Living The Claret Dream – The Glory Years Of Chelmsford City

MOST Non-League clubs dream of life in the Football League.

For some it’s a fantasy that will never become a reality, but for the likes of Chelmsford City, it’s potentially just two great seasons away.

The Clarets have reached the Conference South play-offs in four of the last five seasons but have repeatedly fallen short of reaching Non-League’s top table.

But their quest to reach the big time is nothing new to long-term followers of the Melbourne Stadium faithful.

During the 1960s, the Essex outfit desperately attempted to get voted into the Football League and novelist Steve Little – a City fan since 1957 – has now chronicled what is one of the most fascinating periods in the club’s history.

His book entitled “Living The Claret Dream – The Glory Years of Chelmsford City FC” tells the story of the club during that time in a fly-on-the-wall documentary style, drawing from experiences of players, officials and supporters who were there at the time.

It tells of how Chelmsford’s wealthy chairman had a dream that came to nothing; how players were signed straight from the old First Division, a costly mistake, and the club’s ground was to rival any in League football.

Mistakes were made; money wasted and by the time the club’s had its greatest success in 1968 it was already on a slippery slope leading to virtual oblivion.

Full details of the 252-page book, priced at £12.99 plus p&p, and how to obtain a copy can be found at www.stevelittlebooks.com