Fans ready to paint Moscow blue

PLANES, trains and automobiles, intrepid Blues (and Reds) are utilising any means available to get to Moscow.

They have to, as there aren’t enough flights to satisfy demand. Some friends who are afraid of flying are taking three days to travel to the Russian capital by train (St Pancras to Bruges, Bruges to Cologne, Cologne to Moscow), and even some nutters who are driving and left some time last week. But you HAVE to be there.

I think something we have known for quite some time has finally dawned on the Moscow authorities - they simply are not ready to hold an event such as this.

They are telling tour operators that landing slots they confirmed are no longer available. My trip has had exactly this setback. We are now taking off 12 hours after our original flight time. After initial disappointment, I am simply thanking my lucky stars we built in enough contingency into our trip to counter such setbacks. I hope those on the day trips don’t encounter such issues.

The pitch is a mess, there are not enough hotel rooms, there are no big screens in the city for those who have travelled without tickets and the traffic in Moscow is some of the worst in the world.

One thing they do seem (over) prepared for is the possibility of violence — which I can’t actually see happening. The reputation of the Russian police precedes them and will act as a deterrent for all but the most foolhardy supporters. Added to that is that there is no real history of violence between Chelsea and United. The occasional scuffle, certainly, but nothing of the magnitude of, say, Chelsea v Spurs, or United v Liverpool.

Despite everything the authorities have got wrong, we Chelsea fans are determined to have a good time. It’s our first ever European Cup final and we are going to enjoy it. The United supporters seem supremely confident, but I make this one too close to call. The pundits have also sided with our northern friends, which suits me just fine. They also seem to have chosen the day before the game to release stories that although not catastrophic to Chelsea’s cause, are not helpful.

More negative stories in the French press aimed at Grant from Drogba are hardly surprising. Also every paper seems to be carrying the Lampard to Inter on a four-year deal story — I wonder whether that was a tit-bit leaked by a certain dour, red-faced Scotsman?

IF our players play to their capabilities, and IF the tactics are correct and IF we get a bit of luck then we stand every chance of being the first London club to lift the European Cup. We beat United in a cup final last season, but then Ferguson more than met his equal in management terms. Can Grant step up to the mark?

I believe Grant to be a lucky manager, and that is almost as important as any other quality a boss needs.

Less than 15 years ago I was one of those supporters, like thousands of others, who supported “ordinary teams”; we were never going to achieve anything of note — a brief flirtation with the Cup in a good year, slightly prolonged flirtation with relegation every other year, happy with mid-table mediocrity Yet as you read this, I will be in Moscow !! with a few hours to go until I see my little old Chelsea walk out alongside the mighty Manchester United in the European Cup Final. We have come a long way; light years in fact, in a relatively short period. I have seen successes I never thought I’d see, I have seen the quality of player don the royal blue I could have only dreamed about and now we stand on the precipice of joining the world elite. Don’t pinch me — I don’t want to wake up.

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