The early years of the 21st century have brought exciting developments to Chelsea Football Club. The Blues of west London have always been a competitive side in England, winning the FA Cup in 1997 and 2000, the League Cup in 1998 and the Uefa Cup Winners Cup in the same year. Despite these successes, Chelsea were unable to break the stranglehold that Manchester United and Arsenal had on the Premier League trophy, with those two sides winning all but one of the titles up for grabs between 1993 and 2004.

That all changed when Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the club in June 2003 and pledged to invest enough money into Chelsea FC to ensure that the club became a competitor in the Premier League. At the end of the 2004-05 season, Chelsea lifted their first league trophy in over 50 years and followed it with another the following year.

With a strong manager at the helm and a squad of world-class players, now is an exciting time to follow Chelsea FC and visit Stamford Bridge to watch them play. Supporters of the team can ensure that the excitement of their trip to the Bridge is followed by an evening of luxury and comfort by booking a room at the Millennium Copthorne Hotel at Chelsea Football Club.

The 2007-08 season has seen Chelsea continue to compete for honours on both the domestic and European fronts. The Blues will continue their fight for the Premier League title on January 30th when they welcome Reading to Stamford Bridge. The subsequent home game will be one of their biggest of the season as Chelsea play bitter rivals Liverpool in a league match that will surely be a frantic and ferocious affair.

Arguably the Holy Grail for all Chelsea fans is the Champions League, a competition that the club has never won, despite making it to two semi-finals in the past three years. They have been drawn against Olympiakos in the first knockout round of this year's tournament, with the home leg being played on March 5th.

There will be plenty of highlights for football fans in west London after that, with Arsenal coming to Stamford Bridge on March 22nd and Manchester United visiting on April 26th. The game against the Red Devils could be a crucial one in deciding where the Premier League trophy goes this year, with only two matches left in the term after Sir Alex Ferguson's side come to west London.

While football is one of the world's most popular sports, it is not, of course, for everyone. Anti-football campaigners need not fear, however, as the district of Chelsea provides plenty of other opportunities for entertainment.

One of the major attractions of the area is the variety of shops, stores and boutiques, particularly in the nearby areas of Knightsbridge and Kensington. Chelsea also serves as a convenient and comfortable base for tennis fans enjoying the Wimbledon tournament in the summer, or visitors to the famous Chelsea Flower Show.