At the weekend Chelsea Football Club launched our new multiday global fan experience tour in Mumbai, India. Across three days, the club hosted events for fans, local communities, media and partners, turning the city blue for our Premier League match against Everton.
Chelsea legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink joined the club for the events and commenting on his first experience in India, said: ‘This weekend has been incredible! The support for Chelsea here in Mumbai is unlike anything I’ve seen before. The fans are so passionate here, it has been a privilege to spend time with them.’
The Blues’ festival of football kicked off in Mumbai on Friday with a VIP event at Soho House, Juhu, headlined by a panel discussion on Chelsea fan culture in India with Hasselbaink, Bollywood star and die-hard Blues fan Arjun Kapoor, and Olivia Buzaglo from Chelsea’s Matchday Live show.
As The Famous CFC was making its inaugural appearance in Mumbai, the club’s activities were amplified far and wide with live satellite feeds connecting the Blues in India with Chelsea’s global community via the Premier League’s weekend preview and own Matchday Live show. Exclusive media events with Star Sports, MTV India and the NBA showcased the club’s work in India’s largest city.
On Saturday, as Graham Potter’s men hosted Everton some 4,500+ miles away at Stamford Bridge, The Famous CFC hosted hundreds of Chelsea supporters for an official Supporters Club tournament ahead of a live match screening in the Juhu region of the city.
With Buzaglo on hosting duties, the lucky Blues in attendance enjoyed Q&As from Hasselbaink and Kapoor, a fan photobooth, signed-shirt giveaways and the main event, Chelsea vs Everton, beamed live to Mumbai.
Supporting Chelsea’s local fans and their communities is a cornerstone of The Famous CFC, and the Chelsea Foundation partnered with local non-profit Reality Gives in Dharavi, Maharashtra, one of the largest under-developed communities in the whole of Asia. Chelsea hosted an educational seminar with local students with Hasselbaink, before the former striker ran a skills clinic on a local recreational ground with youngsters from the area.
Ian Woodroffe, head of international development at Chelsea Foundation, said: ‘The Famous CFC has been a huge success, being able to be part of the programme and helping the club give back to its community.’
The Famous CFC will soon make its bow for the first time in the USA, as we will be heading to Los Angeles for the weekend of 28-30 April for a live fan screening of our London derby against Arsenal among some other fantastic initiatives.
Full information and event registration to follow.