Chelsea up next

[32mile_cul-de-sac]

A grand day out as Wallace would say but is it more than that? Probably play Chelsea second string which will be bad enough but if we are to spring a massive cup shock I feel the best way of achieving it would be from set pieces, we have the player in Jackson to deliver a telling ball so who knows. A big ask of the players we all know that BUT for me a game I have not given up on. Win and it will be the greatest cup achievement in the clubs history, lose and we could be half a million better off. Still time to get your ticket and you could say, I was there. One thing for certain the 2,500 with tickets will get right behind the league two leaders.

[Suffolk Blue]

Will be a good night out whatever. And I love the gathering optimism that builds before the match. It’s what cup football should be like.

It’s also a feeling that fans of clubs like Chelsea rarely if ever feel. Many of them just don’t get it and simply think our behaviour is solely about them. Actually I think it’s as much to do with the occasion and what it represents to a club like ours and it’s supporters.

All the talk of weakened sides and unlikely victories whilst natural is pretty far fetched. Squad sizes these days make upsets as rare as hens teeth. Even if we don’t end up facing the likes of Cole Palmer.

The names being circulated on the Chelsea forums are suggesting we might be up against the likes of Nkunku, Mudryk, Joao Felix and Enzo Fernandez. Each of these are full internationals and would be welcomed into starting line ups in most Premiership, Serie A, Bundesliga or La Liga clubs.

If they do play that will make the Chelsea team stronger than the Aston Villa one that gave us a footballing lesson a few seasons ago. I still can’t believe Villa thought Cameron Archer wasn’t good enough after individually destroying us that night.

But hey. This only matters if you believe the rhetoric. I thoroughly intend to enjoy the occasion no matter what the score. If it’s your first experience of this type of encounter make sure you can remember it. They don’t come round very often.

[MisterPleasant]

A friend and Bradford City supporter sent me this to remind me that sometimes...just sometimes...it really can happen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlfvUSjYFzA

City's opening goal is a thing of real beauty.

[andyg]

A friend and Bradford City supporter sent me this to remind me that sometimes...just sometimes...it really can happen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlfvUSjYFzA

City's opening goal is a thing of real beauty.

Some fantastic goals by Bradford - where they in League 2 that season?

[Adam29]

League one

[HenneysKnee]

We won’t be winning and we won’t be making £500k

Great night out though; to see Barrow run out at Stamford Bridge is the stuff of dreams

[Matty]

Chelsea 1 (Lampard), Barrow 3 (Garner x2, Foley).

[Roadrunner]

We might not win and we might not earn £500k but we will be there

[bhbb]

Don’t matter what we make or how many were probably gonna lose by, it’s a free hit and a good day out against a team worth hundreds of millions. Enjoy it

[Jonty]

Some match previews …..

https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/c ... 53574.html

https://mrfixitstips.co.uk/previews/che ... ting-tips/

One from the main shirt sponsor…..

https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/luck-of-t ... -1.7046058

[tyroneshoelaces]

It’s also a feeling that fans of clubs like Chelsea rarely if ever feel. Many of them just don’t get it and simply think our behaviour is solely about them. Actually I think it’s as much to do with the occasion and what it represents to a club like ours and it’s supporters.

Well, you say that... I'm an old enough Chelsea fan to remember (yes, I know, you dream of fighting against relegation in the second tier), avoiding relegation to the third tier by the skin of our teeth in 1983 with a tense 1-0 win at Bolton in 1983. What's happened since I could never have dreamed of - when we won the FA Cup in 1997, that would have been enough for me. I'd have died happy. Money (yes, I'm realistic about that) and the football gods have given us a lot more since then, but believe me there have been games in our past that felt like you might feel on Tuesday night: two famous games against Liverpool in the FA Cup in 1978 and 1982, the latter when we were a middling second division side and they were European champions, spring to mind. Someone else has mentioned the Bradford tie from a few years ago - we were two up and cruising and they scored four in a huge shock. I can remember thinking, cos I'm a generous sort, well at least someone's happy, and that really is the magic of the cup, so fair play to them. I've since become good friends with a Bradford fan who counts that as one of the best days of his life, so how can I begrudge him. And here's a thing: the first team Chelsea played in the Premier League back in 1992 was Oldham Athletic. Earlier this season I went to see them play at Wealdstone in the National League. Things come and go. Anyway, enjoy your day. I don't want another Bradford, but anything is possible.

[McMark]

One of the first so called big games I saw involved Chelsea, 1982 at Newcastle United. Garry Chivers, Colin Lee and man mountain Micky Droy in the Chelsea ranks Keegan, Mick Channon and a young Waddle in Newcastle’s. Not seen either play in the flesh since.

[Suffolk Blue]

Some match previews …..

https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/c ... 53574.html

https://mrfixitstips.co.uk/previews/che ... ting-tips/

One from the main shirt sponsor…..

https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/luck-of-t ... -1.7046058

Am happy for the good people of Newfoundland. When the sponsorship deal was announced there must have been at least a few quizzical Canadian looks as there were on this side of the pond.

However the exposure from this one fixture has probably paid for the entire deal. By paid I of course mean the level of advertising income they would have had to outlay to get the same kind of publicity. A good outcome for both the Province and the club.

Can’t see too many Cockneys being enchanted to a new life in Cape Cod however.

[russell_anderson]

I still can’t believe Villa thought Cameron Archer wasn’t good enough after individually destroying us that night.

I'd say Cameron Archer's career since then has proved Villa were correct!

[Lancaster Branch]

man mountain Micky Droy in the Chelsea ranks

Saw him playing for Kingstonian in the 1990 Trophy run.

He’d not lost any of his considerable, er, stature.