History! As expected it was far from simple, hitting the woodwork 5 times in a half certainly makes you question if it's going to be your day, but, thankfully, Boateng's miscue paved the way for our talismanic strop meister to finally charm the goal frame into performing his bidding - a trademark Drogba free kick flicking off the inside of a post and rippling the net obediently.
Watching live as the following day's victory parade rolled along the King's Road, it was hard to remember such a wonderful feeling. Ancelotti's singing was a surprise and watching Kerry Dixon interviewed by Sky Sports News whilst trying to dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge the celery being thrown at him (an odd Chelsea tradition) was a true joy to behold. Truly, I'd wish this kind of carnival event on all my football fanatic friends. Incredible!
As chance would have it, the culmination of the football season has coincided with my reading of 'Kings of the Kings Road: The great Chelsea team of the '60s and '70s', a book which has complemented the last week or so brilliantly, contextualising the significance of current events within the often fraught history of the blues.
What strikes me most is the number of missed opportunities in the past. Numerous occasions where Chelsea appeared to be on the verge of major success only for circumstance to undermine the club in one way or another.
Tommy Docherty, took the club to 3 FA Cup semi-finals and the brink of a First Division title in the 60's only to destroy ambitions by sending home 5 first team players, including one Terry Venables, on the eve of a crucial away game title decider. Their crime? Breaking the hotel curfew. Mind you they were staying in glamorous Blackpool! Chelsea lost the game and any hope of the title in what came to be known as the 'Blackpool Incident'.
Even the flair team of the 70's, which brought an FA Cup and Cup Winners Cup trophy to Stamford Bridge, was destined to underachieve, spending more time on the booze and chasing film stars through the West End than on the training pitch. They were loved for it, of course, and still are! Osgood, Cooke and Hudson, names that carry a great weight, but, perhaps, with a little more application and better man management, things could have been even better!
Reading of their escapades, it's far easier to see how today's players, particularly the likes of Lampard and Terry, might be viewed in the same vein, especially as they have fulfilled that same potential shown by previous sides. They have been the heart and soul of this Chelsea team and, like their predecessors in the '70s, have been hauled across the coals for revelations about their private lives (revelations at which Ossie and co would surely scoff, having been caught drink driving, frequenting brothels and being imprisoned for assaulting police officers in their time. Imagine how today's press would react!).
Through the prism of elapsed time, they too will be spoken of in such celebratory tones. For my part, I've been buying up the newspapers, all to be kept safely preserved for the future. I'll be seeking out the season review DVD as well, when released - George might like to ask his old man about the Double winning team of 2010 when he's older. I want to make sure I'm fully armed....
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