- Chelsea will play Wolves at Molineux on December 24 at 1pm
- The decision sparked angry reactions from fans over the scheduling decision
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Chelsea are making free coaches available to supporters for the club’s Christmas Eve trip to Wolves to ease their travel woes.
As a gesture of goodwill, following the controversial rescheduling of the game last week, any Blues fan who purchases a ticket can also book a seat on one of the buses traveling to and from Molineux at no extra cost.
The Premier League’s confirmation that the match was being moved, with the first match scheduled for December 24 since 1995, sparked a furious reaction, with head coach Mauricio Pochettino agreeing that he too was unhappy with the fixture change.
Christmas Eve falling on a Sunday would already have meant that travel options were reduced.
A statement from Chelsea’s Supporters’ Trust also highlighted that, among other issues related to the change, ‘the holiday transport timetables will cause further inconvenience to supporters.’
Wolves host Chelsea in the first Christmas Eve match in 28 years at 1pm – with the Blues offering their supporters free bus travel to reach Molineux
Around 3,000 Chelsea fans will make the trip to the Black Country on December 24
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust have issued a statement calling for their league match against Wolves to be canceled on Christmas Eve
But after lobbying the league alongside Wolves for an earlier 1pm kick-off, Chelsea have now acted to further benefit their fans by deciding to arrange the coaches as well.
Chelsea will receive an allocation of around 3,000 for the game against Wolves.
The decision could help repair some of the damage after Chelsea came under fire earlier this season for withdrawing a subsidy for bus travel to away matches for fans.
Ending the £10 tickets was branded a ‘terrible decision’ by the CST amid the club’s record-breaking transfer spend.
The club stressed that the plan was no longer ‘financially sustainable’.
A statement from Chelsea confirming the coaching plan for the trip to Wolves read: ‘Following the latest fixture announcements, Chelsea FC will play Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday 24 December.
‘The club is aware that transport options on this date are more limited than normal, as it is a Sunday and also Christmas Eve.
“We recognize the dedication of our matchday supporters and appreciate the unwavering loyalty they give to watching the team, home and away.
‘Therefore, as a sign of appreciation to the fans who make this journey, Chelsea will be offering trips as a gesture of goodwill to anyone who purchases a ticket.
‘Coaches will be available to transport supporters to and from the match free of charge. These can be booked as soon as match tickets go on sale.’