The Night Chelsea FC came to Perth

It was the night that Chelsea FC came to Perth and put on a razzle-dazzle of performance in the capital city in the state of Western Australia.

A memorable night indeed; it was a dream come true to be in one the most beautiful stadiums in the world (Optus Stadium), to watch a world-class team that hails from far away in England flying to Australia and putting on a fantastic exhibition match for their fans.

From the moment Optus Stadium in Perth City officially opened in January of 2018, the major international events came calling for a visit to Perth; it included Chelsea FC, who agreed to play a one-off match against A-League side, Perth Glory and from the time the ticket sales opened, tickets were selling fast.

I was lucky enough to get in quickly and purchase three tickets to the game and take my two football-loving sons to what would be the biggest football game in the state. Check out my 24 hours in the city of Perth, from our stay in a cosy apartment that was only a ten-minute walk to the stadium to wandering around the picturesque Swan River in East Perth and the main event of when Chelsea FC came to Perth.

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The night that Chelsea FC came to Perth.

In Preparation for When Chelsea FC Came to Perth

The lead-up was exciting, this is how I prepared for the big clash in Perth and the EPL giants.

Staying at the Regal Apartments

In the lead-up to the game, I checked into the Regal Apartments, a perfect family accommodation situated in East Perth and only a 15-minute walk to the stadium. The apartments were not anything flashy, but they were in a lively area of Perth with the Swan River, cafes and restaurants all nearby.

The Regal Apartments we stayed in was a fully equipped two-bedroom apartment with a full kitchen, laundry and private bathroom, which was convenient for the family and only cost $188 per night. You can check out Booking.com for updated pricing.

The Regal Apartments in East Perth.

Enjoying East Perth

Staying in East Perth means you can feel like a millionaire for a night if the comforts of posh surroundings, even if the accommodation you are staying in, isn’t too flashy. East Perth is all about luxury townhouses and apartments that overlook the canals and cost millions.

It’s relaxing to walk along the edge of the canals, which leads into the Swan River and has views of Optus Stadium, which sits on the other side of the river. East Perth is a great location to sit down at a local café in neat and tranquil surroundings,d enjoy a delicious cappuccino or bite to eat and enjoy the atmosphere of the area.

Wandering around East Perth.

Chelsea FC v Perth Glory

It was time to get to the match and enjoy the sole reason we were in Perth, and that was to watch the English Premier League Giants put on a show for their Aussie fans and give the West Aussies a test of World-Class Football.

Matagarup Bridge

To get to Optus Stadium on foot from East Perth, you must cross over the newly built Matagarup Bridge. At the time of this game on July 23, 2018, the bridge had only been opened for two weeks.

The bridge was best described by my son, who mentioned it looked like a roller coaster and was spot on in his description of the bridge’s unique design. At night, the glowing lights give Matagarup Bridge an even better appeal.

The Matagarup Bridge and Optus Stadium at night.

The FA CUP

The first thing I noticed getting off the bridge, other than the Stadium, was a massive line-up of people queueing up to take a picture of the actual FA Cup. I did not need any convincing to Join the line; after all, it’s one of the most prestigious trophies in world sport, and we were about to see the FA Cup in the flesh.

Chelsea FC won the FA Cup against Manchester United in May, and because of that result, we could get a glimpse of the large trophy with years of history and tradition. We were in line for about an hour, all up and getting drenched in the rain, but neither myself nor my soccer-loving boys minded at all, not when the FA cup was waiting for us.

The FA Cup.

Freebies Galore

More excitement for the kids, with Chelsea being the Kindest of visitors to the city of Perth by handing out a few souvenirs of Chelsea FC merchandise to all the juniors who attended by giving out badges and clappers before we entered the stadium.

It got even better for the kids and even the adults when we got to our seats, and much to our surprise, we found that every position in the arena had a large Chelsea flag that could be taken home with us. How cool was that?

The flags get a good workout.

The Game

The game wasn’t high scoring by any imagination, as can happen with a set of soccer, with Chelsea FC getting the first and only goal of the match through Pedro in the 5^th minute in their 1-0 win over the Perth Glory. Not to say it was a dull defensive struggle, far from it; Chelsea had created many chances to increase the margin and probably should have had four or five in the back of the net but wasted several scoring opportunities. Perth Glory even had a few chances to level the game and lost a golden opportunity to tie it up at the death.

It didn’t matter; the result was irrelevant; it was a pleasure to be at the game with all involved at Optus Stadium putting on a great show. It started with the quality lighting show that dazzled the crowd in the pre-game entertainment and once again when Chelsea scored the only goal. A Mexican wave went around the stadium late in the match by the enthusiastic crowd when the game hit a flat spot and lasted a good five minutes with the crowd willing their arms in the air to keep the wave going.

It was a perfect Monday night in Perth full of sporting entertainment, from when we exited the Matagarup bridge and had our photo taken with the FA Cup. At that very moment, we got to our seats and received a few freebies that pleased the kids, to the pre-game entertainment that dazzled the 55k crowd. The admission paid for the event, even in the cheap seats, made the whole night worthwhile, and it will always be remembered as the night when Chelsea FC came to Perth.