Fans right to tell cash-hungry owners that enough is enough

IN early April 2023, Chelsea published accounts that showed one former club director was given a £35million payment for ‘services relating to the club’s sale’.

That handout was for Marina Granovskaia, Roman Abramovich’s trusted lieutenant.

Quite what those “services relating to the club’s sale” actually entailed is anyone’s guess, but one thing is for sure – Todd Boehly’s consortium is made up of private equity investors, not benevolent billionaires.

At some stage, they want their money back. And more.

They want Marina’s 35 mill back, they want to recoup the £1billion loss shown in those accounts.

Just under a year on from their publication, Chelsea supporters are bracing themselves for a lumpy rise in season-ticket prices, having already experienced, they say, a marked increase in match-day costs and merchandise prices.

This was pointed out to the ownership in a letter written by the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST), which claims there is a growing feeling among rank-and-file followers that the club has become a “laughing stock” and that there is the prospect of “irreversible toxicity” in the fan base.

Strong words. And however representative of the majority of fans the CST might be, it should be a very real warning to owners and authorities who continue to take the loyalty and passion of football fans on these shores for granted.

It is not just Premier League clubs, by the way. Anyone for yet another England football shirt? Well, the new replica version costs you £85 and the ‘authentic’ style £125.

Yep, that’s right, the cheap one sets you back £85.

Some people are up in arms that the manufacturers have replaced the traditional cross of St George with one that is navy blue, light blue and pink.

Who gives a toss? The real outrage should be that an ‘authentic’ copy costs £125. The real outrage is that kit manufacturers – with the blessing of football authorities, who have sold out to them – are taking advantage of the passion for the game that runs throughout all classes of our society, including the ones who cannot afford £125 for a football shirt.

And too many clubs take fans for granted, just because they pack out their stadiums week in, week out.

“We remain hugely disappointed to see season tickets increase by 6%,” read a statement by Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust. “Discounts for senior season-ticket and match-day tickets remain unchanged for 2024/25, but lead to the complete removal of new senior concessions from 2025/26 – this is unacceptable.”

Chelsea have not confirmed their price rises yet, but look certain to follow suit, which would be no surprise to anyone. These are investors, speculators.

They are in it for a buck, not necessarily a fast one, but a buck all the same.

That is why groups such as the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust are important because in a week of talk about the independent regulator, it should be remembered that the most effective regulator of the game remains the fan.

And if, as the CST claims, some fans are considering “organised, overt and impactful forms of protest”, then good on them.

Because your voices remain the ones that count.