Our stadium tours and museum experience is enjoyed by visitors from all over the world but we host famous faces from very close to home too.
No outfielder and no goalkeeper played more for Chelsea last season than Conor Gallagher and Djordje Petrovic and although they were on very familiar turf when the Blues pair took a Stamford Bridge tour recently, they had with them a special guest to ensure it was a very memorable day indeed.
The Chelsea Foundation invited Dexter Bradshaw, a young fan who is losing his sight as a result of Stargardt's Disease, to visit the Bridge but we wanted to add a surprise - and Conor and Djordje were very happy to help make that happen. They were introduced to him in the home dressing room.
Not only did Dexter take the full tour with one of our expert guides, the two players who are now at the Euros with their nations, accompanied him the whole way.
Needless to say, selfies were taken, including in the players’ tunnel which they walked down like a team about to take to the pitch.
Conor was able to tell Dexter he was sitting in what is traditionally the head coach’s seat when they took their turn in the dugout, and when it came to the time to visit the museum, there was the chance to compare Djordje with Chelsea’s very first goalkeeper and Conor to show his young guest a famous trophy he won in his junior years.
And there was another unique opportunity. The CGI photobooth normally allows visitors to create a photo of themselves with their favourite players – but on this occasion why not Conor with Conor and Djordje with Djordje!
As you can see from the video, our cameras followed the touring trio throughout and next week across London, it will appear on various outdoor advertising spaces. Look out for that! We will be taking Dexter on another tour – this time around the capital city so he can experience those videos himself.
Dexter’s condition, which also affects his younger sister, means he currently relies solely on peripheral vision. People may be familiar with Stargardt's Disease from recent documentaries and podcasts featuring former England striker Michael Owen and his son James, who has the degenerative condition.