Chelsea fans cheer as team parades Champions League trophy Published duration 20 May 2012

media caption Thousands took to the streets for a glimpse of the Champions League trophy

Tens of thousands of fans have been cheering Chelsea's Champions League-winning squad on a parade through the streets of west London.

The team, on two open-top buses, began the procession from its Stamford Bridge home up to Parsons Green.

The Blues secured victory in a clash with four-time cup winners Bayern Munich in Germany, on Saturday. Chelsea won 4-3 on penalties.

It is the first time a London football club has won the European cup.

Players, interim manager Roberto di Matteo and the club's owner Roman Abramovich were onboard the first bus as it made its way through the streets.

The bus stopped at Eel Brook Common where team members spoke to the thousands of waiting fans.

Captain John Terry, who did not play on Saturday after being suspended, took the microphone first and began chanting victory slogans, with fans joining in, as the players on the bus took turns to address them.

'Long time waiting'

Fans sang "Happy Birthday" to goalkeeper Petr Cech and Didier Drogba, who scored two goals in the nail-biting final, sang back "We are the Champions".

Supporters then chanted "We want you to stay", at the prompt of club staff on the bus.

Speaking to the crowd Frank Lampard, who was the captain in the final, said: "We've been here a long time waiting to win this thing and it was the most amazing night of all of our careers.

"And we're just so pleased to come back here and celebrate with all our fans.

"You've been amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you. The best club in the world - easy."

Fans dressed in the Chelsea strip created a sea of blue all along the route of the parade.

image caption Chelsea defeated Bayern Munich to win the trophy

And as the cup was handed to di Matteo, a huge cheer went up in the crowd.

The team's bus, decked in club colours with Champions of Europe written in the front, stopped all the way along the route as players lift the trophy for their supporters.

Fans waved flags and threw celery at the players, as a mark of respect - a tradition that began in the late 1980s, when supporters started throwing sticks in the air, accompanied by a song.

David and Mary Fergus had travelled from Southampton, Hampshire, to be at the parade.

Mr Fergus, 40, an IT consultant, said: "I'm still blinking in disbelief that we actually won it.

"We definitely rode our luck but I think it was one of those things that was written in the stars.

"A great atmosphere here and I hope the lads on the bus enjoy today, they've earned it."