Chelsea attracted large crowds and had a reputation for signing big-name players, but success continued to elude the club in the inter-war years.

Docherty built a new team around the group of talented young players emerging from the club's youth set-up and Chelsea challenged for honours throughout the 1960s, enduring several near-misses.

The supporters saw their two star players leave to Chelsea ( Salomon Kalou ) and Liverpool ( Dirk Kuyt ).

He was one of only nine players to score in every round of the FA Cup ( and, to date, the last to do so ), helping Chelsea to victory in a replayed final against Leeds United in 1970.

Over 2500 fans attended the memorial service and they were joined by former managers, chairmen, players, colleagues and current Chelsea players.

The area is also home to the training grounds of London-based Premier League club Chelsea and many of their players and staff live in the vicinity.

Chelsea had been bolstered by a £ 100 million outlay on world-class players, a spree funded by the extensive financial resources of their new owner Roman Abramovich.

It is argued that Abramovich's involvement with Chelsea has distorted the football transfer market throughout Europe, as his wealth often allows the club to purchase players virtually at will although that has changed in recent years.

He is also present at almost every game Chelsea plays and shows visible emotion during matches, a sign taken by supporters to indicate a genuine love for the sport, and usually visits the players in the dressing room following each match, although this stopped for a time in early 2007 as rumours of a feud between Abramovich and manager Mourinho, regarding the appearances of certain players, notably Andriy Shevchenko, appeared in the press.

Graham scored 35 goals in 72 league games for the club and won a League Cup medal in 1965 but he, along with several other Chelsea players, increasingly clashed with their volatile manager Tommy Docherty.

On British Eurosport James Richardson previously hosted the coverage of Serie A football on the Channel from 2002 to 2005 and 2004 UEFA European Football Championship with regular guests including Alan Curbishley, DJ Spoony, former Chelsea FC players Paul Elliott, Ed de Goey, Ray Wilkins, Roberto Di Matteo & former Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini now at Tottenham Hotspur, former England International Luther Blissett and European football journalists Gabriele Marcotti & Xavier Rivoire.

He had already scored what many Leeds fans call the greatest goal ever by a Leeds player – a solo run past several Burnley players which involved flicks and backheels as he somehow got from the byline to a shooting position – when his day came at Wembley for the FA Cup final against Chelsea.

I remember one instance with Chelsea in a cup final at extra-time, when John Terry had the players around him and he was giving the team talk, and Grant was standing back out of the way.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson heaped praise on Lampard saying: " Frank Lampard is an exceptional player – a huge asset to Chelsea, You pay attention to players who can get goals from midfield and he's been averaging 20 a season. You don't see him getting into stupid tackles or making a habit of becoming involved in silly rows.

Chelsea players celebrate winning the UEFA Champions League

" On 23 September 2001, Lampard, along with three other Chelsea players was fined two weeks wages by the club for his behaviour whilst on a drinking binge on 12 September.

When Chelsea won the Premier League title in 2005, Chelsea pensioners formed a guard of honour as the players and management came out for the trophy presentation.

Unsettled, as the vast majority of foreign players bought by new team owner Alexei Fedorychev, he left the side on January 2006, loaned to Premier League side Chelsea.

Mourinho's win over Manchester United foreshadowed a move to the Premier League, where he would enjoy a competitive relationship with United manager Sir Alex Ferguson ( in 2005, after Chelsea clinched the league title, Ferguson had his players form a guard of honor at Chelsea's next game at Old Trafford, a favor that Mourinho returned to United's players at Stamford Bridge in 2007 when Ferguson's squad were confirmed league champions ).

A letter arrives from Chelsea saying that she is coming from California with her boyfriend Bill to celebrate Norman's 80th birthday.

Hasselbaink scored his first goal for Charlton against his old team Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 9 September 2006, but he did not celebrate out of respect for the fans.

Like his previous goal against former club Chelsea he did not celebrate, as respect to Boro fans.

He scored his first goal of the season in mid-November but there was little reason to celebrate: he incurred disciplinary action and a three match ban for throwing a coin back into the stands and Chelsea suffered a League Cup defeat against Burnley.

Kalou and Chelsea began the season in winning form ; beating Manchester United to lift the Community Shield, with Kalou scoring the winning penalty to celebrate his birthday during the same week.

There is an annual tradition on New Year where locals celebrate the new year by standing in Chelsea Court ( a cul-de-sac ) in coats and have a BBQ.

They later married on October 11, 1975, and their only child, Chelsea, was born on February 27, 1980.

President Bill Clinton ( center ), first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton ( right ) and their daughter Chelsea Clinton ( left ) wave to watchers at a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue on Inauguration Day, January 20, 1997.

Chelsea had their first major success in 1955, when they won the league championship, and won various cup competitions during the 1960s, 1970s, 1990s and 2000s.

Since 1996, Chelsea have enjoyed the most successful period in their history.

He removed the club's Chelsea pensioner crest, improved the youth set-up and training regime, rebuilt the side with shrewd signings from the lower divisions and amateur leagues, and led Chelsea to their first major trophy success – the League championship – in 1954 – 55.

Chelsea took their first European honour, a UEFA Cup Winners ' Cup triumph, the following year, with another replayed win, this time over Real Madrid in Athens.

In 1982, Chelsea were, at the nadir of their fortunes, acquired by Ken Bates for the nominal sum of £ 1, although by now the Stamford Bridge freehold had been sold to property developers, meaning the club faced losing their home.

In 2009, caretaker manager Guus Hiddink guided Chelsea to another FA Cup success, and in 2009 – 10, his successor Carlo Ancelotti led them to their first league and FA Cup " Double ", becoming the first English club to score 100 league goals in a season since 1963.

Under caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo, Chelsea won their seventh FA Cup, and their first UEFA Champions League title, beating Bayern Munich 4 – 3 on penalties, the first London club to win the trophy.

As a condition for using the Chelsea FC name, the club has to play its first team matches at Stamford Bridge, which means that if the club moves to a new stadium, they may have to change their name.

The club have consistently affirmed their desire to keep Chelsea at their current home, but Chelsea have nonetheless been linked with a move to various nearby sites, including the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Battersea Power Station and the Chelsea Barracks.

The couple took Elizabeth into their household at Chelsea.

The holders of the FA Cup are Chelsea, who defeated Liverpool 2 – 1 in the 2012 final for their fourth triumph in six years and seventh overall.

Things initially went well, and for much of the season Chelsea were on course for promotion, but two wins from their final seven league games ensured the club finished 4th.

The following season again began well, with the Blues among the early promotion pace-setters before a dismal run set in, with Chelsea scoring in just three of their final 22 league matches, culminating in Hurst being sacked on 23 April 1981 and Chelsea finished 12th in the league.

| first Chelsea team in September 1905

Most football clubs were founded first, and then sought grounds in which to play, but Chelsea were founded for Stamford Bridge.

After being taken by Reitel to check-in at the Chelsea Hotel, Thomas took the first rehearsal of Under Milk Wood.

In 1964, Banks finally won his first major trophy though when Leicester beat Stoke City 4 – 3 in the League Cup final over two legs, though they lost the trophy a year later after a 3 – 2 defeat by Chelsea on aggregate in the final.

Priest's wife kept a boarding school for young gentlewomen, first in Leicester Fields and afterwards at Chelsea, where the opera was performed.

In 1957, Manchester United became the first English team to compete in the European Cup, despite objections from The Football League, who had denied Chelsea the same opportunity the previous season.

The oldest surviving such race, Doggett's Coat and Badge was first contested in 1715 and is still held annually from London Bridge to Chelsea.

He was born in Chelsea, London, and made his first appearance on the stage at Bath in 1806, and his first London appearance in 1808.

* May 20 – The first Chelsea Flower Show held in London.

The first verifiable live performance of Alfano's original ending was not mounted until 3 November 1982, by the Chelsea Opera Group at the Barbican Centre in London.

The first known professional black baseball player was Bud Fowler, who appeared in a handful of games with a Chelsea, Massachusetts club in April 1878 and then pitched for the Lynn, Massachusetts team in the International Association.

Built between 1883 and 1885 and opened for initial occupation in 1884, the twelve-story red-brick building that is now the Hotel Chelsea was one of the city's first private apartment cooperatives.

The Chelsea was also home to many sailors returning from their duties in World War I. Ruth Harkness, an adventurer / naturalist who brought the first live giant panda from China to the U. S. in the 1930s, stayed at the Chelsea Hotel after her return to the States.