Stamford Bridge has been the iconic home of Chelsea FC since 1905 and is currently the ninth largest stadium in the Premier League with a 40,834-spectator capacity. Here's 5 facts you didn't know about the stadium!
]]>The stadium was first opened in April 1877 as a sporting arena primarily used for athletics meetings by the London Athletic Club. The Mears brothers obtained the deeds to the ground in 1904 aiming to bring the new sport of football to London after following its success in the North of England. Stamford Bridge is currently the ninth largest stadium in the Premier League with a 40,834-spectator capacity. If you’re a Stamford Bridge season ticket holder, then you’ll love our Chelsea T Shirt collection!
1. The new arena was commissioned by the Mears Brothers and designed by architect Archibald Leitch. Scottish-born Leitch designed Ibrox, Celtic Park and Hampden. Throughout his career Leith was commissioned to design part or all of more than 20 stadiums in the UK and Ireland between 1899 and 1939. Much of the esteemed architect's work has been redeveloped or demolished largely due to the move to all-seater stadiums in the wake of the Taylor Report.
2. Initially Stamford Bridge was offered to neighbouring football club Fulham FC who turned it down due to financial reasons. Chelsea FC was founded in March 1905 and moved into Stamford Bridge a few months later. It was a successful move for Chelsea as they attracted a crowd of more than 60,000 in their first year of being in the stadium.
3. Stamford Bridge was originally served by a small railway station in its early days – the Chelsea and Fulham Railway Station. It was closed in 1940 having sustained damage during the Blitz in World War II. The station was finally demolished in the 1950s and is now the site of a block of flats although there have been requests to reopen the facility in some capacity.
4. The famous Shed End of Stamford Bridge was originally created for the Greyhound Racing Association by architect Archibald Leitch.
The Greyhound Racing Association held dog races on the track that enclosed the pitch for many years. They commissioned the asymmetrical roofing design to cover bookmakers and betting customers.
5. Chelsea legend Peter Osgood had his ashes laid to rest under the Shed End penalty spot in 2006. Osgood played for Chelsea between 1964-74 and again from 1978-79 making a total of 289 appearances. At the time there was a memorial service, and a statue was erected to commemorate him at the West Stand in 2010.
We recognise the stories that are born from football legends become defining moments in our lives as fans. Our T Shirts connect us all by naming the cities where our legends have celebrated their greatest victories.
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]]>Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Diego Maradona did not always have a quiet life off the pitch. Today we count down his top five goals of all time.
]]>Diego Maradona was an iconic Argentine football player and manager who was joint winner of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century. Nicknamed El Pibe de Oro, meaning The Golden Boy, his legendary skills on the pitch were overshadowed by the bans he received in 1991 and 1994 for drug abuse. Maradona died in 2020 at the age of 60 but his iconic goals including The Hand of God and Goal of the Century live on in fans’ minds across the globe. This unique T Shirt charts his career by featuring the city of each club Diego Maradona has played for.
The iconic Hand of God goal has defined Diego Maradona’s career as a player. Argentina met England in the quarter finals of the 1986 World Cup held in Mexico – a tournament the Argentine national side would go on to win. The controversial match ended in a 2-1 victory to Argentina with the first and illegal goal allowed due to referees having a poor line of sight.
Maradona's goal was named the Hand of God because of his initial response to the goal being allowed, saying at the time it was made “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.” In May 2022, the T Shirt Maradona wore during the match was auctioned by Sotheby’s on behalf of former English international Steve Hodge and sold for £7.1m – a record for sports memorabilia.
In the same World Cup tournament, Diego Maradona faced Belgium with his national side on the 25th of June. There were 115,000 spectators in the Estadio Azteca and at one point Maradona was faced with several Belgian players who he tackled head on. The game ended 2-0 to Argentina with Maradona later recalling the game in his autobiography; “For the second, the credit was Cuciuffo’s and Valdono’s, who made it for me.”
Diego Maradona was only 33 years of age when he scored his final goal for Argentina. The national team met Greece in the Group D stage of the World Cup held in Massachusetts, USA.
Their opening match on the 21st of June ended in victory with a final score of 4-0. Gabriel Batistuta scored a hat trick but nine days later his Argentine teammate failed a drugs test and was sent home – it was the last time Maradona played for his national team.
On the 18th of June 1982, Argentina met Hungary at the Estadio Jose Rico Perez in Alicante, Spain. There were 32,093 spectators there to witness Argentina’s 4-1 victory – two of the goals scored by Diego Maradona. The goals exemplify Maradona’s low centre of gravity due to his short stature which gave him greater flexibility when manoeuvring around his opponents.
The final goal was chosen to show Maradona’s determination to always play the best football he could when on the pitch. On the 5th of June 1986, Argentina found themselves in a second group stage clash with Italy. Maradona was 25 at the time and the Italians gave him little room for breathing space but he trusted his instincts and looked for the ball when necessary. The game ended in a 1-1 draw with Maradona scoring the only goal for Argentina at Puebla’s Estadio Cuauhtémoc.
Love The Game is about understated design and letting sports fans support their favourite team or player by celebrating the cities where they made their mark. Our T Shirts give credit to the greatest football legends in history including Maradona, Baggio and Pele.
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1. The first LFC team was made entirely of Scottish players. Liverpool Football Club’s first match was a friendly held on 1st of September 1892 and played against Rotherham Town ending in a 7-1 win to LFC.
2. Anfield was originally home to rivals Everton. Anfield now has a capacity of over 53,000 but it was originally used by long-standing rivals Everton. It wasn’t until a dispute with Anfield owner John Houlding about rent that the Toffees moved to Goodison Park.
3. Liverpool FC were on the first ever episode of Match of the Day. Match of the Day was the first regular football programme on television and it first broadcast on the 22nd of August 1964. Nearly an hour of Liverpool V Arsenal highlights were shown in which LFC won 3-2.
4. Liverpool FC players were banned for match-fixing in 1915. The 1915 British football match-fixing scandal was fixed in favour of Manchester United with players from both teams set to benefit from bets placed. Seven players were eventually found to have participated and all were banned for life. However, most players later had their bans overturned.
5. The famous This Is Anfield sign was introduced by Bill Shankly. The idea for a sign came from a groundsman who wanted to welcome players to Anfield but Shankly saw it as an opportunity to intimidate opponents. Bill said, “This is to remind our lads who they're playing for, and to remind the opposition who they're playing against.”
6. Steven Gerrard holds the record for scoring in sixteen consecutive seasons. In the 2014-15 season, Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard scored in his 16th consecutive season for the club beating a record held by Billy Liddell since 1960.
7. LFC are the only club to contest a major final in every country of mainland Britain. Liverpool have played matches in Glasgow, Cardiff and London.
8. In 5,858 competitive matches, LFC players have scored 10,219 goals. The Merseyside team are also the most successful British club in international football with 14 trophies.
9. Ian Callaghan holds the record for most appearances made for LFC. Callaghan was a midfielder between 1959-1978 and made a total of 640 appearances for the club.
10. As of 2021, LFC was the world's fifth-most-valuable football club. Liverpool Football Club has been owned by Fenway Sports Group – owners of the MLB team Boston Red Sox - since October 2010.
Many play the game, but few rise from obscurity to become Merseyside legends; status forged in sporting moments and relived for a lifetime by supporters. Designed by LFC fans in the UK to show their love of the game, our Liverpool collection follows Anfield legends across the globe charting their careers by celebrating the cities they played in.
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Louise Smyth, 25th February 2020
Yesterday, 27 years ago, Bobby Moore sadly passed away. However, his memory will never be forgotten. The moments which lit up his career, and English football, are moments which will always be treasured in the game. 668 English league appearances. 108 England Caps. 26 goals. 16 seasons as a Hammer.
The West Ham centre back is still thought of as the London clubs greatest ever player, as well as his renowned performances during his time as part of the England football team. Moore was given the England armband in May of 1963, making him the youngest ever captain of the Three Lions aged just 22. This came just one year after Moore had made his first England player debut, with 12 appearances for the country under his wing.
The end of the 1963/4 season brought further success to Moore’s name, with the Football Writers’ Association awarding him with the title of ‘Footballer of the Year’. He set out to prove that this title was well earned when one year later West Ham took on Munich and celebrated a win of the European Cup Winners Cup at Wembley, still standing as West Hams only European cup triumph.
The biggest moment that we all associate with Moore was his performance at England’s 1966 FIFA World Cup, captaining the England team to victory. To be more specific, on the 30 of July 1966, Moore would hold the World Cup in his right hand, perched upon the shoulders of the England team as they celebrated their win. This moment would be the pinnacle for England to this day; with a nation is united by sport. Thanks to Moore, England celebrated their first and only World Cup win.
Coming back as defending champions in 1970, England took on Brazil at the next World Cup. Unfortunately for Moore, celebrating with his England team in 1966 was the last heroic height that the national team would reach, losing 1 – 0 to Brazil. Pele and Moore famously embraced at full time in the iconic photo of sportsmanship, Pele later said “That photo has gone around the world. I think it was very important for football. We demonstrate that it's a sport. Win or lose, the example, the friendship, you must pass these on to other players to the next generation."
After 3 seasons at Fulham and short stints at various other clubs; San Antonio Thunder, Seattle Sounders, Herning Frenad and Carolina Lightnin’, Moore retired and hung up his playing boots in 1978. However, his career within the game wasn’t over, eventually playing the part of sports editor for the Daily Sport newspaper, before joining Capital Gold radio as football analyst.
Devastatingly, aged only 51, Moore’s life was cut short by cancer on 24 February 1993.
Twenty-seven years on, his memory thrives, carved into the fans who saw him play, and told to those who didn’t get the chance. Not only does his sporting name live on, but the Bobby Moore fund, in partnership with Cancer Research UK, has raised awareness and funds into the heart-breaking illness that affects 1 in 2 people. A huge total of over £21M has been raised since the fund opened, helping thousands of individuals in need.
These are some of the reasons that Moore is named the Golden boy of his era, and a legend in his own right.
Bobby Moore. Twenty-seven years gone, but forever a legend.
]]>A career spanning over twenty years, more than a century of caps and a trophy cabinet containing the World Cup certainly strengthens the argument that the Italian is the best goalkeeper of all-time.
Buffon began his playing career at Parma, making his debut in 1995 as a seventeen-year-old. A product of the club’s youth system, Gianluigi would go on to win the UEFA Cup and a Coppa Italia during his six years in the ‘Gialloblu’ first-team.
It was whilst he was with Parma that Gigi would win the first of his 176 international caps. Italy were in a play-off against Russia to qualify for the 1998 World Cup Finals in France when the Parma ‘keeper debuted as a substitute. The Azzurri qualified for the summer tournament and although not established yet as first-choice, Buffon made the squad and travelled to the first of his five World Cup tournaments.
The Parma goalkeeper quickly established himself as one of the best stoppers in Serie A, as well as earning himself the nickname ‘Superman’. After six-years with Parma, ’Superman’ became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper when Juventus paid £33 million to take him to Turin in 2001.
Turin became home for Italy’s number one for the next 17-years. Despite carrying the weight of a world record transfer fee, Juventus’ new goalkeeper retained his place in the side throughout an era of unprecedented success.
Buffon collected nine Serie A titles in his time in Turin, lifting six of those as club captain. In addition to those championship wins Gianluigi added 4 Coppa Italia winners medals as well as five Italian Supercoppa titles.
Even in the dark times for Juve, Gigi stayed loyal to the Turin side. The ‘calciopoli’ scandal saw Juventus relegated to Serie B and despite rumours surrounding his departure, Buffon stayed on to help Juve to promotion and back to their rightful place in Serie A.
Success wasn’t confined to club football either for the Italian Superman. Italy won their fourth World Cup at the 2006 edition of the competition. The Juventus keeper was immense as he produced five clean-sheets on the way to lifting the famous trophy. If it wasn’t already, Buffon’s place in the history of Italian football was well and truly cemented with the World Cup victory.
Gianluigi Buffon is more than a goalkeeper, he is a modern-day footballing icon. The abilities he has on the field have led him to considered one of, if not the, best goalkeeper of all-time. His personality and passion on the pitch is evident in every game he plays and draws in fellow players a fan’s alike.
As he entered his 40th year there was an expectation that Gigi would hang up his gloves at the end of the 2017-18 season. After lifting yet another Serie A title ‘Superman’ announced that he was leaving Juventus, but his career was not about to end yet.
For the first time, Buffon would play club football outside of his native Italy. French Ligue 1 Champions Paris St Germain lured the goalkeeper to the French capital in the summer of 2018. The move not only promised to prolong the Tuscan’s career, it would also provide further opportunities to win the Champions League, a tournament which has so far eluded the great man.
In one of Buffon’s first matches for the Paris side, the longevity of his career was brought into sharp contrast. As PSG faced off against Guingamp in Ligue 1, Buffon lined up against Guingamp number 11 Marcus Thuram. Marcus is the son of French World Cup winner and former team-mate of Buffon, Lillian Thuram. The elder Thuram was in the Parma line-up over twenty-years earlier when Buffon made his Serie A debut and now his son Marcus was taking to the same field as his father’s former team-mate.
As if to make Buffon feel even older, one of his new colleagues in Paris is Timothy Weah, son of former Milan striker George. In yet another link to Buffon’s Serie A debut, he played against George Weah on his debut as Parma took on Milan back in 1995.
From the seventeen-year-old debutant to the forty-year-old still playing at the top level of European football, Buffon is a legend of the modern game. The ability, passion and professionalism that has taken from Parma to Turin and then Paris remains at the highest level. If that isn’t enough, Gianluigi Buffon has had a trophy-laden career at both club and international level that can act as evidence that he way well the ‘the greatest keeper of all-time’.
]]>To know the game, you have to love the game.
Jeff Riley, July 2018
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I’m not sure which one of us came up with this phrase originally but it nothing says it better.
I thought about calling our first blog post ‘o jogo bonito’ (‘the beautiful game’ in Portugese), but we’re not just about CR7 and his perfectly groomed hair. I loved the original Ronaldo, R9 and THAT haircut in 2002!
I remember jumpers for goalposts and getting lifted over the turnstiles for 3pm kick offs. Full of Bovril, steak pies and chants that would get you arrested these days. And European trophies that anyone had a chance of winning. But like many, my jumper just keeps me warm at the game. The beautiful game.
I love that we wear the same shirt numbers as our idols on the back of our replica shirts but I always knew that’s as far as the likeness went. We may share the same theatre of dreams where only one a few lift the trophy but we were always there to see it. I know our place and I know my formations. 4-4-2 works, and 3-5-2 has its critics but I loved Barca’s 4-2-4 with Henry and Messi through the middle.
Football means so many things to so many people. At LTG we always wanted to know what goes on beneath the surface, what makes us so passionate about a cheering on a bunch of millionaires kicking a sheep’s bladder across a field or going out in the pouring rain to watch your kids swarm like bees chasing that elusive moment of glory.
Who hasn’t copied Alan Shearer’s finger raised high above the head, always in celebration. The Newcastle and England star once summed it up for him “Football's not just about scoring goals - it's about winning.”
Our first collection at Love The Game was 12 shirts featuring the cities that gave birth to legends, some of the most gifted exponents of the game who names reverberated across the bars, the streets and on the terraces as they became stars on the world’s greatest stages. They’ve gone down so well we’ve expanded to nearly 80. We know from speaking to you that you get what we are trying to do with Love The Game and we want you to share your passion with us. So let’s find out exactly what the game means to you; the fan, the player, the coach, the statistician, the antagonist and the eternal pessimist!
We're delighted to finally launch the Love The Game Blog. It's been nearly a year since we launched our first collection of #legendshirts and the reaction has been fantastic. Everyone really gets what we are trying to do.
It's been great seeing Aberdeen Striker Adam Rooney (@roons9) and Rocket Long (@rocketjoe) from Soccer AM and now joe.co.uk wearing one of our shirts and helping us to promote the brand. It's mindblowing to walk down the street and see someone wearing one of our Legend shirts too. Okay it's only happened a couple of times but the world of football is a big place and we've shipped them to Sweden, NYC and the Netherlands!
So....we decided we wanted to start a blog to share some love stories from fans, players, in fact anyone connected to the game. There are millions of us out there and a never ending hunger for well written football stories. And we all have at least one inside of us. Why not email us at hello@lovethegame.co if you want to share your love of the game with us?
You might want to share a heart warming tale like when you saw Congleton's oldest supporter 85yr old Fred Cope walk into the club's ground to watch the game just as the club were about to hold a minutes silence to commemorate his death!
Or you might remember when Chelsea were forced to issue an official statement outlawing celery from Stamford Bridge;
"In future, if anyone is found attempting to bring celery into Stamford Bridge they could be refused entry and anyone caught throwing celery will face a ban."
Or you might just want to tell us why football means so much to you.
As far as we are concerned football blogging has no rules we just want you to bring your passion! And if you want some inspiration we have loads of questions to jog your memory click here!
Get in touch and share the love!
(and don't forget to tell us who you support!)
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