Arsenal enjoyed a successful night at the Emirates Stadium in midweek, sealing their place in the EFL Cup final with a 4-2 aggregate win over London rivals Chelsea.
Mikel Arteta’s side went into the semi-final second leg with a narrow advantage after claiming a 3-2 victory at Stamford Bridge on January 14.
The Gunners produced a strong defensive display to frustrate Liam Rosenior’s charges in Tuesday’s return leg, before Kai Havertz netted in stoppage time against his former club to seal Arsenal’s spot in the final.
Chelsea were left disappointed by their team’s failure to break through the Arsenal backline at the Emirates, but that was not the only aspect of Tuesday’s affair that frustrated supporters of the West London club.
Arsenal fans display mocking ‘save the Bridge' sign
They were also left outraged by a sign displayed by a small group of Arsenal fans. The banner read, “Help save the Bridge” with £1 on either side of the message.
The £1 alluded to the amount paid by Ken Bates to complete the takeover of a financially stricken Chelsea in 1982.
Meanwhile, the “help save the bridge” line relates to the fans' efforts to save their beloved ground in the 80s and 90s. The stadium's ownership was passed on to a separate company when Bates bought the club. Former club directors then sold shares to property developers, who allowed Chelsea to remain at Stamford Bridge for the short term.
However, their long-term objective was to build on the site, leading to a battle to save the bridge from demolition. Their threat disappeared when developers were forced into bankruptcy in the early 90s, before the Chelsea Pitch Owners scheme was set up to protect the long-term future of Stamford Bridge.
FGG says: A proud moment in Chelsea's history
Evidently, the sign was designed to antagonise a rival set of fans, and it achieved its desired aim from that perspective.
That said, Chelsea fans are well within their rights to fire back at the jibe, because the ‘save the Bridge' campaign should be remembered with a source of pride.
It was a period that saw fans donate their time and money to help protect the future of the club and the stadium, offering a reminder that the club would not have enjoyed the success of the 21st century without the supporters standing up during the difficult days.