Chelsea FC

To mark three decades since Chelsea Women's first competitive game of the modern era, we conclude our look back at the early years as silverware and success ...

We retained the County Cup for a third year in succession. Only one player was left from the treble-winning side but still we were competing against pro or semi-pro sides for promotion to the top division. After eight years of existence, Chelsea Ladies in 1999/00 left the local leagues and moved to a regional one, which now fed directly into the top National League. We had gained promotion to the Women’s Premier League (Southern). Significantly, in the 1998/99 season, a first piece of silverware since the 1970s version of the women’s team was soon won. Another indication of progress was the team’s first ever England recognition when Casey Stoney was selected for England Under-18s.