Nothing like a dodgy result to get you scrambling in your grey matter for a bit of rose coloured or hopefully blue coloured flotsam and jetsom, swimming in that vast sea of painful, sad and glad memories that we have to negotiate so regularly  as a ‘true blue sheddite’.

There is plenty filed under ‘quick fix’ that we can run to when feeling insecure and nuzzle on and after our recent poor run of form and losing unconvincingly at the Emirates, the two warm and welcoming bosoms of comfort I found myself heading for were firstly, our satisfying deconstruction of the red Mancs in 1999. This was in one of those years when we really should have won the title ‘Gianluca’ and secondly, King Ossies’ Cup Winners Cup score against the undisputed Prince’s of European Club Football – Real Madrid.

Perhaps if Count Luca Vialli had spent the weeken’ in the big smoke planning title winning strategy instead of famously heading off across London on a scooter, minutes after that proud day when we rammed and humbled Man U 5-0 we might have secured our 1st premiership in the Millenium Season.

Luca apparantly needed to catch a plane to Italy where a family holiday was planned at the historic Vialli estate. Gianluca comes from a famous and titled family but had the super blues been higher on his list of priorities at such a crucial time, maybe now he would be remembered even more famously in the bosom of the Chelsea family, we would be more ‘titled’ than we are today and Luca could boast of getting us to first base before Mourinho!

Fergie claims it was that 0 – 5 defeat that caused him to rethink ‘his’ strategy and refocussed the mancs sufficiently to turn things round and help them to go on to win the Premiership in 1999/2000 season. History seems to support that theory as the facts do not lie and so, as a nursing post to calm and relieve my blue frustration this ‘mammary’ does not quite produce the necessary milk of comfort and kindness.

However, moving on to the 2nd ‘memory’ changes the focus considerably as Ossies silver strike stands proud and pert in our true blue history. The replayed European Cup Winners Final was played only 48 hours after a 1-1 first match in Athens, Greece.

Consider the scenario – Chelsea FC featuring in their first European Final against five times winners of the European Cup, Real Madrid. Certainly the most famous Club side in the WORLD playing the beloved super blues and we were playing in the home of athletics and excellence in human sporting endeavor. The birthplace of the modern Olympics. ATHENS, GREECE

With minutes of extra time remaining the ‘King of Stamford Bridge’ slides the ball inside the post with a super strike and we have won our first European Trophy. The rest of EUROPE knows now, if they did not know before, Chelsea are on the map. Now thats a memory!! PLEASE ENJOY……….