Street cleaners following Chelsea’s bank holiday open-top bus parade divided waste in two; recycling (cans and bottles) and organic (for battered bits of celery).

The air was full of the Blues’ salad of choice as coaches carrying the first team, youth and wags chugged to Eel Brook common, trophies aloft.

At one point John Obi Mikel was hit on the side of the head by a particularly robust stick of the stuff, and joyously hurled it back into the throng.

Cesc Fabregas attempted a version of his terrace ditty as thousands joined in the singsong at the end.

There was an emotional farewell for Didier Drogba, generously handed the captain’s armband for his cameo farewell in Sunday’s game against Sunderland, a match which mirrored the opening weekend’s result; a 3-1 win, coming from behind.

John Terry became just the second outfield player in Premier League history to play every minute of a champions’ campaign.

“It’s really only just sunk in,” said Gary Cahill before boarding the parade bus, and lamenting the three-week gap between clinching the title against Palace and getting the silverware.

“It seemed strange then not to get the cup; everyone felt they’d won it then, and it might have been better to have the ceremony then.”

Hideto Katsuragawa, chief executive of Yokohama Rubber, was a guest at Roman Abramovich’s pre-parade breakfast in the nightclub below the east stand, with everyone introduced to him attempting formal bows.

Yokohama replaces Samsung on Chelsea shirts from now on; a deal costing the Japanese tyre giant £40m a year – enough to pay four Eden Hazard salaries.

Watching the players board the parade coaches was comical. There was such a crush to get on the first one that Mr Abramovich found himself at the back of a London bus queue for the first time.

The U21s’ success gives Jose Mourinho a chance to promote home-grown talent. The name to watch? Charly Musonda.