Chelsea Ladies hail Terry support

31 July 2015 11:16

John Terry gatecrashing big-stage celebrations has become a hugely popular internet meme - but if there were ever a trophy party he could justifiably intrude on it might come on Saturday.

Chelsea Ladies had seen their budget cut in 2009 and looked set for difficult times ahead until Terry, having heard of their predicament, approached the team's then captain Casey Stoney with the offer of assistance.

It came in the form of unexpected funding from the ocean-deep Premier League pockets of men's first-team captain Terry and a number of his fellow players.

Terry became and to this day remains club president of Chelsea Ladies, who play Notts County on Saturday in the first SSE Women's FA Cup final to be staged at Wembley.

Success has not come quickly for Chelsea Ladies since Terry and team-mates rode to their rescue, but the club are again investing heavily on the women's side.

Slowly, surely, the faith of the man who along with Jose Mourinho and Roman Abramovich embodies modern-day Chelsea is being rewarded.

Chelsea Ladies vice-captain Gilly Flaherty was an Arsenal player when the financial intervention came from Terry.

"He got hold of some money and saved the women's team," Flaherty said.

"Since then we've had pre-season friendlies at Cobham and he comes down to watch."

The former England skipper's celebration in full kit after missing Chelsea's 2012 Champions League triumph through suspension was widely lampooned. His image has been superimposed on pictures ever since, from sporting successes to Barack Obama's election-night success and the famous Oscars selfie taken by Ellen DeGeneres.

Chelsea Ladies are simply proud of, and inspired by, their one-time benefactor.

"He's our president and if you want players from the men's team to recognise us and appreciate what we do, I believe we have to be successful," Flaherty said.

"Everyone at Arsenal knew about Arsenal Ladies because we won more trophies than the Arsenal men's team, and that's what we have to instil.

"The mentality of Chelsea is that they're winners. We need to bring success to this club to show we are good enough. It's only a matter of time before we start bringing silverware to the club.

"They bend over backwards for us. We've got to thank our chairman, Bruce Buck. All they want, the people higher up, is trophies and for us to do well. That's our responsibility."

Flaherty, 23, has been tipped to break through to the England squad but remains just outside its fringes.

The Londoner is a former Arsenal team-mate of Laura Bassett's, however, so felt the England and Notts County defender's pain acutely when her own goal against Japan ended the Lionesses' World Cup hopes.

"It was heartbreaking," Flaherty said. "I dropped Bass a message after the game, and I said, 'You know what Bass, keep your head up high, everyone back home is proud of you'.

"She lifted herself up for the Germany third-place game, and she made sure the team came away with that bronze medal."

Flaherty knows Bassett will be relishing the occasion this weekend, and realises Chelsea must match that passion.

"Everyone scores own goals, everyone makes mistakes. It's just the way you bounce back from the mistakes," Flaherty said.

"I've no doubt Bass will be even more fired up now for the rest of the season, especially for the FA Cup final.

"If you'd told me even 12 months ago that we'd be playing it at Wembley, I'd have said 'You're mad', because I wouldn't have thought it possible.

"It's going to be a dream come true for a lot of people, but we want to make good memories of it."

:: Tickets are available for just £15 for adults and £5 for children at www.thefa.com/tickets

Source: PA