THE Blues of Chelsea against the Liverpool Reds. If this poster is the summit of the first day of the Premier League, this Sunday August 13, it is also a confrontation between two of the most identifiable clubs in the United Kingdom by their dogmatic color. With the desire to reconnect with its pegged past in mind, Chelsea have chosen to wear a jersey similar to that of the 90s for this 2023-2024 season. This throwback in no way denies the roots of the London club, since Chelsea have never let go of the blue since their debut.
From its creation in 1905 by Gus Mears and his brother, purchasers of the Stamford Bridge racecourse, Chelsea adopted blue. Like FC Nantes, Chelsea defines its color by that of the stable of Gerald Cadogan, sixth account of Cadogan and viscount of Chelsea. This blue is nevertheless far from the colors that have made the reputation of Blues. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was a pale blue, almost turquoise, which identified the then still nascent team of Chelsea. This affiliation with the Cadogan horse stable allows the double European champion club to display the coat of arms of the district
of the same name.
Chelsea’s first team in 1905. | PHOTO: PUBLIC DOMAIN View full screen Chelsea’s first team in 1905. | PHOTO: PUBLIC DOMAIN
THE Pensioniers before the Blues
We have to wait a short year to see the pale blue turned royal blue, the current shade of the London club jersey. This new color corresponds to the outfit of the residents of the Chelsea boarding school, welcoming war veterans. In their old age, these veterans can apply for this boarding school. Often destitute, they were decked out in a long navy blue coat to keep them warm. The link is then made between the Chelsea club, having darkened its jersey, and the boarding school. Thus, before being nicknamed the BluesLondon players are known as the Pensioners.
But in the early 1960s, coach Ted Drake, the new manager, was not happy with this nickname, finding that it gave the club a retired image. He then decided to soberly nicknamed the club: the Blues, in reference to the color of the jersey which has not changed one iota since the adoption of royal blue. In a logic of modernization of the club, Drake also replaces the coat of arms of the club, representing so far a resident, by a lion, returning a more aggressive and conquering image.
Franck Leboeuf, Didier Deschamps and Marcel Dessailly wore the famous Blues tunic in the early 2000s. | AFP /ADRIAN DENNIS See full screen Franck Leboeuf, Didier Deschamps and Marcel Dessailly wore the famous Blues tunic in the early 2000s. | AFP/ADRIAN DENNIS
THE Blues faithful to their design
If the logo and the nickname evolve, the color remains blue and the shade does not change. Ditto for the design of the jersey, remaining entirely blue for the home tunic. As for the away jersey, there is no assigned color, but until the 1960s, it was red that was favored before white and yellow took over.
Despite some recent exuberance for away knits, white still finds its place in the jersey game, while yellow is now the preserve of goalkeepers if we look back to the last few years. Regarding the red color, that of the away jersey at the start of the club, it has not appeared on a London tunic since the 1991-1992 season and a jersey with a jacquard pattern similar to that of Croatia.
2023-08-17 05:49:02
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