The growing sense of belonging within Chelsea’s fan base took a new turn when the club’s fan advisory council criticised the letter published through the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust last week.
Chelsea received more negative scrutiny after CSE made public its recent correspondence with the club.
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In a strong letter to co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, they stated that the bond between enthusiasts and the club was “the weakest since the early 1980s”, that there was “a growing lack of acceptance due to a very limited lack of acceptance as true with ‘communication’ and warned that this “could lead to irreversible toxicity with more targeted chants and a more impactful protest bureaucracy”.
FAB, an initiative set up through the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium comprising seven long-time Chelsea supporters to improve communication between supporters and the club, has issued a statement making it clear that it does not agree with the CSE’s edition of events.
He said on Monday: “Frankly, we don’t recognise the suggestion that enthusiasts don’t care about the future of the club. This is directly at odds with our experience.
“Far more resources have been devoted to liaising with fans than at any other time in the club’s history. Prior to the creation of the FAB, there was a part-time worker committed to liaising with the fans. There is now a subsidiary that will have 4 full-time employees – full-time workers. Contrary to what has been suggested, these facts give a complete and accurate picture of what is happening.
“Chelsea’s FAB is a pioneering effort, created about a year ago, to make the voice of enthusiasts heard across the club. The FAB makes sure to be in very close contact with the feelings of the enthusiasts, to gather and provide those perspectives. very directly to the club and its directors.
“The club is aware that while FAB is constructive and understands realities, we also face challenges. We express our point loud and clear. We are making genuine change. We are running and will continue to work on the relationship.
Fan sentiment is at an all-time low since then due to a lack of direction/communication from the board of directors.
A continued lack of engagement with a wider fan base can lead to irreversible toxicity.
Any significant increase in the British pound for its followers would be imprudente. pic. twitter. com/WpfVRRSjjH
– Chelsea⭐️⭐️ Fans (@ChelseaSTrust) March 20, 2024
As part of its message to Chelsea, the CSE argues that much wider consultation should be held with enthusiasts on key issues such as pricing costs and owners’ plans for Stamford Bridge. This point was further emphasised by CSE chairman Mark Meehan after he was disappointed by a reaction to the original letter from Chelsea chief executive Chris Jurasek.
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To add to the impression of disagreement among fan groups, Meehan is also a member of the FAB, and yet the FAB continued to distance itself from CST’s position.
He continued: “At the last major meeting of Chelsea Football Club’s board of directors (on March 11), (co-owners) Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali directly (and in person) asked the FAB to shape the club’s ticketing proposals and we worked on just that.
“We have had several sessions with club officials to examine potential proposals and have provided input to help justify any potential adjustments. So while the exact content of those meetings remains confidential until decisions and adjustments can be communicated to enthusiasts, the idea that enthusiasts don’t care about or participate in decision-making may simply not be far from the truth.
“Football is a matter of opinion and expressing your feelings is part of that. But we want our team and do our part to win instead of looking for chaos and dividing ourselves through attacks and campaigns.
“The only people who take advantage of the fact that Chelsea fans are attacking Chelsea are fans of other clubs. If we’re going in the same direction, then “we’ll be fine. “
The FAB also made it clear how it hosts “regular in-person sessions at the Tea Bar at Stamford Bridge” for enthusiasts to explain their perspectives with them. The next one will take place before Chelsea’s match against Burnley on Saturday.
GO FURTHER
Chelsea fans warn of ‘irreversible toxicity’ from communication and ticket prices
Following press reports about fan engagement and the environment at Chelsea Football Club, the Fan Advisory Board (“FAB”) thought it would be helpful to tell fans about some of the paintings we have done so that the fans’ voice is heard.
Frankly, we don’t recognize the suggestion that enthusiasts don’t care about the future of the Club. This is directly at odds with our experience. So we try to set the record straight.
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Chelsea’s FAB is a pioneering effort, created about a year ago, to ensure that the voice of enthusiasts is heard across the club. Our president, Neil Beard, was elected from among the members and incumbents of the TS in an open vote.
The FAB represents a wide and varied diversity of Chelsea FC supporters and is an advisor chosen through the Fan Forum (Gary Beckwith), the other advisor to the board for Equal Diversity and Chelsea Pride (Tracy Brown, FAB Vice President).
In addition, through an open application process 4 other FAB members have been decided, one of whom is the chairman of the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust and another represents the perspectives of the fans.
In this way, the FAB guarantees to be very much in touch with the emotions of the fans, to collect and provide those perspectives to the club and its directors.
Fans can contact FAB board members directly through the club’s website. The Fan Advisory Council | Official website | Chelsea Football Club (chelseafc. com) and FAB hold normal in-person sessions at Stamford Bridge’s Tea Bar in the Shed End. The next one will be at 12. 30pm before the Burnley game on Saturday.
At the last major meeting of Chelsea Football Club’s board of directors (11 March), Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali directly (and in person) asked the FAB to shape the club’s ticketing proposals and that’s precisely what we’ve been working on. We have had several sessions with club officials to explore potential proposals and they have provided insights to justify any potential changes.
So while the exact content of those meetings remains confidential, until decisions and changes can be communicated to enthusiasts, the idea that enthusiasts are not involved and involved in decision-making may not be further from the truth.
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The club is aware that while the FAB is constructive and understands the realities, we also face challenges. We express our point loud and clear. We are making genuine change. We are working and will continue to work on this relationship. They help us through two other innovations to fan engagement.
First of all, the Club is doing more work to vote a representative sample of fan opinion and share that work with the FAB. So far, what we’ve learned fits well with the recommendation we offer.
Secondly, far more resources have been allocated to fan liaison than at any other time in the club’s history. Before the creation of the FAB, there was a part-time worker dedicated to liaising with fans. Now there is a subsidiary that will have 4 full-time workers. Contrary to what has been suggested, these facts give a complete and accurate picture of what is happening.
Finally, we’d like to upload this. Chelsea’s men’s team is halfway through a season with a lot to play for. We’ll be back at Wembley soon. We need to move up the table, with the European places within reach. We have exciting young players with real green shoots. Improvement in the men’s first team after a significant investment. In addition, our women’s team continues to thrive locally and across Europe in Emma Hayes’ final season.
Football is a matter of opinion and expressing your feelings is part of it. But we want our team and do our part to win instead of seeking chaos and separation through attacks and campaigns.
All Chelsea enthusiasts (including the ownership group) are frustrated by setbacks or effects that don’t suit us. But the team and the Club in general love their fans. The only other people who derive advantages from the fact that Chelsea enthusiasts go after Chelsea. They are enthusiastic about other clubs. If we pull in the same direction, then “we’ll be fine. “
(James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)