Family of the Season 2008/09

As an idea to improve and upgrade its museum, Chelsea FC invited applications from Season Ticket Holders to become the official Chelsea family of the year. A display of memorabilia and photos from that family would then be arranged by the entrance to the museum for all fans to see. Our family was selected from applications received from all over the world including Hong Kong and Australia.

I gave the Club two ‘season montage picture frames’ that I had put together following the Clubs 04/05 Championship win and the 06/07 domestic cup double season. These are now proudly displayed in the museum and will be seen by approximately 100,000 fans during this season.

This is something the family is very proud of. Our support runs back to the 1930’s when my grandfather regularly attended matches. My father then regularly watched Chelsea after the war and throughout the 1950’s having been taken by his dad. He became a season ticket holder in 1962 when he became fed up with having to queue for tickets

My first experience of watching the blues was in about 1976 when taken by my dad and I have had a season ticket now since 1987. Ataxia and the related mobility restrictions have obviously affected where in the ground I have been able to view the matches. In my early teens I would stand in ‘The Shed’ (A covered terrace removed in the 90’s), as my Ataxia progressed and my balance became worse in my late teens I began sitting to watch matches ‘on the benches’ (an area in front of the old West Stand [sort of an overspill from the Shed]). My first season ticket co-insided with my inability to walk unaided. I used to hold on to my dads arm and ‘clamber’ to my seat at the back of the [old] West Stand. When a wheelchair became necessary for me, my family transferred our seats to the newer East Stand. I was able to get to my seat in the wheelchair and then transfer to my allocated seat at the back of the bottom tier of this stand.

In 1993 transferring was becoming a problem but at the same time Chelsea were building a new North Stand [the Matthew Harding Stand] I asked the then chairman Ken Bates, if a disabled balcony could be incorporated into this stand. To his enormous credit this was exactly what happened and I have been sitting there watching the games from my wheelchair since the 95/96 season. So over the years I have watched games from all sides of the ground. I am now the disabled representative on the Chelsea fans forum and also a committee member on the Chelsea Disabled Supporters Association.

We were all invited to the launch of the upgraded museum on 25th September (co-incidentally ataxia awareness day) and were interviewed by Chelsea TV and the matchday programme. I met two current players namely Joe Cole and Carlo Cudicini as well as players from Chelsea’s past ie: Roy Bentley, Teddy Maybank, Tommy Langley, Jason Cundy and Ken Monkou.

On Sunday 5th October the family were presented on the pitch before the Aston Villa game with a voucher for £150 to be spent in a restaurant within the Stamford Bridge grounds and a shirt which had been signed by all the players. It was somewhat fitting that the presentation should be made by Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris who is not only Chelsea’s highest ever appearance maker (795 appearances) but was Chelsea captain on my dads most memorable day as a Chelsea fan; the day in April 1970 when Chelsea won the FA Cup for the first time. My dad was of course at Old Trafford that night.

The programme that day featured a small write up and photo taken at the museum on Thursday 25th September. To see this programme online visit the following: Programme Master Online and input the user: matthewlaw1968@yahoo.co.uk and password: z3Eu3199. We feature on page 10.

The display in the museum reads:

"Introducing the Chelsea FC Family of the Season 2008-2009 The Law Family. Pictured here at the '97 Cup Final: Louise, Terry, Pam and Matthew Law have been chosen as the Chelsea FC Family of the Season for 2008 - 09.

Terry Law, aged 74 has been supporting Chelsea since his father Wally took him to his first game, just after World War II and has been supporting Chelsea for 62 years. Growing up in Battersea with his two Chelsea supporting brothers, Terry has always been an avid fan. Holding a season ticket for 45 years, Terry is also a former Chelsea PLC shareholder and Chelsea Pitch Owner.

He has passed on his passion for his beloved Chelsea to his whole family his wife Pam has been a season ticket holder for 44 years and daughter Louise brings her three blues-loving children at every opportunity. Their son Matthew has been a season ticket holder since 1982 and is also the representative for disabled members on the Chelsea fans forum.

A collection of their very own memorabilia will be displayed here for the season on their very own 'Family of the Season' Wall."