Chelsea FanCast

Stamford Chidge interviews Chelsea author Neil Fitzsimon about his new book 'Rebirth of the Blues'.

Having chronicled Chelsea's 1970 FA Cup winning side in 'Rhapsody in Blue' and Eddie McCreadie's promotion side in 'A Deeper Shade of Blue', Neil has turned his sights to the period between 1977-1985.

One of the nost turbulent periods in Chelsea's history, it was a period when Chelsea narrowly escaped relegation into the Third Division in 1983, before being resurrected under the management of John Neal when the likes of Kerry Dixon, Pat Nevin and others catapulted the club to new glories. The next year, Chelsea took the Second Division by storm with their new brand of quicksilver flowing football to make a triumphant return to the top flight as champions.

But Rebirth of the Blues is more than just a chronicle of football history. It’s a gripping memoir of a Chelsea fan growing up in the late 1970s to mid-80s and his experiences of living through the political unrest of Thatcherite Britain when excess and greed were seen as ideals to be admired. Fitzsimon recalls his tentative first steps with girlfriends, the changing face of the music scene and what it was like to be single and one of the lads.

You can buy the book here