Tuesday 1 May
Ray Wilkins was remembered in a service at St Luke’s and Christ Church and everyone was there. All of football and a good few fans paused to say goodbye and the day after we secured another Youth Cup trophy that would have delighted Ray, and in the heart of Chelsea you couldn’t wish for a better send off for a man who epitomised this patch of London.
AFC Wimbledon secured a point in a 0-0 with Doncaster Rovers and with it another season in League One. Watching Milton Keynes flushed out of the league 10-points and four places below them will make this a bit more special.
Real Madrid lucked their way into another Champions League final. Their second on the night came from a horrendous goalkeeping error… wasn’t it always the way? The most richly assembled team in history helped into the final by the connivance of referees and hapless mistakes… Sorry, if we hadn’t made it clear but we despise Real Madrid and all they stand for.
Wednesday 2 May
Liverpool found a dramatic way to qualify for the Champions League final after losing 4-2 to progress 7-6 on aggregate.
They were helped no end when two clear penalties went begging When Dzeko was, incorrectly, flagged offside before being fouled by the ’keeper and Trent Alexander-Arnold handled to deny a clear goalscoring opportunity. Fancy that, the favourites and the biggest box-office product, helped into the final by a referee who fails to see clear penalty offences. That could never happen in a Uefa sanctioned tournament.
We will now have the unpleasant task of deciding who we want to lose the final most, or perhaps we’ll take up golf that evening. Hacking at weeds with a blunt instrument, in the dark, would be preferable to trying to pick a favourite from these two massively over-privileged, media darlings.
The match itself will be a boring nil each decided by chance.
Friday 4 May
Cecs Fabregas is 31 today and given the longevity of midfielders these days should be with us for another five years at least.
Saturday 5 May
Women’s FA Cup
Final-tie
Arsenal 1:3 Chelsea
A great day out even if you are eight months pregnant. Emma Hayes didn’t lead the team out for the showcase – that honour went to her assistant Paul Green – but she did lead them to a thumping and well deserves win as two goals from Ramona Bachmann and a wonderful curling strike from Fran Kirby sealed our second FA Cup, after three finals in the last four seasons.
Manchester United U18 0:3 Chelsea U18
Not satisfied with the FA Youth Cup for a fifth year on the trot, the Under 18s saw off Manchester United, easily saw of Manchester United, to win the one-off final between the winners of the northern and southern sections and be crowned national champions.
Dujon Sterling, Billy Gilmour and Tariq Lampety, scored the goals that mean we qualify for the next Uefa Youth League in our own right.
Sunday 6 May
Chelsea 1:0 Liverpool
We never really looked threatened as our back three did a number on Liverpool’s famed striking machine and Olivier Giroud headed in the only goal.
There was a definite end-of-term feel to this one, and the occasional long-shot fireworks felt for show rather than in anger. The returning Marco Alonso volleyed a cracking effort just wide and, n=but for a short period of pressure towards the end, Liverpool never really threatened.
This result means we can still catch Liverpool in third but we can’t overtake them unless they can only draw with Brighton on the final day, while we win both our remaining.
Cardiff City will be playing us next season in the Premier League, Fulham had to settle for the playoffs, where they will play Derby County. The other side of the playoffs sees Villa play Middlesbrough.
At the bottom a topsy turvy day saw Bolton, Barnsley and Burton flirt with safety before the latter two slumped down.
