By Since66
September 26 2008

For the first time this season Chelsea have a 'proper o'clock kick off' in the Premiership. Nope its true. No live TV, although the game is being shown live at Stamford Bridge, but yes I can confirm WE HAVE A THREE O'CLOCK kick-off. Early Chelsea team news is that Scolari has ruled out Joey Cole with a minor injury and expects him to return to training within a couple of days.

(Did Joey fall off his stool after Thursday night's star on the stool evening with Carlo Cudicini?)

It is possible that Joey may miss Wednesday's Champions League game against Cluj in Romania.

Scolari reckons that Deco and Carvalho have another three weeks to go before they can be considered for selection and new signing Mineiro whose signature was confirmed this week has about 14 days - Mineiro has been given the 27 shirt.

Any Chelsea fan reading this before tomorrow's kick-off be warned!!

Stoke are no push overs and they maybe back in the top flight after a very long time, but they will are no mugs especially with their direct style of play and the long throws of Rory Delap.

Their crowd will be up for it and the travelling Chelsea fans will have to work hard to make themselves heard.

The last time Chelsea and Stoke played each other in the top flight was over 20 years ago when Chelsea won at Stoke 1-0, courtesy of a goal from David Speedie in front of a crowd of 8,905.

Stoke were relegated that season and Chelsea finished sixth.

I am using the League Cup final back in 1972 as an example of the 'Stoke are no pushover pitch.'

In the previous two years Chelsea had won the FA Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup under the leadership of Dave Sexton.

Chelsea were the Kings of the Kings Road with the likes of the late Peter Osgood, Alan Hudson (who went onto play for Stoke), Peter Bonetti, John Hollins, John Dempsey, David Webb, Charlie Cooke, Tommy Baldwin, the late Peter Houseman, Paddy Mulligan, Johnny Boyle, Micky Droy, Gary Locke and more.

We had already beaten Stoke in the League season 1-0 away with a goal from Peter Osgood and Chelsea were firm favourites.... ney hot favourites to lift their third successive trophy in three years.

But the Red and White stripes had other ideas. Jimmy Greenhoff put City ahead in the first-half, Ossie equalised but George Eastham scored his first goal in eighteen months to take the trophy back to The Potteries and it was Stoke's first trophy in their history.

The underdogs had prevailed and the Kings Road boys got their 2nd shock in the space of a week.

In the FA Cup the week before, Chelsea were beaten by Leyton Orient 3-2 at Brisbane Road, oh happy days and I WAS at both of those games.

Somewhere, I have still got my 'silly' League Cup final hat which was made out of Blue card with a little Blue and White woollen figure affixed.

In the League game some six weeks later at The Bridge, Chelsea inflicted partial revenge when Alan Hudson and Chris Garland scored the goals as Chelsea won 2-0.

So Chelsea be warned.

Expect the unexpected!!