Rick Glanvill Knihy

The only official publication to celebrate 100 years of this fascinating, controversial and glamorous football club

Contains twenty-three short stories outlining strange or interesting happenings that were collected by the authors. The stories are grouped into four themes: the nature of the human condition, accidents, crime and death.

The decision to form a football club at Stamford Bridge 100 years ago was heralded by the tenacious bite of founder Henry 'Gus' Mears' terrier. It was an inauspicious start to what has become one of the most compelling stories in football.Chelsea has always written its own headlines, on and off the pitch. From its controversial admission to the Football League in 1905, to today's Premiership success, it has remained artistic, innovative, erratic and aloof. But it has always entertained.Rick Glanvill uses original sources, chronicles the memories of fans, and talks to the key figures including Jose Mourinho, John Terry. Frank Lampard and those involved in the Roman Abramovich takeover to produce a fresh insight into one of the world's most fascinating footballing institutions. From the silverware to the boardroom battles, from the heroes to the hooligans, the entire century is laid bare.

Chelsea: The Complete Record is the definitive account of one of the world's most popular and powerful clubs, recounting every conceivable detail of its 110 year-long history. Encompassing five league titles, seven FA Cups and five European trophies, Chelsea are one of the most successful clubs in English football's modern history. Chelsea official historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton have spent years trawling through the archives to uncover every conceivable fact and figure about the club. In this monumental work they have painstakingly provided details of every game, line up, goalscorer, attendance and result, as well as a plethora of other facts and figures. Weighing in at 550 pages and with full appendixes detailing the careers of the hundreds of players to have turned out for the club as well as a season by season narrative account of Chelsea's history, this is the must-read book for every fan of one of European football's modern powerhouses.

Chelsea FC, as someone once observed, has always done what other clubs have done, but not necessary in the same order.Run by the entrepreneurial Mears dynasty, Ken `electric fence' Bates and now the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, the club has enough entertaining quirks and anecdotes to keep you entertained for ages.