To mark three decades since Chelsea Women's first competitive game of the modern era, we conclude our look back at the early years as silverware and success finally arrived...
In part one and part two, we told the tale of a Chelsea Ladies team forming for the 1992/93 season, promotion in the early years, a Wembley showcase, and the push to make the national league structure. Now we take the story further...
Significantly, in the 1998/99 season, a first piece of silverware since the 1970s version of the women’s team was soon won. We beat National League side Reading Royals 2-1 to win the County Cup. Another indication of progress was the team’s first ever England recognition when Casey Stoney was selected for England Under-18s.
The story remained the same however when she was soon taken by Arsenal. Fara Williams (pictured top), who was staying a Blue, then made England U16s.
After eight years of existence, Chelsea Ladies in 1999/00 left the local leagues and moved to a regional one, which now fed directly into the top National League. It was a season of unprecedented success as the team retained the County Cup, won their League Cup and their league title.
The treble winners proudly showed off the trophies at half-time in a Stamford Bridge game. We had gained promotion to the Women’s Premier League (Southern).
From the main club came extra funding which paid for a physio, a fitness coach and a second main coach and in our first season in the south section we came close to promotion straight up into the big time as we finished runners up to Brighton, missing promotion by one point. We retained the County Cup for a third year in succession.
Williams, by now an England Under-18 international, was top scorer but ominously Fulham, who were new to our division, turned fully professional.
In 2001/02 with Fulham training 25 hours a week and Chelsea still on our 1992 schedule of two evenings a week for 90 minutes each, our neighbours had no trouble leap-frogging us and into the league above. In fact we slipped to fourth. Young goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain broke into England U19s.
The following season it really felt like Chelsea Ladies were treading water and the squad was completely rebuilt under new boss George Michaelas, who was previously the youth coach.
Only one player was left from the treble-winning side but still we were competing against pro or semi-pro sides for promotion to the top division. We lost England goalkeeper Chamberlain to Fulham, having previously said goodbye to future England captain Stoney, Williams and highly-rated Eartha Pond.
But change was in the air and Roman Abramovich's purchase of the football club in the summer of 2003 saw the women's team fully integrated as a financed part of Chelsea FC under the wing of our Football in the Community programme. From that moment, there was no looking back...