JULY 2012

NOTES FROM THE CHAIRWOMAN

by Beth Wild
HELLO CHAMPIONS! Yes, I meant to say that! It may have been a !couple of months ago, but I dont think I am the only one still basking in the glory and memory of it. As a matter of fact I watched it yesterday and though maybe I wasnt quite as nervous as I was on the day, I still screamed when Drogs put that header into the net, and I still cried watching him celebrate the win. WHAT A DAY! MAKING HISTORY NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT IT! ! And I know many of you are said that Mr. Drogba has left. He was a great servant to the club. But honestly, what a wonderful man. I know in my heart he left to take life a little less seriously (or at least his football), to spend more time with his family and to raise more money for his foundation and do the humanitarian work that he never gets the credit for doing. Considering that, how could we not wish him luck, peace and happiness. He gave us many memories, and I think in time many of us will be able to tell many a story about when Drogba played. He truly is amazing, and we were so lucky to see him in his prime! I am sure he will be remembered for a long time, and I just have a feeling he will come back to Chelsea for a visit now and then. ! And if the events of May were amazing, who is excited about the upcoming events in July? THE CHELSEA SUMMER TOUR 2012! I know many are going, but many more are not. That makes me so sad, as the best part, for me, of the summer tour is hanging out with all of you. Being together, laughing, carrying on, and meeting new people - I have fond memories of the summer tour. And to be honest, there is a fairly good size group that are what I call tour babies as I remember them. They found us and we found them on the summer tour. Actually, 2004 was my first summer tour and I was a newbie, and so was a certain Mr. Andy B., my partner in crime, the solid foundation of Chelsea in America and my best mate . . . see what the summer tour can do. You just never know who you might meet, what might happen and what it will lead to. Do you all know I can honestly say that CIA started on a summer tour? ! For those of you that are coming on tour: get ready! I hope you have all taken advantage of the hotel deals in every city. I hope you all have your tickets. I hope you all have booked the train from NYC to Philly. And I hope you are all ready for a GREAT TIME! We have a lot going on. And I am so pleased that this year we are working very closely with the NY Blues, and that is such a wonderful thing. And I know they are excited about hosting us in NYC! Remember, no matter what club they are from, we are all BLUE, and that is the most important thing. So besides the matches, there are the meet ups at the pub. The pub is the center of the action the first stop when you get to a tour city, come get your tickets, hang out, buy some raffle tickets, look at the VERY COOL merchandise we have and meet everyone. We are working on filling in time with more events like practices and first team events as soon as Chelsea lets us know about them. But also come and meet our very special guests Frank Sinclair, Paul Cannoville and Neil Spy Barnett. If you dont know who they are, read on, or look them up. I know all three and they are great! If you went three years ago, you know what a great time we had with Tommy and Jock and Spy and I fully expect at least as much fun and laughs and great stories from these three. Also Chopper Harris will be our very special guest in NYC, courtesy of the NY Blues! And I have a secret, very special guest in Miami, and you arent going to want to miss that! ! If you arent on tour, you can catch the games on ChelseaTV online if you have a True Blue account. If not I hear you will

Notes from the Chairwoman Chelsea Chants CL Final Recap Legends: Paul Canoville and Frank Sinclair New Blue: Eden Hazard Transfers and Rumors

CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE! Just a friendly reminder: On May 19th, 2012, Chelsea FC won its first Champions League trophy! Where were you when it happened?

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also be able to watch them on one of the ESPN channels. But how will you keep up with the real fun, the real action . . . what we are doing . . . get over to Facebook and Twitter because we will be active and sharing whats happening. So follow, follow and stay in touch. We will do all we can to post words, photos and video. I know for some it was a heartbreak that you couldnt come, but dont despair, and join us any way you can. And we will be thinking of you and SINGING FOR YOU. And please if you are on tour, DONT BE SHY - introduce yourself. If you want to help, there will be things to volunteer for. If you dont know the words to the songs, just ask. That is what is the best thing about CIA, we are all one big family, just reach out and grab someone and ask. ! Now the other thing, from now and throughout the tour, the best way to stay up-to-date with all the latest news and all of that, PLEASE CHECK THE WEBSITE! We are still working on transport for the different venues, and if we are renting a bus, you need to buy a ticket, and you will need to do that before arriving at the venue, so please just make it a point to check the website and the summer tour city you are attending often. ! And all of this in preparation for the season to kick off. Make sure you have your CIA membership, that if you decide to get a True Blue membership to let us know, check out the website, check out the different Facebook groups and Twitter feeds for your local or regional group, so that you know where we are for each match day. And participate! This is your club, it is what you make of it. It only grows and gets better because of the tireless and endless volunteer work of so many people, so if you see them on tour, if you see them through the season, if you see them on the board, on Facebook, on Twitter, thank them, they do all of this for you and for all of us. ! These are the people I know have really worked on the summer tour and on helping with membership packets (yes, they are nearly done and in the mail soon), so in no particular order, please join me in thanking . . . Andy B (Midwest Blues), Paul P (Southeast Blues), Nick D (Georgia Blues), Ben H (Boston Blues), Dennis F (Motor City Blues), Raciel D (LA County Chelsea Blues), Cary E (North Texas Blues), Terri E (LA County Chelsea Blues), Starla Rose (Bay Area Blues), Chris B (Midwest Blues), Tim H (Desert Blues), Rich J (Desert Blues), Ian McNally (Chicago Blues), Andy W (OC Blues), Danny C (Pacific Coast Blues), Mike P (Bluegrass Blues), John B (Beltway Blues), Simon F (Bayou Blues), JR L (Motor City Blues), Lauri and Noah B (Boston Blues), Jamie E (NE Tri State Blues), Allison K (Beltway Blues), Jesus M (Bayou City Blues), Jen A (Beltway Blues), Vigi W (Boston Blues), Joe F (Boston Blues), Neal H (Beltway Blues), Parker S (Charm City Blues), Abdullahi A (NW Blues), Jon S (Florida Blues), Nadine H (NW Blues), Garrett B (Boston Blues), BJ B (North Texas), Brandon H (North Texas), Steve (North Texas Blues), Sriram P (North Texas Blues), Tucker and Tracy B (North Texas Blues). If I forgot anyone, it is only because it takes an army and I am old and forget some things, so if and when you see a volunteer, thank them, buy them a beer, for without them this all doesnt happen. And to all that have helped a HUGE THANK YOU! What an amazing group we have, and what an amazing year we have to look forward to. (Do you realize I just named more people that are volunteering than the full roster of members the first year of the Texas Blues? AMAZING!) ! CAREFREE CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE!

CHELSEA CHANTS

Blue is the colour, football is the game We're all together and winning is our aim So cheer us on through the sun and rain Cos Chelsea, Chelsea is our name. Here at the Bridge, whether rain or fine We can shine all the time Home or away, come and see us play You're welcome any day Blue is the colour, football is the game We're all together and winning is our aim So cheer us on through the sun and rain Cos Chelsea, Chelsea is our name Come to the Shed and we'll welcome you Wear your blue and see us through Sing loud and clear until the game is done Sing Chelsea everyone Blue is the colour, football is the game We're all together and winning is our aim So cheer us on through the sun and rain Cos Chelsea, Chelsea is our name. Blue is the colour, football is the game We're all together and winning is our aim So cheer us on through the sun and rain Cos Chelsea, Chelsea is our name.

Contributors: A huge thanks to everyone who helps make the Bluesletter possible! Co-editor: Lauri Berkenkamp Co-editor: Noah Kahan Layout: Jamie Edwards Chairwoman: Beth Wild Graphics: Raciel Diaz

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THERE'S ONLY ONE DI MATTEO: THE CL FINAL

by Jesus Martinez, Bayou City Blues
Editors Note: The article previously appeared on the Chelsea in America website in May 2012 I woke up on Sunday morning still feeling the effects of a few pints and a glass of champagne to toast to our European champions, however the only feeling that mattered most was the realization that it wasn't a dream. Our beloved boys in Blue had won the European title, and were in fact heroes of our time. A season which seemed practically over in March had been turned around, and with a man named Roberto Di Matteo our group went from a team in search of help to a group of men in search of destined glory. Since the day Roberto Di Matteo took over in the 2nd leg vs Napoli, it almost seemed like our season was reborn. The season's objective was clear from the start: Fight for the cups, the league comes later. The league was already lost, but 2 cups were still within our grasp. And this man called Di Matteo brought a much-needed confidence. He brought a spark to a club who seemed to only be riding along till the season was over. Yet, his presence brought us this belief that not only would we compete for European glory, but our names would be etched into that trophy that so many times had slipped out of our reach. Certain players who seemed to have phased out came back to emerge as our true heroes. This is what our club needed, this man, this legend, this manager they call Di Matteo. Our players respected him, they followed him, they believed in him, and they gave their all to him. Lampard was back in favor, and became the maestro he's been known to be. Didier took over the reins of winning goals, and provided the assists and defensive displays he's always had in him. Torres would become a bit of his old self, and even creating chances for his teammates on the pitch. And so it became that this band of brothers would not let the world tell them, "No, you can't do it!" Instead they fought on. They fought with valor, and they carried themselves as true Chelsea players do. They approached runners took a lovely pass from Super Frank, and as he confronted the keeper, he chipped it to the far post, and once again we were back in the game. The pressure mounted in the second half, yet we believed. We believed that even with 10 men, in the home of the world's greatest team, we could still succeed. And we fought, like true Chelsea men that we are, and we poured sweat on the pitch as if to exemplify that we are the Chelsea boys!! And with the minutes winding down, our once-failed commodity put us through to Munich with a nice one on one vs his fellow countrymen, and all around the world Chelsea fans were chanting the name of Fernando Torres......and history had been written! The trip to Munich came with a price, and the major blow was the loss of our captain. Yet it did not matter. We were ready to show the world that we had the team to win Europe, and we are not afraid to take on Bayern in their own stadium. That belief came from someone we all loved and respected, a man they call Roberto Di Matteo! The game approached and our leader took some risks, and the story goes from there. The opening moments were a game of cat and mouse. Both teams were reading each other, and figuring out the weaknesses. A young Ryan Bertrand seemed to be settling in well with his debut CL start, and even our centerback duo of Luiz and Cahill seemed to fit in well. Certain parts of the game seemed to favor the other team, but we fought. And then it came, a goal that made our hearts sink. With the game so near to a finish our Bavarian opponents took the lead on what seemed like a stab to our hearts. Could it be that this goal would cost us our dreams? But just as the thought was circling in our minds, it seemed as our boys in Blue had a lifting of the spirits. They caught their second win and decided that the game wasnt over quite yet. On the only corner we had in the game, the ball found the one man everyone had relied on to take us to glory. And after 88 minutes, the world of Chelsea supporters were singing, "Didier Drogba, tra la la la,

each game as if it was a final, and treated each opponent with the respect they deserved, but knowing deep down inside, we can and will win it. We surpassed Benfica in a battle of two games, and than came the giants of Europe, the great Barcelona. It is a team that many considered the greatest in modern football, and a team which would not only take Chelsea out, but prove to the world that this team of Blue was living in a make believe world. However, what most of the world failed to notice is that we had a new leader in charge. A sort of leader that every person would like to have in their lives. This man they call Di Matteo told his players to believe and to achieve. And so it became written in the books of footballing history that this once-lost team from London emerged as an unexpected surprise package. A first-leg win at home took us back to Barcelona for a meeting with destiny. Journalists and sport pundits themselves had said that our 1-0 advantage was not enough, that Barcelona would dismantle our weak little team and show us what football is really about. Even our old manager who failed to bring us that desired European trophy wrote us out of the final. And so we went in to that big stadium in Catalunia with our meager 1-0 advantage, facing great odds. And for so long it appeared that those doubters were right. The boys in the striped red and blue took a lead which left many of us with gutwrenching nerves. How could our run be over? Was it true that we stood no chance? But just as doubts were sinking our spirits, there came a play that still lives in our memories. A little man from Brazil with the endurance of 20 marathon

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Didier Drogba, tra la la la la la" He had done it, and so had our boys in Blue! And as that goal was scored, Chelsea fans across the world at home, pubs or wherever they were hugged one another, even hugging complete strangers, but it did not matter because we were all rejoicing for the same reason. We were back. Extra time came about, and our unsung hero Petr Cech proved once again why he is one of the world's best. Than came the moment of truth: PENALTIES. Every Chelsea fans worst nightmare. How could 2008 repeat itself? Could it be that once again our fate would be determined by our most haunting memories? And after Juan Mata's miss, it seemed like once again we would shed tears of sadness. But than something happened. It was almost like the football gods had changed sides, and decided that Blue would be the color. After a Schweinsteiger miss our fate would fall onto the man an end, we are all still relishing in the thought that we are European Champions, we are the men in Blue. With all that being said though, we couldn't forget one thing. There's only ONE DI MATTEO! And because of his belief in the old guard and the younger generation, we all knew he was the man to thank. His players knew he was the man to thank, but most importantly Roman himself knew Di Matteo was the man to think, because without his leadership, his understanding of the team's history, and his love for everything Blue, we would have never been where we are now. He has gone down as not only a legend, but an immortal at The Bridge. And the hangover continues, and for once in my life I hope this hangover never goes away. We are champions of Europe, we are Chelsea, and we are ONE! Thank you Roberto Di Matteo, and thank you Chelsea for making Saturday May 19th, 2012 the happiest day of my existence. A day that I will never forget.

which everyone had relied on. He walked up to the spot with confidence in his eyes. He placed the ball on the spot, stepped back and relaxed his mind. He stepped up, sent the keeper the other way, and SCORED! Chelsea had become champions and had won our first-ever European title! And once again Chelsea fans across the world were jumping, screaming, chanting, and most importantly weeping tears of joy that we all had wanted for 107 years! It was a moment which none of us will ever forget, it was a moment we shall never let go. And although Saturday had come to

CHELSEA LEGENDS: PAUL CANOVILLE

by Jesus Martinez
English football in the 1980s was synonymous with violence, racism, and branded hooliganism. !No player in Chelseas history knew that better than our own first black player, Paul Canoville. !Canovile suffered enormous abuse but his integrity, perseverance, and will to succeed paved the way for future black players to succeed as part of the Chelsea dynasty. Canoville came to us from non-league side Hillingdon Borough, with a dream of playing in the top tier of English football fulfilled. Little did he know that what awaited him was the sort of abuse no human ever deserved. When signed in December 1981, Canoville was a young 19-year-old player with a gift for the game. !His pace, skill, and ability to attack on the right wing drew the fans close to him from the start, but racial abuse from the terraces at The Bridge deterred what could have been a brilliant Chelsea career for Canoville. Sadly, that abuse came not only from the fans of opposing squads; it also came from Chelsea fans, as well. Canoville was a man destined to overcome the ugly part of football, and overcome he did. !The brightest moment in Canovilles Chelsea career came in the quarterfinals of the 1985 Milk Cup. !Down 3-0 to Sheffield Wednesday, Canoville came on as a sub and sparked a change to Chelseas fortune as !he scored a brace for the Blues. !The game ended up a draw, but Canoville gave his team and enemies something to cheer for. In the 86 season Canoville left for Reading, where sadly his career came to an end when he severely injured his knee during a match against Sunderland. He was only 24 years old. In all Paul Canoville scored 15 goals in 103 appearances for Chelsea, a remarkable scoring percentage. After retiring from the pitch, Canoville sadly became involved in drugs and alcohol. !His life took another turn for the worse as he was diagnosed 3 times with nonHodgkins lymphoma. But just as Canoville was determined to succeed as a player on the pitch, he overcame adversity successfully off the pitch, as well. You can now find Canoville working alongside the Chelsea Education Department as a motivational speaker and mentor at schools, youth clubs and prisons. !His award-winning autobiography, Black & Blue, has served as motivation for others and a testament to his life. !

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CHELSEA LEGENDS: FRANK SINCLAIR

by Jesus Martinez
One of Chelseas longest serving defenders, English born Frank Sinclair defended the royal Blue of Stamford Bridge a total of 211 times, scoring 19 times from 1991-1998. !His time at The Bridge had its ups and downs, but Sinclair left a strong team as a champion and a great servant to the supporters. Sinclair turned pro in 1990, and made his Chelsea debut on April 6, 1991 before being loaned out to West Bromich Albion where he impressed enough to deserve a return to The Bridge. !His return proved to be a success as he won the 1993 Chelsea Player of the Year award. !His success also led him to be capped for Jamaica a total of 28 times, even playing in the 1998 World Cup. Sinclair played in the 1994 FA Cup Final for Chelsea and was part of the team that defeated Middleborough 2-0 to win the FA Cup Final in 97. The following year Sinclair scored in another 2-0 defeat of Middlesborough, this time in the League Cup Final. ! Sinclair scored in the 1998 quarterfinal of the UEFA Cup Winners Cup against Real Betis, which ended up being a decisive goal to push us through to the semis. Sadly, Chelsea manager Gianluca Vialli did not play Sinclair in the final where we beat Stuttgart. !That summer Sinclair was sold to Leicester City for 2 million pounds, ending a bright career as a Blue but making him a legend within our walls. ! Sinclair traveled between teams for a few years and currently plays with Colwyn Bay in Wales the Northern Conference.

SUMMER TOUR 2012: A QUICK CLUB ROUND-UP

by Noah Kahan, Boston Blues
July 18: Chelsea vs Seattle Sounders in Seattle On the 18th of July, Chelsea will travel to Seattle to play the Seattle Sounders, one of the biggest clubs in Major League Soccer, and one of the clubs with the biggest fan base. Chelsea has visited Seattle five times, the last being in 2009, where Chelsea came away with a 2-0 victory. Seattle currently sit 4th in the western conference, and have key players such as 2011 MLS all-star midfielder Osvaldo Alonso and two time MLS allstar Fredy Montero. This team is certainly set to give Chelsea good match on the 18th. July 22: Chelsea vs PSG in New York City Chelsea plays French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain on July 22nd. Chelsea will face PSG in Yankee Stadium in New York City for what is sure to be an exciting pre season friendly. PSG is coached by former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, who won Chelsea a double in their 2009/10 season. PSG finished second in Ligue 1 last season, and are sure to give our side an exciting match in New York. stars from various MLS teams. The all-star squad has not yet been announced, but is likely to include David Beckham, Tim Ream, Fredy Montero, Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane. This is sure to be a fierce spectacle. July 28: Chelsea vs AC Milan in Miami On July 28th, Chelsea FC will meet Italian giants AC Milan in the Sun Life Stadium in Miami. AC Milan placed second in Serie A last season, off of a string of unlucky results, conceding the title to Juventus. AC Milan boasts stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovi, Robinho, Alexandro Pato, Cassano, and Clarence Seedorf, who is set to leave AC Milan, so he is an uncertainty for this upcoming match. The game is set to be huge, so mark your calendars for the 28th.

July 25: Chelsea vs MLS All-Stars in Philadelphia Chelsea will meet the MLS All-Stars in PPL Park in Philadelphia on the 25th. Chelsea will play a combination of the

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WELCOME TO CHELSEA: EDEN HAZARD

by Allison Kasic, Beltway Blues
Since the departures of Joe Cole, Damien Duff, and Arjen Robben, many a Blues fan has wished for a natural, fast-paced winger with quality dribbling skills to bolster our attack. The arrival of Juan Mata last season certainly gave our team an injection of speed and creativity. And the first big summer signing of 2012 looks to help fill this gap and provide even more firepower to our already dangerous attacking unit. After being sought by several of the top clubs in Europe, Belgium international Eden Hazard announced in June that he would be joining our European champion Blues for a reported 32 million pound transfer fee. The attacking midfielder joins Chelsea from Lille, where he proved a versatile offensive threat for the Ligue 1 side straight year. He had previously won the leagues Young Player of the Year award twice (2009 and 2010), and featured in the leagues Team of the Year for the past three seasons. In addition to individual awards, Hazard led Lille to an impressive cup and league double in 2011. Hazard is part of a youthful and talented Belgium invasion of Chelsea, joining countrymen Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku, and Kevin De Bruyne on our roster. Hazard made his Belgium international debut at 17 and already has 28 caps at the age of 21. If his experience in France was any indication of his future talent, weve just picked up an exciting young footballer with loads of upside.

playing both as a winger and attacking midfielder behind a central striker. In his last season at Lille, the No. 10 notched over 20 goals and nearly as many assists en route to winning the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award for the second

TRANSFERS AND RUMORS 2012

by Jesus Martinez
Oh, what a summer it has been for Chelsea fans, as the first month of the transfer window has seen us lose some valuable players: Jose Bosingwa, Salomon Kalou, and of course our beloved Didier Drogba have all departed Stamford Bridge. !On the other hand, we have picked up the summers hottest commodity in Belgian and Lille star, Eden Hazard. Hazards arrival coincides with that of German starlet, Marko Marin. !With the Euros going on this summer, transfer moves have been at a standstill, but with Roberto Di Matteo officially named official club manager, Im sure we will soon enough have more names join our ranks. !For now, here is the latest in The Transfer Room -Our capture of Hulk is on hold as PSG have offered a whopping 43 million pounds compared to Chelseas 30 million. !Hulk apparently still prefers The Bridge over a move to the Parc des Princes -Scudetto winners Juventus have offered a low-ball price of 24 million pounds for Fernando Torres. No word on the result, but dont expect Torres to be sold off this summer, especially for such a low price, with his form improving every game. -Chelsea are in battle with Arsenal for the signature of Newcastle and France star, Hatem Ben Arfa. Newcastle are denying any bids have been made and will fight to keep their star after possibly already losing Ba. -Wigans Dave Whelan is urging star, Victor Moses, to stay put as Chelsea have a bid rejected by The Latics earlier this week. -Oh and remember that guy, AVB? Well yeah, seems like he has topped Tottenhams manager list as they seek to replace Harry Redknapp. Hmmmm, guess they are aiming for another dismal season and future Europa League football. Stay tuned next issue for your CIA transfer rumors and gossip mill. !Until next time, Up The Chels and KTBFFH!!

Think you can predict the future? Heres your chance! Send us your predictions for who will score and when in each of the Chelsea preseason games. CIA members who guess correctly will win a prize AND bragging rights for their psychic powers! Email newsletter@chelseainamerica.com with your predictions!