Chelsea Betting

Established in 1905, the Chelsea Football Club was formed as the solution to a problem. During an era when football was taking off in Northern Britain, London was lagging far behind and desperately needed a rallying point for the sport.

An Edwardian businessman named Henry Augustus “Gus” Mears had the idea of building a fine stadium at Stamford Bridge in Fulham to attract a team and fresh talent. However, when the Fulham Football Club declined to move from their own Craven Cottage facility, Mears and his backers decided to create a new club from scratch.

Among the many names considered and rejected were Stamford Bridge F.C., Kensington F.C. and London F.C. The organisers eventually agreed on Chelsea F.C., at least partly to appeal to the well-heeled residents of the vibrant and arty centre of town adjacent to the stadium site.

After settling on an official name, Scotsman John Tait Robertson was brought on as the first team manager/player and surrounded by a group of respected players. The next hurdle, however, was rejection of the Club’s application to join the Southern League, which wanted nothing to do with the untried upstarts.

So it came about that, without ever kicking a ball, Chelsea applied and was accepted for a place in Division Two of the northern-dominated Football League. It only took two seasons for the Pensioners (renamed the Blues in 1952) to reach Division One.

A crowning achievement for the Club came in the 1920s, when Stamford Bridge was selected as the venue for the FA Cup Finals on three occasions and Chelsea clambered as high as #3 in the League. It would not be until well after World War II, however, that the representatives of the South would gain their first silverware.

The “Blues” team that took the field in 1954-55 was the undoubtedly the finest that the crowds at Stamford Bridge had ever seen. Under the stewardship of no-nonsense manager Ted Drake, the Blues got their first-ever League Championship and then went on to claim the 1955 Charity Cup.

As the fates of football would have it, Chelsea’s celebrations turned out to be short-lived. The momentum could not be sustained, and Drake lost his job when the Club was relegated in 1960.

Chelsea went through a rebuilding phase during the next decade. The Blues gained their share of top-four finishes and cup finals, managing a League Cup in 1965, an FA Cup in 1970 and a Cup Winners’ Cup in 1971. But again, the Club’s climb stalled. The 1980s were stagnant; for a brief while, Chelsea teetered on the brink of financial collapse. It would take the 1990s to reveal a glimmer of future fortunes, starting in 1997 with a second FA Cup victory.

In 1998, Chelsea F.C. caught fire. The hardware accumulated by that year’s team included another Cup Winners’ Cup, the Super Cup, and at long last a second League Cup. For the very first time, “Mr. Mears’ invention” saw its reputation spread internationally and the stage was set for an incredibly successful new millennium.

Within a single blistering decade, Chelsea accrued four FA Cups (2000, 2007, 2009 and 2010). The team took the Premier League Title back-to-back (2004-05 and 2005-06) before adding a third (2009-10). League Cups came in 2005 and 2007, complemented by the Charity Shield (2000) and two Community Shields (2005 and 2009). The Trophy Cabinet at Stamford Bridge is now simply brimming.

Much of the credit for Chelsea’s 21st-century success goes to excellent managing by Jose Mourinho through 2007, and more recently by Carlo Ancelotti. Owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich since 2003, the Club no longer has financial concerns and can afford top talent.

High street bookmakers keep a close eye on the Blues, Game by game, they are typically favoured to win, even when facing top tier competition, such as Liverpool or Man City. They pair well in doubles with Man Utd any time and can anchor an accumulator when at home against lesser foes. Chelsea has most definitely matured to become a side to count on and not to count out.

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