Chelsea cancel title parade after Manchester attack
Chelsea have announced that the victory parade celebrating their Premier League title has been cancelled out of respect for the lives lost in the recent Manchester terrorist attack.
The club stated that it would be “inappropriate” to go ahead with the celebrations in light of Monday night’s atrocity in which 22 people died after Salman Abedi blew himself up outside an Ariana Grande concert.
Chelsea also expressed their concerns over matters of security. This follows the government’s decision to raise the national security threat from ‘severe’ to ‘critical’.
Arsenal, meanwhile, cancelled the planned screening of this Saturday’s FA Cup final at the Emirates Stadium due to similar security concerns.
The club confirmed that they will refund all fans who purchased tickets for the special screening, which had been organised to allowed those who failed to secure one of the club’s 33,000 tickets for the Wembley showcase to watch the game with other supporters.
Chelsea's open-top bus route was due to take in both Fulham and Chelsea and it was hoped that the club would be putting on a double celebration, with the Blues trying to make it a league and cup double in Saturday's FA Cup final against Arsenal.
When the parade was originally announced, the Blues had been keen to emphasise that they had engaged in "significant planning... with the local authorities and emergency services to ensure all services from official local authority vehicles and doctors to those responding to emergency calls can meet their obligations."
The route was set to depart from Stamford Bridge's west entrance before travelling east along Fulham Road, turning right onto Hortensia Road, then right onto King’s Road and onto New King’s Road.
But after talks were held at the club throughout Wednesday morning, the decision was eventually made to cancel the event.
“Everyone associated with Chelsea Football Club offers our heartfelt condolences to those affected by Monday’s terror attack in Manchester,” a club statement read.
“Our thoughts go out to all the victims, and their families and friends. In light of these tragic events, we feel it is inappropriate to go ahead with the victory parade in London on Sunday.
"Given the heightened security threat announced by the Government, and recognising that this is a developing situation, we have given this careful consideration.
“We strongly believe, in the interests of everyone, this is the correct course of action. We are sure our fans will understand this decision.”
Chelsea revealed that they consulted London Metropolitan Police on the matter too.
“Having consulted with the Metropolitan Police, Hammersmith & Fulham Council and other authorities, we know the emergency services would have been as professional as ever, but we would not want in any way to divert important resources by holding an additional, non-ticketed event on the streets of London,” the statement added.
“Furthermore, as a mark of respect, our players will wear black armbands at the FA Cup Final against Arsenal on Saturday. Chelsea Football Club will also make a donation to a fund supporting the victims of this horrific attack.”