to break into the top 3 just to get a champions league spot..back then it was only arsenal and man u constantly, and we were like a mid table team with topsy turvy results..something like spurs of late.. but then again, now that the team has come so far, it also isnt right to expect us to swallow rubbish results..
and that period so happened to fall into the New Age supporters..
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Even if Liverpool aren't in the Champions League, I doubt Torres would consider going to MU at all.