Enjoy a look back with CIA honoary member Chris Axon's tale from our clinching another league title on the last home match of the 2015 season.
Stay Safe.
Read Chris' full account of the day here.
Here's a taste:
A little time to relax at the break. Michael Duberry on the pitch. Forty-five minutes to go. Forty-five minutes to our fifth league title.
A typical Mourinho move at the break; Mikel, the closer, replaced Cuadrado.
A rasping drive from Branislav Ivanovic flew wide, and then – that rare event – a Mikel shot was grasped by the ‘keeper down low. This seemed to inspire the Chelsea crowd, who for ten minutes serenaded some key personnel in our recent history.
“Roman Abramovich, Roman Abramovich, Roman Abramovich, Roman Abramovich.”
“Jose Mourinho, Jose Mourinho, Jose Mourinho, Jose Mourinho.”
“Oh Dennis Wise.”
“Born Is The King.”
“Super, Super Frank.”
“Gianfranco Zola, La La La La La La.”
“One Di Matteo.”
“Oh Jimmy Jimmy, Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink.”
“Vialli! Vialli! Vialli! Vialli!”
“He’s Here, He’s There, He’s Every Fuckin’where, Frank Leboeuf, Frank Leboeuf.”
“Eidur Gudjohnsen, Eidur Gudjohnsen.”
Fantastic stuff. The place was alive, thank heavens.
No songs for Mineiro, though.
Then one more –
“WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED.”
After a docile period of play, chances came again, with Palace starting to threaten, but with our defensive five in imperious form. Didier and Willian spurned chances to make the game safe. This was getting to be a predictably nervy end to the game. I dreaded a Palace equaliser. It seemed that the away team had decided to pack all of their attacking punch in to the last five minutes of the game. They had crosses, they had corners, but our defenders stood tall. A block by Courtois near the end was the only real time that he had been caused to make a save of note.
Two minutes of added time.
Phew.
“Blow up ref.”
More Palace pressure. More Chelsea clearances.
The whistle.
Number five was ours.
We were 2014-2015 English champions.
I stood, quite numb, and if I am honest, a little flat. I think that the toll of the last two or three months, losing my mother and coping with the grief, had left me a little distant. On previous games, some quite recent, I had loved the cut and thrust of the title run-in. However, at that exact moment in time, I was just relieved and quietly contented. It was a similar feeling to that which I experienced at Wembley against Tottenham.
Streamers filled the sky, “We Are The Champions” boomed out on the PA. There were whoops of joy all around me, and I gave Alan a warm hug. I knew what he was thinking. The players soon ran down towards The Shed and dived headlong in to history.
There was another loud cheer.
Happy days.
The Chelsea trio of club songs…
“One Step Beyond.”
“Blue Is The Colour.”
“The Liquidator.”
Lots more pre and post this section on Chris' post here.