Happy movement

Beth Wild went to London in 1981 for graduate school, but returned with an education in soccer culture.She still remembers the date vividly Oct. 10, 1981 when the first soccer game she attended turned her into a Chelsea Football Club supporter for life.The previous night the then 23 year old American attended a party at which Simon Turner asked her if she fancied going to a football game.

Now Wild is the one with out-of-town friends sleeping at her house in anticipation of today’s 6 p.m. soccer match at Cowboys Stadium featuring Chelsea and Mexico’s Club America.A founding member of the Texas branch of Chelsea in America, Wild, 50, and her group will head into this match as the underdogs in terms of supporting groups. Because of the area’s heavy Hispanic population, supporters for Aguilas will far outnumber the Chelsea fans.We don’t need drums. We don’t need horns. We have our voices.

It was the singing voices of the English soccer fans that first thrilled Wild nearly 30 years ago in London at Chelsea’s famed stadium, Stamford Bridge.She met Turner that morning early at a nearly empty pub. As the day rolled on, the pub filled and at game time she walked through the streets learning the songs and chants of the Blues fans.At the time Chelsea was a division below the top level of English professional soccer, but she remembered after the win against Wrexham asking Turner when they’d go again.

I thought it was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen in my life.She and Turner attended every Chelsea home game the rest of her time abroad.When she returned to the United States, it was difficult to keep up with her beloved Blues, who today have grown into one of England’s Big 4 in the Premier League.The Fort Worth resident has traveled as far as Istanbul to watch Chelsea play. During the current World Football Challenge tournament, she’s hit all of Chelsea’s stops in Seattle, Pasadena and Baltimore.

Fellow Chelsea in America member Andy Burbidge of Detroit and about four members have been at Wild’s home this weekend. Burbidge grew up in London, but moved to the U.S. for work in 1990.It’s moved beyond the expatriates living in the United States," Burbidge said. "There are real homegrown American soccer supporters. The expats planted the seed, but there’s been a tremendous growth among American fans that not only want to watch the games but embrace the soccer culture."

As for Wild, she’s seen the group grow to 250 members, 100 locally, since it was officially formed a year ago.Once during the mid-1990s, Turner joked with Wild that one day she’d start a Chelsea supporters group in the U.S.Turner now lives in Hospice care in England and can’t join his protégé for today’s match.

When I was new, I never knew how much the club would change my life. I have hundreds of friends that I never would have known if it hadn’t been for Chelsea. He Turner is the one that 'turned me blue’ all those years ago. So now it’s a payback thing, you know.
TOBIAS XAVIER LOPEZ, 817-685-3868