Chelsea FanCast

50 Years of Chelsea: 2002-2003 Pt 2


Listen Later

Stamford Chidge is joined by Jonathan Kydd and Mark Meehan to look back at the 2002-03 season.


In part two we pick the season up in January. We lose to Arsenal away, again, 3-2 thanks to two goals in two minutes even though we get two back two minutes later. Chelsea beat Charlton 4-1 at home on what looks like a sandpit. We play like Brazil; Charlton lodge a complaint about the pitch.


While our league form is good and keeps us in the top four, all eyes are on FA Cup success. After dispatching Middlesbrough, Shrewsbury and Stoke City, we face our bogey team Arsenal in the quarter-final. We draw 2-2 at Highbury having outplayed Arsenal for much of the match which means a replay at Stamford Bridge. Surely this time we can lay the bogey to rest? Sadly not as Chelsea lose 3-1 on an awful awful night including an own goal by John Terry, now sharing the captain's duties with Marcel Desailly.


Still hopes are high for a top four finish and Champions' League qualification whilst the title challenge slipped away. A wobble with defeats away to Villa (battling relegation) and West Ham (who get relegated) means it all boils down to the last match of the season at home to Liverpool.


In one of the most important matches in Chelsea's history, a place in the top four is at stake with the winner taking all. Liverpool go ahead on 11 minutes with Desailly equalising 3 minutes later. Gronkjaer is the unlikely hero with a shot bent in to the right hand corner thanks to him slipping as he kicked it. Chelsea hang on to win and Zola comes on for a cameo for what would be his last appearance for Chelsea and gives Carragher twisted blood for old times sake.


What we didn't know at the time was that had Chelsea lost, the club may well have gone in to administration having announced debts of £99 million and a loss of £16.4 million. Not only did Chelsea's victory guarentee lucrative Champions' League football, it paved the way a few weeks later for the arrival of Roman Abramovich and things at Chelsea would never be the same again...

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Chelsea FanCastBy FootballFanCast.com

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

177 ratings


More shows like Chelsea FanCast

View all
Football Ramble by Stak

Football Ramble

1,974 Listeners

London Is Blue - Chelsea FC Podcast by London Is Blue

London Is Blue - Chelsea FC Podcast

1,751 Listeners

Forza Italian Football by ForzaItalianFootball.com

Forza Italian Football

66 Listeners

The Chelsea Podcast by The Chels

The Chelsea Podcast

87 Listeners

Football Weekly by The Guardian

Football Weekly

2,541 Listeners

The Game by The Times

The Game

272 Listeners

The Totally Football Show with James Richardson by The Athletic

The Totally Football Show with James Richardson

1,003 Listeners

Transfer Talk by Sky Sports

Transfer Talk

120 Listeners

At The Bridge Pod: A Chelsea FC Podcast by At The Bridge Pod: A Chelsea FC Podcast

At The Bridge Pod: A Chelsea FC Podcast

110 Listeners

The Athletic FC Podcast by The Athletic

The Athletic FC Podcast

454 Listeners

Straight Outta Cobham: The Athletic FC's Chelsea show by The Athletic

Straight Outta Cobham: The Athletic FC's Chelsea show

289 Listeners

That Chelsea Podcast by That Chelsea Pod

That Chelsea Podcast

9 Listeners

The Here We Go Podcast by Fabrizio Romano

The Here We Go Podcast

101 Listeners

The Rest Is Football by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Football

700 Listeners

Football Cliches by Adam Hurrey & Goalhanger

Football Cliches

102 Listeners

The Obi One Podcast by John Obi Mikel and Chris McHardy

The Obi One Podcast

75 Listeners