What determines a fan loyalty success or history?

What defines a successful club? While some believe the answer lies in its history, others measure success by the number of trophies won. There are even some who believe that ‘you’re only as good as your last outing’! Chelsea FC provides the ideal paradigm considering their recent developments on and off the field. By now, the entire footballing fraternity is aware of the Battle for the Bridge, which after an extended spell of making headline news in recent weeks, fizzled out with Chelsea’s officials failing in their bid to purchase back the freehold of Stamford Bridge. Chelsea does not have a rich history that can match the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona or Real Madrid, and it’s only since the early 2000s that the club has evolved to become a major force to reckon with, thanks to the funds propelled into the club by Russian business magnate Roman Abramovich.

Prior to the failed bid, in defence, Chelsea supporters alluded to the stadium’s history and the emotional bond that they share with Stamford Bridge as reason enough to thwart the (then) bid to move to a new stadium. But, the ‘history’ they were referring to was just a paltry 08 years…..does that number qualify to be referred to as ‘history’? At the end of the day, results and performances on the field are all that count; events outside the park are immaterial once the game gets underway. With so much brouhaha about this so-called ‘history’, does this imply that history alone identifies the success of a club?

Chelsea have always maintained a good team over the years and have consistently been potential Premier league contenders even during the pre-Abramovich era with players such as Marcel Desailly, Gudjohnsen, Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli, William Gallas and Brian Laudrup, all marquee players at the time. Moreover, the club has won silverware right from the 60s, 70s and 80s inclusive of three FA Cups in 1970, 1997 & 2000, and two Cup Winner’s Cup (European competition) in 1971 & 1998.

Roman Era

Roman Abramovich took charge of Chelsea FC in 2003 and needs no preamble in regards to how he has revolutionized the profile of the club and made it a commercial brand in the world of football with his riches. It’s a no-brainer that the fan base of the club has seen an unprecedented escalation since he took control of the club. In football, surplus funds for a club pave the way for greater opportunities to make glitzy signings thereby improving the standard of football of the team which enhances the brand of the club and in the process, drawing more followers. And, this is exactly what happened once Abramovich came into the picture since he managed to rope in high-profile players such as Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Petr Cech, Malouda and Fernando Torres to name a few, not to forget an impressive line-up of managers such as Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Guus Hiddink and now Andreas-Villas Boas.

Since 2003, the team has performed brilliantly in all competitions and gone on to win a host of silverware with only the UEFA Champions league trophy eluding them. So, Chelsea FC has definitely tasted more success post-Abramovich which drives home the notion that a club is deemed successful based solely on victories and not history. Of course, history is vital but only on paper. History in no way defines a club’s present success; it’s the achievements that outline its future. The contrasting cases of Dutch club Ajax and Manchester City are illustrations of what characterizes a successful club. While the fan base of the former continues to decline due to lack of success on the big stage, support for the latter has hit an all-time high with improved consistency and positive results.

Ajax & Man City

Ajax is a club with a great history of being one of the finest teams having won several competitions in the 80s and through to the 90s both in the Netherlands and in Europe. However, due to lack of funds and star players, the team has failed to capture the imagination of football aficionados in the last decade and is no longer considered a formidable threat. In contrast, in recent times, Manchester City has been threatening to develop into a significant force in the world of football thanks to its affluent owner Sheikh Mansour who since 2008 has gone on a spending spree bringing in top players and after a spell of reconstruction, the team is now settling effectively into a fine unit. Apart from competing in the prestigious Champions league this season, they have made a grand start to the Premier league and their recent demolition of arch-rivals Manchester United (6-1) notwithstanding other upbeat performances is testimony to this.

Like Chelsea’s improved status post-Abramovich, the number of City supporters have continued to swell not just because they are playing beautiful football, they are beginning to produce results. I for one, have always been an Arsenal fanatic for years (still am) but their record in the last two seasons has been abysmal and has caused a dent in my loyalty towards them which is why my support has been drifting towards City in recent times (Yes, they might have scored a tremendous win against Chelsea (5-3) but need to show consistency against the big sides). So yet again, this proves that history is no yardstick to gauge the success of a club. It’s the recent past and the present that are central.

So, that brings me to an often repeated question – what are Chelsea’s chances of winning silverware this season? Currently sitting third in the Premier league and despite making a decent start to the season, the challenge for them now is to recover not just from last night’s loss to Arsenal but also recent incidents involving John Terry and the charge over the behavior of their players in the game against Queens Park Rangers last week. However, like always, they are expected to pose a genuine challenge to their arch-rivals. With a shrewd manager (Villas-Boas) at the helm, the expectations are huge thanks to his impeccable track record. Looking at the bigger picture, history barely has an influence in shaping the current success of a club which is why past failures are forgotten by supporters with the dawn of every subsequent season and every new game, who embrace the present with a renewed sense of anticipation, elation and desire.