The Rising Sun pub near the current main entrance to Stamford Bridge on Fulham Road was where Chelsea Football Club was founded on March 10, 1905. The Blues turned 121 years old on Tuesday, and to celebrate, the club have made a special video montage that was shared on all of their social media sites.
The 20-second video used old footage to show the history of what has long become one of England’s most successful clubs. It included early views of the stadium, famous goal celebrations from legends like Didier Drogba and Eden Hazard, and unforgettable trophy lifts that have defined eras at Stamford Bridge. The video ended with beautiful modern aerial shots of the ground where the club have been based since they started.
Fans were quick to celebrate in the replies, with many pointing out that Chelsea were the first club to win all five major European trophies: the Champions League, Europa League, Cup Winners’ Cup, Super Cup, and the 2025 Conference League. The Blues are now a true global powerhouse in world football thanks to their win in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain, which they won 3-0.
The club are currently in fifth place in the Premier League table with 48 points from 29 games under head coach Liam Rosenior. They hope to qualify for the Champions League again this season.
Comparing The Abramovich Era To The Clearlake Rebuild
The differences between the two most recent owners of Chelsea are almost too big to believe. Roman Abramovich owned the club for 19 years, during which time they won five FA Cups, five Premier League titles, three League Cups, two Europa Leagues, and two Champions League titles, among others.
Abramovich’s philosophy was clear and harsh: spend a lot of money, expect results right away, and fire the manager whenever it was needed. The Russian-Israeli billionaire told the BBC after buying the club that he had much safer ways to make money and that his involvement was about having fun, which meant winning and trophies.
The way things are done now is very different since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over in May 2022 for £4.25 billion. Despite spending about £1.5 billion on new players, there have been no Premier League titles or domestic cup wins to celebrate. The Conference League and the Club World Cup were the two trophies Boehly won in 2025.
Chelsea’s financial problems worsened when they reported a shocking £355 million pre-tax loss for the 2024-25 season, the largest ever by an English football club. As the Blues blow out their 121st candle, the Chelsea fans hope that the billions being spent will eventually lead to the kind of consistent trophy-winning form that defined the Abramovich era.