The discussion surrounding the ownership of Chelsea has transcended into a topic that goes beyond football. Whilst many prefer to steer clear from politics, fans of the club are forced into acknowledging the depths to which new ownership could affect their future.
It’s not like before when takeovers were barely scrutinised or needed the approval of the Premier League’s governing bodies. The world of football has evolved and Chelsea are about to become an example.
With this being said, it is imperative that Chelsea get this right. The next owner will set the tone for decades worth of memories and involuntarily set precedence for future club takeovers.
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Chelsea and Raine Group have made a shortlist for their preferred buyer. To the surprise of many, the Ricketts family has been included and named as a favourite. Some may not care about the ramifications of the involvement of Joe Ricketts, but fans like Matisse Hofer are ready to use their voices to ensure that the Blues do not make that mistake.
Youtuber and lifelong Chelsea fan Matisse Hofer has taken to social media to organise a protest championing the hashtag, #NoToRicketts. It will take place outside of Stamford Bridge this coming Saturday at 12PM, ahead of Chelsea’s clash against Brentford.
Whilst he adores his childhood club and is openly ready for change, he is not in a haste. Breaking down the social and sporting reasons, he shares his concerns with football.london over the possibility of the Ricketts family takeover.
The Social Irony
“For me there are social and sporting reasons as to why the Ricketts should not be in allowed to take stewardship of Chelsea," Hofer argues.
"To start with the social reasons, you look at representing a large group of people. Not just the workers within the stadium and at Cobham, but also the fan base across the world. It’s a multicultural, inclusive group of people and the Ricketts just do not represent that."
Having researched the family’s history, Hofer sheds light on leaked emails that Joe Ricketts is alleged to have written in 2012. The email reads: "Christians and Jews can have a mutual respect for each other to create a civil society. As you know, Islam cannot do that. Therefore we cannot ever let Islam become a large part of our society. Muslims are naturally my (our) enemy due to their deep antagonism and bias against non-Muslims."
Despite Joe Rickett’s apology for such comments, Chelsea must recognise the implications of championing a family headed by a man with such views. There is the fear of upsetting resident Muslim fans, workers, and players who could rightfully find these comments offensive. Players such as Antonio Rudiger, N’golo Kante, Hakim Ziyech, and Edouard Mendy who are of Islamic faith deserve an owner who they can have complete confidence in.
As the hunt for said new owner continues, there are still three other options on the shortlist for consideration.
“When you have so many other options available to the club, why should we have to accept this candidate?”, Hofer continues.
“Especially as a football club that has done so well to push for equality, diversity and with the Premier League campaigning against racism. You cannot push these social narratives with owners that have been cited on record to have such poor viewpoints.”
Their sporting values are not Chelsea values
Shifting away from the social complications, the Blues have to also consider the Ricketts’ history with their baseball franchise, the Chicago Cubs. Now, I’m far from a baseball fan like many other UK residents, however, the sport is wildly popular in the United States. The Cubs had faced a troubling year in 2021 after recording 15 losses in 19 games. The season for their fans was described best as ‘emotional’ and ‘grueling’.
Not entirely two words that I’d want to associate in conjunction with my football club.
Despite the statistics not playing in their favour, Matisse strongly believes the Ricketts family and Chelsea would not be a match made in heaven.
“From a sporting standpoint, you only have to look at the way the Chicago Cubs are being run in Baseball," Hofer went on to explain.
"They have high ticketing prices and they’ve also had issues regarding their disability seating. There have been too many issues around their name as a family for them to take stewardship of Chelsea.”
Where do we go from here?
Protests have shown to be effective in recent years. Football fans have come together on a number of occasions to have their voices heard in a peaceful manner. Manchester United fans have marched against the Glazer's ownership in hopes for change, Arsenal fans have made their stance loud and clear to the Kroenke's. Fans across the world came together in solidarity against European Super League plans, and it was the Chelsea fans who sang the loudest.
The Blues faithful took to Stamford Bridge last season to protest against joining the European Super League. After days of multiple fan bases taking a stand against their owner's decisions, Chelsea fans arrived in their masses and held the process to a standstill. Literally, they stopped the team bus from getting into the stadium! We all know how that story ended.
Hofer does not expect the same outcome from his organised protest, however, he is hoping for something more meaningful.
“I want this protest raises awareness and all in all give fans the opportunity to have their voices and concerns heard. Especially those who do not have the platform to do so. It’s important to give them that opportunity with this protest, even if they cannot be at the game.
“The ultimate end goal is for the Ricketts family to be taken off the shortlist. Hopefully, the process attracts coverage for people. We need the world to understand the viewpoints of a large section of Chelsea supporters that are incredibly concerned about the issue.”
Calling out those who share the same sentiment, Hofer continues: “If people feel so strongly about this on social media, they need to come out and let their voices be heard outside.
Let’s see if it gets to the level of the Super League protest. It’s certainly an uphill task that we face to get that kind of coverage again.
We just hope that people will do something about it within the Chelsea community.
If it does not go to plan and nothing comes from this, at least I can say that I’ve tried.”
Todd Boehly remains the fan favourite for the Chelsea takeover. He seems to have ticked all the right boxes for fans such as myself and Hofer.
There’s no telling where this proposed peaceful protest may lead, however, football has evolved. As the football landscape changes, the fans who give it life, are no longer afraid to have their voices heard.
