In another extraordinary day in the history of Chelsea Football Club, the club have withdrawn a request to have their FA Cup tie against Middlesbrough played behind closed doors just hours after their appeal to the Football Association.
Chelsea made the unusual request early on Tuesday afternoon after being told by the Government that they had been refused permission to sell away tickets to the quarter-final at the Riverside on Saturday. Chelsea remain under a strict set of licence restrictions after the club’s owner, Roman Abramovich, was sanctioned for links to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
But, as daily talks between officials from the Treasury and DCMS and Chelsea remain ongoing, the club are pushing hard to be allowed to sell tickets – one of the restrictions in place – in order to continue operating.
After being denied the opportunity to sell tickets for the upcoming FA Cup tie, the club claimed that it was in the interests of “sporting integrity” that no fans attend at all — potentially denying Middlesbrough a big payday — if they were not allowed to sell tickets for away supporters.
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“After constructive talks between the FA and Chelsea, the club has agreed to remove their request for the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final tie against Middlesbrough to be played behind closed doors,” an FA spokesperson said.
“The FA remains in ongoing discussions with Chelsea, the Premier League and the Government to find a solution that would enable both Chelsea fans to attend games and away fans to attend Stamford Bridge, whilst ensuring sanctions are respected.”
The FA had scheduled a Wednesday morning meeting of the FA Board to rule on the matter.
Middlesbrough reacted with fury upon learning of the request, describing it as “both bizarre and without any merit whatsoever”. Chelsea had already sold around 600 tickets before the sanctions were introduced which prevented them from selling any more.
The Championship club had made it clear in an incendiary response that they would resist any attempt to play the game with no supporters at the ground.
“All concerned are well aware of the reasons Chelsea have been sanctioned and that this has nothing to do with Middlesbrough Football Club,” a statement read. “To suggest as result that MFC and our fans should be penalised is not only grossly unfair but without any foundation.
“Given the reasons for these sanctions, for Chelsea to seek to invoke sporting ‘integrity’ as reason for the game being played behind closed doors is ironic in the extreme.
“We currently await formal notification from the FA of the next steps but rest assured MFC will resist Chelsea’s actions in the strongest terms.”
The Government was privately said to be unimpressed by Chelsea’s move, given officials are working hard on a daily basis to ensure Chelsea can survive despite being the asset of an owner sanctioned by the Government and the European Union for his support of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham was answering questions at a DCMS hearing when Chelsea released their statement and immediately faced a grilling on the subject.
He said he was unable to comment openly on the Middlesbrough request as he had only just heard about it as he walked into the hearing.
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“What they’re referring to is [for] any football match — and it’s an issue raised by Uefa — normally you have both sets of fans and their argument is only one set of fans has an effect on sporting integrity,” he said.
“The government are trying to put pressure on Vladimir Putin, I don’t think it is trying to stop away fans for Chelsea or fans visiting Stamford Bridge. I hope and expect fans will be able to attend Stamford Bridge.
“The end state will be the government allows fans to go to games and I think that hasn’t been possible for this weekend. My personal point of view I would expect the game to go ahead. I can’t say more than that in a clear way as it could prejudice any discussions going on.”
Chelsea’s statement had said the club “recognises that such an outcome would have a huge impact on Middlesbrough and its supporters, as well as our own fans who have already bought the limited number of tickets that were sold before the licence was imposed, but we believe this is the fairest way of proceeding in the current circumstances.
“It is important for the competition that the match against Middlesbrough goes ahead, however it is with extreme reluctance that we are asking the FA board to direct that the game be played behind closed doors for matters of sporting integrity.”
Analysis: A tone deaf and foolish statement
By Daniel Storey, i‘s chief football writer
The use of “sporting integrity” appears deeply loaded, unwittingly or otherwise. It will emotionally charge a section of their supporters who believe this is some unjust plot to erode the club’s good name. Unfortunately for them, that name has already been besmirched by association with Abramovich.
I have some sympathy with Chelsea supporters, the ones who attend home and away matches and who were never cheerleaders for Abramovich’s ownership and followed the club before he was there and will after he leaves. They are being caught in the middle of a messy PR fight.
But then, sadly, that is the reality. Their club is paying the price – how high we do not yet know – for their success because of who bankrolled it. Supporters and members of staff may suffer consequently; it is OK to feel some sympathy for them. But to maintain that sympathy, the club must pick their battles and read the room. Now is a foolish, tone-deaf time to make pleas of “sporting integrity” given the last 20 years, let alone the last two weeks.
Read Daniel’s full analysis here
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