A UK parliamentary committee wants Chelsea fans to be allowed to buy tickets for the FA Cup semi-final clash against Crystal Palace which will be played next month.
The call to have this exception awarded to a team that is feeling the weight following the government restrictions on their operations following sanctions imposed on Russian owner Roman Abramovich over war in Ukraine.
“It is ridiculous that we face the prospect of a half-full Wembley for the Chelsea v Palace FA cup semi-final,” said Knight, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Committee.
“Chelsea is more than just its owner, it’s a living organism with huge importance to its fans and community,” he said.
Chelsea is only allowed to play fixtures and pay staff but sale of tickets and merchandise have been banned.
“The FA have no excuse for excluding them. The FA must be allowed to sell tickets to Chelsea fans so long as all money goes to the people of Ukraine,” the committee argued.
Chelsea were not allowed to sell their full allocation of tickets for the quarter-final at Middlesbrough.
The good news is that the FA said it is working with the government to ensure tickets are sold without violating the sanctions.
DID YOU KNOW
- Chelsea Football club was founded in 1905, and has been playing at its homeground, the Stamford bridge, since that time.
- Chelsea is one of the five football teams to have won all three of UEFA’s main club competitions, and is the first English club to achieve the UEFA treble.
- Names like Stamford Bridge FC, Kensington FC, and London FC were considered before the founders settled on the name Chelsea FC.