Several Premier League teams remain in the dark of whether their supporters can attend upcoming matches at Stamford Bridge after the Government sanctioned Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich on Thursday.
As it stands, only Chelsea season ticket holders and those who purchased tickets prior to 10 March are able to attend fixtures at Stamford Bridge in light of Abramovich’s assets being frozen.
The news is unlikely to impact Newcastle supporters, with their side playing at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, but teams including Arsenal and West Ham must wait to see whether a solution can be found without Chelsea making a profit.
i understands the Premier League is working with the Government and Chelsea on this issue.
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Roman Abramovich frozen assets include luxury yachts, cars, posh London homes and Chelsea FC10 March, 2022Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan suggested on Talksport that Chelsea could “gift” the tickets, while Arsenal Supporters’ Trust (AST) have welcomed the idea of revenue going towards a charity or a cause that supports Ukraine.
“I will be interested to see what happens over the next few days,” AST board member Akhil Vyas tells i, with Arsenal’s fixture at Chelsea still listed as “TBC” on the Premier League website.
“Is there a way the Premier League can sell to away clubs and the revenue goes to the away club, or to charity or Ukraine?
“Obviously supporters want to go, but the majority would understand this is something bigger than football – it’s people’s lives – but if a solution could be found and maybe that revenue is given to charity or to Ukraine, then that’s a win-win potentially.
“The reasons why all this is happening are so much bigger than football. Fans may be disappointed, and may even look to say it gives Chelsea a competitive advantage to not have away fans at Stamford Bridge – and there is an argument there – but most people will think this is bigger than football. But of course, it does affect the credibility of the Premier League.”
Chelsea’s remaining 2021-22 fixtures at Stamford Bridge
- 13 March: Chelsea vs Newcastle – 2pm
- 2 April: Chelsea vs Brentford – 3pm
- 23 April: Chelsea vs West Ham* – 3pm
- 7 May: Chelsea vs Wolves* – 3pm
- 22 May: Chelsea vs Watford – 4pm
- TBC: Chelsea vs Arsenal
- TBC: Chelsea vs Leicester
Times and dates subject to change
Brentford play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 2 April, and confirmed they are “seeking clarification” from the Premier League about fulfilling their allocation of 3,000 tickets.
The club have already sold a good percentage of tickets for the away match but are hopeful of ensuring as many fans as possible can attend.
Looking further ahead, Chelsea welcome London rivals West Ham to Stamford Bridge on 23 April, and with the fixture still six weeks away, the Hammers’ website has not yet addressed ticket availability for the match.
Wolves and Watford also face matches at Chelsea before the end of the season, while their match against Leicester is also “TBC”. Chelsea could also host further home matches this season in the Champions League if they overcome Lille in the round of 16.
The inability for away supporters to attend Stamford Bridge would bring into question the integrity of the competition.
Upcoming opponents all have targets in sight, with Arsenal in pole position to secure a top-four place and West Ham currently three points behind them in the Premier League table.
Watford, meanwhile, are currently 19th and travel to Chelsea on the final day of the season (22 May).
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On top of away supporters awaiting updates from the Premier League, Chelsea fans are also seeking further clarity over ticket sales themselves, with the club’s website listing upcoming matches as “Off Sale”.
Dan Silver, board member of Chelsea Supporters Trust, told i the bigger picture is about selling the club – something which is still possible despite the sanctions – and ensuring fans have their say on the future running of the club.
“Clubs are the focal points of people’s lives, going to football can give you that break from reality where your troubles are forgotten, so it’s really important this does get rectified,” Silver said.
“It’s been quite unsettling, it’s unprecedented times and there are lots of unanswered questions. But in the grand scheme of things, what’s going on in Ukraine is a million times worse than having to worry about missing one or two Chelsea matches.
“We need a solution full stop. There are people connected to the club, casual staff who work on a matchday basis like stewards, who will do one or two days a week, and what they get paid is food money.
“Empty stadiums are no fun, soulless. We want full capacity and want away fans there. The bigger picture will hopefully be to get a swift resolution, to allow the club to be sold, to find a viable buyer who meets all the criteria, and to let Chelsea continue.”
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