Letter from America: Chelsea's star in the ascendant
Tuesday, 24 October 06, 12:13 AM · Comments (16)
I'm a regular reader of the Chelsea Blog - I wait patiently after every game to get the blog team's views. I live in Portland, Oregon, and though a long time fan, sadly confess to having seen the Blues in the flesh only once since 1975 or thereabouts (in Seattle when they played Celtic a few years ago). Luckily, since moving to the US from France (now there is a footballing desert) about 10 years ago, I have found that there is a whole cable channel devoted to soccer as they call it here, and indeed I now get to see many Chelsea games, often live though it sometimes means getting up at the crack of dawn.
The reason I'm writing is that the other day I was watching some random cable channel (A&E or USA perhaps) and up popped the adverts (every few minutes is the norm here), and I switched off mentally as usual. Imagine my shock therefore when I suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar blue and an image or two of some dynamic footballers terminated by a figure with the name "Terry" emblazoned on his back. In a flash it was gone to be replaced by something insipid and a few seconds later, the name of Comcast came up ("It's Comcastic" is the slogan). To say I was stunned is no small exaggeration.
Now there are two things which I find remarkable here. Firstly, that Comcast, the biggest US cable operator by far, should believe that showing some soccer images promotes their service, and secondly it should be Chelsea FC that they choose for the images. The first is perhaps not so surprising given that Comcast was no doubt trying to promote its Digital Cable service among which offerings can be found the holy Fox Soccer Channel, and so FSC would sooner or later figure in some advertising. It also is interesting that Comcast should believe that the few seconds devoted to these images should be recognisable for what it is. I doubt that lacrosse or rugby would get the same recognition. Soccer has come far in the last few years over here, in large part owing to the participation of nearly every young girl in America, so that even if the bigger boys remain impervious to the charm of soccer, moms are increasingly former players, and the daughters increasingly want to see their soccer heroes on TV - though why anyone would willingly watch David Beckham is beyond me.
The second shows that Chelsea's efforts to become a world-wide "name" is perhaps paying off. A few years ago if asked to name an English football team, most people here would probably shrug, and if they responded at all, it would be Man U (actually, I'm guessing that most people would respond Brazil, but that is a different issue). For the last two years, the dominant English team has been Chelsea and it is EPL teams that figure most heavily on FSC, so those new to the sport would now name Chelsea and not Arsenal or Liverpool or Man U. Chelsea's recent fortnight in Los Angeles was also widely reported here (even on one of our local TV stations), so that in the US at least, Chelsea's star is very much in the ascendant.
There is also the interesting case of John who I met this summer in Boise, Idaho. He was in his late teens and worked a coffee shop in downtown Boise. I and my wife went in for some breakfast (a muffin and coffee, typically). Given my English accent, John asked me if I was English and did I like soccer. I answered affirmatively to both, and then he asked what was my team, and I of course was proud to name Chelsea. He grabbed my hand, pumping it with some enthusiasm, and said it was a real pleasure to meet a fellow Chelsea supporter. Now I don't like to cast aspersions on any parts of this enormous country, but Boise is not New York or San Francisco, and though a charming place, it is is about as typical a small city as one can find here. That I should meet anyone professing a liking for soccer in such a place where football (College or NFL) rules is amazing, but that this one person was a Chelsea fan shows how far support for Chelsea has spread.
From my standpoint as a Chelsea supporter for well over thirty years, I really appreciate reading the views of the hard-core supporters that you and the other bloggers represent since it makes me feel part of the family of those who watch Chelsea week in and week out, a family to which I would no doubt belong if still living in or near west London, but it is equally pleasing to know that there are possibly millions of fans like myself around the world, many of whom have never seen or touched anyone remotely connected to the club, and for whom being a Blue is an important part of their lives.
Like this blog? Help spread the word: 
Another Blue in Portland! Thanks be to God!
I've had it up to here with the red vomit all around me: Arse, Pool, ManUre.
I'm a keen supporter of the (crap) local USL side, the Portland Timbers, and there are perhaps 5 Chelsea fans in the whole of the Timbers Army, but we are a stroppy and clever lot, and we hold our own.
Come round a match next season, find your way to the North End (the noisy part) of PGE Park, and ask around for Bickle. First pint's on me (though not at the ground: too expensive).
Cheers,
Bickle
Wonderful letter Graham! Many thanks to CFCB for posting it! I am a fan of this website and live on the other side of the Atlantic, as well. Anyway, the Blues will indeed return for another US Tour next year (Los Angeles) so hit us (US Blues) up if you want to join a good number of supporters at the stands.
The first time I watched a Chelsea game in a bar in the States I was in Austin and I was the only person there except an extraordinarily aggressive American ex-serviceman who was supporting Tel Aviv (it was the game at the Bridge when they knocked us out the UEFA Cup). According to the Chelsea magazine, the pub I watched the game in (Fado's) is now one of the main meeting points for Texan Chelsea fans. So in five years, it's gone from being a Chelsea-less prairie to a Blue haven
The second time was last year in LA, for the Barcelona home match (4-2). The pub in Santa Monica was also showing the Man Utd-Milan game on another screen, but there were probably as many Chelsea fans as there were Man U watching the game (give or take half-a-dozen). It was bedlam. Best pub atmosphere ever, and a real mix of expats and native Angelinos. No Barca, strangely.
Hi Graham and others
Having been fortunate enough to visit New York for Christmas on and off for the last fifteen or so years there is no doubt in my mind that certainly in Manhattan the premier league has become increasingly popular. When my family and I first started going to the States it was a nightmare trying to find somewhere showing the games and even the most well-informed concierge would struggle to locate a suitable venue.
However recently I have found that it is possible to find a bar just by wandering the streets.
This is certainly a dramatic turn around.
I have still found that the majority of fans I encounter in New York are following Arsenal, Liverpool or Man U, but there definitely are more Chelsea fans these days, and, more importantly from a marketing perspective, American fans rather than Irish or ex-pats.
Although we tend to cringe over here at the marketing of the club and the desperation of Kenyon to expand the fanbase it does appear that he, as well as the premier league as a whole, has started to make significant inroads into the American market.
Graham - also interesting what you say about France and English football. Was in Paris on the weekend and it was nigh on impossible to find anywhere showing the Liverpool United game. Very strange. Finally stumbled across a Scottish pub in Bastille for the second half but this was by pure accident and after we had given up.
Trying to find Chelsea Pompey on the Saturday was a non-starter.
If there any Chelsea supporting New Yorkers on here let me know and would be good to grab a beer and as many of the games as possible over the festive period.
Up the Chels!
Graham, welcome aboard and thanks for a great contribution. I am just about to start my article for this week around the Pompey game and the affect that holding a season ticket is having on me. It's interesting to see the slant from America because when I was in Florida 2 years ago it was virtually impossible to get any news or sport outside of that State, let alone the US as a whole. This was the year when Micky Owen went to Real and I only found out via my internet phone, along with all other news incluidng the first day of that season. No word of a lie, we were in Disney MGM the day we beat Manure 1-0 thanks to Eidur and there was no way of getting the score except via me. Wearing the shirt that day made me a target for other CFC holidaymakers, especially as I was conspicuous by the fact that I was clutching my internet phone incessantly getting match updates from the BBC, but the surprise was the number of Americans who also asked if I knew the result. To be honest in one queue I was approached at least a dozen times asking for the result and any other results.
And summing up my view of America and its outlook on the rest of the world... the Athens Olympics were under way and we could not get any news on any channel of any worth. When we finally found a channel prepared to report on this event they described it as
"Today, at the Olympics from Athens, Europe"!
I'm sure the Greeks would be well chuffed to know that according to America the European superstate has replaced the independent soveriegn countries and is alive and flourishing.
GJ
Interesting post / comments.
Perhaps if someone has the inclination/time they could build an online US directory/database of pubs/bars that are known to be football/Chelsea friendly.
16 Comments · Add yours
hey Graham
i've been following what kenyon has be planning in America and from wot your saying its seems to have paid off. At the end of the day if we explore the US market then we might break even as the club predict will be the case in a couple of years.
Allow me to share my observations.
I'm a native San Diegan who, many years ago, worked decades ago for a hard core Aston Villa fan, but became a Chelsea fan around 5 years ago (when Chelsea beat Liverpool at the Bridge with Carlo saving the PK and the Blues winning 4-0).
For the past 3 years, I've been a regular at the Shakespeare Pub in San Diego, getting up far too early to watch as many matches as possible. During this time, there have been three regular Chelsea fans: A very nice lady who typically wears a Lampard kit, and an equally nice older gentleman (ex-pat) who usually brings his grand daughter. He wears a variety of kit, with his grand daughter in one of his kits as a dress.
I did not go to the pub to watch the Barca match; it was on ESPN2 and I just stayed home so I could work before and afterwards.
However, on Saturday I got up to see the match against Pompey and drove to the pub. The Shakespeare had advertised showing both the Chelsea/Pompey match and Everton/Sheffield United at 7:00 am local time.
To my surprise, by kick off, the entire pub was largely filled with people with Chelsea kit. Okay, there were 3 guys supporting Pompey and my old boss was there as a neutral, plus another regular who is a Liverpool fan, but other than that, the pub was full of Chelsea fans. I'd guess at least 40; younger people (20s) wearing kits from last season and this season. Because no body showed up to see the Eveton/Sheffield match, all the televisons were tuned to the Chelsea match and the sound was turned up. The pub moaned with every James save, rocked when Sheva and Ballack scored and moaned again when Drogba's strike was called back.
An absolutely fantastic experience.
On Sunday, I got up even earlier to go to see the Man Utd/Liverpool match. Okay, it was quite a bit earlier (5 am local time), but one would think (and I have seen from previous experience) the pub would be packed with both Man Utd and Liverpool fans. Not so.
Well, there were a number of Man Utd fans, but less than the number of Chelsea fans the previous day. A handful of Liverpool fans.
Now, I don't know if this was atypical. In many respects, it seems so, as I've not seen this number of Chelsea fans at the pub. Coming off the great result and effort agains Barca, however, it was really good to see a large number of new faces wearing blue.
So, are Chelsea's efforts paying off?
Well, continued success will only help. To be frank, it really takes effort to follow any EPL team here in America. With success, Chelsea and the deal with the LA Galaxy to play next pre-season, I can easily see Chelsea being the "name" EPL club in America.
Go Blues!