At the Shed Wall, the lines grew longer, stretching back by the dozens.
A couple of hours still remained before kick-off but the significance of this afternoon extended beyond the 90 minutes of sport for Chelsea supporters.
They came to cheer on their team but also to remember Ray Wilkins, one of their own, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 61.
As kick-off loomed, supporters took it in turn to sign a book of condolence.