book
T
oday, football has become a billion-dollar industry, where
its players are paid incredible sums to do not much
more than kick a ball around the pitch. But Ken Shellito
remembers when things weren’t like this. The boy from
East Ham, London, would go on to become the first and
only manager of the Chelsea Football Club to have moved
up through the ranks at Stamford Bridge, from junior
player to team manager. After leaving the U.K., Ken moved to Malaysia,
where he nurtured youth players at several Malaysian state football clubs
and founded a football academy in Sabah.
Nick Atkinson wo penned the book, said how proud he was to part of Ken’s
legacy. He also mentioned how Ken always said how he wanted to tell a
story; his story, a story anyone could read, whether they were a football fan
or not. Ken speaks fondly of his childhood in the U.K., his football journey
in his home country and Malaysia, and shares his thoughts about the main
aspects of the game. His anecdotes, some of which are harrowing and
hilarious, harken back to the days when football was all about the teams,
their fans, and the camaraderie among the players.
Ken joined Chelsea at 15 years old, turned professional in 1957 and, as a
fullback, played 123 senior games for the club — as well as winning full
England honours — before an injury to his left knee prematurely ended
his playing career in January 1969. He coached the juniors after that and
in December 1969 was in charge of the youth section and became the full
manager of the club after 22 years with Chelsea, followed by a stint as the
manager for Cambridge United.
After leaving the U.K., Ken built his own footballing world in his new home
of Malaysia, nurturing youth players at the football clubs of Selangor, Kuala
Lumpur, Perak and, finally, Sabah. He also established the Ken Shellito
Football Academy in Penampang and was a match analyst for the Asian
Football Confederation. He passed away at his residence at Kampung
Minintod in Sabah on 31 October 2018.
“It is with pleasure that I am telling my story, in my words and in my own
way. Like it or not, there will be things you may disagree with but it is a tale
of a life that was fun and a life that was rewarding. Not for the money, not
for the medals, but for the people I shared it with and the great friends I
still have. From the start, they have been a part of my life as I made my way
through the highs and lows, the ups and downs and the proud moments that
have littered my career.
The beautiful game of football has been a dominant force in my life for more
than 62 years and I will never tire of it. I trust you will be entertained by how
the game was played at the start of my career and how it has changed in
today’s environment. At the end of the day they all still wear boots and kick a
ball around on a pitch; the same markings and the same size. I just hope that
you enjoy the things I have to say and laugh when I laughed, maybe even cry
when I cried but, most importantly, smile with me when you finish.”
Climbing the Chelsea Hill is available for purchase at MPH and other fine
bookstores in Malaysia.
All-Time Chelsea FC Great
Ken Shellito’s Journey in Football