Chelsea FC not area boys club – Segun Arinze

Veteran Nigerian singer and actor, Segun Arinze, has faulted those tagging Chelsea Football Club as an “Area Boys” Club.

Area boys are loosely organised gangs of teenagers, composed mostly of youths, who roam the streets of major cities in Nigeria.

According to Nowheremag, area boys began in the 1980s as bands of bullies who roamed the central business district of Lagos and became more popular after unemployment swelled in the country.

By the mid-90s, the boys and girls began to populate bus stops, major highways, and markets.

Many football fans had tagged Chelsea an area boys club in Nigeria, probably because of the large support the club enjoyed at motor parks, markets as well as among the area boys in the country.

While some of them are fond of wearing the Chelsea jersey, others decorated their vehicles, motorcycles, and tricycles with Chelsea logo and artworks.

But Arinze explained that Chelsea is a club for the elite, adding that the location of the club distinguishes it among its contemporaries.

He said this while responding to a question on why the club is perceived as an Area Boys club on Topnaija Online‘s Stars Talk Football Programme, on Thursday.

“I don’t know where the talk for Area boys came in. It is a club for the elite. It is in the elite area of London. If those saying that know that, they will not be saying that,” the actor said.

He, however, described the defeat of Chelsea by some clubs as “insulting”.

“I find it insulting when small clubs defeat Chelsea and I ask myself if Lampard is really ready,” he added.