Sports News
Chelsea can gift away tickets to accommodate travelling fans, Simon Jordan insists, as DCMS chair Julian Knight hopes to ensure supporters can visit Stamford Bridge
But ex-Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan has explained how away seats can be gifted to visiting clubs, while DCMS chair Julian Knight hopes to ensure all fans will have access to Stamford Bridge.
The Blues face huge implications, including a block on selling the club, making transfers and agreeing new contracts, as Russian owner Abramovich was sanctioned as a result of the war in Ukraine.
Only Chelsea season-ticket-holders, whose seats are purchased already, will be able to attend home matches for the foreseeable future, with the club unable to drive any revenue from ticket sales.
However, Jordan explains that the club can forego the ten per cent of proceeds usually received from the travelling section to ensure away supporters can still attend matches at Stamford Bridge.
“They can gift them,” the White and Jordan host told talkSPORT.
“They can shift their obligations of giving a 10 per cent quota by gifting the tickets.”
The ex-Eagles chief added: “All of these things are solvable. Even season ticket renewals are solveable, as long as one single penny doesn’t go near Abramovich.
NEWS
Tuchel on Abramovich sanctions, Blues beat Norwich, Three request branding removal
gameday
Southampton v Newcastle commentary and team news: Toon eye another big win
plea
Chelsea to ask UK government to increase spending limit for upcoming home games
risk
Chelsea sponsors could cut and run – but Jordan insists ‘toxic’ brand will recover
SANCTIONED
MP reveals long-term Abramovich concerns after hitting out at ‘appalling’ Terry
blow
No tickets sold and transfers blocked – what Abramovich sanctions mean for Chelsea
“If the government set up a vehicle, with an entity that takes money from Chelsea but doesn’t allow it anywhere near Chelsea and puts it in a fund, you could, in essence, sell season tickets for next year.”
Meanwhile, DCMS chair Knight plans to call for common sense when it comes to football fans, ensuring they aren’t punished for the disgraceful scenes in Ukraine.
He told talkSPORT: “I personally will be calling on the sports minister to take a much more ‘common sense’ approach with this.
“If we can, in some way, ensure season ticket holders can renew and away fans can still go to Stamford Bridge – I’d like to see that happen.
“These rules are designed for assets which aren’t really football clubs, they’re something far more solid and less tangible.
“This is still a work in progress. I will ask the minister if there can be some dispensation and nuance to ensure that football fans and staff and players have more certainty and don’t live in this limboland or parallel universe.
“We need some understanding here.”
He added: “We need to make sure that fans can watch their beloved football team, that away supporters can go and watch their team, that’s very important.
“In my memory, this has never happened before, football being frozen in this way.”
He continued: “The situation to me looks completely untenable.
“We have to move forward and ensure that Chelsea football club survives, a new owner is found, and that we ensure there is no benefit to Russia whatsoever.”
