There is no question that Chelsea is an incredible club with an impressive legacy. But, as with all football clubs, there have also been a few regrettable scandals. This list isn’t intended on berating the club for its worst moments, but simply stands as a record of some unfortunate occurrences.
These are some of the biggest scandals in Chelsea’s history.
All Over A Company Car
A football club is all about football, of course, but it is also a business. As such, sometimes regrettable things can happen that are related to corporate meddling. When Eddie McCreadie turned his back on the club in 1977 it wasn’t due to the team’s poor performance. It wasn’t even because he was conflicting with other management. Rather, the veteran Chelsea player turned manager walked away because he was refused a company car.
Yes, Chelsea had been going through a difficult time, both in terms of performance and personal finances. But it was largely thanks to McCreadie that an incredible turnaround was being experienced. When he was refused a car the veteran took it personally, leaving the club without a manager for the 77-78 campaign.
A Failure Across The Board
After the devastation of 9/11 the world was in shock. Israel was dealing with overwhelming security risks, putting the entire country on red alert. Lest it be forgotten, just before Chelsea were due to play Hapoel Tel Aviv in the UEFA Cup, minister Rehavam Zeevi had also been shot and killed by terrorists.
It all culminated in 6 of the top Chelsea players refusing to fly to the country, opting instead to hang back and perhaps browse online pokies instead. Without most of their team Chelsea were thrashed 2-0.
John Terry Versus Wayne Bridge
Of all the scandals on this list, the John Terry situation is the one that still burns to this day. In January 2010 rumours began to spread that a major scandal was unfolding at Chelsea. But, as it turns out, a court injunction had been secured to prevent the mess spilling out into the public.
Eventually the mess did spill out. John Terry was accused of having an affair with the wife of fellow player Wayne Bridge. The media frenzy that followed was deafening, made all the more salacious by Terry refusing to shake Bridge’s hand in public. Officially the affair is nothing more than rumour, but that Terry gives Bridge the cold shoulder to this day says otherwise.
The Mark Bosnich Disaster
Bosnich was amongst the most respected goalkeepers in the world, having played for both Aston Villa and Manchester United. His career took a bit of a dip in the late 90s, but he soldiered on, securing a place at Chelsea.
All seemed to be going well, especially given that Bosnich proved he still had what it took to play amongst the best players and at the best stadiums in the world. Then, tragically, Bosnich failed a drug test. He was sacked immediately, bringing to an end what had been a promising career.
