Chelsea Holds Open Practice for Fans

Chelsea never holds open practices. The last time they did, earlier in the season, when Scolari was the new kid on the block, the practice drew over 6,000 people. When I read that Chelsea were opening their doors again, I jumped at the chance to see my beloved Blues.

The session was not scheduled to start until 11:30 but doors opened at 10, and there was already a modest line forming at 9:30. The empty stadium was crawling with young Chelsea faithful, off for half term, and their parents. I arrived early enough so that I sat in the fourth row, just to the left of the 18 yard box. As 11:30 drew closer, Neil Barnett, of CTV warmed up the crowd, leading them in chants and cheers, and also introduced assistant coach Ray Wilkins, who gave a brief run-down of what would be going on at practice. Lots of small possession games, and at the end a full-field scrimmage.



The excitement grew with each passing minute, and soon enough the players, and new coach Guus Hiddink took the field. The practice itself was very lighthearted and fun, but still maintained a level of seriousness. The players acknowledged the crowd at points, waving to fans, and showing off their world-class skills. But in the end, it was a serious training session. Seeing so many world-class players up close was amazing. Their skill was superb, and I felt so lucky to be seeing it so close. But what impressed me the most was the fact that they are just normal people. It was refreshing to see them having fun, smiling and joking with each other as they performed. After the session, several of the players came over and signed autographs for the waiting and appreciative crowd. I managed to get John Terry, Florent Malouda and Paolo Ferreria’s autographs. Overall, the practice was great success. It successfully connected fans with their beloved Blues and gave them an inside look at what makes Chelsea great.

For more pics from the practice, go here