The Official Thread of Chelsea FC

[ONeill]

I'm not going to defend Chelsea either as a club or about previous incidents, but in this case they had no choice but to report Clattenburg. As Norf Tyrone has pointed out, they HAVE to report these incidents. Let's imagine you were racially abused. Would you have any faith in a system which begins with having a chat behind closed doors, just to see if you are on the level? I'm reminded of the scene in Cracker where Penhaligon is told by DCI Wise after she accuses Beck of raping her to cut out the hairy-arsed lesbian stuff and come and have a drink with her mates. And no, I'm not comparing racial abuse to rape, but there has to be a process for dealing with this kind of thing and it shouldn't begin with one of the interested parties investigating itself.

When it comes to a potentially career-ending allegation (true or not), surely the facts need to be established and verified internally before reporting the incident.

[deiseach]

When it comes to a potentially career-ending allegation (true or not), surely the facts need to be established and verified internally before reporting the incident.

Sounds like the excuse used by every cover-up in history. Can you imagine the stink if Chelsea conducted an internal investigation and found there was nothing to support the allegations, then had a falling-out with Mikel down the line even over something as trivial as a contract dispute and Mikel went public saying he wasn't happy with the 'internal investigation'? Chelsea did the right thing in this case.

[AQMP]

I'm not going to defend Chelsea either as a club or about previous incidents, but in this case they had no choice but to report Clattenburg. As Norf Tyrone has pointed out, they HAVE to report these incidents. Let's imagine you were racially abused. Would you have any faith in a system which begins with having a chat behind closed doors, just to see if you are on the level? I'm reminded of the scene in Cracker where Penhaligon is told by DCI Wise after she accuses Beck of raping her to cut out the hairy-arsed lesbian stuff and come and have a drink with her mates. And no, I'm not comparing racial abuse to rape, but there has to be a process for dealing with this kind of thing and it shouldn't begin with one of the interested parties investigating itself.

When it comes to a potentially career-ending allegation (true or not), surely the facts need to be established and verified internally before reporting the incident.

You might have a point but that would need to be written into the FA rules and Equality Law.  Chelsea followed the rules, regulations and legislation to the letter and shouldn't be criticised for that.

The FA state: The FA encourages all players who believe they have been either subject, or witness to, discriminatory abuse to report the matter immediately to the match officials on the day.

Some tosser in PR trying to ingratiate him/herself to journos leaked the nature of the allegation(s).  Chelsea did carry out an internal investigation and decided to not make a formal complaint about Mata.

[Bingo]

Question for Chelsea fans. Was the reception Rafael Benitez got yesterday primarily a function of the treatment of Roberto Di Matteo or an expression of an overarching contempt for Rafa?

A bit of both deiseach, but I'd go 25% sympathy for RDM, 50% contempt for Benitez and 25% was "Hang on here a minute, Roman".  I take a clear stance on any supporters of any club booing their own players/manager.  These people pay good hard earned money to go to these matches and they're perfectly entitled to boo if they want.  I don't buy all this "respect" bollocks.

In a strange way I was heartened by the hostiity toward Benitez, not for the reason you might think.  It felt like the fans were finally saying to Abramovich "stop treating this club like a toy" and they were making their voice heard.  For once (after ample opportunities to do so) Chelsea fans were saying "No, this can't go on".  It felt to me that Benitez's appointment was the straw that broke the camel's back.  O'Neill said a few posts back that Chelsea is not the club supporters grew up with and I'd agree with that (with the caveat "what club is?).  The perception of Chelsea amongst 20-25 year olds has to have been posioned by some of the events of the past 10 years.

The problem is that Abramovich owns 100% of the club.  His policy is one of short termism and I don't expect that to change (a half a dozen more 0-0 draws and Benitez will be gone by the end of January!), however this is not going to attract a Guardiola.  I think the vast majority of fans would accept a season or maybe two of finishing 7th or 8th if that's what is needed to build a new long term sustainable team.  IMHO that is what is needed at Chelsea but it's unlikely to happen.

Do you not think though that RA is getting off scot free in this? I can understand that Rafa isn't welcome or will probably never be liked by the supporters but it was also apparent that alot of the ill-feeling was about RDM getting sacked. Why wasn't the hostility at RA then? Sure, its very highly unlikely that he'd give one flying f*** or change his ways, but I think this belittles your point that it was about Chelsea fans been hostile or standing up to the owner, it wasn't. They used Benitez to vent their anger, I'm just not sure what this anger was about though. Anger at RDM been sacked and a hated figure coming in; or anger at the realisation that they have absolute no control in their club and the realisation that it is a plaything for a foreign owner who cares little about them. For instance, I'd firmly believe if it was Harry Redknapp in yesterday it would have been a whole different atmosphere.

[AQMP]

I think we're more or less on the same wavelength here Bingo.  While Abramovich tinkered and messed with Chelsea over the years he could always point to the club being (by Chelsea's historic standards) successful on the pitch.  However his appointment of a manager who previously had expressed a lot of antipathy towards the club has given the fans the oportunity to vent their dissent at the appointment and therefore at Abramovich (who gave Rafa the job).  It's like they've finally decided to let him know that they know that he doesn't give much of a toss about the fans.  To paraphrase Enoch Powell (probably a Chelsea fan given his politics ) "He has mistaken a mood of resignation for one of tolerance"

[GalwayBayBoy]

Question for Chelsea fans. Was the reception Rafael Benitez got yesterday primarily a function of the treatment of Roberto Di Matteo or an expression of an overarching contempt for Rafa?

A bit of both deiseach, but I'd go 25% sympathy for RDM, 50% contempt for Benitez and 25% was "Hang on here a minute, Roman".  I take a clear stance on any supporters of any club booing their own players/manager.  These people pay good hard earned money to go to these matches and they're perfectly entitled to boo if they want.  I don't buy all this "respect" bollocks.

In a strange way I was heartened by the hostiity toward Benitez, not for the reason you might think.  It felt like the fans were finally saying to Abramovich "stop treating this club like a toy" and they were making their voice heard.  For once (after ample opportunities to do so) Chelsea fans were saying "No, this can't go on".  It felt to me that Benitez's appointment was the straw that broke the camel's back.  O'Neill said a few posts back that Chelsea is not the club supporters grew up with and I'd agree with that (with the caveat "what club is?).  The perception of Chelsea amongst 20-25 year olds has to have been posioned by some of the events of the past 10 years.

The problem is that Abramovich owns 100% of the club.  His policy is one of short termism and I don't expect that to change (a half a dozen more 0-0 draws and Benitez will be gone by the end of January!), however this is not going to attract a Guardiola.  I think the vast majority of fans would accept a season or maybe two of finishing 7th or 8th if that's what is needed to build a new long term sustainable team.  IMHO that is what is needed at Chelsea but it's unlikely to happen.

Do you not think though that RA is getting off scot free in this?

Well it's not like they want Abramovich to say sod this I'm off and to take his billions with him. Chelsea would have no problem getting new owners given their higher-profile these days but no guarantee they would be anywhere near as free-spending as Abramovich has been. Without him Chelsea could easily be in the same situation as similiar London clubs like Crystal Palace or Charlton Athletic or best case scenario they would be a decent Premier League side like their neighbours Fulham. Never really in danger of going down but not winning much either. They may dislike the way he operates but even the fans know that Abramovich writes the cheques that keep them where they are.

[AQMP]

[Well it's not like they want Abramovich to say sod this I'm off and to take his billions with him. Chelsea would have no problem getting new owners given their higher-profile these days but no guarantee they would be anywhere near as free-spending as Abramovich has been. Without him Chelsea could easily be in the same situation as similiar London clubs like Crystal Palace or Charlton Athletic or best case scenario they would be a decent Premier League side like their neighbours Fulham. Never really in danger of going down but not winning much either. They may dislike the way he operates but even the fans know that Abramovich writes the cheques that keep them where they are

Well, yes and no.  In the 11 seasons of the Premiership (since we all agree that football was invented in 1992) before Abramovich acquired the club in July 2003, Chelsea finished (working backwards) 4th, 6th, 6th, 5th, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 11th, 11th, 14th, 11th.  During this time they won 2 FA Cups, 1 League Cup and 1 Cup Winners Cup.  Not earth shattering, I agree, but not Fulham or Charlton Athletic either.

[deiseach]

Well, yes and no.  In the 11 seasons of the Premiership (since we all agree that football was invented in 1992) before Abramovich acquired the club in July 2003, Chelsea finished (working backwards) 4th, 6th, 6th, 5th, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 11th, 11th, 14th, 11th.  During this time they won 2 FA Cups, 1 League Cup and 1 Cup Winners Cup.  Not earth shattering, I agree, but not Fulham or Charlton Athletic either.

So . .. you want Ken Bates back?

[AQMP]

Well, yes and no.  In the 11 seasons of the Premiership (since we all agree that football was invented in 1992) before Abramovich acquired the club in July 2003, Chelsea finished (working backwards) 4th, 6th, 6th, 5th, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 11th, 11th, 14th, 11th.  During this time they won 2 FA Cups, 1 League Cup and 1 Cup Winners Cup.  Not earth shattering, I agree, but not Fulham or Charlton Athletic either.

So . .. you want Ken Bates back?

Frying pan...fire

[Bingo]

Possibly AQMP. I still feel the issue is more with Bentiez than with the sacking/appointment of managers. The "new" Chelsea fans will happily see managers come and go but they felt Bentiez was a bridge too far with his flag waving comments.

Its blatantly clear they'll never willingly turn on RA, so they'll turn on his appointments instead.

You noted earlier that Chelsea fans would happily take a few seasons of 8th place to turn things round and let a manager build his own squad. For me, the appointment of Benitez is RA taking a hit. He doesn't expect too much from him, see's him as a safe bet to mind the house till Pep becomes available. Benitez see's it as a chance for him to put himself into the shop window and maybe prove a few points and is willing to take it for what it is - an interim management job.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Possibly AQMP. I still feel the issue is more with Bentiez than with the sacking/appointment of managers. The "new" Chelsea fans will happily see managers come and go but they felt Bentiez was a bridge too far with his flag waving comments.

Its blatantly clear they'll never willingly turn on RA, so they'll turn on his appointments instead.

You noted earlier that Chelsea fans would happily take a few seasons of 8th place to turn things round and let a manager build his own squad. For me, the appointment of Benitez is RA taking a hit. He doesn't expect too much from him, see's him as a safe bet to mind the house till Pep becomes available. Benitez see's it as a chance for him to put himself into the shop window and maybe prove a few points and is willing to take it for what it is - an interim management job.

I don't see Guardiola taking the Chelsea job to be honest. For a few reasons. However maybe Abramovich feels he can just throw enough money at him that he won't be able to refuse.

[ballinaman]

Possibly AQMP. I still feel the issue is more with Bentiez than with the sacking/appointment of managers. The "new" Chelsea fans will happily see managers come and go but they felt Bentiez was a bridge too far with his flag waving comments.

Its blatantly clear they'll never willingly turn on RA, so they'll turn on his appointments instead.

You noted earlier that Chelsea fans would happily take a few seasons of 8th place to turn things round and let a manager build his own squad. For me, the appointment of Benitez is RA taking a hit. He doesn't expect too much from him, see's him as a safe bet to mind the house till Pep becomes available. Benitez see's it as a chance for him to put himself into the shop window and maybe prove a few points and is willing to take it for what it is - an interim management job.

I don't see Guardiola taking the Chelsea job to be honest. For a few reasons. However maybe Abramovich feels he can just throw enough money at him that he won't be able to refuse.

Agree. I could see Guardiola at Arsenal before Chelsea.

[Bingo]

Possibly AQMP. I still feel the issue is more with Bentiez than with the sacking/appointment of managers. The "new" Chelsea fans will happily see managers come and go but they felt Bentiez was a bridge too far with his flag waving comments.

Its blatantly clear they'll never willingly turn on RA, so they'll turn on his appointments instead.

You noted earlier that Chelsea fans would happily take a few seasons of 8th place to turn things round and let a manager build his own squad. For me, the appointment of Benitez is RA taking a hit. He doesn't expect too much from him, see's him as a safe bet to mind the house till Pep becomes available. Benitez see's it as a chance for him to put himself into the shop window and maybe prove a few points and is willing to take it for what it is - an interim management job.

I don't see Guardiola taking the Chelsea job to be honest. For a few reasons. However maybe Abramovich feels he can just throw enough money at him that he won't be able to refuse.

Yeah, without doubt. RA will feel that he can get what he wants. I don't imagine there are too many round him saying "No, we won't get Pep", they'd never last. In his world, has there ever been a time when he didn't get what he wanted?  I doubt it.

He'll fully expect Pep to take the job as he'll throw money at it.

[orangeman]

Chelsea still not getting it lads.

They regret the way they handlded the Clattenburg incident. But no apology.

Chelsea regret handling of Mark Clattenburg racism accusation
Chelsea say they "regret" the way they handled their accusation that referee Mark Clattenburg used racial language towards midfielder John Mikel Obi.

The allegations were dismissed by the Football Association and the police dropped their own inquiry.

The club also indicated they would be happy for Clattenburg to referee at Stamford Bridge in future.

Clattenburg's boss, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), also said it would have "no issue" in appointing him to Chelsea fixtures.

A joint statement by the Premier League, PGMOL and Chelsea said: "It is time to draw a line under this incident."

Clattenburg missed four weekends of Premier League matches while the FA investigated Chelsea's complaint, but will return to referee Norwich's match at Southampton on Wednesday.

The FA cleared him last week of using "inappropriate language" towards Mikel in Chelsea's home defeat by Manchester United on 28 October following claims by Blues midfielder Ramires.

In Tuesday'sjoint statement, Chelsea insisted they had been duty bound to report the allegation to the FA.

"The referees accept that, given Chelsea FC had received a good faith claim from one of their employees, the club had an obligation under FA rules to report the allegation," the statement read.

However, Chelsea acknowledged that making the allegations public immediately after the game led to unwelcome press attention towards Clattenburg and his family.


"The club regrets not having given more consideration before issuing a statement on the evening of Sunday, 28 October," the statement continued. The club also regrets the subsequent impact the intense media scrutiny had on Mark Clattenburg and his family."

The meeting between PGMOL, the Premier League and Chelsea took place on Monday at England's National Football Centre, St George's Park.

PGMOL were represented by general manager Mike Riley and all 16 top-flight referees, the Premier League by chief executive Richard Scudamore and Chelsea FC by club chairman Bruce Buck.

Referees' union Prospect welcomed the joint statement and said the use of the word "regrets" was "tantamount to, and accepted by Mark and the Select Group [of referees], as an apology".

"Importantly the statement also refers to Chelsea's willingness to welcome Mark back to Stamford Bridge," Prospect continued.

"This was an important move forward in confirming Chelsea's recognition of Mark's integrity and impartiality."

The 37-year-old always denied the charges and the Metropolitan Police dropped its own inquiry earlier this month.

Clattenburg admitted that he feared that the allegations could have brought an end to his career as a referee.

"To know you were innocent of something but that there was the opportunity for it to wreck your career was truly frightening," he said in a statement after being cleared by the FA.

Upon clearing Clattenburg, the FA charged Mikel with misconduct following his involvement in the incident.

Chelsea have indicated he will not deny the charge but will request a hearing to "explain the mitigating circumstances".

[ballinaman]

As the song goes....sorry seems to be the hardest word.