Hello again and welcome to the famous CFC Podcast where each episode offers a deep dive

into the one full history of Chelsea Football Club. My name is Gary Barone, I'm joined

as ever by a fantastic club historian with Glenville and today Mr Glenville was celebrating

75 years of Chelsea supporters clubs and discovering the original body that forged links between

the men of women on the terraces and the people running the club and both fans together

in very difficult days. But we are indeed. I think you're wishing me a happy 75th birthday.

Some people think that but no, it's a happy birthday to the Chelsea away supporters club.

So let's start the beginning shall we? This year marks the 70th 5th anniversary of a message

being published in the Chelsea program for Bernays visit on 21st April 1948 advising supporters

who are interested in traveling to our away matches next season will be pleased to hear

that a supporters club for this purpose will be organised by Mr C G Barnes. 111 Stony Park

Road, Yule, Surrey, Telephone, Yule 2973 from whom particulars may be obtained. Well Mr

Barnes, I'm not actually sure what the C stood for but possibly Cecil or Chris or Chelsea

even quite right was inundated with applications and within weeks from the start of the 1948-49

season this pioneering organisation the Chelsea away supporters club was running coach trips

to far from places right across pre-motorway England. Would that what sort of people signed

up back in those days? Kind of yes and in fact we'll hear the word from one of the founders

in a while but for context let's think about this being that in the aftermath the immediate

aftermath of World War 2 which have blown a six year whole in people's lives really London

was still a bomb site grey and largely joyless and the welfare state was only just arriving

because of course this is the 75th anniversary of the National Health Service and the welfare

state that we're also celebrating this year in England but back in 48 young people wanted

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