MYSTERY surrounds the departure of popular kit man Ricky Dowling after 13 years at Chelsea.
The Chelsea Files team were tipped off Dowling was on his way out and were given information about a potential reason.
AFPChelsea won the Club World Cup in the summer[/caption]
Ricky Dowling had left Chelsea after 13 yearsAlamy
The club declined to comment, but sure enough Dowling suddenly announced he was leaving in the build-up to Sunday’s Premier League opener against Crystal Palace.
The former Fulham security man joined the Blues as a kit assistant to the men’s side in 2012 and became head of kit and equipment in 2021.
In his leaving statement on LinkedIn, Dowling said: “After 13 remarkable years, over 750 games, and dedicating my utmost to represent an extraordinary club, the time has come for me to bid farewell to Chelsea.”
No further explanation was given.
Just over a month ago Dowling was part of the team behind the team that won the Club World Cup in America.
In Dowling’s LinkedIn profile, top of the list of jobs held at Chelsea is World champion Full-time Jul 2025 – Present.
He was also well known for his work away from the glamour of match day.
Dowling himself mentioned running the London Marathon for the Make A Wish charity with the club’s support.
And Chelsea’s official website praised him for the “pivotal role” he played in the scheme of selling autographed match-worn shirts which raises £60,000 per season for the Chelsea Foundation.
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In modern football, kitmen remain important figures in the dressing room, building close relationships with the players.
You can bet Dowling has some brilliant stories to tell – although any severance package he has received from Chelsea is likely to include some kind of confidentiality clause.
Teamwork
SOME Strasbourg fans may hate being Chelsea’s “B” team.
But all three Blues loanees were involved as the Ligue 1 club won their opening game of the season and made a bit of history into the bargain.
Strasbourg are believed to have fielded the youngest-ever starting 11 in the history of the big five European leagues, with every player born in 2002 or after.
On-loan Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders, 20, had a very quiet day as newly-promoted opponents Metz failed to register an effort on target.
GettyMike Penders is on loan at Strasbourg[/caption]
AFPMamadou Sarr featured against Metz[/caption]
Defender Mamadou Sarr, 19, did OK, despite picking up a yellow card after just over half an hour.
Ecuador wonderkid Kendry Paez, 18, was sent on with 10 minutes to go and was on the field when Strasbourg grabbed their late winner.
Much like Chelsea’s stalemate against Crystal Palace, it was a low-key game.
Until the goal, the most noteworthy incident was a firecracker being thrown onto the pitch near a ball boy, who was led to safety while the match was temporarily halted.
Next of Kin
CHELSEA’S owners have made a big signing off the pitch – former communications chief Steve Atkins is back.
Atkins left the club to join F1 team McLaren Racing in 2022, a few months after the new Blues regime arrived in town.
He saw it all in more than 14 years with the Blues. Including the scene where he and other staff on a pre-season training trip to Austria found themselves being pelted with water balloons from an upstairs balcony, which provoked a full-blown water fight.
The culprit was then boss Jose Mourinho, one of the many big egos and personalities that Atkins had to handle in a reign that earned him respect inside and outside the club.
Steve Atkins has returned to the BluesNews Group Newspapers Ltd
As you would expect from a former deputy press secretary at the British Embassy in Washington DC, Atkins knows the value of quiet diplomacy over shock and awe.
He is returning as an operating partner at Chelsea’s majority owners, Clearlake Capital, a very senior title that will give him plenty of clout.
Atkins will effectively be head of football communications – not the corporate side – at both the Blues and sister club Strasbourg.
But it is the never-ending soap opera at Stamford Bridge which will require most of his attention.
Stepping up
TOSIN ADARABIOYO has been lauded for his leadership ever since arriving at Chelsea.
The former Fulham defender, a free transfer just over 12 months ago, is a talkative presence on the pitch who has become even more important since Levi Colwill‘s injury.
So it was a blow that he was missing for the first game of the season with a small knock.
However, the towering defender still managed to make his presence felt.
GettyTosin Adarabioyo has stepped up at Chelsea[/caption]
GettyLevi Colwill is set to miss most of the season with injury[/caption]
Sitting just behind the home bench, as most players not in the match day squad, Adarabioyo hopped up to grab a few words with captain Reece James before the second half got going.
With inexperience having been a common theme last season, Chelsea need as many players comfortable and confident at passing out advice as they can get.
Blue wonders
AH, being a teenager…
Knocking on Enzo Maresca’s door, scoring vital goals in the Champions League, and getting assists that will have adoring fans desperate to see you given a chance at Stamford Bridge.
Believe it or not those were not our experiences of being a teenager, but those of Reggie Walsh, Dastan Satpaev and Geovany Quenda.
In two days, 16-year-old Reggie Walsh will pick up his GCSE results.
GettyEnzo Maresca has plenty of young talent at his disposal[/caption]
GettyReggie Walsh has already made an impression[/caption]
The talented youngster faced off against one of his idols in Luka Modric for AC Milan just a week ago, and has already made a name for himself after impressing in the Conference League last season.
Walsh is Chelsea’s third youngest player EVER, and wasn’t born when Luka Modric made his debut for Tottenham.
On the day he was born the number one song in the UK charts was ‘So What’ by Pink, followed by Kings of Leon and the Sugababes.
The lack of Conference League football will likely see opportunities for the midfielder limited, but he is expected to shine for Chelsea’s youth teams this campaign, mostly for the Under-21s.
As for Geovany Quenda, the 18-year-old Portuguese winger looks ready-made to be challenging the likes of Estevao and Neto for a place in the Chelsea first team as soon as next season.
Sporting may have lost Viktor Gyokeres this summer, but still had no problem smashing Arouca yesterday, as Quenda stole the show with two assists in as little as 34 minutes.
He is joining Chelsea next summer, in a deal worth up to £44m.
Then there is Dastan Satpaev, a striker who has already been dubbed the ‘next Aguero’ – a label that would pile pressure onto any 16-year-old kid.
GettyGeovany Quenda is joining Chelsea next summer[/caption]
AlamyDastan Satpaev has been tipped to be the next Sergio Aguero[/caption]
His team, Kairat Almaty, have been going through the Champions League play-off rounds, and he has been the one writing the headlines.
A goal and assist from the youngster helped his side overturn a 2-0 deficit in the second round, before he slotted a 90th-minute pressure penalty to set up a playoff tie against Celtic.
The first leg takes place tomorrow and while this will be a mighty challenge for Kairat Almaty, Satpaev will be playing on a huge stage in front of a British audience for the first time.
It’s an opportunity for the ‘Kazakh Aguero’ to announce himself to the world for real, with kick-off at 8pm on Wednesday.
Time to Shim
CHELSEA got the better of Premier League 2 Champions Manchester City last night, as their Under-21 side ran out 3-1 winners at Kingsmeadow.
A number of players caught the eye, but none more so than Shim Mheuka.
With John Terry, Willie Isa, and Jamie Redknapp among those watching on as the two best academies in the country went head-to-head, it was the captain and number nine that stole the show with a hat-trick.
His first two goals were a signal of his desire and aerial dominance, the opener a looping header past the goalkeeper, with another header following, this time smashed into the ground and rippling the net at the start of the second half.
GettyShim Mheuka caught the eye in the Premier League 2 win over Man City[/caption]
However, it was his third which really stood out.
The 17-year-old shrugged his man to the ground before bursting through on goal with the ball under his spell before slotting home on the break for the young Blues, securing the win.
Reigning champions City had some recognisable names in their side too.
Jaden and Reigan Heskey both played a part in the game, sons of Prem cult hero Emile, and the highly rated Ryan McAidoo returned to play against his former team.
Chelsea’s U21’s, led by new coach Callum McFarlane had a simply electric attack made up of Leo Cardoso, Ryan Kavuma-McQueen and Mheuka.
All three of whom are expected to have careers at the top level, and look like they will be a serious threat to any other team in the Premier League 2 this season, or maybe even the Premier League…
Kitted out
THE Club World Cup final may feel like a distant memory as the focus has shifted to chasing Premier League and Champions League glory once more.
But one fan won’t be forgetting the game in a hurry, after splashing out over £27,000 on Cole Palmer’s match-worn shirt from the final against PSG.
The winning bidder, from the USA, splashed out £27,636 on the Chelsea home top, which is also signed by Palmer.
Even still, it will only go down as the SECOND most expensive Palmer shirt sold on the MatchWornShirt platform, after his kit following his masterclass against Brighton last season went for £34,411.
A Cole Palmer shirt has been sold for over £27k
GettyHe wore the shirt for the Club World Cup final[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
