What do you think?
Rate this book
Chelsea FC: The Official Biography
CHELSEA THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY goes to the heart of what gives the club its personality. The author has access to all the key characters, including Mourinho, Abramovich and the star players, plus legendary names of the past.
He addresses all the controversies, the near suffocation through lack of cash in the 1970s and in 2002; the impact of Abramovich's money; the club and fans' response to racism; how the hooliganism which dogged Chelsea for years has been tackled. On the lighter side, Chelsea is regarded as the country's glamour club, and fashions, good and dreadful, will feature alongside celebrity fans and the worlds of art and music. And then there is the football at the core of it all, creating moments of huge tension and excitement.
He addresses all the controversies, the near suffocation through lack of cash in the 1970s and in 2002; the impact of Abramovich's money; the club and fans' response to racism; how the hooliganism which dogged Chelsea for years has been tackled. On the lighter side, Chelsea is regarded as the country's glamour club, and fashions, good and dreadful, will feature alongside celebrity fans and the worlds of art and music. And then there is the football at the core of it all, creating moments of huge tension and excitement.
- GenresSportsFootballNonfiction
416 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 2005
6 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 31, 2020
I am not finish this book yet but so far it has bean so nice because it is telling me how did mourinhio train the players the same but that he needed to treat the players different because they had different feelings and something that he said was that "I can treat them the same because for example wen Terry plays bad I tell him that he is a bad player and that if he plays like that on the next game out of the team, and next match he plays perfect but if I tell that to the keeper next game he plays the same so I need to talk them differently". I think that mourinhio is a great coach and that he tells us how to be a better palyer and that's why I love the way he coaches. I give this book until now a 5 out of 5 and I really recommend this book to the people that love soccer.
February 4, 2020
Chelsea FC biography is awesome! Specially when you are a Chelsea fan. This book talks you about the changes that Chelsea have passed through the years. At the beginning of the book it talks you about the transformation of two special players that for the "Blues" are legends. John Terry and Frank Lampard. Then it talks about how Chelsea FC have being growing through the years. In the book you can see the economic problems and the popularity that have been getting in the last years to convert on one of the most popular and powerful clubs of the Premier League (England's soccer league). I give this book 4 stars out of 5 because the "important" things in this book are only the economic ones and didn't show you about some important wins or how they manage all types of things with the players. I only recommend you to read this book if you are a real soccer lover or if you are fan of the "BLUES".
November 14, 2016
An enjoyable read for all football fans , especially if you are a Chelsea fan . It gives lie to the accusation thrown at the club that it has no history .
The club was highly ambitious from the start but the trophy cabinet does not reflect this ambition and though it has been successful of late , in an overall sense Chelsea have underachieved .
The club has produced many fine teams down through the decades and except for a bad period from the mid seventies to mid nineties it was always there or thereabouts when the top honours were being handed out.
The club was highly ambitious from the start but the trophy cabinet does not reflect this ambition and though it has been successful of late , in an overall sense Chelsea have underachieved .
The club has produced many fine teams down through the decades and except for a bad period from the mid seventies to mid nineties it was always there or thereabouts when the top honours were being handed out.
August 2, 2016
its gonna be a biased review so why bother , but know this i suggest all Chelsea fans read it once in their lifetime at least
September 11, 2014
Very comprehensive history of the EPL club I support.
May 12, 2022
The Official Biography of Chelsea F.C. is a book by Rick Glanvill that chronicles the Chelsea Blues from inception to modern day. As Rick Glanvill walks you through, Chelsea F.C. is a football club with a deep history that is sandwiched between two moneyed patriarchs. Gus Mears founded the club in 1905 with great ambitions to make Chelsea F.C. the best club in all of London, and Roman Abramovich bought the club almost 100 years later with ambitions to make Chelsea F.C. the best club in all of Europe.
It's clear throughout their existence, Chelsea have always been a team that has had the money and the large crowds. They have just lacked consistency in winning trophies and have underperformed on numerous occasions in relation to the talent on their team. Undoubtedly some of the best footballers of each generation have played for this club (Greaves, Tambling, Bonetti, Osgood, Bridges, and Venables, to name a few), but prior to Abramovich and Jose Mourinho, they have failed dismally to consistently bring home silverware. Those times have clearly changed as Chelsea F.C. have won 15 trophies since 2003.
The Official Biography of Chelsea F.C. is your guide into London’s most bohemian football club. Full of glitz and glam, Chelsea F.C. is one of English football’s best soap operas. Rick Glanvill’s book is a first-class seat to the show.
Why Should You Read This Book?
If you are like me and you are a Chelsea F.C. fan this book is for you. It’s a well-researched book with a unique blend of first-person accounts and factual biographical references. This book is an entertaining read and serves as a counter-proposal to the mainstream chatter about Chelsea F.C. You should read this book if you are interested in getting a first-person perspective into one of the more entertaining and dramatic footballing clubs out there.
You should also read this book if you want to get a better sense of why Chelsea F.C. has failed so often to bring home consistent silverware over its long history as a football club.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the book, Jose Mourinho says the following: “So I think if we keep winning that is what can make the Chelsea family bigger and bigger and bigger and stronger.” The simplicity in is statement points to the fact that Chelsea F.C. fans have grown in lock step with the success of the Roman Abramovich era.
As a new Chelsea F.C. fan I will admit one very clear thing: I have had it very easy as a modern-day Chelsea supporter. Unlike most other long-term supporters, I haven’t experienced the dark days of the Chelsea Shed Boys and the Chelsea Headhunters. And I haven’t experienced the ritual sufferings of the pre-Abramovich era with the many lean years in trophies and the utterly inconsistent play. The fact of the matter is I started watching and supporting Chelsea at exactly the right time.
Rick Glanvill’s book was an awesome reminder of how good I really have it as a new-aged Chelsea F.C. supporter.
On an aside… You can find a visual representation of what Chelsea F.C. has morphed into as a result of Roman Abramovich’s and eventually Jose Mourinho’s impacts below:
Final Book Score
Easy to Read: (3.5/5) Satisfactory
Deep Content: (5/5) Exceptional
Overall Rating: (5/5) Exceptional
It's clear throughout their existence, Chelsea have always been a team that has had the money and the large crowds. They have just lacked consistency in winning trophies and have underperformed on numerous occasions in relation to the talent on their team. Undoubtedly some of the best footballers of each generation have played for this club (Greaves, Tambling, Bonetti, Osgood, Bridges, and Venables, to name a few), but prior to Abramovich and Jose Mourinho, they have failed dismally to consistently bring home silverware. Those times have clearly changed as Chelsea F.C. have won 15 trophies since 2003.
The Official Biography of Chelsea F.C. is your guide into London’s most bohemian football club. Full of glitz and glam, Chelsea F.C. is one of English football’s best soap operas. Rick Glanvill’s book is a first-class seat to the show.
Why Should You Read This Book?
If you are like me and you are a Chelsea F.C. fan this book is for you. It’s a well-researched book with a unique blend of first-person accounts and factual biographical references. This book is an entertaining read and serves as a counter-proposal to the mainstream chatter about Chelsea F.C. You should read this book if you are interested in getting a first-person perspective into one of the more entertaining and dramatic footballing clubs out there.
You should also read this book if you want to get a better sense of why Chelsea F.C. has failed so often to bring home consistent silverware over its long history as a football club.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the book, Jose Mourinho says the following: “So I think if we keep winning that is what can make the Chelsea family bigger and bigger and bigger and stronger.” The simplicity in is statement points to the fact that Chelsea F.C. fans have grown in lock step with the success of the Roman Abramovich era.
As a new Chelsea F.C. fan I will admit one very clear thing: I have had it very easy as a modern-day Chelsea supporter. Unlike most other long-term supporters, I haven’t experienced the dark days of the Chelsea Shed Boys and the Chelsea Headhunters. And I haven’t experienced the ritual sufferings of the pre-Abramovich era with the many lean years in trophies and the utterly inconsistent play. The fact of the matter is I started watching and supporting Chelsea at exactly the right time.
Rick Glanvill’s book was an awesome reminder of how good I really have it as a new-aged Chelsea F.C. supporter.
On an aside… You can find a visual representation of what Chelsea F.C. has morphed into as a result of Roman Abramovich’s and eventually Jose Mourinho’s impacts below:
Final Book Score
Easy to Read: (3.5/5) Satisfactory
Deep Content: (5/5) Exceptional
Overall Rating: (5/5) Exceptional
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews