Chelsea v Portsmouth

Mayfair Global Events, specialise in selling tickets which are hard to get. Our ticket company, specialise in selling tickets which are hard to get hold of at other ticket offices and/or ticket companies for football matches. Chelsea(Click here to buy Chelsea tickets) Football Club , also known as “The Blues” and “The Pensioners” were founded in March 1905. With a 42,360 capacity club home ground, Stamford Bridge football ground in Fulham, south-west London, Chelsea(Click here to buy Chelsea tickets) have won three league titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups and two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups! Chelsea(Click here to buy Chelsea tickets) is a top club and a must-see for every football fan around the globe! The club was founded in March 1905. Tickets seem to be more in demand the last few years for Chelsea(Click here to buy Chelsea tickets) tickets , as they have remained one of the top teams in the Premiership.

The reasons for Chelsea(Click here to buy Chelsea tickets) ticket sales to rise and the stadium to be maxed out due to all the tickets sold, is because of the Chelsea(Click here to buy Chelsea tickets) events that have gone on, including in 2005, the team became Premiership champions in a record breaking season, this was firstly what raised ticket sales for Chelsea(Click here to buy Chelsea tickets) , they also became League Cup winners and reached the Champions League semi-finals. This is a lot for one team to achieve in just one year, which made the tickets become more in demand by ticket buyers and ticket sellers. The following year, they became League Champions again. Last year, in 2007, Chelsea(Click here to buy Chelsea tickets) won the FA Cup and League Cup but unfortunately became runners up to Manchester United in the Premier League. This year in 2008, who knows? If you buy tickets for Chelsea(Click here to buy Chelsea tickets) ’s games , here from us on our online ticket service, you could be living the history, instead of just reading about it.

The club was founded in 1898 with John Brickwood, owner of the local brewery, as chairman, and Frank Brettell as the club's first manager. The club joined the Southern League in 1899 and their first league match was played at Chatham Town on 2 September 1899 (a 1-0 victory), followed three days later by the first match at Fratton Park against local rivals Southampton. That first season was hugely successful, with the club winning 20 out of 28 league matches, earning them the runner-up spot in the league. 1910-11 saw Portsmouth(Click here to buy Portsmouth tickets) relegated, but with the recruitment of Bob Brown as manager the team were promoted the next season.

Football was suspended during World War I, but following the resumption of matches Portsmouth(Click here to buy Portsmouth tickets) won the Southern League for the second time. Continuing success saw them in the Third Division for the 1920-21 season. They finished 12th that year, but won the league in the 1923-24 season. The club continued to perform well in the Second Division, winning promotion by finishing 2nd in the 1926-27 season, gaining a record 9-1 win over Notts County along the way.

Portsmouth(Click here to buy Portsmouth tickets)'s debut season in the First Division was a struggle. The next season they continued to falter, losing 10-0 to Leicester City, still a club record defeat. However, despite their failings in the league, that season also saw Portsmouth(Click here to buy Portsmouth tickets) reach the FA Cup final for the first time, which they lost to Bolton Wanderers.

Portsmouth(Click here to buy Portsmouth tickets) managed to survive relegation, and their fortunes began to change. The 1933-34 season saw Portsmouth(Click here to buy Portsmouth tickets) again reach the FA Cup Final, beating Manchester United, Bolton Wanderers, Leicester City and Birmingham City on the way. Unfortunately the club was again defeated in the final, this time to Manchester City.

Having established themselves in the top flight, the 1938-39 season saw Portsmouth(Click here to buy Portsmouth tickets) reach their third FA Cup Final. This time the club managed to defeat the favourites, Wolves, convincingly 4-1. Bert Barlow scored twice whilst Cliff Parker and Jock Anderson completed the famous victory.

League football was again suspended due to World War II, meaning Pompey hold the unusual distinction of holding the FA Cup for the longest uninterrupted period as the trophy wasn't contested again until the 1945-46 season.

League football resumed for the 1946-47 campaign. In Pompey's Golden Jubilee season of 1948-49, the club were tipped to be the first team of the 20th century to win the Football League and FA Cup double. However, Pompey crashed out of the FA Cup in the semi-final against Leicester City, but made up for it by claiming the league title in spectacular fashion. That season also saw a record attendance of 51,385, a record which still stands to this day.

The club retained the title the following year, beating Aston Villa 5-1 on the last day of the season, and are thus one of only five English teams to have won back to back titles since World War II. Although the team finished third in 1954-55, subsequent seasons saw Pompey struggle and they were relegated to the Second Division in 1959.

Portsmouth(Click here to buy Portsmouth tickets) went down to the Third Division in 1961 but were promoted back to the Second Division at the first time of asking under the guidance of George Smith. Despite limited financial means, Smith maintained Portsmouth(Click here to buy Portsmouth tickets)'s Second Division status throughout the sixties until moving upstairs to become General Manager in April 1970.

A cash injection, that accompanied the arrival of John Deacon as chairman in 1972, failed to improve Pompey's league position. With Deacon unable to continue bankrolling the club on the same scale, Pompey were relegated to the Third Division in 1976.

In November 1976 the club found itself needing to raise £25,000 to pay off debts and so avoid bankruptcy. With players having to be sold to ease the club's financial situation, and no money available for replacements, Pompey were forced to rely on an untried manager, Ian St John and inexperienced young players. Consequently, they were relegated to the Fourth Division in 1978.

Pompey were promoted back to Division Three in 1980, and in the 1982-83 season they won the Third Division championship, gaining promotion back to the Second Division. Under Alan Ball's management, Pompey narrowly missed winning promotion to the First Division twice before finally succeeding in 1986-87. Unfortunately, by the middle of the 1987-88 season the club was again in grave financial trouble, and Pompey were relegated straight back to the Second Division. The summer of 1988 saw Deacon sell the club to London based businessman and former QPR Chairman, Jim Gregory.

Jim Smith's arrival as manager at the start of the 1991-92 season, combined with the emergence of some good young players, sparked a revival in the team's fortunes and that year Pompey reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, losing on penalties to eventual winners Liverpool after a replay. The following season, Pompey missed out on promotion to the FA Premier League only by virtue of having scored one less goal than West Ham United.

In the summer of 1996 Terry Venables arrived at Pompey as a consultant, later taking over as chairman after buying the club for £1. The team enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in 1996-97, beating FA Premier League side Leeds United en route, but finished just short of the qualifying places for the play-offs for promotion to the Premier League.

Pompey's centenary season, 1998-99, saw a serious financial crisis hit the club, and in December 1998 Portsmouth(Click here to buy Portsmouth tickets) went into financial administration. Milan Mandarić saved the club with a takeover deal in May 1999, and the new chairman immediately started investing. However the club only survived on the last day of the 2000-2001 season when they won their final game and Huddersfield Town lost theirs, keeping Portsmouth(Click here to buy Portsmouth tickets) up at their expense.

Harry Redknapp took over as manager in early 2002, with Jim Smith as assistant. Just over a year later, Pompey were celebrating winning the Division One Championship and promotion to the Premier League, winning the title with a game to spare.

Since arriving in the Premier League, the club finished 13th, 16th and 17th in its first three seasons before being bought by businessman Alexandre Gaydamak in January 2006. With funds available for the manager to make big-name signings, the club finished their 2006-2007 season in the Premier League in the top half of the table for the first time.

Rumours surfaced in October 2007 about the possibility of Gaydamak selling his stake in the club, with Irish property developers Brian and Luke Comer mentioned as possible suitors.