The Chelsea Supporters Trust has outlined a number of commitments it wants to see from the club's prospective buyers and has called for face-to-face meetings at the earliest practical moment to learn about the motivations of potential new owners.
A deadline of Friday has been set for offers to be submitted to the Raine Group and it is expected that a transfer ownership could happen swiftly because of the severity of licence conditions being imposed on the club.
In an open letter, the trust's board has made six different points and they are welcoming dialogue with any party aiming to take club from disqualified owner Roman Abramovich.
READ MORE: Government's biggest gesture has nothing to do with tickets, it would be to ensure a golden share
Their demands are:
- The outstanding balance of the loan from the club to Chelsea Pitch Owners should be forgiven, so that Stamford Bridge is secured by and for Chelsea's supporters
- The relevant recommendations of the 2021 Fan-led review of Football Governance are implemented, namely:
A golden share for fans to protect key items of club heritage
Consultation with supporters through the creations of a democratically elected shadow board
- Continued support for Chelsea FC Women and the Chelsea Academy, both highly successful entities in their own right
- A commitment from prospective owners to engage in regular, constructive dialogue with supporters on issues of supporter interest, including fair ticketing and stadium development
- A commitment from prospective owners to continuing and building on the legacy of the Chelsea Foundation's outstanding community work.
- A guarantee that there will be not attempts to exit existing sporting structures without the engagement of key stakeholders, with supporters at the forefront - this includes the European Super League.
The Trust has also been in dialogue with key figures in Westminster to lobby for the golden share, although there is some dismay from the wider membership around Tracey Crouch’s lack of public support. The author of the fan-led review has been in contact with the trust but there had been hopes she would go on the record calling for her paper’s recommendations to be implemented.
