Bitter rivals unite in emotional tribute to Wilkins, one of Chelsea’s own
AT THE Shed Wall, the queues grew longer. A couple of hours remained before kick-off but the significance of this afternoon for Chelsea supporters extended beyond the sport. They came to cheer on their team but also to remember Ray Wilkins, one of their own, who died on Wednesday, aged 61. As kick-off loomed, supporters took it in turn to sign a book of condolence. Below the
image of Wilkins on the Shed Wall, the colourful floral tributes grew in number. There was an England flag for a former England captain. Tens of shirts were laid down, spanning Chelsea’s jerseys through the years. Wilkins was the link between old and new. He is beloved by elder Chelsea supporters for his impact in the 1970s where he captained the club as an 18-year-old and went on to make 200 appearances in blue. For a sprightlier generation, he is the respected assistant manager of Gianluca Vialli’s Chelsea teams and then the trusted lieutenant alongside Carlo Ancelotti when Chelsea won the League and FA Cup double in 2010. Amid an outpouring of grief, the respect for Wilkins has been felt locally and globally. John Terry returned to Stamford Bridge to place his captain’s armband beside the tributes. A former soldier called in to a radio station to explain how Wilkins helped him recover from homelessness. In The
Sunday Times, Graeme Souness, a man not given to outpourings of emotion, said he shed a tear when his wife informed him of Wilkins’s passing. At AC Milan, his former team-mate Franco Baresi laid a floral tribute before the derby against Inter and raised a shirt with Wilkins and No 8 on the back. ‘Ciao Ray; Leggenda Rossonera’, read a banner by the fans. At Chelsea, however, the sorrow felt most acute. To his dying day, Wilkins still had two season tickets in the lower tier of the East Stand behind the dug-out. They were left empty on this occasion. His family was invited but for his widow
Jackie and children Ross and Jade, the occasion came too soon. The club handled this occasion admirably, mourning a life cut short but celebrating a mighty contribution. Chelsea’s players warmed up in black shirts with a No 8 on the back to pay tribute. The pre-match minute’s applause was hearty and extended. A wreath and a retro shirt was placed on the assistant manager’s seat in the dug-out in acknowledgement of his two spell’s on the club’s coaching staff. In the Shed End, Chelsea supporters held up a banner recalling Ancelotti’s words about Wilkins from his 2010 autobiography. ‘Ray was one of the select few, he knew what it meant to be one of us, a real blue blood, Chelsea flowed through his veins.’ In the Matthew Harding Stand, a giant flag was passed along, emblazoned with an image of Wilkins and the words ‘Ray Wilkins, one of our own’. The stadium burst out into a chant of ‘There’s only one Ray Wilkins.’ West Ham supporters stood, applauded and joined in with the songs. It marked a powerful moment of unity between rivals. In the matchday programme, a five-page picture special celebrated Wilkins through the years. Chairman Bruce Buck called Wilkins a ‘real one-off’. There was a warming sepia-tinted image of his mother Wyn Wilkins with a bare-chested Ray and brother Graham Wilkins, who spent six years together in the Chelsea first team. When Cesar Azpilicueta opened the scoring, the Spaniard pointed at his black armband and looked to the heavens. Azpilicueta never met Wilkins but says he wishes he had. Wilkins was that kind of man.