30.10.03
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Chelsea 4 |
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2 County |
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Hasselbank 14 |
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Barras 27 |
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Gudjohnsen 36 |
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Stallard85 |
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Gudjohnsen 65 |
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Cole 87 |
The miracle did not quite happen, but praise be to Billy and the boys for giving it a damn good go!
Goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall probably had his best game for the club despite conceding four. Mark Stallard was the best substitute we have been able to call upon in recent history. Every single county player wore the shirt with pride.
Going back to 1-1 (and then 3-2) was one of the best bits of being a county fan in recent history. Afiter this game LeftLion would happily, happily buy any of the players a pint (or 3 for Darren Caskey).
27.10.03
This Wednesday's game against Notts County won't mean a lot to Chelsea fans, in a season where the chairman has spent £120million and their squad has become obese with quality players.
From the point of view of a Notts County fan the draw was an absolute dream come true. Not only is it a very welcome distraction from the rigour of second division football (and administration) but also a game against, probably the wealthiest club in the world, will provide a much needed cash injection to the club.The two sides could barely be further apart on the footballing scale, yet it is a gap that has only opened in the last decade. Only a dozen years ago the two sides started the season in the same division.
These days, Chelsea have endless spending power thanks to new owner Roman Abramovich. In contrast Notts County, have hovered on the brink of extinction for two years and have not signed a player for any money in all that time.
Perhaps biggest illustration of the difference between the clubs can be seen in one of the smaller signings Chelsea made this season. Russian captain Alexei Smertin was brought on board as a token fellow Russian for a mere £4million (enough money to sort out Notts). Seemingly within minutes of him checking into Stamford Bridge, he was farmed out to Charlton on a season?s loan, without ever appearing in a Chelsea shirt (not even for publicity photos!!)
As far as the two teams go, the game will be a showcase of some of the world's most expensive players against some of the English leagues cheapest. Tony Barras (pictured left) and Steve Jenkins have performed well in the heart of the Notts defence this season after both were picked off the free transfer scrapheap in the summer.
They will face a tough challenge, however, keeping either Hernan Crespo and Adrian Mutu (around £18million each) or Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (£15million) and Eidur Gudjohnson (a relatively cheap £4m) at bay.
In Midfield the magpies will rely upon defenders converted into midfielders (Ian Richardson and Ian Baraclough), former youth team players (Paul Riley, Micheal Brough and Shane McFaul) and free transfers (Simon Baldrey, Darren Caskey).
They will be facing the likes of Juan Sebastian Veron (£15million), Damian Duff (£15m), Geremi (£8m) Emmanuel Petit (£8m), Frank Lampard (£11m), Claude Makele (£9m) and Joe Cole (£7m).
In attack Notts County can call upon a journeyman second division striker (Mark Stallard), a summer free transfer (Clive Platt) and a former youth team player (Paul Heffernan).
They will be looking to score against England's Wayne Bridge, Glen Johnson and John Terry and French World Cup winners Marcel Desailly (left) and William Gallas.
This game is such a mismatch that only a lunatic would bet against the home team. So sticking a tenner on the magpies was probably an unwise way to use my money!
Deep down, however, it hurts to see Chelsea spend hundreds of millions on players, while the club you have supported all your life face extinction for a fraction of their wages.
The fact is that football has changed in the last decade or two and now it is a case of only the strongest will survive. The players who wear the black and white at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday can't change the new world of football finance.
They will, however, have 90 minutes in which they can make their multi-millionaire counterparts look overpaid and stupid. This game won't ever mean much to Chelsea players and fans, unless the underdog bites and knocks them out.
I know it's not very realistic, but to quote an excitable Kevin Keegan "I would love it if we beat them!"
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