AHEAD OF THE GAME: Chelsea fans fear price hike as ticket sales delayed over shaky European future

Chelsea have angered some of their corporate fans by delaying the sale of 2023-24 season tickets over concerns they will fail to qualify for a European competition.

The club’s catering season tickets traditionally include seats for all three Champions League group matches, plus the option to buy tickets for the knockout stages, putting pressure on them to lower their prices if those matches are unavailable .

Chelsea are grappling with this dilemma as Champions League qualification has looked unlikely for months and even the Europa League and Conference League could be out of reach as they sit 11th in the table.

Faced with the problem of accepting a significant drop in revenue or antagonizing fans by charging the same prices for fewer matches, the club has opted to delay the decision, a move that has also not gone down well. fell.

Regular season ticket holders, who won’t get European fixtures, fear they will be hit with a price increase as Chelsea have complained in meetings with fan groups about rising running costs at Stamford Bridge.

Owner Todd Boehly will probably be keen to avoid the drop in sales due to price cuts

EVERTON JOBS SAFE… FOR NOW

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri has postponed plans to shake up his executive team at Goodison Park in the hope that outside investors can be attracted by the prospect of a seat on the board.

The Iranian businessman was considering making changes given the club’s financial and football woes, which would put the positions of chairman Bill Kenwright and CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale at risk, but that will be put on hold until the process of bringing in investors is completed . closed.

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri (centre, with Bill Kenwright to his right) intends to postpone rumored shake-up within club hierarchy

FA BATTLE TO KEEP CUP REPLAYS

The FA has given a strong indication of their determination to maintain FA Cup replays by including the additional tapes in their overseas TV rights tender for the 2024-25 season, which will be distributed to broadcasters next week.

The existing £820m contract with IMG and Pitch International expires at the end of next season and the FA will be under pressure to keep the rights value at a similar level, which was seen in the industry as a triumph for former FA chief executive Martin Glenn.

The Premier League wants the FA to scrap all replays, which will only stand for the third and fourth rounds, but face resistance from the governing body.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham reportedly believes it was a mistake to scrap fifth and sixth round replays to allow for a winter break and is determined not to concede more ground.

The FA will try to defend their league reruns against interference from the Premier League

BIRMINGHAM FEAR POINTS LOSS

Birmingham face a possible points deduction or fine after being found guilty of accepting up to £8m in third party funding without EFL approval.

Paul Richardson, Maxi Lopez and Matt Southall have also been found guilty of pumping money into their botched takeover last summer and are also facing sanctions, which may include a suspension, or suspended ban, from involvement in football.

The acquisition through Maxco Capital was called off in December after five months of negotiations.

The Midlands club hopes for a sanction similar to that of Rochdale

The penalty will be decided by an independent commission, with Birmingham hoping to escape with a penalty similar to Rochdale’s suspended six-point hit for failing the EFL’s owner and driver test.

However, Birmingham’s criminal record could count against them – in 2019 they were given nine points for breaching spending rules and the following year they were found guilty of failing to comply with a business plan agreed with the EFL

NO RUSH FOR CASH

The Premier League scrapped a vote to introduce a voluntary ban on gambling advertising on the front of shirts at last week’s shareholder meeting when it became clear the proposed motion would not be passed.

As reported by Sports mail this week the clubs want assurances that other assets, such as shirtsleeves and LED billboards, will not be targeted by gambling regulation.

The Premier League is confident the clubs will eventually agree to ban betting on sponsors from the 2026-27 season, but a vote may have to wait until their AGM this summer

West Ham are one of eight Premier League clubs with front-of-the-shirt betting