In Chinese culture, the zodiac cycle lasts for 12 years, with each year represented by a different animal. In 2026, it is the turn of the Fire Horse, a symbol of vitality, speed and emotion.

As the club wishes all supporters a joyous Lunar New Year, our men’s and women’s first teams have already worn exclusively designed warm-up shirts to commemorate the celebration. The limited-edition Nike Year of the Horse Collection is available here.

This will be the tenth Year of the Horse in which the Blues have contested competitive matches – and the third in the Year of the Fire Horse after 1906/7 and 1966/7.

It is in the first of those years that we begin our equine-related exploration of memorable Chelsea tales…

‘Gatling Gun’ nets five

1 September 1906 – Fire Horse

George Hilsdon was signed as an inside-forward from West Ham United ahead of the club’s second-ever season, 1906/07. Manager John Tait Robertson was certain Hilsdon had the potential to play as a centre-forward. He was right.

On his debut, Hilsdon scored five goals in a 9-2 win over Glossop North End. It was a spectacular start to his Chelsea career, with the performance earning him the nickname 'Gatling Gun.'

He would finish the season with 27 goals as we secured promotion to the top flight, and would go on to become the first Chelsea player to score a century of goals for the club.

Hilsdon’s legacy lives on - he is immortalised at Stamford Bridge by the weather vane, which is a feature at the ground.

Dramatic turnaround ignites title charge

4 December 1954 – Wood Horse

Ted Drake’s Chelsea were in mid-table when they travelled to league leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers as 1954 drew to a close.

Chelsea led twice courtesy of goals from Johnny McNichol and Ron Bentley, but Stan Cullis’ Wolves bore their teeth and went 3-2 up with just five minutes remaining.

There was a sting in the tail. Les Stubbs immediately levelled before Bentley slalomed through a gold-shirted rearguard containing the great Billy Wright and finished with aplomb.

The 4-3 victory proved pivotal, igniting our title charge against the side that would prove our nearest challengers during our maiden Championship triumph.

Chopper chooses correctly

2 March 1966 – Fire Horse

Our Fairs Cup last-16 tie against AC Milan in the spring of 1966 needed three games and a coin toss to separate the sides. With both legs ending 2-1 to the hosts, a deciding fixture was required.

Captain Ron Harris lost the coin toss for the venue, and at San Siro it finished 1-1. So another heads or tails call was required to determine the winner. Chopper guessed correctly, and on to the quarter-finals we went!

Ossie’s final flourish

20 January 1979 – Earth Horse

The 1978/79 campaign will go down as one of the worst in Chelsea history. We finished bottom of the First Division, recording just five wins in 42 league fixtures.

Blues fans’ spirits were at least somewhat lifted by Peter Osgood's return to Stamford Bridge, four-and-a-half years after his glorious first spell with the club ended.

The King may have been past his best, but he found the net on his second debut – in a chastening 7-2 defeat at Middlesbrough – and scored once more, in a 3-2 victory away to Manchester City in January 1979.

His scrappy close-range effort at Maine Road took him to the nice round number of 150 Chelsea goals, and helped us to just our second win of the season.

Ending Arsenal’s unbeaten run

2 February 1991 – Metal Horse

Arsenal’s so-called ‘Invincibles’ of 2003/04 are well known, but fewer people are aware they were very close to going unbeaten in the 1990/91 First Division campaign.

In fact, they lost just once all season – to Chelsea. Bobby Campbell’s Blues didn’t exactly set the division alight, finishing tenth, but they took the scalp of the Gunners, managed by our former midfielder George Graham.

With Tony Adams in jail and Steve Bould withdrawn at half-time through injury, the heart of Arsenal’s defence was absent after the break. Chelsea took advantage, scoring through Graham Stuart and Kerry Dixon. Alan Smith’s late goal was a mere consolation.

Our unbeaten run at home to Arsenal - dating back to 1974 – went on. More significantly, we had ended their hopes of avoiding defeat for the whole campaign.

Opening-day comeback sets the tone

17 August 2002 – Water Horse

The summer of 2002 was a quiet one at Stamford Bridge. The cash-strapped Blues made a solitary signing, picking up Spanish midfielder Enrique De Lucas on a free transfer.

Still, key players – the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – were retained, and hopes were high the Blues could build on promising moments the season before.

The opening day took us to the Valley. Charlton went 2-0 up but one of the scorers, Paul Konchesky, was sent off. Gianfranco Zola pulled one back before the break, and our domination in the second half paid off when youngster Carlton Cole levelled with six minutes left.

There was still time for Lampard to snatch a last-gasp winner, finishing in typically predatory style. The 3-2 comeback win set the tone for a successful season in which we secured a Champions League spot come May.

Drama at Anfield

27 April 2014 – Wood Horse

Chelsea travelled to Anfield knowing our Premier League aspirations were all but over after defeat to Sunderland – but the possibility of denting Liverpool’s title hopes remained.

Coming in the middle of a Champions League semi-final tie against Atletico Madrid, Jose Mourinho opted to rotate his squad, including handing young Czech defender Tomas Kalas a full debut.

It was an unfamiliar Blues XI that took to the pitch, but they carried out his demands with a disciplined and dogged display. Demba Ba seized on a slip by Steven Gerrard to put us in front before the break, and we defended with our lives after it at an increasingly frustrated Anfield.

In time added on, Fernando Torres broke clear and teed up Willian to make sure of the result. Mourinho charged down the touchline to celebrate in front of the Chelsea supporters, who had witnessed an iconic win.

- Buy your limited-edition Nike Year of the Horse Collection merch now!