Chelsea a "significant cultural asset"?

[the other bob wilson]

Shut em down I say. Seriously, I feel sorry for their fans actually, but it's definitely the right decision and this is far bigger than a football club, even Champions League winners.

[JamesWales]

Only just caught up on the news..blimey

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/60688168

What does the special licence mean for Chelsea?
Here are some of the key points from the special licence put in place by the government:

Chelsea are able to pay the wages of all employees, including players and coaching staff.
They can pay "reasonable" costs of travel to and from fixtures but not exceeding £20,000 per game per team.
Pay "reasonable" costs towards hosting home fixtures, not exceeding £500,000 per fixture per team.
Fans who bought season tickets or individual match tickets before 10 March 2022 can attend games.
Broadcasters can broadcast any fixture involving the club.

[dandywarhol]

Without the blood money they'd be in the championship.

[Grangenders]

No additional ticket sales - does this mean no away fans at Stamford Bridge?

[neilw65]

The same fans who chanted Abramovitch's name during the stand with Ukraine applause? Horrible club and horrible fans

[stan butler]

The same fans who chanted Abramovitch's name during the stand with Ukraine applause? Horrible club and horrible fans

Agreed feck em

[B. Oddie]

Shut em down I say. Seriously, I feel sorry for their fans actually, but it's definitely the right decision and this is far bigger than a football club, even Champions League winners.

Probably up there amongst the worst fans in Britain, if not Europe.

Sod 'em.

[NYCBlue]

At least they won't have to wear those ugly 3s on their shirts. Ha ha ha ha ha!

[The Lone Gunman]

The same fans who chanted Abramovitch's name during the stand with Ukraine applause? Horrible club and horrible fans

All of them?

[Gofer Blue]

Looks pretty serious stuff:

ESPN senior writer Mark Ogden told BBC Radio 5 Live that the government sanctions imposed on Roman Abramovich could have serious ramifications for Chelsea.

“It’s multi-layered, it’s huge and it affects every little area of the club.

"They can’t sort out new contracts so they can’t negotiate a new contract with Antonio Rudiger who is one of their best players. He’s pretty certain to leave as a free agent.

"Once we see the fine print, it's cataclysmic for Chelsea. It’s unprecedented.

"Chelsea have become one of the biggest clubs in the world. Abramovich transformed them from a club with great ambition but nothing to back it up to the reigning European champions, the reigning world club champions.

"No matter what happens from this point, they won’t be the Chelsea we’ve grown to know. Abramovich has been loaning them what amounts to £90m a year, nobody does that anymore."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/60688168

[the other bob wilson]

Looks pretty serious stuff:

ESPN senior writer Mark Ogden told BBC Radio 5 Live that the government sanctions imposed on Roman Abramovich could have serious ramifications for Chelsea.

“It’s multi-layered, it’s huge and it affects every little area of the club.

"They can’t sort out new contracts so they can’t negotiate a new contract with Antonio Rudiger who is one of their best players. He’s pretty certain to leave as a free agent.

"Once we see the fine print, it's cataclysmic for Chelsea. It’s unprecedented.

"Chelsea have become one of the biggest clubs in the world. Abramovich transformed them from a club with great ambition but nothing to back it up to the reigning European champions, the reigning world club champions.

"No matter what happens from this point, they won’t be the Chelsea we’ve grown to know. Abramovich has been loaning them what amounts to £90m a year, nobody does that anymore."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/60688168

Hence why I said I feel sorry for their fans even though they are the only supporters from another club who tried to attack me specifically in my life and they did it twice! When I heard that interview I thought they were really going to struggle to maintain an existence as a top six Premier League club and I think there is every chance that their future is much worse than that.

[dembethewarrior]

Without the blood money they'd be in the championship.

Found online

"Chelsea had been a PL top six club for seven straight seasons. They have always been one of the traditional decent sized clubs in England. In ten separate seasons, they got the biggest crowd attendances in the country. They went through many years in the doldrums after being a very fashionable club in the 1960's and early 1970's. Financial problems saw the club have to sell off players and the team declined. Their modern turn in fortunes can probably be traced back to the appointment of Glenn Hoddle as player/manager in 1993. They started to reach cup finals and semi-finals and play European football again. Then Ruud Gullit arrived and the trophy successes began with him and then Gianluca Vialli. In 2003, when Abramovich bought the club, they were already in the Champions League again (they had reached the quarter finals three years earlier). So yes, they were already a very popular club at the time of the takeover. At the time, they had the 5th Biggest All-Time Average Attendances in England"

[North Cardiff Blue]

The same fans who chanted Abramovitch's name during the stand with Ukraine applause? Horrible club and horrible fans

Karma's a bitch

[Trigger]

The same fans who chanted Abramovitch's name during the stand with Ukraine applause? Horrible club and horrible fans

Let's be fair, if he had bought us, bankrolled us to being one of the most successful in Europe then our fans would be chanting his name too and its fair enough.

[neilw65]

All of them?

Yep

[chrisp_1927]

Wonder what would happen if a Chelsea player under contract decided they'd rather go and play somewhere else. Presumably Chelsea would have no recourse to sue them or the new club. Suppose there would be issues with transferring registration with fifa for international transfers, if fifa wanted to get involved. Wouldn't surprise me if a couple of players try it though

[fugsyphil]

Why feel sorry for fans who've enjoyed unprecedented success from the precise same source of what's about to have a negative impact? They can't have it both ways

[JamesWales]

Are there any precedents for this kind of thing? In the UK or elsewhere?

[William Treseder]

All of them?

Yes. Even the groundsman, the kit man and the tea lady!!

[dembethewarrior]

Let's be fair, if he had bought us, bankrolled us to being one of the most successful in Europe then our fans would be chanting his name too and its fair enough.

Some of our fans still worship Sam...

[dembethewarrior]

Why feel sorry for fans who've enjoyed unprecedented success from the precise same source of what's about to have a negative impact? They can't have it both ways

Because being financially ****ed (potentially, if nobody pumps the same in as RA) is not the fault of the fans. Kids who have only ever known Chelsea as a successful team with money etc..

If it was a league 2 team.in the shit people.would be saying how awful it is for the poor fans. Can't have it both ways.

[Mr Soul '68]

The same fans who chanted Abramovitch's name during the stand with Ukraine applause? Horrible club and horrible fans

Demote the club to the National League South!

[North Cardiff Blue]

Because being financially ****ed (potentially, if nobody pumps the same in as RA) is not the fault of the fans. Kids who have only ever known Chelsea as a successful team with money etc..

If it was a league 2 team.in the shit people.would be saying how awful it is for the poor fans. Can't have it both ways.

But they've had there turn, that's life one minute it's great then you have to face the bad times, it's another teams turn for some good luck and good footballing times!

[PontBlue]

Will Everton and Bournemouth be next?

[Steve the Tea]

Shut em down I say. Seriously, I feel sorry for their fans actually, but it's definitely the right decision and this is far bigger than a football club, even Champions League winners.

Sadly, long gone are the days when a football club identified with its local community and was owned by the local butcher, baker or candle-stick maker. Now if a club is to progress it is consigned to be financed by monied concerns well away from our shores. The Newcastle United takeover is another recent case to add to an ever lengthening list.

What is the answer? With the increasing amounts of money sloshing around in the PL lake the number of local owners seems to be an ever diminishing breed. That said, the checks and balances for ownership of clubs seems inappropriate for the new football landscape. This must be addressed or the beautiful game will implode.

StT.
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