Less than a year ago, Chelsea FC was my local football club. On matchdays, I could hear the chants drifting across West Brompton from my flat just around the corner from Stamford Bridge. Walking into Accor Stadium for the Sydney Super Cup felt surreal — somehow familiar, yet unmistakably Sydney.
The Plus Ones were hosted media in the Legends Lounge ahead of kick-off, where Chelsea legend Gary Cahill reflected on his time at the club and what tours like this mean for supporters around the world. It was a fitting reminder that football has a remarkable way of travelling with its fans.
While a mild Tuesday night in Sydney doesn’t quite recreate the intensity of a Saturday afternoon in SW6, the travelling Blues faithful certainly did their part. Chelsea shirts filled Olympic Boulevard long before kick-off, and supporters from across Australia — including members of the official Sydney Chelsea Supporters Club — made the journey to welcome their club back Down Under.
The match itself more than rewarded them.
Chelsea eventually ran out 6–4 winners in a wildly entertaining contest that never seemed settled. Every time the Blues looked to be pulling away, Western Sydney Wanderers found another response. Rather than feeling like a pre-season exhibition, it became an open, end-to-end spectacle that had both sets of supporters on their feet until the final whistle.
For Wanderers fans, there was plenty to admire in the resilience their side showed against one of England’s biggest clubs. For Chelsea supporters, it was an opportunity to see familiar faces — and exciting new signings — in person without boarding a flight to Heathrow.
More football is still to come. Chelsea’s Australian tour continues with a London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday 1 August, before Chelsea Women face the A-League All Stars Women on Wednesday 12 August. If Tuesday night’s ten-goal thriller was anything to go by, Sydney football fans won’t want to miss what’s next.
Buy tickets here.
– Danielle
After several years in London, Danielle is rediscovering Sydney, one event at a time and occasionally consulting the stars along the way.
