On August 18th, the industry's attention was quietly drawn to the Chelsea board of directors. Barbara Charon, a music industry veteran, joined Chelsea's board in June. In a recent interview, Charon shared her journey - how she got involved with Chelsea and the bits and pieces with Russian owner Abu.
Emotional Sparks: Getting to Know Chelsea for the First Time
Rewind to the late 1970s, when Charon first arrived in England, knowing nothing about soccer. Her first London home was on Sloane Street, just two miles from Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea. During those idle evenings, she became hooked on soccer matches on television and gradually developed a passion for the game. She started traveling to London to watch matches more often and her love for Chelsea took root. Since then, she has held a Chelsea season ticket almost every season.
The glory of the Abu era
When Abramovich joined Chelsea, everything changed forever. The team welcomed better players and coaches such as Lampard, Drogba and Makelele. What Charon remembers vividly is the day she won the Champions League in Munich, which was undoubtedly the most glorious moment of her life. And the trip to Bayern that season was a marvelous experience. The fans of both teams had a great rapport and her only regret was the tendency of the broadcasters to upset her when Bayern scored. Just as Bayern took the lead in the 83rd minute, she had signaled to her friend to leave the game, however, five minutes later, Drogba's goal made it all worthwhile. It was one of her most memorable Chelsea goals, along with Fernando Torres' brilliant performance against Barcelona, which eventually led his team to the Champions League final.
A new chapter for the Board
Charon has known Times journalist and Chelsea fan Danny Finkelstein for more than 20 years.Finkelstein and Jonny Goldstein - members of the Burley Consortium - want to invite the both fans to join the board. While many clubs have discussed this initiative, few have actually put it into practice. When Finkelstein made the offer to Charon, she agreed with little hesitation. Their first task was to establish fan connections on both official and unofficial levels, a challenging endeavor. And Burley, the new owner, has impressed, always open to ideas and responding positively to emails.
Burley's relationship with the Los Angeles Dodgers became exemplary, and the addition of Jonny Goldstein will help the team grow off the field. Importantly, they want the fans to be actively involved rather than sitting on the sidelines. After a four- to five-month lull, everyone is looking forward to meeting the future with a positive attitude and a sense of anticipation. Even if Charon is not part of the board, as a loyal Chelsea fan, she is still excited about the future.
Looking ahead to the new season
Charron is excited about the new season for both the men's and women's soccer coaches. She expects the men's soccer team to finish in the top four in the Premier League and excel in the Champions League. She believes that the team has a number of great players and that the additions of Sterling and Koulibaly were both wise choices. Cucurelia also performed well against Tottenham Hotspur and is looking forward to a great new season.
