Chelsea fans Bob Holliday and Paul Eve have been selling half-and-half scarves together outside Stamford Bridge for nearly ten years, though their niche trade is often frowned upon. Their co-owned stand has a plumb spot on the corner of Fulham Broadway station, impossible to miss when walking to Stamford Bridge.
Speaking to MyLondon, Bob, who he believes it might have been him that created the infamous half-and-half trend, said he got the idea in November of 1994. He’d travelled to watch the Blues in the Cup Winners' Cup against Austria Vienna and, while there was little to remember about the 1-1 draw, on the way to the stadium something caught his eye: a scarf with Chelsea colours on one side and Austria Vienna’s on the other.
Bob had never seen one in the UK, which made him think, could there be a market for similar items in London? So, according to MyLondon, he decided to give it a go. When he told his supplier what he wanted they thought he was mad. He was asked: “Do you really think anyone is going to buy them?”
So, why have half-and-half scarves become such a staple of the product line of unofficial vendors outside London’s many football grounds? MyLondon find out why...
The matchday versions took off about 15 years ago, Bob explained to MyLondon, and have been growing in popularity ever since. They might be frowned upon by hardcore fans, but sales among children and tourists see scarves fly off the shelves. Prices for the bigger events are higher and takings can be as high as £7,500 for items that don’t cost much to produce.
“At the Real Madrid Champions League game we sold 500 before 7pm [an hour before kick off],” said Paul. “For games against the big teams we sell between 300 and 500, against the smaller teams we do 100 to 150.”
There is a risk if you get the numbers wrong, however. The half-and-half scarves have the date printed and competition on them, so they can’t be recycled for a future game between the sides. Occasionally they sell a previous game’s scarf the next weekend, but not in high numbers.
When MyLondon asked what two pair did with stock that isn’t bought, Bob gestured behind their stall. “You see there,” he said, “there’s a bin.” Bob added that, with his and Paul's experience, they very rarely get the numbers wrong and over-order.
At the moment, because of the government restrictions relating to the club’s previous owner Roman Abramovich, the number of fans at the games is limited. So the pair have cut their stock accordingly to around 50 half-and-half scarves.
Though, with Chelsea's special licence set to expire May 31 and Todd Boehly's takeover seemingly imminent, Bob and Paul's scarves could soon flood Stamford Bridge again.
