The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (along with the Chelsea Heritage Partnership) were delighted to be match sponsor for the first ever Chelsea Ladies Legends Charity match game that was played at Dorking Wanderers FC on Sunday 26 May, 2024.
A beautiful sunny day brought out a crowd of over 600 people and money raised from the game was divided between funding grassroots girls football projects and the Shooting Stars Children Hospice Hampton who supports parents and siblings in the very worst moments of their lives.
The historic game saw 40 former players and academy players from the original Chelsea Ladies side that were the trailblazers for the modern day successful trophy win side that is Chelsea WFC. It was also good to see former mangers Tony Farmer, Dave Impett, and Steve Leacock in attendance.
Thirty years ago in 1994 Tony Farmer set up a Chelsea women’s team that he wanted one day to able to compete and win trophies at the highest level. Over the decades, the Chelsea Women’s team moved through the women’s football pyramid with increasing support from Chelsea FC. Then in the summer of 2013 Emma Hayes arrived and the rest is history. The charity game took place just after Chelsea had won their fifth successive WSL title as they said farewell to Emma Hayes.
Mark Meehan who is Chair of the CST has long links to the women’s team, when 30 years ago as part of the Chelsea Independent Supporters Associations they sponsored an advert meaning the newly formed Chelsea Ladies team could produce matchday programmes that were ahead of anything womens teams were producing in the 90’s. That in turn helped find other sponsorship helping keep the club alive and grow and grow to what it is today. 30 years later the Chelsea Supporters are proud to be the first sponsor of a Chelsea Ladies legends and we were lucky to be involved in such a remarkable day.
To get 40 former @ChelseFCW players in one place takes some organisation.
Well done to Tony Farmer for doing this and thanks to everyone who came along on the day to lend their support.
We anticipate that the legends game will be repeated again next season.
Let’s hope it is even bigger and ever better.
Photo credit: Mark Sandom @fleetphotos
