New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has been told he can define his reign within weeks of taking over the club.
The Supporters’ Trust has written to the American billionaire to outline their hopes for his regime – calling on him to give them a greater power by installing a shadow board.
Chelsea confirmed over the weekend that a final agreement had been reached with Boehly’s consortium for the £4.25bn buyout of Roman Abramovich.
And the Russian also penned a letter to fans assuring them of his efforts to ensure the future success under Boehly’s consortium.
The CST has immediately called on Boehly to:
- Freeze season ticket prices
- Issue a Golden Share with the power of veto relating to the stadium, club name and badge
- Create a shadow board
Boehly held several meetings with supporters as he launched his bid to buy Chelsea – and was considered the popular choice among fans throughout the process.
Privately he has spoken of his desire to better Abramovich’s 19 years of unprecedented success and will immediately fund Thomas Tuchel’s planned rebuild this summer, with as much as £200million being made available to the German.
He also intends to redevelop Stamford Bridge on a stand-by-stand basis, which should enable Chelsea to remain at the stadium during any works.
The appointment of high-profile fans Daniel Finkelstein and Barbara Charone was also intended to improve the relationship with fans.
Lord Finkelstein was on the panel of the recent Fan led Review of Football Governance.
But the Trust are immediately looking for assurances from Boehly – writing to him last week to lay out their hopes.
They wrote: “We have been very encouraged by our interactions with you over recent months, but the hard work starts now, and it is now time to deliver both on and off the pitch in building a successful, inclusive and forward-thinking club with supporters at the forefront.
“There is truly an opportunity for Chelsea FC to become world-leading in this regard. The upcoming weeks and months may define supporter perceptions of your tenure at the club, and there are a number of supporter-related issues you will need to turn your attention to in the near future.”
Boehly has been urged to show “good will” by freezing ticket prices.
But it is the issue of the Golden Share that could be most significant.
The Trust wants veto over where home games are played, the club name, badge, home shirt and stadium name.
They also want power to block any future attempts to be part of a Super League.
The shadow board, they propose, must be engaged with and consulted on strategic vision, business and commercial plans – as well as the stadium.
