What is your first memory of being a Chelsea fan?
Being at Stamford Bridge with my family in the north stand, where my dad thought it would be a bit quieter for a toddler (me), my older brother and mother. Like everyone I was impressed by the noise and dynamics of the crowd and the grandeur of the old Stamford Bridge. That was 1963/4.

How did you get your job as a Chelsea historian?
I had written several books on Chelsea and worked for the programme and Onside since 1992/3. I was given the honour of writing the centenary histories ‘Chelsea FC: The Official Biography’ and ‘A History In Pictures’, in 2005 and 2006. The club must have liked them because I was appointed the club’s first ever official historian after that.

What is an average day at the club for you?
I work from home most of the time. During the season I’m usually working on upcoming pre-match briefings for the club website (which Paul Dutton and I spend on average a day and half to research). I also answer all sorts of queries sent to me each week. These range from questions about past matches to genealogical inquiries from descendants of former players (I’m also a family historian).

Chelsea is my full-time compulsion but not my full-time employment, however. I’m a writer and researcher on music and history too, so my days are pretty full with all sorts of projects.

What is the highlight of your job?
I love writing the pre-match briefings and interviewing players/managers, but I’d say finding out something about our club’s history that has been forgotten or never told gives me the greatest thrill. I was delighted recently to identify a previously unseen video clip of our ‘Great Dane’ Nils Middelboe in action in 1918 – it’s mis-catalogued in the British Pathé archive. I really enjoyed working on the new museum too. That video clip is on show there.

Do you have close contact with any big names at the club? Do the players know your name?
I don’t spend as much time these days at the training ground but still know quite a few of the present squad, especially Frank Lampard. I call him the History Man, and email him stats about his career milestones, and he’s always grateful. Salomon Kalou and I once duetted a song by Ivory Coast musician Alpha Blondy live on Chelsea TV.

Do you have any requests from players/managers for stats?
They have plenty of people to do the stats they need. I mentioned the data I send to Frank; Carlo and José both said kind things about my books.

How do you go about collecting all the statistics for your match reports?
Thankfully official statistician Paul Dutton does the vast majority of these; I always try to find a few ‘specials’ though. These sometimes just come to YOU as ideas, or you spot a trend and observe it over a period of months before putting it into print. I’m not into stats for stats’ sake, however. They have to be meaningful. Some people obsess over ‘possession’ or ‘pass completion’ — there’s a lot more to football than metrics. That’s why I try to attend every game, home and away.

How does the archive work at Chelsea? Is there a video vault?
Ha ha! When I was appointed historian in 2005 there was one old ledger and very little else in the ‘archive’. It’s a tragedy and a disgrace that so much of our heritage was sold off years ago. We’re fortunate that Mr Abramovich has massive respect for the club’s history and past players. I have a personal video vault of very old material on various archives.

What’s your favourite stat that you pull out at parties?
Normally, to shut some Liverpool or Arsenal oaf up, that Chelsea have eight times been the most popular club in all England on average attendance over a season, and that the Chelsea-Leeds FA Cup replay in 1970 has the highest UK TV viewing figures of all time for a club match.

What’s your favourite Chelsea memory?
1970 FA Cup replay, Ossie’s goal, or Frank’s second at Bolton in 2005. Since Alan Green, live on air, chastised me for celebrating wildly in the press box at the Reebok, I’ll go for that.

“I didn’t think I’d get to 400 games in this space of time, seven and a half years,” he says, settling into a chair in an annex off the main reception. “To captain the team against Stoke, albeit in the absence of John, to come back in the way that we did as team and to score the winner made it a very special day for me.”

At the end of the game Lamps celebrated with the fans almost in the style of a victorious Roman gladiator. Clenching his fists in triumph he rushed towards the Matthew Harding stand which responded by bellowing out a deafening chorus of his song, ‘Super Frank’. Few players, surely, can have such a strong bond with their supporters.

“I’m lucky in that I have a great relationship with the fans and I’ve had that for a long time,” he says. “But those kind of moments don’t always come around. It was a bit special getting that kind of reaction from the Matthew Harding end. Really, you want to thank everyone in the stadium for coming and giving their support but we’d scored both goals at the Shed end so I think the fans in the Harding deserved that moment!”

Preliminaries over, it’s time to crack on with the questions for Frank, which have all been sent in by ClubCFCnet members…

How close were you to leaving the club in the summer? And what was it that persuaded you to stay?
James Prescott
It was a difficult summer for me from start to finish. I’d always said that if I’d ever move from Chelsea it would not be to another English club, it would be to try something different, a completely new challenge. Now, I obviously had the option of going to Italy with a manager everyone knows I was very, very close to. But, after losing my mum so recently, I really needed the summer to get my head straight.
In the end, I came to my senses in a way – and I don’t mean that disrespectfully to the idea of going to play for Jose Mourinho somewhere else. But this is my home. I had long chats with my family about it – I’m a man who needs to be quite close to his family, especially after what had just happened. And the club has become my family as well.
For a few months my head was in a bit of a spin, from losing my mum onwards. In the end, though, I made what was certainly the right decision for me – to stay here and, I hope, to end my career here. I’m very fortunate to have joined this club at a great time and I’ve got such a bond now that to break that would, I’m sure, have been the wrong move.

Was all the support you received from the fans when your mother passed away a factor in making you decide to stay?
Jane B, West Sussex
That was a huge factor. The support I had from the fans was completely overwhelming. I had thousands of letters to my house and to the club which took me a long, long time to go through and I’ve tried to reply to them all. I knew Chelsea was a big club but I never quite realised the depth of the support. To get letters from all over the world, as I did, was very special to me.
So that was a factor, as was the response of the club. When I spoke to the board and to Peter Kenyon at the start of the summer and said I needed some time to get my head straight, they were fine about it. The press made out there was a problem between me and the club, but that often happens during negotiations. In fact, the club was fantastic with me throughout. So yes, the support of the fans and the club was a huge thing for me.

A lot of people will claim that a season without a trophy is a complete failure. More pragmatic people expect some form of progression with the team, for example an improvement in the style of play. What in your mind would constitute a successful season and what would constitute failure?
Hamish, Sydney
Well, I don’t want to contradict that opening bit completely, but for me a failure would be not to win anything. At a club the size of Chelsea, the depth of the squad, the individual international players we have, everything about the club now is set up for success. Last year we went through a season when, even with a lot of problems, we managed to come second in basically everything – but that is still a failure for a club like Chelsea.
You see Arsenal in recent seasons play fantastic football, progress and bring in great youngsters into the team…but I’m sure if you asked their fans to be honest, they would love to have won a Premier League, FA Cup or Champions League in the last four years.
So, there is a balance. You want to improve as a club, you want to play better football, you want to bring in some young kids and develop them into top players, but for us, and certainly for me personally, I want to win something – and for it to be one of the big ones.

If you could put your finger on the reasons for our recent run of poor form, what would they be?
James Prescott
It’s a very difficult thing to put a finger on. We just lost an edge that we had, because we were playing fantastic football and scoring many goals early in the season. Particularly at home we’ve lost points that we shouldn’t have lost – and I don’t mean against Arsenal and Liverpool, but against Newcastle and West Ham plus against Fulham away those six points we’ve lost would’ve put us top of the table.
So we lost an edge, we lost confidence at home, for sure, because we couldn’t break teams down – maybe we were lacking a bit of magic that we should have produced, because we’ve got the individuals who can produce it. It was a general dip that meant we lost about 15% of our game.
To turn that corner you need a) to work hard and b) a little bit of luck and, hopefully, we’ve done that now. At Southend, albeit in a game we should always have won, we went there and did the job. Against Stoke, the way we won was significant because teams like Liverpool and Man U had won a lot of games in the last five minutes, but we hadn’t until then. And winning games late on like that can win you the title.

You always seem to come to us away fans after a match. Do you really notice the vocal encouragement we give, and does it make a difference to your game or the team as a whole?
Tony, Bath
I always notice it. I think our away fans, particularly, have been fantastic for a long, long time. They are always very vocal and supportive of the team.
It’s not always easy to go to the fans when you’ve lost 3-0 at Old Trafford, because you know as players you’ve let them down – we should go there and perform better than that. If players don’t go to the fans, sometimes it’s down to embarrassment – you feel bad and want to get off that pitch quickly. It’s not really the players’ fault. But I always go to show my appreciation for the fans travelling, for paying money, and for spending hours on the coach, because they definitely give everyone a lift.

How good are the Chelsea fans – both home and away – in comparison to other Premiership and Champions League clubs in terms of vocal support?
Ben Sirgreat, Fulham
I actually think Chelsea fans are the best, but then I’m biased because I have such a great relationship with them. OK, Stamford Bridge may not be as noisy as Liverpool or certain other grounds – Newcastle, for example – at their loudest, but the great thing for me about Chelsea fans is that they are very reasonable and well-educated.
I’ve been to grounds where, after ten minutes, the whole stadium can turn on a team or on individuals. I don’t think Chelsea fans do that. There have been players who have come here and struggled at times, and the fans will back them to the hilt. Of course, there will be occasions when there will be individuals who won’t but, as a group, the Chelsea fans are fantastic like that.
Generally, the fans at the Bridge are vocal. There are times when they can be a bit quiet, which I think has something to do with the fact that the club is developing. Because of the area we’re in there are lots of new supporters who come to the games and aren’t as vocal as, say, local fans in Liverpool. That’s just the reality.
But in terms of Chelsea fans supporting the team I can’t fault them. The prime example, for me, was when John Terry missed the penalty in the Champions League final. A lot of fans could have turned on a player for doing that, but our fans went the other way and supported John even more.

What was the most exciting moment in your football career? And what was the worst?
Paul, Canterbury
The most exciting was winning the league that first year at Bolton. Obviously, on a personal note, scoring the goals in that game was great. But for the team to win the league after 50 years and, knowing the feeling you’ve given to so many fans that hadn’t experienced it before, that was without a doubt the best.
The worst, for me, was losing to Liverpool in the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2005. We were really playing well at the time, but we lost to a funny goal up at Anfield. We’d worked so hard and been so dominant that season that, maybe, we ran out of legs a little bit over the two games. So, it was frustrating that we couldn’t top that season off by going to the final. With the rivalry we had with Liverpool, too, it was very disappointing.

If you could have any player from the past playing in the same team as you, who would it be? And if you could have any current player playing in the same team as you, who would that be?
Ollie Scanlon, Croydon
The past player would be Maradona. When I was growing up, he was the greatest player of all time. I was fortunate enough to meet him for the first time after the Manchester United game recently. When you talk about creating a bit of magic in games as we’ve done earlier, we would certainly have done that.
On a similar line, because I find them quite comparable, I’d go for Messi as the modern player. For me, he is the outstanding player in the world at the moment. Ronaldo deserves to be World Player of the Year, but I’m predicting now with a lot of confidence that Messi will get the award next year.

Who is the best defender/defensive midfielder you have played against in your career?
Simone Francario, Rome
When I came through at West Ham and was quite young and naive, there were two players – and I can’t really choose between them – who I was in awe of, Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane. They weren’t purely defensive midfield players, but they had that tenacity about them in the tackle, and an aura about them so you were kind of in awe of them as you walked onto the pitch. I’ll never forget that feeling, although as you get older you don’t really feel the same way – now I never feel intimidated by anyone. But, at the time, those two just appeared to be light years ahead of me.

What is the match that gave you greatest satisfaction?
Simone Francario, Rome
I think, for a great team performance, when we beat Barcelona 4-2 at the Bridge in 2005. We were halfway through the season and doing very well in the league, but that was the first game where we thought we’d arrived on the world stage. The feeling we had in the first 20 minutes when we were 3-0 up, well, we just felt invincible. I don’t think you can ever feel that good again in a game at club level. So, that was a special one for the team.

What were the days like after Moscow, and how did you try to distract yourself then?
Nona
Well, obviously, we were all very despondent. We flew home together the next morning and it was a horrible atmosphere, as you’d expect. Over the next couple of days I was moping around, mulling over the disappointment and what could have been.
Then, I went away with my family. Luckily, I have children, because I think if I was still 22 I would’ve spent the whole summer dwelling on it, but when you have family and kids you can move on and realise there are things that are even more important. But, we went away with my sister and her kids to Dubai. It was a big family thing but it was nice and quiet, and it was a good break.

From what you’ve seen who, if anyone, do you expect to see progress from the reserve/youth team into the first team?
Chris, north London
The ones I think who are knocking on the door now are Michael Mancienne and Miroslav Stoch.
Michael’s been in the England squad, but I think Chelsea fans need to see him in action and hopefully they will do soon. He’s a very accomplished player, a bit like a young Rio Ferdinand, very cool on the ball. He, for sure, is going to be a top player.
Stoch, who came on and made a difference against Stoke, is now in that cusp of developing from a great youth team player into a first-team player. It’s a big step, but we’re starting to see that he can give us some real positives when he comes on.

Do you get a chance to give your input into the development of young players in the youth and reserve teams?
Philip Rolfe, Hammersmith
It’s only really when they join the first team that you can do that. But, the English lads especially, went along to watch some of the games in the FA Youth Cup last year and once you’ve seen them play, you can have a quiet word with them down at the training ground. Then, when they come to train with us, you can take them aside in training and try to help them out. I’ll never forget the players at West Ham who took me aside and said little things to me, whether they were right or wrong, and I’ll also never forget the ones who never said anything. Handing down that responsibility is very important. We don’t get too involved in their day-to-day development but maybe we should do, because people like me, John Terry and Joe Cole have been through the ranks and know how much hard work it takes to succeed . I actually have a big bee in my bonnet about young players being pampered at too early an age, which can take away a bit of hunger. We used to scrub Julian Dicks’ boots and when they weren’t clean enough he’d throw them back at you, and you’d have to clean them again!
A problem I find with young players, and I’ve watched them a lot in the youth games, is that they play very well for the youth team but then they come to train with us and they lack the confidence to take it by the scruff of the neck. But that’s normal, and we’ve all been through that. Once they realise that they are good enough to contribute at first-team level, they can go as far as they want. Hopefully, Stochy, for example, will see that after his performance against Stoke.

You went out of your way after the FA Cup home tie with Southend to say ‘well done’ to the opposition. As a youngster, on loan at Swansea, did you get the chance to play a bigger side in the FA Cup and, if so, how did the ‘stars’ treat you?
Paul, Bromley
I never played a top team while I was at Swansea but, all the same, going there was a big eye-opener into what real football is all about. I mean, the facilities were really poor compared to here, it rained every day, we washed our own kit, all that kind of stuff.
So I think it’s really important that when teams like Southend or Scunthorpe or whoever come here, the lads realise how fortunate we are and congratulate them if they put in a great performance, as Southend did to get a result at our place. Even when Burnley beat us in the Carling Cup it was never a problem to go in and say ‘well done’, because if you want to play for a big club and be a big player you have to realise you can’t always win and you have to appreciate the good performance of the opposition.

Do you chat a lot about football during the season with your uncle, Harry Redknapp? Is there an added incentive when you play against his teams or is it slightly awkward seeing him on the opposition bench?
Jane B, West Sussex
I do speak to Harry a bit more now that he’s at Tottenham. Sometimes he asks me my opinion on players that maybe he’s interested in, so he asks me ‘what do you think of him?’ So we’ve had those sort of conversations. I saw there was something in the newspaper recently about him talking to me about Wilson Palacios and, it’s true, I told him he was a good player a few weeks ago.
In terms of playing against him, I’ve scored a lot of goals against him when he was at Portsmouth. But, I think when we get on the pitch we pretty much switch off the family ties. Harry will look after himself, whether he’s at Portsmouth or Tottenham, because he’s a very good manager. Now he’s at Tottenham it’s slightly different for me – because of the rivalry, I just play against Tottenham to win.

Have you put any thought into what you will do when you stop playing? Would you think of getting into coaching/management, or would you prefer media work (maybe with your cousin, Jamie Redknapp)?
James Prescott
I don’t have an interest in doing media work, I’ll leave that to others. I admire people who do it very well, like Andy Gray at Sky, but I don’t want to do that.
At one stage I didn’t want to be a manager but now I wouldn’t mind taking my badges and, hopefully, be a manager in the future. The ideal thing would be to be manager of Chelsea, but it doesn’t always work out like that. Anyway, there’s a long time to go yet.

You’ve captained Chelsea on quite a few occasions now. Do you enjoy the added responsibility of being skipper and how would you say your captaincy style differs from that of JT?
Mark Colby, Holloway
I do enjoy the responsibility, but I actually think JT is the best leader out there. I’ve played with and against other captains and he’s the best for me. But I enjoy it. I have a different input, John’s probably more vocal and chest-banging. I try to do it my own way through example, by working hard, but I also have a word in an ear or do a bit of shouting in the dressing room now and again. I think that’s why we’re a good combination of captain and vice-captain, because we’re slightly different personalities in the way we go about things. I love wearing the armband, but I also love handing it back to John because I want to play alongside a great centre-back and captain.

Admittedly, there’s a long way to go but do you see beating Bobby Tambling’s all-time Chelsea record of 202 goals as a realistic target for you?
Dave Key, Peterborough
I’m about 80 behind and I’ve got it in my sights. I’ve got four-and-a-half years left of this contract and I’d love to get a couple more years after that – we’ll see how that goes. But, if I carry on scoring at the rate I’m scoring, I’ve got a good chance of doing it. Of course, that doesn’t take into account getting a bit older, possible injuries, this kind of thing. But, yes, I’d love to get somewhere near the record – whether I beat it, though, is a long way away.

Interview by Clive Batty, author of ‘The Chelsea Miscellany’, ‘Kings of the King’s Road’ and ‘A Serious Case of the Blues: Chelsea in the 80s’. His latest book ‘The Pocket Book of Chelsea’ (Vision Sports Publishing) is out in October.

For our younger readers, Ken Monkou was a core team member of Chelsea’s infamous 1989/90 team that stormed into 5^th place in the league following promotion from the then second division.  What a season that was and what a team of legends – Micky Hazard, Kevin (the tache) Wilson, David ‘Rodders’ Lee, Kerry ‘I’ll have a lager thanks’ Dixon, Steve Clarke, Dave ‘Lurch’ Beasant and Graham ‘I’m a spud at heart’ Roberts.  A classic period, the best support and great memories.  Incidentally, at the end of the 1989/1990 season, Ken Monkou won the Chelsea fans Player of the Year.

Ken currently has a number of projects on the go and also works for Chelsea FC both in corporate hospitality and also for Chelsea TV.  Our thanks go to Ken for taking the time to talk to us and we apologise that our Costa Coffee studio was so hopelessly inadequate. We’re talking about the coffee. Viewers will need to turn the sound up to the max.

I wished I had been another yard or two quicker that I was. I lacked a yard or two in pace. It would have been nice to have been picked for England. However I captained the under 23s or the 21s whatever it was called in those days. I captained the England youth side which won a mini World Cup but I never really got into the senior squad.

Who was playing in your position for England? Who was keeping you out of the squad?

Bobby Moore, Norman Hunter…

What do you think of the current crop of Premiership players in general?

Premiership football over the last few seasons has a bit of a bad image. People falling around, diving. When you see certain players falling to the floor after a slight touch… that’s the sort of thing that’s shown throughout the next week. Some players at certain clubs carry on like they are royalty.

I know it’s changed completely since my day. We used to have people outside the dressing room doors. We would be more than pleased to come out. Nowadays with the security how it is, the players have to sneak outside via a back door. Which I think is a shame. Take for instance; if you and your son come down here, you get a glimpse on a Saturday. Whereas in my time the players were ushered out to sign autographs. Now there is such a big gap in terms of supporters and the players. I think that some of the players, not just at this club are more interested in the limelight. All their pictures in the papers. I’ve been to places where you are not allowed to park your car because the players are coming here in a minute. But they are footballers not royalty.

Chelsea have come in for some flack from some corners for being as much to blame as anyone for the diving culture. If you were managing the club now and you saw some of the things that some of the players do. Would you tell them to cut it out? How would you manage them?

You’ve only got to look at a certain game a few years ago. A certain player got booed off the park after the Manchester City game. If you have a look at what he has achieved since he decided to stay on his feet… maybe he deserved to have be booed.

Yes he scored two goals that day and still got booed…

It’s a disease that has come into our game.  Like if your kid plays football on the park, they see football on the television five nights a week or sometimes there’s three matches.  It’s not only foreign players, everyone is doing it now and it’s a shame.  There’s not a week go by when there’s not a controversial incident.  The only way they’re going to clear this up is if they start banning people for three matches and they get fined £40,000 which is two bob to them.  The referees are not always right anyway.  If a referee misses an incident the cameras could pick it up and the FA can ban you for three matches so why can’t they pick up somebody that’s falling over or diving.  Maybe not just ban them but deduct points.  If you watch cricket, years ago I used to play a lot of cricket, if you thought you were out you walked but there’s not too many people do that today.  If referees booked people a lot more often and sent them off then I think people would be a bit more reluctant to fall to the ground and you’re talking about people who are six foot odd who just get a touch and fall over.  It would take you more than that to push me over.  They go down too easy.  Sport today is completely different to what it was in our time.  I know people will turn round and say Franny Lee or Rodney Marsh but you wouldn’t class them as divers to the degree that’s happening here at every football club at the moment the players in my time were a little bit more honest and a little bit more genuine.  Nowadays you see them run twenty yards to remonstrate with the referee to get his book out or send him off.  To me that is a crime, we are all in it to earn a living you don’t need some a***hole to try and get you sent off.

You mention TV cameras, do you think in your day with so many around the ground would you have survived as a player?

Well I can honestly say I never hit anybody physically.  I’ve kicked a few people.  What amazes me in the present day football maybe it’s part of society nowadays.  If you go back through to the Leeds Chelsea cup final when the referee said eight fellas would be sent off you’d never see anybody go up to other players and stick their nut on them like you do today.

As a fan does it wind you up when other clubs fans, like Liverpool, sing we’ve got no history?  How do you feel about that?

It’s part and parcel of the supporters nowadays.  I would like to go on record and say that Liverpool were one of the best sides around in ’63 to ’68 or something like that.  I think Chelsea will win as many competitions as they did in that time.  It’s just friendly banter.

Is it true your mobile phone ringtone is Blue is the Colour?

Yes.  (Ron gets his phone out and proves it!).

Do you still have your fishing lake business?

No, we got rid of that about four years ago because Peter Osgood kept on saying to me about doing the dinner circuit and we felt we had taken it as far as we could and I enjoy doing what we do here doing the hospitality.  Like last week there was three games and I would rather be doing the hospitality and speaking.

Is that what you’re doing primarily?

We organise charity events for anybody that’s interested, Lani does that I usually speak at the events and the hospitality I do at the club.  Apart from people phoning up and asking me to speak at various clubs and functions.

Do you find people remember you just as well and just as pleased to see you?

I think the name helps, Chopper, I think more people know me as Chopper Harris than they do Ron and people still recognise me.  I’ve always had short hair, maybe I’m a bit greyer, but I think they remember me for some of the tackles.

What and why was your favourite game that you can recall apart from the FA Cup and European Cup Winners Cup?

There was two games that stuck out in my memory.  Peter Osgood missed the quarter finals of the CWC against Bruge.  Peter Osgood was suspended and I had been out for a month and missed the first leg over there which they won 2-0 and we finished up winning 4-0 here which I think Peter Houseman scored twice and I think we were still behind on aggregate with about twenty minutes to go.  Also, I remember the first goal I ever scored for Chelsea against Leicester when Banksy was in goal and we finished up winning 1-0.  I must have had a brainstorm and crossed the half way line and shot from about 30 yards.  I think they are two of my most memorable apart from the Cup Finals that I remember.

Do you think that’s the best goal you scored?

I scored one that got voted second best of the month when they used to have goal of the month and I remember scoring up at Derby.  They used to have a goalkeeper in goal at the time called Les Green who was only about 5 foot 5.

If you could have picked your own nickname what would it have been?  Who gave you the name Chopper?

It was the supporters actually who used to say that I sithed people down.  The only person here who didn’t call me Chopper was Ossie, he called me Buller because he alleged I talked so much bullsh*t.  He never called me Ron, always Buller.

You’ve seen a huge evolution at Chelsea over the years.  Do you think the fans have changed?

I think that what’s happened over the last few years most football clubs has been taken over by the corporate side, companies that can spend lots of money to take their clients.  We go round some of the boxes here like Adidas has boxes here.  On Saturday half the people come from Liverpool way. Roy Keane made a statement a few years ago and a lot of people criticised him for it but to a degree I think he was right.  I can remember years ago when my dad used to take me and my brother to the Arsenal we used to have to get there at 12 o’clock when the turnstiles used to open you could get down the front but if you come here at twenty to three now you wouldn’t even know there was a game on because nobodies in the ground are they?  They all come later on because they’ve got their own season tickets and I think that is one of the things that has happened in football.  Most times you see family is cup ties when you pay 25 quid for your ticket whereas normally it’s 60 quid.  People can’t afford 60 quid a ticket.

Have the fans got noisier or quieter?  How do you feel the atmosphere in the ground compares to when you played?

I know lots of hardcore supporters would like to be standing on terraces getting wet enjoying themselves.  At stadiums now if you jump up out of your seat and shout out something you get thrown out.  There’s lots of business people I know effing and blinding, they express themselves.  At football you vent your feelings I don’t think that happens at the moment because people are not allowed really to start ranting and raving.  I spoke before the Rugby League Challenge Cup at Twickenham last year when St Helens played Huddersfield or Bradford and all the supporters were mixed together and there was never no trouble and they had some good friendly banter.  You put Arsenal supporters with Chelsea supporters…

Obviously there was trouble in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, how did that affect you?  Did it affect the way you played?

No not really I think that the football went through a bit dodgy image with people smashing up coaches and fighting but they were probably most likely fighting with their fists.  Nowadays guns and knives and things like that.  I think the supporters are completely different to what they were years ago.

What’s your favourite Chelsea game as a fan?

We went to Barcelona just recently, the 2-2 game, and it’s the second time I’ve been there in a matter of years.  We left the hotel and had about a 20 minute walk.  There was 9 of us and we bumped into a posse of Chelsea supporters and they were chanting ‘Ron Harris’.  We went into the pub and they was all there and I think it’s fantastic, I’ve always got on ever so well with the supporters here.  I feel proud to still come here and look forward to every home game.  Lani comes with my son Martin and they go their separate ways and I do what I gotta do.  I think it’s fantastic, fantastic.

Well that wraps it up Ron and I can’t thank you enough

That’s alright

Thanks for talking to CFCnet and answering all our readers question, we really appreciate it.

…DAVID LEE ON…THE WIGAN DEBACLE…

They were poor. It’s been a long time since I saw a Chelsea side like that and they were particularly disappointing defending the corners. I think they came out openly afterwards and said that they were poor, but it happens. Like when Manchester United lost at Burnley, you get one of those days and it just happens and you’re going to get one or two of them over the season. It’s probably best to get them out of the way early!

I suppose people try and draw comparisons alongside Luis Felipe Scolari when he started well then lost [against Liverpool], and new managers like Ancelotti are always going to be under scrutiny when they lose a game.

But it is completely different I think, Scolari has never really had that much success as a club manager, it’s all been on the international scene. Ancelotti’s been around a long time and there’s a lot of difference between a club career and international management.
It is how you react which is the most important thing, and they reacted in the best possible way…

…THE SUBSEQUENT WIN AGAINST LIVERPOOL…

I think it showed a lot of character. The last couple of years have always seen close games with Liverpool, and the first half was even – not a great game as they cancel each other out where they play each other so often – but I think once Nicolas Anelka scored the first goal, that was it.

I thought at the time they would probably go on to win by two or three and they got a second goal near the end. How many saves did Hilario actually have to make? I think a lot of people were worried that Petr Cech was not playing that game, but Hilario didn’t have anything to do really.

…MEDIA SPECULATION THAT LIVERPOOL’S TITLE RACE IS OVER…

You can’t start to rule sides out of the title race until February at the earliest. Who’s to say that Liverpool won’t go on a ten or fifteen match unbeaten run?

…THE UPCOMING VISIT OF MANCHESTER UNITED…

It will be a big game, and it’s one which United cannot afford to lose really. If they do they will be six points behind. I think they will come to Stamford Bridge and not want to get beaten. Previous games have not been classics, there have been a few but I don’t think last season’s match was a great game if I remember rightly [a 1-1 draw]. They won’t come to defend, it’s not in their nature, but they will go there not to lose.

…THE STRONGEST SIDE OVERALL: UNITED OR CHELSEA…

You better ask me again in January if they buy any more players! United have got a couple more experienced players and good strength in depth, but there is not a lot in it.

…ALEX AND SALOMON KALOU’S CONTRACT RENEWALS, AND KALOU’S FUTURE PROSPECTS…

I suppose they had to get the contracts signed in a way, if they cannot buy anyone for a few years, but I do think they are both becoming integral players in the squad. Chelsea now need to deal with the limitations [of the transfer ban] and it was important to renew the contracts.

Kalou just needs to play regularly, it is just like anyone, when you do not play you get frustrated and you do not get a chance to get your game going as such. Ask any professional, whichever level you play at, and they will tell you that if you are not playing week-in and week-out, then it is hard to start playing at your maximum level. He is still young and he has potential.

Kalou was rumoured to go to Arsenal at one stage, and if Arsene Wenger is interested in him then he must have something.

…FRANK LAMPARD’S QUIET START AND THE IMPACT OF DECO AND MICHAEL BALLACK…

I don’t think the new system has affected [Lampard] much; good players can play any way. I just think the goals are not going in for him at the moment. Last year the shots would be going in, it’s like in the England game the other night, he had a shot which went just past the post whereas last year it would have probably gone in!

All of a sudden Frank will hit a good run and score ten in ten or something, because he is capable of that and you do not become a bad player over night. All players go through a lean spell, how many has he scored this year? Two? We could talk this time tomorrow and he could have had a hat-trick against Aston Villa. I think it will just take one and he will be up and running again.

I am not surprised at how Ballack and Deco have started the season. Both are world-class and they have been around a long-time.

Ballack has always been one of my favourite players from abroad, and he has come in and shown that he is a quality player. Deco’s the same. He started on fire last year, but then he picked up a few injuries. He needs a spell without injuries and with a good run of games.

I am sure that if you spoke to any of the players at Chelsea they would tell you how good the two players are, because they see that quality day in and day out.

…THE HOLDING MIDFIELD POSITION: MICHAEL ESSIEN OR JOHN OBI MIKEL?

Essien all day long.

He gives us more going forward. I am not taking anything away from Mikel but he just sits in there and I think you get a lot more out of Essien. His work-rate is fantastic, and he gets up and down the pitch, and he will get more goals than Mikel.

Mikel is a decent player and he would get into most Premier League sides, but in my personal opinion I would go for Essien over Mikel.

He is disciplined enough to play there and good players can adapt their games quite easily.

…ENGLAND’S LOW-KEY END TO THEIR WORLD-CUP QUALIFICATION CAMPAIGN…

We had already qualified and I think they just went through the motions a little bit. The press were saying we should have done this or we should have done that, but you know what the press are like in this country. They build us up and build us up only to then knock you down.

On Saturday they lost to Ukraine whilst playing with ten men, then the other night they beat an average side by three goals with probably fifty percent of the players who will start the first game of the World Cup.

…AND THE THREE LIONS’ CHANCES IN SOUTH AFRICA…

I think Spain and Brazil have got more quality but of course we have got a chance. We are in the competition so we have got a chance, but we should not get too far ahead. We should take each game as it comes really.

…THE CHELSEA LEGENDS PARTY…

Saturday 14th November sees ‘the stars come out at night’, as Sammy’s Bar & Grill, High St. Teddington, London, plays host to a Chelsea Legends Party, featuring David Lee, Clive Walker, Jason Cundy and many more ex-Blues. For more details, click here.

It will be a good night, you get a chance to meet the ex-players, they’re a good set of lads and it will be a good laugh. We have had a golf day before but we have not done a night with the fans as such. It will be a great night so come along.

DAVID LEE ON…CHELSEA’S PERFECT START…
I’m just hoping it’s not like what happened when Luis Felipe Scolari began his managerial stint at Chelsea. I think they won the first few games and then all of a sudden it went wrong.
But I don’t think Scolari was a top club manager, he was a great international boss, and Ancelotti has been around long enough to know not to get carried away.
Chelsea have not played any of the top sides yet, although they meet Tottenham on Sunday which will be the biggest test so far, but I do think Chelsea will sneak that.
They are going to need a little bit of luck with injuries over the course of the season. Obviously they missed Didier Drogba on Tuesday night against Porto, but they are still playing well enough, even if against Stoke they left it until the last minute.
But all good sides do that, Manchester United always do it, Liverpool back in the 1980′s used to do it, they all play right until the end and get their winners because they deserve to. They bombarded the Stoke goal, and people may say they were lucky to win, but sometimes you might need a little bit of luck and they were just the better side at the end of the day, and they deserved the win.
I think Michael Ballack’s had a new lease of life this season, a lot of people thought that last year he wasn’t that great and he was carrying and injury, but I’ve always liked him as a player. I think Drogba and Nicolas Anelka can only get better by playing every game together too.
It’s a settled side now, they’ve got the eleven that will start if everyone is fit and I prefer the two up front, I think Chelsea need to do that. Ashley Cole again is playing well this year so it’s just a case of keeping them all fit more than anything.

…THE ANCELOTTI EFFECT…
He’s got them organised and if there’s one thing the Italians are good at, it’s getting a side organised and getting them to play the way he wants them to. It’s the same with Fabio Capello and England.
I’ve not noticed any massive, sweeping changes, and under Scolari it was the way that they played the first few games which was vastly different, considering how they played under José Mourinho and Avram Grant, but then when Scolari went it changed again under Guus Hiddink. There hasn’t been a lot which has changed much since Hiddink left, but it’s just more of a settled side I suppose.

…THE IMPENDING TRANSFER BAN…
It’s harsh I think, considering everything that goes on in the game. If they are going to investigate every single transfer then I am sure they are going to come up with more than Chelsea who have allegedly broken the rules as such.
My thoughts are that it is a bit like the Eduardo thing, the diving; it opens up a massive can of worms. If it’s for the better then it’s great, but if not then it’s not the sort of thing that needs to be done really.
Chelsea have possibly had a rough deal with FIFA and UEFA, and are they made an example of? It seems to be that they are a little bit, yes.
I was chatting to Kevin Hitchcock [now goalkeeping coach at Manchester City] the other day and I was saying that if [Adebayor's recent misdemeanours] had happened last season, there wouldn’t have been as much coverage of it. But because City have won games and spent all that money, all of a sudden everyone wants to knock them down.
If Chelsea cannot strengthen from outside, then the players could galvanise themselves together and think, ‘right, this is what we’ve got, this is what we’re going with,’ and they can be tighter as a group.
Or, you can go the other way where you think, ‘I’m not going to get dropped, they can’t sign anyone else, I’m going to be in the comfort zone for a while.’ I’m sure the latter option won’t be the case with the players they have got at Chelsea, as they are all top players and already multi-millionaires, but they are motivated by success and winning games.
That’s the thing Chelsea are going to have in their favour, money doesn’t have to become an issue. John Terry could have walked away in the summer [to Manchester City] and doubled his money but he didn’t. I think that will help in the long-run, and we’ve seen already in the last few games – The Stoke City win in the last minute, the Porto game which was a ground-out win – that they want to win.

…THE ‘POACHING’ OF YOUNG TALENT BY BIG CLUBS…
The big boys can do that because financially they are in a better position. I think Scott Sinclair is a prime example, going to Chelsea at 16 from Bristol Rovers, where he made his first-team debut.
He’s only played a handful of games for Chelsea since he’s been there and he’s been loaned out to other clubs.
It can work the other way, and I think the best situation is when a big club buys someone then loans him back. If a club does that then I think yes, it is ok, but if young lads aren’t playing every week, and they’re just training with the reserves, then yes, they may learn something in training or from coaches, but there is nothing better than playing and being part of that match situation.
Unfortunately these days the top sides have got the money to do that, and they can poach good young players. Obviously what has gone on with Chelsea happens with other clubs as well, so they aren’t the only ones who could be seen as rule-breakers.

…TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR AND CHELSEA’S TITLE RIVALS…
Tottenham have surprised me in a way. This time last year I think they had two points, but all of a sudden this year they’ve won four on the bounce. Jermaine Defoe has had an excellent start, he’s done really well and Luka Modric was starting to do well for Spurs until he got injured.
Manchester United have pulled through after losing to Burnley, and you’re always going to get results like that from teams which have been promoted, they’ve got nothing to lose. United missed a penalty and I’m sure that if they had scored that they would have gone on to win by three or four.
Man City haven’t surprised me because good players can gel quickly at the top level. They’ll be up there at the end of the season.
Arsenal have lost two already and I think they are six points behind Chelsea which is a big gap. If Chelsea beat them, all of a sudden Arsenal are nine points behind them and that’s a lot to make up. I think we’ll see a strong top six this year, and I’m not sure who the other side is who will sneak in, but it could be Tottenham.

…THE OLD BOYS, AND THE ‘NEW’ OLD BOY…
A few years ago Gary Chivers and a guy called Mark Westwood put the Chelsea Old Boys together, and I got a call about four or five years ago asking if I would like to play. It was a trip to Germany actually so I went along and loved it. After the game we all sat there talking about old times over a few beers, and it was great.
It’s all got bigger and bigger now and Chelsea run it for us. We don’t play as much as I would like, but it was great the other day [a 4-4 draw against a side put together by Chelsea vice-president Tony Reeves]. We had the same old nucleus of players then suddenly Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink turned up! Apparently he was going to play for the opposition but we thought, ‘well, he’s a Chelsea old boy,’ so he played for us, all ninety minutes, and he loved it. He’s still the Jimmy of old, and he scored a hat-trick. You never lose your competitiveness when you’re playing. All the lads want to win, and the other day we drew 4-4, but we were 4-2 down with ten minutes to go and none of us wanted to lose.

DAVID LEE ON…DAVID LEE…

I’m a development coach at Bristol City which means that I look after all of the youngsters at the club apart from those who are in the academy.

I oversee the professionals which include the under-21′s, and my role is to educate them a little both on and off the pitch and use my experience with them to hopefully develop them as players and people. If they apply themselves properly then they can have a career in football, but ultimately it’s up to them.

I did my coaching badges a few years ago and I always thought that it was the only thing I could do after my playing career ended. I worked at Swindon Town under Dennis Wise and Gus Poyet, and then I worked for a football agency based in Spain for a year. I enjoyed it but at the end of the day I would much rather do what I am doing now.

Bristol City’s youth team played Chelsea’s youth team and there were a few decent players on show. I think it’s hard to break through at Chelsea now, with JT the last guy to make it.

But the reason I went to Chelsea when I was a kid was because they always gave youth a chance. It is tough now and we may get the odd one, but I think that if you’re good enough, you’re old enough basically.

…ON CARLO ANCELOTTI…

I wasn’t surprised with Carlo Ancelotti’s arrival, Chelsea seem to have gone down that foreign route for quite a while now. I believe that he did very well at AC Milan, he’s very well respected in world football, he speaks very well and I think that he is a very deep thinker of the game.

I can’t see Ancelotti going the same way as Luis Felipe Scolari unless he has an absolute shocker! You look at the squad and with all due respect, most managers would love to work with them. Last year under ‘Big Phil’ they started well against Portsmouth, winning 4-0 on the opening day of the season, and then bang, everything started to go a little bit wrong.

Obviously Ancelotti will be judged at the end of the season as you tend to get judged on what you win these days, and unfortunately you don’t get the time that you want in management any more.

He’s taking over from Guus Hiddink and when he was at Chelsea, I couldn’t really fault anything. For what he did and what the fans say about him, I think there were a lot of disappointed people when he left after the cup final at Wembley. Some may have thought that he could have been swayed and that he would change his mind about leaving, but the man has honoured his word to Russia and gone back there.

I do not think that Ancelotti would have been in the frame had Hiddink made himself available.

…ON THE SUMMER TRANSFER MARKET…

Chelsea have been quiet in the transfer market this season haven’t they?

I think Manchester City have blown everyone else out of the water when it comes to the money side of it, whereas Chelsea have said that they aren’t prepared to spend hundreds of millions of pounds this year.

The fact that Joe Cole should be fit very soon means that they almost have a new player in him, a new signing, because I do think that they have missed him and he’s a fantastic lad.

I’m not sure that some of the players who have gone to Manchester City would be good enough for Chelsea, but that’s my own personal opinion. Carlos Tevez was linked with Chelsea but I’m not sure he would necessarily get into Chelsea’s side.

Mark Hughes is an ex-teammate of mine and I have got the utmost respect for him as well as the rest of the coaching staff, many of whom are friends of mine as well, but I just think that when you build a team it comes back to the old saying, ‘you build from the back,’ and Hughes seems to have gone the other way.

It will be interesting. They could have a start where they win six on the bounce and everyone says, ‘bloody hell!’ It could get to January and they’re top, where they can again go out and spend another £100m. Normally I am a believer that good players can play with anyone and if they do gel very quickly the other top sides will have to be very careful.

We’re only in the middle of August now so maybe Chelsea have another signing lined up. We shall see.

…ON THE JOHN TERRY SAGA…

John Terry has done nothing wrong and I just knew deep down that he would never leave.

In this country the newspapers and the media have a big say on what goes on. John has spoken, according to some a little later than he should have, but why should he have to speak out? He’s contracted to the club.

I just think the media made more and more of it and at the end of the day JT said that he was flattered but that he wanted to stay at Chelsea.

If Chelsea had accepted a bid for him then it would have been hard for JT to stay though. If a club accepts a bid like that then they are saying that, ‘we don’t want you here anymore,’ for whatever reason. But all parties conducted themselves properly during the whole situation, and Terry is still contracted to Chelsea.

I would have done the same if I was in JT’s situation, I would have stayed. Now Sparky has moved on to his next target.

…ON SQUAD STRENGTH…

Chelsea haven’t lost anyone. They haven’t lost people who are important to the club and I know they weren’t far away last year but I think that this season, Chelsea will be a lot closer to winning the league.

Stability is a big thing. You look at Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson has been there for over 20 years. They don’t panic. But I think that losing Cristiano Ronaldo and Tevez, two players who contributed massively to the side, will really affect them.

I think Xabi Alonso was Liverpool’s best player last season, and Arsenal have lost two of their more experienced players in Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor. It’s going to affect them.

United are usually slow starters and If Chelsea can get off to a good start themselves, and maybe open up a six, seven or eight point lead at the top by Christmas, then it could be enough.

Frank Lampard is very important for Chelsea, as is Didier Drogba if his head is right. Chelsea will probably lose out more than their rivals during the African Cup of Nations, with the likes of Salomon Kalou, John Obi Mikel, Michael Essien and Drogba away for the tournament, so it could be interesting.

I think it will be very tight and I wouldn’t like to call it. Obviously I hope Chelsea win it! I think that if you finish above Manchester United, you win the league.

…ON ICONHORSERACING…

Iconhorseracing have developed a plan which allows Chelsea fans to own shares in racehorses alongside ex-Chelsea players, including myself, Kerry Dixon and Ken Monkou.

It’s nice for fans to have a day out at the races and meet some players too. You do get some good days out racing and get to meet some very interesting people as well.

If any fans get the opportunity they should definitely join up.

Details can be found at http://iconhorseracing.com/index2.htm

David Lee was speaking to Rowan Farnham-Long.

Michael Ballack has been an extremely busy man of late, playing and scoring in a couple of World Cup qualifiers for Germany against Liechtenstein and Wales before returning to Chelsea with the rest of the club’s international contingent for the recent trip up to Newcastle. It’s been a hectic schedule but with our annual Champions League tussle with Liverpool looming and an FA Cup semi-final with Arsenal on the horizon (not to mention the normal monthly quota of Premier League games), there isn’t going to be any let up in the coming weeks.

Happily, though, he’s found a small gap in his diary to meet up with Chelsea author, Clive Batty the day before the quarter-final clash at Anfield. Dressed in Chelsea training gear, he seems remarkably relaxed when he turns up for the interview in a small annexe off the main reception at the club’s training ground. During our chat he breaks into laughter on three or four occasions, and generally gives the impression of being in a happy, positive frame of mind. It’s good to see – this may be the serious, business end of the season where cups and titles are won and lost, the pressure may very soon be cranked up to the maximum level, but it would be a pretty grim state of affairs if this meant our players went around Cobham with furrowed brows and nails bitten to the quick.

As we settle down to go through the list of questions, all sent in by ClubCFCnet members, the squad is already starting to board the Chelsea coach for the trip up to Merseyside. Michael, it hardly needs saying, must be on that coach, so we’re slightly up against the clock…

How do you feel the season has gone for you as a whole?
Mark Colby, north London
A bit mixed. I’ve played some good games and some not so good games, a bit like our season. It’s been a bit up-and-down, but now we come to a stage where we know what we have to do. The league will be a bit difficult, but in the FA Cup and the Champions League we are looking forward and believe we have a good chance in both competitions.
I want to make a big impact as well so I’m looking forward to this period. I’m feeling fit, it’s a long time now since I had the injury and I’m happy about that.

Since Michael Essien has returned you have adopted the midfield holding role for some games. Have you played this position before and are you happy playing there?
Eddie Hazlewood, Bedford
Yes, I’ve played there a few times before with Bayern Munich and the international team, because we play with just two central players in midfield in a straight 4-4-2, a little bit like England in former years. Here we play three in midfield, one holding player and two attacking midfielders, and the coach asked me to do this. I said, ‘Yes, of course I can play there’. I’m a flexible player, I can play offensively or defensively, but wherever I play I always want to score. And, even in the holding role, I’m allowed to do this!

What difference has Guus Hiddink made since he took charge of the team?
Dave Key, Peterborough
He has a great personality. From the first day that he stepped in the dressing room he’s had a presence that is outstanding, really good. As everybody knows, he has great experience in the past and great success even with smaller teams at both club and international level. We were really happy that we could get him in such a difficult situation, as it’s not usually easy to make a change during the season.
Shortly before the Champions League restarted he stepped in and you could see that he could get something more out of a team that was struggling a little bit, and not looking as strong as we should look. So I can only say positive things about him…and he speaks German, English and Spanish perfectly so it’s really good for our team!

Do you feel that the players’ fitness levels dropped during the Scolari period, as some newspaper reports suggested they had?
Eddie Hazlewood, Bedford
It’s difficult for me to say, as a player. Sometimes you don’t feel it because you play every three days but, of course, 5% or 10% is a lot in football and if everyone drops back a little bit it can cost us points…and we drew a lot of games, especially at home, which we shouldn’t have. Now we miss those points.
He was a nice guy, happy with everybody, but if you can’t get the results it’s difficult. He had trained with the Brazilian national team but the English league is really tough and you have to adapt. If you don’t get the results a lot of speculation develops about the training, about everything. But I’m a player and he is not here anymore so it wouldn’t really be fair to speak more about him.

What, in your opinion, are the main differences between English and German football?
Jez Walters, London
I played for one of the biggest clubs in Germany, Bayer Leverkusen, and we were always first or second. Then I played for the biggest club, Bayern Munich, for four years and we won a lot of titles. I reached the Champions League final with Leverkusen but with Bayern Munich we didn’t reach the final or even the semi-final because the squad wasn’t good enough. You could see there was a big gap at this time between German football at a high level and international football, especially in the Champions League, so I was pleased to take on a new challenge by joining Chelsea and playing in the Premier League.
I could see straight away the ambitions of everybody at the club. And, of course, the strength of the Premier League is shown by the number of times Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal have reached the semi-finals and final of the Champions League in recent years. Even in the league games the pace is higher than in Germany, because of the training and the quality of the players. Another difference is that the referees don’t blow for fouls that much. In Germany, Spain or Italy when players go down they usually get a free-kick, but not in England. That makes the Premier League very physical and very quick, because it’s always ‘play on, play on’. For a player, though, it’s good because, if you play for a few years, you adapt and improve. But, of course, it was a change for me even though I had played a lot of international games and tournaments. For me, the Premier League is something special.

In Germany you are considered a superstar much like David Beckham here. Do you like the relative privacy of London?
Jez Walters, London
London is a huge city but, to be honest, it’s not quieter for me because if I go out I get recognised just like I am in Germany. These days it’s so international and everyone is so interested in football, people recognise you everywhere. Even if you have a lot of clubs in London and people support another team they still like to say, ‘I’m an Arsenal supporter but I like you’. But it’s nice to see that football is so important, even in a big city like London.
Actually, German people often ask me the same question but I can’t really say I have more privacy here.

What’s your favourite Premiership ground, apart from Stamford Bridge?
Lucy, Surrey
I played at Newcastle the other day, which is a fantastic stadium. Behind the bench, especially, there is a big stand which is unbelievable. The pitch, too, is really good. I played there last year and scored when we won 2-0, but I was injured the year before so this was only my second time. It’s a really nice stadium, but there are others too. Manchester United has an unbelievable atmosphere, Liverpool is always a difficult place to go, Manchester City has a nice stadium…

Would you prefer to start every game, or do you believe that you can be more effective taking occasional rests?
Khobar, Wales
The first thing is you want to play every game if possible. But I’ve played professional football now for 14 years and I know that you can’t play every game and be at the highest level. Especially in England, where there are so many games, so many good teams and no winter break like we have in Germany. So you need a rest or rotation, and every big team does this.
I’m at an age now, 32, where it’s normal to miss a game and rest but the big games, especially, you always want to play in.

Who’s the best player you’ve played with and against at club or international level?
Jez Walters, London
It’s very difficult to say because I’ve played with a lot of fantastic players. At Leverkusen I played with Emerson, the Brazilian, when I was 21 and I learned a lot from him. He was an amazing player. I’ve played here with players like Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, Ze Roberto in Bayern Munich was a really good player. Oliver Kahn as a goalkeeper…his attitude to football from outside looks really strong, but to play with him – and he was captain when I was there – he really pushes you to another level.
You know, it’s not always about performance, it’s also about mentality in football and when you have a collective experience together you have to learn from other players as well. You have to look at the other players and think about what you can get from them and from the coaches. That’s why it’s always good to have strong characters around you.

If you could pick any player from the past to play in the same team as you, who would that be?
Ollie Scanlan, Croydon
I have to say Franz Beckenbauer…because he’s German!

What is your favourite technique for taking penalties? And can you remember the last penalty you missed?
Oliver Todd, north London
I can’t tell you about the technique, I can’t even tell the fans because I don’t know who might read this! But I can tell you I always change my mind when I go the penalty spot, then I finally decide what I will do.
I think the last one I missed was in an unimportant game, a friendly game with the international team before the World Cup in South Korea.

Which was the bigger disappointment, losing in the final of the Champions League last season or in the final of the European Championships later that summer?
Alex Ambroziak, Montreal
It’s hard to say because both competitions are so important for a football player, two of the best finals you can reach. I was happy we reached the finals but then you want to win them. It was the same in 2002 because I reached the final of the Champions League and the World Cup and we lost them both. But sometimes there is nothing you can do, it comes down to one penalty – like JT’s in Moscow – which either goes in or it doesn’t. The whole club is celebrating or the whole club is down, that’s football. You have to accept it.

Would you take a pay cut or agree to a pay-as-you-play deal to stay at Chelsea?
Charlie, Gosport
Well, the first thing is I have an option with the club for next year as well so maybe we will speak in the next weeks about something we may do after 2010 as well. I can imagine everything, so I can’t tell you now what will be in my contract.
But I’ve said all along if we come together, the two sides, I can imagine myself staying here for the rest of my career.

When you finally retire do you think you’ll move into management/coaching, become a TV pundit or move away from football completely?
Lucy, Surrey
I will see, there is no pressure to decide now. I have a few ideas, you know, but I don’t really want to announce them now in case I eventually don’t do them. So, we’ll see.

What do you like to do when you have time off?
Lucy, Surrey
I have a family, you know, three kids. I have three boys and they always want to play football with me or do something else with Daddy. When I was alone I could do other things, play more golf or some other kind of sport, or go in the city more. But when you have family there is only a small period of time between the games, the time you want to relax and the time you want to enjoy with your family. Of course there are lots of different things you like to do with your family, but I’m like everybody else… I’m not really special in my private life! I’m just normal.

Interview by Clive Batty, author of ‘The Chelsea Miscellany’, ‘Kings of the King’s Road’ and ‘A Serious Case of the Blues: Chelsea in the 80s’. His latest book ‘The Pocket Book of Chelsea’ (Vision Sports Publishing) is out in October.

CFCnet:  Ken what are you doing these days?

After retiring in 2000 I bought a traditional pancake house in Oude Delft, a beautiful old town near Rotterdam.  I used to go there after training when I was a kid and when the restaurant came up for sale I bought it.

It’s a beautiful old building built in the 17^th Century and now it is run by mother and sister although I can be seen from time to time flipping pancakes in the kitchen!

We are only fifteen minutes from Rotterdam and Oude Delft is beautiful, full of character. Any Chelsea fans wanting a day trip to Holland are especially welcome to come and visit us. The website is: http://www.stadspannekoeckhuys.nl

I also do media work for Dutch TV covering Chelsea as well as stuff for Chelsea TV.  I lived in Harrogate when playing for my last Club, Huddersfield, and I’ve stayed there ever since – I’m a fly fishing enthusiast so I love the North of England with its rugged countryside and rivers.  I’m also looking to get a place in London as I’m down here a lot.  I’ve lived in England for twenty years now and feel very at home in this country.

CFCnet:  Yeah, we remember you fly fishing with Erland Johnsen (another Player of the Year) and Graeme le Saux.  You were like the ‘Guardian readers’ posse.  Are you still in touch with them?

I’m in touch with Graeme frequently but I’ve lost a bit of contact with Erland.  I should get back in touch with him really…

CFCnet: We have recently had a fellow Dutchman in temporary charge of Chelsea. What was your impression of Hiddink?

It’s all about results. When you come to Chelsea you’ve got to produce immediately and Guus did. He is an excellent communicator and, at this level of football, communication is of paramount importance. If you’re not a good communicator you won’t make it at the elite level.  Guus has it all, not only is he a great communicator but he has been successful at every level of football and is a great tactician.

Ken Monkou at the Chelsea supporters tournament

CFCnet:  What do you think went wrong with Scolari?

Scolari came with a good CV but day-to-day management demands a completely different set of skills from international management.  Like I said, you have to be able to communicate with the players – if that’s not there 100% then factions appear in the dressing room and it’s difficult to control.  Scolari was a warm character but you could see that there was a little distance between him and a few of the players and staff.  That had an effect, I’m certain of that.

To be honest, at a club like Chelsea, a manager has to be the total complete package – good with the media, a good standing in the game, good ideas, great with the players etc.”

It’s all about chemistry and I’m of the opinion that players and a prospective new manager should get together as part of the interview process to see if there is chemistry between them.  In my day of course, this never happened.

What I have noticed in my career is that certain people make great Number Two’s but not necessarily great Number One’s.  Bobby Campbell was a proper manager and had the authority to accompany it.  Ian Porterfield, however, was a great Number Two but that didn’t translate necessarily into a great Number One at Chelsea.

At this point, by complete coincidence, Bobby Campbell walks into the Chelsea Health Club and Ken exchanges pleasantries with him before Bobby says “did Ken tell you I saved his life?”

CFCnet:  Is this true?

Yes, when I joined Chelsea the team were at a summer training camp in Marbella but I was invited to play in a benefit game against Surinam where most of the Dutch black players originate from.  Gullit and Rijkaard were also invited.

Bobby, however, said that it was important I met my team mates and wouldn’t let me attend the match.  I was furious and had a bit of a strop.  Nevertheless I obeyed Bobby and went to the training camp.

I later found out that if I had gone to Surinam I would have been on a flight that actually crashed killing all 200-odd people on board.  It was tragic. You could say that Bobby saved my life.  He’s right.

CFCnet:  How did you come to join Chelsea in the first place?

Bobby Campbell’s son was playing in Holland and he came up against me in a match when I was playing for Feyenoord.  He thought I played a tidy game and he tipped his father off that I was worth possibly buying.  I cost £100,000 and was sold for £750,000 a few years later after 94 games and 2 goals.

CFCnet:  Yeah, we’ll never forget the match against Scarborough in a cup tie when you scored a thirty yard own goal!

I lobbed Dave Beasant and he was a tall man!

CFCnet:  Why did you leave, only a few months after signing a new 5 year contract?

The Club signed Paul Elliott and they obviously felt we were similar players and that I was surplus to requirements….

CFCnet: Finally, who were the best players you played against?

Liverpool’s Ian Rush and Peter Beardsley.  An unbelievable combination with breathtaking movement.

CFCnet: Thanks Ken, we’re very grateful to you for taking the time to meet and talk to us.

Are there any players you would like to see gracing the Stamford Bridge pitch in the Blue of Chelsea?
Money no object? Yeah! I’d have to say Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. I know you can’t have everything, but those two stand out head and shoulders above the rest. As much as I hate to say it, because he’s a Manchester United player, Ronaldo is an exceptional. He creates goals, he scores goals and he’s fantastic to watch.

Let’s hope he signs for Real Madrid then in the summer, it will be one less thing for Chelsea fans to worry about when we play United next season. Going back to the start of this campaign there was plenty of enthusiasm amongst Blues fans when Big Phil Scolari became manager; what was your take on his appointment?
I remember looking at his track record as an international manager and thinking, yes he can do the job. Personally, taking Avram Grant out of the equation, I would have preferred Jose Mourinho to have stayed on. I was a huge Mourinho fan. It was disappointing, a shame and everything else that he had to go, Grant simply wasn’t the right man and so when Scolari came in the majority of people thought, well he’s won the World Cup as Brazil manager, so he can bring success to Chelsea.
I have to say though, right from the start I had some reservations. He hadn’t been involved in club football for a lengthy period of time, and speaking from a cricketing perspective I can assure you that there is a massive difference between the day-to-day management of a County side and having responsibility for an international team.

Do you think that if Chelsea had managed to sign Robinho, the player Scolari had indentified as his number one priority, things might have turned out differently for the Blues this season?
That’s almost impossible to answer. Would he have fitted in at Stamford Bridge? I don’t know. Whom would he have played instead of? It’s difficult to say. It’s funny, but one thing I have always been curious about is why would a top club paying top wages let a top player leave?
What were Real Madrid’s reasons for letting Robinho go? The transfer fee? I’m not so sure. Look how many times he’s been subbed when he’s played for City this season. It’s interesting isn’t it? It’s like when Barcelona let Petit go and Deco as well come to think of it. Chelsea paid big money for those two, with little or no return on the investment. Unless a club is offered a ridiculous sum of money for a quality player, why would they let him go? I think that managers continually assess their squads and from time to time will see something in a player that makes them think they might be past their best. Time to cash in.

Despite all the press speculation, the speed with which Scolari services were dispensed with took most people by surprise. Guus Hiddink’s swift appointment, albeit in a temporary managerial role, has been an unqualified success, what do you attribute this to?
Well I have this information second hand, but the way it was explained to me was that the players fitness levels weren’t good enough under Scolari and team affairs were also poorly organised. Personally speaking, when it comes down to fitness levels, if an individual doesn’t feel they are conditioned well enough they should be motivated enough to do extra work off their own back so in that case I would blame the individual. A new manager or coach coming into a club should be expected to have the ability and experience to reignite the desire and passion in his players that the previous man in charge failed to do. It’s clear that Hiddink has addressed both these areas, and the results are there for everyone to see.

If Guus Hiddink does depart at the end of the season, who would you like to see in the managerial hot-seat at the Bridge?
Well there’s been a lot of speculation linking Carlo Ancelotti with the job, but I read recently that he’d prefer to stay at AC Milan. If I were Mr Abramovich, I’d go and get Mourinho back, but then again I don’t know what happened behind the scenes between those two, so maybe that’s not an option. Who would I bring in? (laughs) Go and get Sir Alex Ferguson to upset Man United.
Seriously though, there are plenty of people you can talk about who potentially could do the job, but if they are coming from abroad you just don’t know how well they will get on in the English Premier League, and the problem at Chelsea seems to be that if you don’t deliver results almost straight away, you get moved on pretty sharpish.
Didier Deschamps was another manager being touted as a possible recently but he’s just signed a deal to take over at Marseille, so it’s difficult to see an obvious choice. Whoever it is has got to speak good English, the spine of Chelsea’s side is English and of course it’s important for the supporters to be able to relate to the manager and for him to be able to get his point if view across.

As a professional sportsman who has played for, and captained, his country, what is your opinion on the way certain Chelsea players reacted during last weeks controversial Champions League match with Barcelona at Stamford Bridge?
Personally speaking, I can fully understand it because of the passion, the emotion and what it meant to them. I’m convinced they felt they had been cheated out of it, I was there at the game myself and witnessed one bad refereeing decision after another. Sometimes you know it’s just an error and you have to accept that, but then other times things might look a little dodgy. He had a shocking game and in my book has to be the worst referee that has ever been allowed to officiate a game as important as that.
So yes, I can understand it all … but on the other hand, you still have to keep your emotions in check and by that I mean you should be able to express yourself and your frustrations, but never lose control of your emotions. As soon as you do that you are then asking for trouble. Unfortunately, Drogba lost his composure and of course Ballack, who I like as a player, did so as well. In football you can scream and shout at a referee, but you won’t get him to change his decision. Even though you might want to shoot the fella, you know you can’t.  If these players had behaved differently, there would perhaps have been a lot more sympathy shown towards Chelsea.
I can understand the Ballack incident more than what Drogba did. Ballack’s was an immediate response to what he believed should have been a penalty. Obviously he was frustrated with what had gone on before with the referee failing to give penalty decisions Chelsea’s way, so I can understand his behaviour even though I believe he shouldn’t have gone as strong as he did.
The Drogba thing, well that’s completely different. He’d been off the field for some time, I wouldn’t say it was pre-meditated but it did seem an amazing reaction you know. Chelsea played with passion and commitment but certain players went a little bit over the top, and it looks like they’re going to be punished unfortunately.

How do you view Didier Drogba these days? He’s been a divisive figure amongst Chelsea’s match-going supporters this season. Do you think that following this latest controversial incident he should be sold at the end of this campaign?
I’d keep him. I think he’s a very valuable player. I know he let himself down, his team-mates down and the supporters down in Moscow, and of course there have been a couple of incidents this season, but at the same time that’s the way he is and I think it actually adds something to the way he plays. Yes he does frustrate both home and away fans; he can lie on the floor a little bit too long or go to ground too easy but I’d keep him because he’s a special player who can continue to score important goals for the Club.

It’s been reported in the press that several of the older players in the Chelsea squad, Drogba included, maybe sold at the end of the season to finance the purchase of younger stars, do you think this is a wise policy?
It’s my opinion that if you are still good enough to play at the highest level then you should play. It’s not uncommon for players who retain their fitness and ambition to play into their mid 30s and beyond. From my experience in cricket, I can tell you what works best is to drip-feed younger players into a team over a period of time. If you get rid of all the senior players at once, then it leaves a huge hole.
The way Chelsea are bringing on the likes of Mancienne and Di Santo is good, it’s all about getting the balance right between youth and experience. As far as bringing new players in, well a club like Chelsea will always be linked with the games top players, but you should only bring a player in who is going to strengthen the squad. Thinking about it, we’ve got Joe Cole to come back, that will be the same as having a top class signing and could have the same effect on the teams fortunes as Michael Essien did when he came back from injury this year.

Which Chelsea players do you think are indispensible to the current squad?
Well you have to go through that spine I was talking about earlier. Cech, because I do believe he is back to his best, Ashley Cole, John Terry obviously, Lampard, Essien and I would still have to say Drogba.

The season’s nearly over but we have a day out at Wembley to look forward to at the end of this month. What’s your prediction for the FA Cup Final?
I don’t think it’s going to be a fantastic game to watch unless of course Chelsea get an early goal, something which didn’t happen in the league game with Everton at Stamford Bridge the other week. I think David Moyes has done brilliantly with a limited squad and a limited budget. He’s certainly made the most of what he’s got there and he organises the back line superbly. They came down to Chelsea and got a point.
In the Cup Final, I think it will be important for Chelsea to try and get an early goal which will mean Everton have to come forward more and this will open the game up, otherwise it could end up a bit like their semi-final with Man U where they just sit back and soak it all up and go for the penalty shoot-out.
My prediction? Yes, I think Chelsea will get an early goal and go on to win the match 2-0 … but don’t bet your mortgage on that though.

Mark Worrall is the author of cult terrace classics ‘Over Land and Sea’ and ‘Blue Murder … Chelsea till I die’, his new book ‘One Man Went to Mow’ is out now. Copies are available to buy with a discount of up to 30% and free postage within the UK at www.overlandandsea.net