English side Chelsea have frozen their general admission season ticket costs for the 12th successive year as they seek to pacify supporters due to an horrendous season the club has had.
In spite of spending an amount which has not been done before – £600 million on new signings this campaign, Chelsea sit 11th on the Premier League table.
The West London side have lost 14 of their 34 English Premier League games so far this campaign.
The 2-time UEFA Champions League winners have hired four different managers in a bid to change the fortunes of their season for the better.
Thomas Tuchel was fired earlier in the season as a result of having a rusty relationship with Co-owner Todd Boehly.
Graham Potter was appointed as his replacement and was dismissed in March following an abysmal run of form alongside a fall which saw the Blues sink to the bottom half of the Premier League table.
Chelsea have also crashed out of all competitions they were involved in and they would have another trophyless season.
It has not been the best welcome new co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali were expecting as they have also received harsh criticisms for their handling of the side.
One of such criticisms which the fans have slammed them with is the rationale behind the dismissal of coach Thomas Tuchel last September.
Due to that reason, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have decided to freeze season ticket costs ahead of the subsequent season in a bid to start winning back the support of the fans.
In a statement put out by Chelsea revealing their season ticket plans for next campaign, the West London side stated: “This season has not produced the results that any of us want.
“We know what we are working towards, but equally we know that will require hard work, determination and commitment.
“We all want to see Chelsea back where we belong and to share many more winning moments together at Stamford Bridge.
“Adult general admission (GA) season tickets have been frozen since 2011/12, meaning since 2005, season ticket prices have fallen in real terms by 32%.”
They added: “Like many industries, our costs have also risen significantly. Operating Stamford Bridge and delivering matchdays have been particularly subjected to inflationary pressures – up 31% since 2018.
“Equally, we are acutely aware of the rise in cost of living and the impact that has on our supporters.
“Looking at all of these factors, the Board has decided to freeze GA season tickets for the 2023/24 season.”
The initiative comes as some sort of respite for Chelsea faithfuls after what has been one of the shambolic campaigns in their recent history.
Chelsea managed to mathematically guarantee their safety in the Premier League last weekend after defeating Bournemouth by 3-1.
That win put an end to a six-match losing run and in the midst of problems the club has been battling with, Chelsea Supporters Trust sent an open letter to the club in March cautioning the team of “irreversible toxicity” if they chose to increase season-ticket prices.
Pointing towards the present cost of living issues in the United Kingdom, the skyrocketing of Chelsea’s commercial profit, their horrendous campaign and the implication an increased ticket cost could have on the atmosphere of home games.
The Chelsea Supporters Trust begged with Boehly and Eghbali to keep to the same process next campaign.
Cost of season tickets skyrocketed from £595 to £940 during the 2022-23 campaign, while individual matchday tickets were offered up at around £53 and £76 for adults on general sale.
And their plea have now been heard after Chelsea established the freezing of their campaign ticket cost for the 12th year in a row.
The initiative sees supporters in general-admission areas at Stamford Bridge continue to pay a reduced price for their season tickets than Arsenal and Tottenham faithfuls who spend the highest prices in English football.
The cheapest adult general admission season ticket for the West London Club will be pegged at £750, with Tottenham’s costing £807 after the North London side also kept their prices for the 2023/24 campaign.
Second-placed Arsenal have announced an average increase of 5% to campaign tickets which were already priced at an increase of £900.
After acquiring Chelsea from Roman Abramovich last year, one of Boehly and Eghbali’s first moves was to freeze season ticket fees while also removing an unpopular booking cost.
Anyway, several fans did see their season tickets skyrocket in threefold shortly before Abramovich’s exit after the improvement of the West Stand Upper Tier Concourse and seating.
Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali kept these prices for the new “Westview” stand after they arrived at the club in spite of anger from fans who were forced to pay massively for a premium matchday experience.
Discussions are believed to have been in motion over a possible increase for general admission tickets next season before the hierarchy of Chelsea came to a conclusion that fans should not be made to spend a lot higher with the club set to be absent from any European continental competition for next season.
Chelsea American co-owners are also prepared to announce their new permanent manager, with ex-Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino being a massive favorite for the role.
Mauricio Pochettino, who has been without a job since he was dismissed by PSG in 2022, is set to take charge in the summer once Frank Lampard’s horrible interim stint ends.
Other names reported to have been earlier shortlisted include Julian Nagglesman, Vincent Kompany, Luis Enrique and Jose Mourinho.
However, Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique weren’t fascinated about the prospect of coaching Chelsea due to several factors.
