LONDON — Football fans don’t usually have a whole page dedicated to them on their club’s website, but Basil Goode is no ordinary fan. Decked out from head-to-toe in blue, Basil is a conspicuous presence on Chelsea women’s matchdays. His drums, horns and flags are all part of his persona, while his ceaseless chanting is the soundtrack to every game. You’re more likely to hear him before you see him.
The retired 65-year-old — who worked as baker, and in electrical and metal work, among other jobs — isn’t on any social media platform but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming a TikTok sensation.
“I like to greet the people as they come in, welcome them into the ground and say a few things,” Basil tells ESPN. “I talk to them and sometimes just make a little noise around the ground to just get the people going and have the fans going. Bang a few drums and make noise.
“I love seeing them and saying hello to them; and the stewards as well, the security staff and the people in the ticket office. I like to say hello to them and just put a smile on their faces and do a dance or jig for them or whatever. Just to show appreciation for them.”
Basil and his wife Jean, who accompanies him to every game, typically reach the ground a couple of hours before kickoff. But their matchday routine starts well before then.
While he’s in the shower, Jean lays out all Basil’s shirts, scarves, wristbands and earrings. A lot of his accessories are made up of gifts received from fans, mostly young girls. There’s a Millie Bright bracelet from Thea; two blue-and-white bracelets from Florence and Rosie; a Hannah Hampton bracelet from Caitlin and Dolly; a blue shirt with his name on it from Elsie; an earring a fan brought back from Mauritius; and a Champions League lanyard given to him by a groundsman at Kingsmeadow.
“I really treasure them because they don’t have to give you those things, I don’t expect them,” he says. “And they feel in their heart to do that. That, I think, is very, very nice. I’m very touched by it. So, I wear them all the time.”
Basil is something of a celebrity among the Chelsea fanbase and in the hour leading up to kickoff as the Blues prepare to take on Crystal Palace in the Women’s Super League, he is approached by a never-ending stream of supporters. The warmth in these interactions is tangible. Every fan leaves with a smile and quite often, a picture. If they are kids, they get some sweets. The manner in which he brings people together helps explain why Chelsea hailed him a “Community Champion” on their website.
“At first, a lot of people go ‘oh, who is that crazy man in the stands?’ but once you start to talk to him, you get to know him,” Chelsea fan Kelly tells ESPN. “He’s actually such a heartwarming guy and honestly deserves everything because of how genuine he is and obviously how passionate he is about Chelsea.”
For this game, the Selhurst Park stewards don’t permit Basil to carry his flags into the ground and after he vigorously brandishes them near the entrance gate, Jean stows them away. But that doesn’t deflate his energy, and his voice finds a new tenor once inside. With his back facing the pitch, he starts warming up the crowd — “Are we proud to be Chels?” he bellows, followed by: “How much do we like being Chelsea?”
“Is that him?” a child whispers to his friend as Basil takes centre-stage. By the time kickoff arrives, he has the away fans revved up. Before any chant for a player is sung, they serenade him: “We love you Basil, we do. We love you Basil, we do. Oh Basil, we love you.”
There are a little over 5,000 people in attendance at Selhurst Park, giving Basil the space to let his passion run unfettered. Once the game begins, he roves around the stand, hopping across rows, moving from one seat to another. Singing throughout. One moment, he’s near the turnstile blowing his horn. The next, he’s right by the front, starting a chant. There’s no heckling of the opposition and no cussing either. While maniacal, it’s worth noting that his vibe drips positivity. His energy is infectious and the Chelsea fans revel in it: “Basil give us a song; Basil, Basil give us a song” they chorus at one point.
The intensity of his passion belies the fact that he only began following Chelsea Women a little more than two years ago.
Basil became a Chelsea fan in the 1970s as a schoolkid, watching the likes of Peter Osgood and John Hollins at Stamford Bridge. But, the first time he saw the women’s team live was the 2022 Conti Cup final against Manchester City at Plough Lane. The fact that the game was within walking distance of his home drove his decision to attend. Chelsea lost that day, but they won Basil over and since then he’s only missed two games.
“The men have got a lot of support; every seat has got a bottom on it,” he says. “But the women now, they need the support more because … It’s built up, yes, to a degree … but they still could do with more support.
“So that’s why I’ve put so much impetus on supporting Chelsea women. It’s my team, Chelsea. I’ve always supported Chelsea, this is another branch. Chelsea men or women, it’s all the same.”
Basil’s women’s football fandom isn’t just restricted to Chelsea, and he counts himself an equally devout Lionesses fan, saying: “It is just a different colour, you know, same thing, same drums and stuff.”
The Lionesses’ home triumph at Euro 2022 was an inflection point for women’s football in England, sparking a significant jump in interest. Chelsea’s unmatched superiority on the field, which has seen them win five successive WSL titles, has placed them at the forefront of this rise. There were a little over 8,000 people in attendance for the 2022 Conti Cup final at Plough Lane; Chelsea’s clash against Arsenal in the 2024 final drew close to 22,000. And the average attendance at Chelsea Women home games jumped from 2,969 in the 2021-22 season to 9,266 in 2023-24.
Amid the surging crowds, Basil’s passion hasn’t gone unnoticed by Chelsea players. At the end of last season, club captain Bright gave him a jersey signed by the entire squad with “Best fan Basil” written on it. The gesture left him in tears. After Chelsea beat Manchester United in the 2023 FA Cup final, she had Basil join her and some of the players during the pitchside celebrations — a moment he calls an “outside of body experience” and his most cherished as a Blues fan.
He also recalls a game around Christmas when former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes had a box of chocolates sent to him ahead of kickoff. Unbeknownst to Hayes, Basil had also brought a box of chocolates of his own that day to gift her and her staff.
Under new management with Sonia Bompastor taking over from Hayes this season, Chelsea romp to a 9-0 win against Palace and Basil is applauding the players as they warm down after the game. He’s among the last to leave the stand, obliging to photo requests from young fans until the end.
One is 16-year-old Beatrice, who is at the game with her mother and younger brother.
“First time I met Basil was today actually. And he is the guy. He’s such a fan. He’s so loud. I think the only reason why Chelsea did so well is because of Basil,” she tells ESPN. “He keeps the crowd going and the crowd supports the team. Basil is always a character.”
Seeing young Chelsea fans interact with Basil, you realise that he isn’t just one of them. He is them. From old to young, they see him as an embodiment of most visceral part of their fandom. And no Chelsea women’s game would be the same without him.
