Barcelona v Chelsea – The Dunkirk Spirit
There are just a few days in our lives that become immortal, something happens that gets logged in to our human hard drives. We know at the time when we are witnessing something really special, time seems to slow down and even after the event it can still take days for it to really sink in.
You can include the first visit to the old Wembley as a young lad, when we won the FA Cup and Cup Winners Cups, plus our first league championship in 50 years, and even knocking Arsenal out of the C/L at the library, all those extra special days.
I have been to Barcelona several times, the city is interesting, stimulating and historical place, but just like its football team it has its dark side.
I’d never include it in one of my favourite cities, the same goes for the local people, the Catalan’s are proud people but they have the charm of a Parisian waiter…. and a chip on the shoulder attitude, more so to us Chelsea supporters than many others.
They really don’t like us, maybe they see in us something that just won’t lie down, and will keep coming back again and again for more, every time we have met over to legs they have gained some favour, it’s never been a clean cut beyond approach result, and for all the injustice we keep on coming back.
Having been there up in the gods looking down on what appears to be ants, and been mugged off many times by Barcelona teams and fans, the officials and the police.
Just to give it large to those ignorant fans would have been wonderful, and full gold medal to those that were there. Instead my part of Bangkok at around 3.50am, very very blue!
Its no surprise that so much green eyed abuse is coming from some purest fans, football is in their eyes about playing pretty eye candy football of which produces nothing, Oh its so lovely, but if you have the ball do something with it, don’t just tickle it put the bloody circular object in the net, something that some clubs can’t do.
Even the old hat comment “you’ve no history” has been banded about. Well its such a laughing matter, history has something to do with time, history has something to do with events, history has something to do with drama, history has something to do with support, and it also means about making headlines, as well as winning matches, we did it all this week at the Camp Nou.
The Asylum awards or Darwin awards must go to those who bitch on and on where their club has done nothing of note for years, take a bow Tottenham and Arsenal, their fans are lemmings, they just can not get their pea brains to understand Chelsea beat Barcelona over two legs, now if Chelsea become the first London team to win the Champions League, too much for many to stomach, by why are Chelsea in this position? because they learn, and evolve whilst others continue to do the same every year, it’s laughable.
Many Manc and Liverpool supporters have been more understanding and supportive, but why? They know they have been there being mullered for much of a game, and walking away with the tin pot at the end, for all the gloss its about hanging in and taking an opportunity when it arises.
We required a performance of biblical standards and we got it, there is something about a defensive battle against the odds which really inspires the heart and soul, my parents would call it “The Dunkirk Spirit” a will not to be beaten regardless of the odds.
The game followed the same pattern as all previous meetings in Barcelona, drama, a hat full of bookings, a man sent of (10 again) a makeshift defence, a penalty (Hmmm) plenty of play-acting but still we would not be shaken from our objective, not even the officials could rob us this time (I actually think we got a fair deal from this one)
Uefa still have that planned obstruction up their sleeve and Bayern Munich at home will be some advantage to overcome……… but just imagine for one minute if!
Anyway I still hate the Champions League, like football in general there are way too many opportunities for the games to be effected in favour of a certain team, or the occurrence of strange events just make progression impossible.
Our price in the final is expensive, we will be without key players, some who have been immense for the club this season of mixed adventure, and I hope they can take full compensation in the FA Cup final.
We now come back to reality in facing QPR on Sunday afternoon, one of the least inspiring fixtures in our calendar. It makes jobs like painting the garden fence, cleaning out the garage or visiting the in-laws seem attractive (and my so called in-laws don’t even speak English).
QPR serve no purpose to the PL at all, it would actually be a better league without them. The chip on the shoulder or little man syndrome that they are, give nothing to benefit either London football or English football, from a rabbit hutch from behind the now defunct BBC building in Wood Lane, their sole objective is to be a pain in the a*se.
I’m delighted the league has scrapped the official handshake, its stomach wrenching being told to shake hands with anyone you don’t like and I even dislike being in the same city as them.
So it would be a really community minded spirited thing for us to beat them and aid their departure from the Premier League, an offside goal would be nice, or better still a penalty for nothing, or an own goal, anything that brings up injustice for them to gag on.
I await July with eagerness and the possibility of some charges being found not guilty, it would make for a very interesting close season.
Posted by Voltaire