Don’t blame Lamps, just look at what’s around him

IT’S BEEN over a week since the Tottenham Cup game and I still have a massive grin on my face. For many Chelsea fans, beating Spurs is as good as it gets.

My journey to White Hart Lane took me back more than a quarter of a century. We were escorted to the ground by police after being forcibly ejected from one pub and put into another of their choosing. We were then all individually searched (this took some time as there were at least 500 of us) — then escorted through Liverpool Street Station, past gawping commuters (surrounded by hundreds of police and dogs), onto a train, off at Bruce Grove and then marched down Seven Sisters Road — and we missed kick off!!

Despite this less than acceptable treatment, I knew from the moment that I got to my seat that we were going to win. Even the goal-less first half did little to dampen my assurance. You could see that the team were up for it. This was, no doubt, partly due to John Terry’s return; he is more than aware of our history with Tottenham. The Spurs fans too seemed pretty resigned to their fate, as they were virtually silent for most of the game.

Much has been made of our team’s celebrations at the end of the game. My favourite description was that of “victorious prize fighters”; they came to their supporters roaring their heads off, fists pumping. And why shouldn’t they? As for the Spurs fan who came on to try to smack Lampard, I am not condoning it in any respect, but part of me understands it. I was pleased to see that Frank chose not to press charges of assault — he obviously understands the passion this game can evoke. Even if it was one of the girliest punches I have seen.

It wouldn’t be an international week without a Frank witch-hunt; it’s his fault that Rooney was completely ineffective (again), that Gerrard was invisible and that McClaren has the technical nous of a digestive biscuit.

Lampard scores so many goals for Chelsea that it is expected, nay demanded, that he does the same for country — and this is where the problem starts. England have a couple of good players with a lot of average players. At Chelsea, Lampard is surrounded by pure class. Because he isn’t scoring goals for England and is for Chelsea, the national malaise is obviously his fault. But more fool the people that actually believe this claptrap. Step forward Alan Green. How easy it is to choose a scapegoat and invite every lobotomy survivor to phone in and share their opinion. Green has threatened to top himself should England lose to Andorra tonight. I’m not saying a word, but you can guess what I’m thinking.

I took advantage of the international break to visit Wembley and sadly I have to report this stadium that cost hundreds of millions of pounds and took an incredible seven years to build, does not live up to my expectation. It is very difficult to understand where the money has been spent — I’d imagine in the corporate areas, as it certainly wasn’t in the areas where we humble supporters have access. The concourses are no wider than the old Wembley, the finish is cheap and the place has a soulless grey aspect, which does not inspire excitement.

On the plus side the views are great, plenty of legroom and there are escalators to the top tier.

Please ensure you visit an ATM if you intend to have something to eat or drink in the ground, as the word “extortion” doesn’t even begin to cover it. It’s also all a little too red for my liking.

For the second year running, the FA have shown a total disregard for Blues fans by giving us a 500-mile round trip, while ensuring that our rivals have a 20-minute jaunt to the semi-final venue. Naturally there are rail engineering works that day, so even if you were prepared to pay the ridiculous fares, you would need to make your own way for the London to Northampton leg of the journey; so car it is — expensive, no drinking and a substantial carbon-footprint. After all it makes more sense to make 30,000 Chelsea fans travel 500 miles that it would be to make 17,000 Blackburn fans travel to the Emirates doesn’t it?

Watford this weekend. An FA Cup semi-final will be scant consolation when they get relegated, so I imagine most of their energy will be used trying to get something against us. We, in turn, need to win every game. And pray to the God of Dropped Points for United to slip up.

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