Dear Todd and Behdad,
As we head towards the final months of the season, we wanted to reach out to you regarding your plans for next season and beyond. The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust has always aimed to be constructive in our dealings with you and your team at Chelsea FC. In that spirit, we would like to address some concerns and the disconnection felt by supporters towards the team, the manager, the ownership, and the board.
Current supporter mood and anxiety due to lack of clear direction off the pitch
The current mood among Chelsea supporters, in our opinion, is at its lowest point since the early 1980s. This may be expected given our current form and position in the league table. However, supporters are quick to express concerns about the lack of any public-facing vision from the new ownership. This has led to a sense of helplessness, frustration, and deep concern among fans. Many supporters have significant worries about the future of our football club.
During our recent defeat at Brentford, the views of a few became a vocal expression of a larger number of Chelsea supporters. Anti-ownership chants were heard even when we were winning. The current mood among supporters is critically low, and the feeling that the club has become a ‘laughing stock’ is growing.
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust believes that we are close to, if not already experiencing, a significant shift in supporter opinion that could result in irreversible toxicity, regardless of on-pitch results. Unless the situation improves, we may see more targeted chanting and possibly more organized forms of protest. We urge the club to work with the CST to improve the supporter-board relationship and address these concerns.
Growing financial revenue streams at the expense of your supporters
When you took over Chelsea FC, you communicated to supporters that you would first aim to grow all commercial revenue streams before burdening the supporters. However, since May 2023, we have seen public-facing supporter budgets being cut and prices being increased.
Supporters are frustrated and angry that this pledge has been broken. We have seen coach prices, shirt cost, cup fixture tickets, program cost, and food and drink prices in general admission areas all increase. Even Chelsea Women ticket prices have increased by record amounts.
We understand the club’s need to optimize income, but we have significant concerns regarding future ticket pricing for both Season Ticket Holders and General Admission. The current financial crisis has created difficulties for many people, and supporters are concerned about potential ticket price increases.
Increasing ticket prices while the team’s performances are inconsistent will only add to the negative narrative. We strongly caution against such a move.
Urgent requirement to engage with the wider fanbase
We appreciate Chelsea’s willingness to work with us on community and foundation projects to foster better supporter relationships. However, we believe that it is time for a new, wider supporter engagement approach to address the serious concerns held by loyal supporters.
Supporters deserve a coherent, detailed strategy update from the ownership on their medium/long-term plans, including stadium redevelopment. The lack of communication on this topic has led to speculation and deep concern among supporters. We reaffirm our belief that supporters should be involved in stadium redevelopment plans from the very beginning.
Sharing your vision, including commercial ambitions, with the wider fanbase could help create a better understanding of what you aim to achieve. Communicating how you hope to transition into operating on a more sustainable basis is vital to allay the anxiety felt by supporters.
We believe that a club being open to the wider supporter base about the wider business objectives can build trust and buy time for the leadership of the club when significant changes are being made. Presenting some progress directly to the wider supporter base could instill greater confidence in the decision-making at Chelsea.
We suggest working closely with the CST to develop a supporter communication strategy that works for the club and the supporter base. This should include face-to-face events, regular written updates, and video materials.
We welcome a continuous dialogue with you on this issue and are happy to hold a private and confidential meeting with you and your team to discuss these proposals.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust Board