Chelsea fans’ civil war as Advisory Board blast their own Supporters’ Trust for seeking ‘chaos and division through attacks’… after the group slammed Todd Boehly’s ownership for turning the club into a ‘laughing stock’
Chelsea’s Fan Advisory Board has criticized a scathing letter from the club’s Supporters’ Trust, which criticized the club’s management under American ownership.
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust, a fan group with more than 85,000 followers on X, wrote a letter to co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.
Their letter claimed that the ‘current feeling among Chelsea supporters is at its lowest level since the early 1980s’, and stated that the feeling that the club ‘has become a laughing stock both on and off the pitch, increasingly gets bigger.’
The group had warned that supporter opinion was approaching ‘irreversible toxicity’ after fans were heard singing derogatory, expletive-laden chants about Boehly and boss Mauricio Pochettino during Chelsea’s draw against Brentford.
It was claimed that unless Chelsea improved fan engagement, ‘this would likely manifest itself in more focused singing, especially at televised matches.’
Chelsea’s Supporters Trust criticized Todd Boehly’s ownership in a letter published last week
Some of the Blues supporters sang against Boehly during their draw against Brentford
Chelsea’s Fan Advisory Board has responded to the letter, rejecting criticism that supporters have not been involved in decision-making at the club.
‘We honestly do not recognize the suggestion that fans are not involved in the future of the club. This goes directly against our experience. So we wanted to set the record straight,” the Fan Advisory Board statement said.
‘At Chelsea Football Club’s last board meeting (on March 11), Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali directly (and personally) asked the FAB to help shape the club’s proposals regarding ticket sales and we have been working to do just that . We have had several sessions with club directors to develop possible proposals and provide data to help inform any changes.
‘So while the precise content of these meetings must remain confidential until any decisions and changes can be communicated to supporters, the idea that fans are not involved and not at decision-making level could not be further from the truth.
‘The club is aware that while the FAB is constructive and understands the reality, we also pose a challenge. We make our views known strongly. We achieve real change. We are working and will continue to work on the relationship. We are helped by two other improvements in fan engagement.”
The seven-member Fan Advisory Board was established under the leadership of Boehly and Clearlake Capital following their acquisition of the club, with the move coming amid the fallout from the European Super League project.
The board aims to ensure that fans’ perspectives are heard at the club’s highest levels on medium and long-term strategic issues, with meetings with Chelsea FC board members three times a year.
Supporter advisors on the board include diversity and equality representatives from the Fans’ Forum and Chelsea Pride, as well as from unofficial supporter groups.
Chelsea’s Fan Advisory Board has hit back at the letter published by the Supporters’ Trust
The Fan Advisory Board highlighted that the club has ‘allocated significantly more resources to fan contacts than at any time in the club’s history’, citing the fact that their supporter contacts department now has four full-time staff.
The board hit back at those seeking ‘chaos and division through attacks and campaigns’, despite their member Mark Meehan being chairman of the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust.
The statement added: ‘The Chelsea men’s team is halfway through a season where there is a lot to play for. We will return to Wembley soon. We want to reach higher, with the European places at touching distances. We have exciting young players with real green shoots of improvement in the men’s first team after significant investment.
‘In addition, our women’s team continues to thrive both domestically and on the European stage in Emma Hayes’ final season.
‘Football is a matter of opinion and expressing emotions is part of that. But we must stand behind our team and do our part to win, instead of seeking chaos and division through attacks and campaigns.
Tensions have arisen with Chelsea currently in the bottom half under Mauricio Pochettino
“Every Chelsea fan (including the ownership group) is frustrated by setbacks or results that don’t go our way. But the team and the Club more broadly need his supporters. The only people who benefit from Chelsea fans turning against Chelsea are fans of other clubs.”
The clash between the Fan Advisory Board and Supporters’ Trust comes amid a second season of turmoil under Chelsea’s American ownership, despite more than £1 billion being spent on signings.
Chelsea currently sit in 11th place in the Premier League, while Pochettino’s side are 17 points off the Champions League places.
However, the Blues have reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and have been beaten as finalists in the Carabao Cup.