Chelsea mark key anniversaries in 2026/27 season
Chelsea historian Rick Glanvill highlights key anniversaries in 2026/27, from Stamford Bridge's 150th birthday to the 10-year mark of Conte's title triumph.
· Kickhell
Updated Sep 18, 2026
Chelsea's club historian Rick Glanvill has compiled a series of historical anniversaries the club will be marking throughout the 2026/27 season, spanning 150 years of Stamford Bridge history.
The most distant milestone dates back 150 years, when Stamford Bridge opened as an athletics venue on 28 April 1877 in front of a crowd of 6,000. At the other end of the timeline, ten years will have passed since John Terry made his final appearance for the club against Sunderland on 21 May 2017.
Among the landmark results being commemorated is Chelsea's biggest ever league win — a 9-2 home victory over Glossop in Division Two, 120 years ago, in which debutant George 'Gatling Gun' Hilsdon scored five goals. Also 120 years ago, temporary manager William Lewis guided the club to its first-ever promotion to Division One with a 4-0 win over Wolverhampton on 13 April 1907.
On the European front, 55 years will have passed since Chelsea beat Jeunesse Hautcharage 13-0 in the Cup Winners' Cup at Stamford Bridge on 29 September 1971, completing a UEFA record 21-0 aggregate victory.
A decade will have elapsed since Antonio Conte's debut season ended with Chelsea winning the Premier League title at West Brom on 12 May 2017, powered by Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas. That same season also produced a 5-0 defeat of Everton on 5 November 2016 that commentator John Motson called the 'best performance ever seen in the history of the Premier League.'
Chelsea's Champions League win at Bayern Munich's stadium on 19 May 2012 — where the hosts had hung banners reading 'Our city, our stadium, our trophy' — turns 15, as does the FA Cup final victory over Liverpool on 5 May 2012 with goals from Ramires and Didier Drogba.
Other anniversaries include 30 years since Ruud Gullit's side won the FA Cup against Middlesbrough on 17 May 1997 — the club's first major trophy in 26 years — and five years since Romelu Lukaku and Kai Havertz goals beat Palmeiras for Chelsea's first Club World Cup crown on 12 February 2022.
The club anthem 'Blue Is The Colour', released on 18 February 1972 and reaching number five in the charts, also marks its 55th anniversary this season.
