I’ve been a Chelsea fan since 2012. Watching players like Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba got me hooked – then we went and won the Champions League! My support grew over the years and seeing an American play for the club, Christian Pulisic, was a proud moment.

But what made me go to that next level, what made me understand what it meant to be Chelsea, was my first trip to Stamford Bridge. I went with my wife in January 2022 to watch us against Liverpool. It was an experience unlike any other.

You truly feel the vibe of what it means to be a Chelsea supporter. The walk up to the stadium. The togetherness of everyone. The chants. The noise. It was an experience unlike any other.

That’s why I could not miss the club coming to my backyard in Charlotte. Usually as supporters here in the U.S. we have to get up early to watch the team. This was different, it was an opportunity to spend the day together before watching the team we all love.

I have to give a massive shoutout to the Queen City Blues. I moved to Charlotte in July 2022 and found a group of like-minded, welcoming Chelsea supporters. A lot of those people have now become lifelong friends and we are a special Chelsea family, one that watches the games together and share our feelings in our own WhatsApp group.

We all came together ahead of the Real Madrid game at Ri Ra, an Irish pub here in Charlotte.

There was a special event put together by the Supporters’ Club and Chelsea, with Gary Cahill coming along to spend time with us. There were old faces among the supporters and new ones too – and everyone was talking about pre-season and the excitement we felt ahead of watching the team.

From there we went to Hooligans, which is where we watch Chelsea games together upstairs during the season. The atmosphere was really good and lots of chants – three supporters from London who had come over for the game even gave us a few new ones to sing.

We stopped in at the fanfest outside the ground and there was such a buzz around the stadium. I’ll never forget my Stamford Bridge experience – and I will have more in the future – but felt so special to have this opportunity to watch the team Charlotte.

Obviously, the game didn’t end in a win but it was great to see us live and up close.

You could see the players are still adapting to a new style under Enzo Maresca, which will improve as the weeks progress, but I thought Reece did really well up against Vinicius Junior and it’s great to have him and Malo Gusto, who is such a good player, in the side. I think Romeo Lavia has also had a strong pre-season and did well again against Real.

I caught up with supporters from Queen City Blues outside the stadium after the game. We chatted about the match and it really put the bow on what was a great day – and one every Chelsea fan should experience.

That could be here in America but also at Stamford Bridge, the hallowed ground. Whatever you have to do to experience a Chelsea game, do it. It will always be worth it.