Anyone that knows me well is sure to know that I am a HUGE fan of Chelsea F.C Chelsea are an English football club based out of Fulham, West London. They were founded in 1905 and have been one of the most successful clubs in the world throughout the 21st century. My fandom began near the end of 2017 and since then they have consumed a large part of my life. Prior to 2017 I only really watched hockey ( I am also a huge Canucks fan) and had never enjoyed watching soccer. However, during this time my twin brother began to follow a different team in London, Tottenham Hotspur. Because of this I began to engage with the English Premier League and decided I wanted to begin supporting a team. Choosing a team was rather easy, as throughout high school my friends and I would host FIFA tournaments and I almost always ended up playing as Chelsea. It also helped that Chelsea are geographical and historical rivals with Tottenham.
The biggest hurdle to supporting a team in England is the time difference, as they are eight hours ahead. Most matches take place on weekends, which is nice, but they start anywhere from 4am to 12pm. I am not a morning person so getting up that early is a struggle but I have found that no matter how early in the morning the game is taking place I am always getting up to watch. Early morning games have become somewhat of a routine for me and I usually look forward to the early starts. The picture below is of my dog Ruben and me right before the Champions League Final in 2021. The Champions League is an annual tournament that takes place between the best teams throughout Europe. Up to this point (2021) Chelsea had been to the finals of the competition twice, in 2008 and 2012, only winning in 2012. I was lucky enough to witness Chelsea defeat Manchester City 1-0 to secure the club’s second ever Champions League title! Prior to Covid 19, my brother and I had tickets booked to watch both of our teams play but unfortunately had to cancel due to the pandemic. A dream of mine is to travel to London and watch a match at Chelsea’s historic stadium Stamford Bridge. Summers off as a teacher will definitely help me realize this dream! UP THE CHELS.
