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Chavski PR exercise goes wrong....


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It's not so much the article, as the first comment underneath that made me laugh. What classless arseholes they really are...

 

Chelsea PR offensive ends in jeers

 

Young fans angry as players refuse to sign autographs at club's 'open' training session

 

By Ben Hunt

 

Wednesday, 26 August 2009

 

Chelsea players were jeered yesterday after fans who had turned up to watch an open training session were denied the chance to get autographs from them. Over 8,000 Chelsea supporters were at Stamford Bridge to see Joe Cole complete his first training session on his return from injury but the party atmosphere went sour when the crowd was told players would not be signing autographs due to "security concerns".

 

After a 90-minute practice session the Chelsea players gave a half-hearted lap of honour during which they were roundly applauded. But those cheers quickly turned to boos as the announcer informed those in the stands that players would not be putting pen to paper for the thousands of schoolchildren in attendance.

 

A pep talk from the Chelsea captain John Terry urging supporters to turn up in force on Saturday for the Premier League match against Burnley was not enough to reverse the damage.

 

Things went badly from the very start of the event. A Chelsea employee had tried to get the fans going by leading the singing of a song – to no avail. Fans did eventually burst into life but only after the Tannoy system had given them a helping hand.

 

Terry and Frank Lampard then led their team-mates out of the tunnel to be greeted by high-pitched cheers: the pair responded with a wave. Cole, who has not played competitively since rupturing cruciate ligaments in an FA Cup tie at Southend in January and whose comeback has been delayed, was cheered, but the new £18m signing Yuri Zhirkov has clearly not yet made an impression and was not welcomed with the same level of adulation by the supporters.

 

The same was true of Andrei Shevchenko. Back from Milan, the Ukraine international is hoping for a new lease of life under manager Carlo Ancelotti, who he knows well from his time in Italy.

 

Next, the players were put through their paces by coach Ray Wilkins, who was handed the reigns by Ancelotti. It was not the most fascinating of training sessions. Fans were treated to the sight of Lampard and co jogging around, kicking a few balls and doing a few stretches.

 

Terry's appeal to supporters to attend the Burnley match was made in the knowledge that Owen Coyle's side have already beaten Manchester United and Everton this season. The Clarets have previous at Stamford Bridge, too. They knocked Chelsea out of the Carling Cup last season after a penalty shoot-out.

 

Judging by his frantic sprinting during training, Cole is in contention for a place in Ancelotti's squad for Saturday. The 27-year-old is desperate to prove his fitness and win a new contract at the club. His current deal expires in 12 months' time and although there will be no shortage of admirers, with Tottenham linked to the England international, he is eager to follow Lampard and Terry by pledging his long-term future to the club.

 

Likewise Zhirkov could make his first start of the season following his transfer from CSKA Moscow. The Russian international has been plagued by a knee problem since his move. His arrival will add some healthy competition for Ashley Cole or he could be used as a left-sided midfielder. Ancelotti's only doubt for Saturday is central defender Alex, who missed the training session owing to a groin problem, and Nicolas Anelka, whose minor toe injury will need to be assessed before the weekend.

 

 

COMMENTS

 

open training session

garyshell wrote:

 

Wednesday, 26 August 2009 at 07:54 am (UTC)

i was at the open training session yesterday with my partner and boy. No one tried getting us to sing they got us to sing happy birthday to bosingwa. When Neil Barnett came out onto the pitch and got us all to stand up and do a minutes applause for Liverpool as its the end of their title hopes everyone joined in! As for the signing of the autographs yeah they didnt do them in the ground but we went outside by the restaurant and were told it was due to people getting crushed last year, but the likes of John Terry, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Drogba, Bosingwa, Chech, Carvalho and Deco all came out and signed autographs and John Terry came back and lifted my little boy over the security barrier to have his picture taken so dont start saying that they didnt do anything and that fans were disappointed, you need to speak to the fans before you put rubbish in the paper

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Wednesday, 26 August 2009 at 07:54 am (UTC)

i was at the open training session yesterday with my partner and boy. No one tried getting us to sing they got us to sing happy birthday to bosingwa. When Neil Barnett came out onto the pitch and got us all to stand up and do a minutes applause for Liverpool as its the end of their title hopes everyone joined in! As for the signing of the autographs yeah they didnt do them in the ground but we went outside by the restaurant and were told it was due to people getting crushed last year, but the likes of John Terry, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Drogba, Bosingwa, Chech, Carvalho and Deco all came out and signed autographs and John Terry came back and lifted my little boy over the security barrier to have his picture taken so dont start saying that they didnt do anything and that fans were disappointed, you need to speak to the fans before you put rubbish in the paper

 

Still bitter about that home record being broken by us eh? Hahaa.

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