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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Chris Wilson

Chelsea fans call for investigation into Todd Boehly’s links with ticketing website

Boehly recently suggested that the club’s ownership could split over disagreements on the future of the stadium - (Getty Images)

The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST) has written to the Premier League to demand that it “investigate” club chairman Todd Boehly’s role in a ticket resale website.

The group has penned an open letter to league chief Richard Masters in which it has reiterated concerns over Boehly’s involvement with Vivid Seats, with the American supposedly a director and investor who owns up to 41 per cent through his holding company.

Boehly also owns a 13 per cent stake in Chelsea, with the CST calling his involvement with Vivid Seats “a "breach of trust" and "a clear conflict of interest".

According to the letter, tickets on the website “are being sold for above face value at significantly inflated rates”, with “hundreds of Chelsea FC General Admission tickets” currently listed.

In addition, Vivid Ticket is “explicitly named on the Premier League website as "a known unauthorised ticket website”, according to the letter.

"Many CST members are clearly infuriated by this connection and have written to us,” says the letter, which was posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).

"As a director of Chelsea FC and part-owner, Mr Boehly's connection with Vivid Seats is totally inappropriate and significantly undermines the efforts of Chelsea FC, the Premier League, and the Metropolitan Police to combat ticket touting.

"Mr Boehly has been contacted directly by the CST and has been offered multiple opportunities to both publicly and privately address supporters' concerns.

"Neither Mr Boehly nor his representatives have, however, acted on these requests, and thousands of tickets remain for sale on the Vivid Seats website."

A quick search of the Vivid Seats site shows that tickets are available for the Blues’ home match against Manchester United in May for prices starting at £442. The most expensive ticket for Liverpool’s final match of the season against Crystal Palace is currently listed at a little over £19,000.

Vivid is legally allowed to operate overseas, though when accessing from the UK a message pops up claiming that “tickets for the EPL matches are not currently available for purchase in your location”.

In a response on their website, the Football Supporters’ Association said that it was “right behind the points made”, adding that “there is no excuse for a club owner to be involved in such activity”.

The Football Supporters' Association backed the CST's calls for the issue to be addressed.

"It is crystal clear that the Premier League needs to take action," an FSA spokesperson said.

"Clubs, supporters' groups, the police and the Premier League itself has worked hard in recent years to combat ticket touting - there is no excuse for a club owner to be involved in such activity."

Chelsea and the Premier League both declined to comment when contacted by the PA news agency on Wednesday.

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