A former Chelsea executive tells a story about the Champions League semi-final second leg against Liverpool at Anfield in 2005. It was the infamous ‘ghost goal’ game, where Luis Garcia’s disputed fourth-minute strike sent the home team to Istanbul.

At half-time the Chelsea contingent were furious about the referee allowing the goal. Roman Abramovich, the owner, seemed distracted. “We need a song,” the Russian said. The company was confused. “Like the song they have.”

The executive explained that You’ll Never Walk Alone had grown out of an organic supporter culture and that fans at Stamford Bridge had their own separate, distinct way of doing things. “Find a songwriter,” Abramovich said. “Pay him to write us a song.”
A bitter rivalry was growing between the clubs and the story could be an allegory for it.

Both sides wanted what the other had got. Chelsea had the cash and the titles, Liverpool had the Champions League trophy and Steven Gerrard.

The Kop revelled in singing, “You’ve got no history,” to their west London counterparts but that was silly. Chelsea’s history – even before the slew of trophies delivered by Abramovich’s money – is rich and fascinating.

It features Fatty Foulke, the 20-stone goalkeeper, the highest league attendance at a permanent home stadium when nearly 83,000 crammed into the Bridge against Arsenal in 1935 and Ken Bates and his electric fences.

For a while it was the most fractious duel in English football when Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez were going head to head. The heat has gone out of the contest now.

Frank Lampard might retain some residual dislike for the league leaders but it would be hard to find anyone around Anfield who harbours real contempt for Chelsea. INDEPENDENT