Hello there, “Chelsea fan”. Welcome to the “refresh” of We Ain’t Got No History! It’s like the old WAGNH but with a fresh coat of paint. Or something. Try not to panic. This, too, will become familiar.
Okay, if you are new to this site and you made it this far, congratulations! You’re now “in”! If you’d like to comment, too, be sure to register (there is a 24-hour waiting period). That’s where the fun is, in the comment sections. There are rules however, so be sure to read those.
So this is a network-wide thing at SB Nation (the main page already got the refresh, now it’s the blogs’ turn) — and an even more wide-ranging redesign across all VOX properties — and when the overlords say we need to do something, we do it. We like our SBN overlords; they are the ones providing this fantastic platform for us to be “Chelsea fans” (regardless of garish colors schemes or the emphasis on mobile design because that’s how the Internet is consumed these days on an ever-increasing basis).
What is a “Chelsea fan” you might ask? Or you might not, but technically I’m supposed to be telling you how or why I became a Chelsea fan and asking you to post your own stories as FanPosts. Incidentally, if you’re in the USA, you might want to do this because you might win a $500 Fanatics gift card. Click here for details and official rules. Sorry, everyone else, the contest is only for legal residents of the United States. You can still share your story, but you won’t be eligible to win.
It’s a common question, the “how” and the “why” of the thing. After all, we all have our own stories. Some are born into it. Some are talked into it. Some are forced into it. Some choose to get into it. Some pick at random. Some like the color. Some like the player or the manager. Some hate all the rest. Some are none of those. And one of them, but just about only one of them is exactly like you.
Think about that for a second. There are millions of Chelsea fans in this world. Hundreds of millions, even. Young and old, old and new. Some are casual, some are hardcore. Some are local, many more are not. Some get to go watch live in person, some watch live on television. Some watch everything twice, some only watch half the time. Some support in the truest sense of the word and are always encouraging, some criticize and expect the worst every time. We’re all different and yet we are all the same. We are “Chelsea fans” and we unite in this shared experience of eleven humans kicking a ball around for about 90 minutes at a time on a rectangular patch of grass.
And in the end, that’s the only thing that matters. If you’re a Chelsea fan, this is your home. I don’t care how or why — that’s trivial information that might provide perspective, but doesn’t actually generate value.
And the purpose of WAGNH is to create a bit of value for a community of Chelsea fans who celebrate, commiserate, love, hate, laugh, and sometimes even cry together. While our community guidelines could also use a fresh coat of paint, it’s important to keep them and the house rules (such as meta commentary) in mind in order to create a welcoming and useful community. Be kind to each other. Remember, the purpose of a debate/discussion is not to convince the other person, but to convince others who are reading. Look to engage and foster productive discussions and remember that opinions are like a-star-star-Roses: we’ve all got one and everyone thinks everyone else’s stinks.