Match of the Armistice Day

How 100,000 squeezed into ground to see 'war minus the shooting' with Russian stars

-  ANDY LINES Chief Reporter

POSTWAR euphoria, exotic visitors and six goals helped to ensure a match played 80 years ago went down in history.

Chelsea hosted Moscow Dynamo in a friendly clash which drew more than 100,000 fans to Stamford Bridge on November 13, 1945.

That was far more than the West London ground's capacity, even in the days before all-seater stadiums.

As the Mirror reported on its front page the next day: "Fans who failed to get in broke down the doors of nearby houses and ran upstairs in the hope of seeing the game from the roof. Police threw them out."