Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has apologized on Twitter after fans were outraged by Ted Lasso’s producers preparing a tribute to club legend Ray Wilkins.
Ted Lasso, the hit sports comedy series that sees an American football manager recruited to manage a fictional Premier League team, brought its latest episode to Stamford Bridge as part of a storyline involving the character Roy Kent.
The episode features Kent, a former Chelsea player in the world of Ted Lasso, returning to a hero’s welcome at his old club, cameras on a stage showing a banner reading, “They don’t make ’em like Roy anymore.”
However, the real-life banner at Stamford Bridge actually pays tribute to former Blues player and assistant manager Wilkins, who passed away at the age of 61 in 2018.
The producers of the Apple TV show appeared to have tweaked this tribute to suit their own story, a move that angered Chelsea fans.
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly (left) has apologized after Ted Lasso’s producers rigged a tribute to club legend Ray Wilkins (right) at Stamford Bridge.
Blues fans were outraged after Wilkins’ poster in the latest episode of Ted Lasso was edited to fit Roy Kent’s character.
The actual banner on Stamford Bridge actually reads ‘They don’t make them like Ray anymore’
Boehly apologized on Twitter for the banner controversy before placing the blame on the former regime of Roman Abramovich.
The blues faithful directed most of their anger at Boehly, the American mogul who took the reins in west London last year, for allowing TV bosses to pull off what they describe as “disgusting” and “unbelievably bad” editing. disrespectful”.
Yet in a rare public response On twitterBoehly has apologized to fans after claiming the Apple deal was struck by previous owner Roman Abramovich’s regime in the first financial quarter of 2022 before he arrived.
Former Chelsea broadcaster and pitch presenter Neil Barnett first posted on Wednesday night: “If changing ‘Ray’ to ‘Roy’ on a fan-paid banner commemorating a deceased legend is the way Eghbali/Boehly believe it is an example of how the Europeans have failed to maximize revenue from football, they are in for a rocky ride. Nothing is going right yet. Time to keep their heads down.”
Boehly then responded: ‘We had nothing to do with these arrangements. The deal with Apple closed in 1Q/22. We are sorry that it has affected so many, and most of all, we are concerned for Ray and his family. We would also like to point out that none of the “Chelsea” players were actual Chelsea players. Hopefully, that was clear.
Wilkins played over 200 times for Chelsea between 1973 and 1979, and also enjoyed several spells as assistant manager, working under managers such as Luiz Felipe Scolari, Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti.
While coaching at Stamford Bridge, the former England international won the Premier League in 2009-10 and three FA Cup trophies.
After he passed away in 2018, Chelsea unveiled the aforementioned banner in his honour, which is still found at home games.
The airing of the Ted Lasso episode sparked a lot of controversy with Blues fans who were quick to criticize the club’s hierarchy and the TV show, which airs on Apple TV.
Ted Lasso is a sports comedy series in which an American manager runs a fictional Premier League.
Boehly claims Abramovich and company were responsible for closing the Apple TV deal
Chelsea Supporters’ Trust said: ‘RE: Ray Wilkins Banner This is a banner paid for by supporters to commemorate a Chelsea legend: Ray Wilkins.
Many supporters have seen this edit as disrespectful, and we have expressed our disappointment to club officials. We hope that CFC will deal with this in due course.”
Meanwhile, one follower vented his anger on Twitter, saying: ‘NOW THIS is disgusting. Incredibly disrespectful to edit a banner of the late Ray Wilkins. Very worrying and embarrassing to think that Chelsea would have sanctioned this.”
Another added: “Yes this isn’t it, all for Chelsea and his likeness is used on Ted Lasso but Ray Wilkins is a Chelsea legend who can’t even consent to have his banner changed.” How they thought this would go well, I’ll never know….’
Another enraged follower added: “This is absolutely disgusting, editing over Ray Wilkins’ poster to ‘Roy’ for a TV publicity stunt with Ted Lasso, extremely disrespectful.”
However, following his response on social media, some fans are now jumping to Boehly’s defense, insisting that he should not be blamed for Ted Lasso’s edit.
Chelsea supporters criticized the decision to change the banner, calling it “disgusting”.
One wrote: “Some people were quick to blame the property.”
Another said: ‘Turns out it wasn’t even his fault. Chelsea fans on Twitter and being reactionary’.
A third commented: ‘If it had nothing to do with the owners, I’m not sure there’s any fault to be assigned to anyone. I’m not sure Apple or whoever edited picked up on the excitement around Ray and his Chelsea legacy. Let it be now, as long as Ray’s family is happy, we as fans should be too.
While another concluded: ‘People were missing out on Boehly and Co. over something the previous administration planned.
“Unfortunately, it’s easy for people to slander and hard for people to apologize.”