COMMENT: They were at it again this week. Chelsea's owners. This time it was Todd Boehly offering just a skerrick of his thoughts on the club - and yet again through a third party...
As we've complained in this column, Chelsea's owners don't do direct addresses - let alone interviews - for the supporters' benefit. Instead, it's always via a third party. Whether it be an investment conference for Jose Feliciano. A sports business-do featuring Behdad Eghbali. Or now, via a flowery interview with Forbes, a magazine for Todd Boehly. It appears the club's ownership will do anything and everything to avoid speaking directy to the Chelsea supporter. And it does make you wonder... Do they actually like the rank-and-file fan...?
Unfair? Maybe. But what evidence do we have to suggest otherwise? What efforts have this board made to personally engage the support? To put a face and voice to the doomer headlines that are becoming all the more frequent?
This was exactly what the Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST) pleaded for in that open letter last month. As we stated at the time, there were no personal attacks. No threats. But there was a warning - and one that came from a position of good faith. Boehly and co need to communicate. They need speak to the support directly. Explain their decision-making. Their plans. And their hopes for the club. Leaning on their experience as Blues fans, the CST stated they could see the relationship between the club and the support devolving into the crises of the 1980's. As we mentioned in reflection, you only need to consider the final years of Arsene Wenger's time at Arsenal to recognise how bad things can get.
Yet instead, since that CST letter, the one public showing from the board was Boehly speaking to Forbes in a drawn-out puff-piece where Chelsea barely warranted four lines: “We just need to let the process develop and give them the time to go from being unbelievable individual players with great skills to fold into a team.
"The good news is people care so much. And the bad news is people care so much. That leads to times when they're frustrated with the team and the owners. I get that, but we just have to continue to stay the course."
Okay, nowt wrong with that. But why is Boehly relying on the reach of an American finance outlet to get his message to the Blues support? Why on earth can't he and Eghbali sit down with Chelsea's media team and get this done properly?
Instead, we had supporters' groups turning on eachother last week. Again, why the Fans' Advisory Board (FAB) felt the need to attack the CST, only they can say. A FAB which is club chosen and endorsed. Indeed, when FAB in their response to CST's letter accused them of seeking "chaos and division through attacks and campaigns" you wonder whether they're speaking independently, or if the message was fired with the full backing of the club.
Unfortunately, as we've stated in past columns, the FAB statement smacked of gatekeeping. There was no outreach to CST, just accusations. No addressing the concerns in the original letter, just insults. Certainly there was no humility shown from this newly formed entity working in the same space as CST has successfully for the past 12 years. And while the response generated global headlines about supporter battles and rifts, the crazy thing is that CST chairman Mark Meehan is actually a member of the FAB. Something which was highlighted in the FAB statement, though Meehan was not referred to by name. How that works in terms of unity inside the FAB is anyone's guess.
But beyond the internal politics; the ego-driven backbiting; the FAB still failed to address the supporters' biggest concerns. Which (we think) is what they exist to do.
Forget this column. Forget what we've been highlighting for almost two years. Instead, let's hear from a genuine Chelsea fan and former player. Tribalfootball.com spoke with Frank Leboeuf just weeks ago - and he was exasperated. And when reviewing Saturday's 2-2 draw with a 10-man Burnley, the Frenchman's opinion had only become more acute.
"Sorry, but the people on the board have destroyed this club," Leboeuf declared on ESPN. "That's what you have to face. How do you rebuild that? I don't know, it's going to take a long time.
"It's unprofessional and unfair to the people who love this club. I'm fed up. 10-men Burnley should have won the game. Chelsea Football Club against Burnley... that's the end of it.
"I want to congratulate the fans for still being able to go to Stamford Bridge to watch that."
Leboeuf speaks like a fan, because he is one. And he deserves a fans' representative who is going to speak for him. Nothing in the FAB statement mentions the reasons of why the club is in the state it is. Nor has it shown any communication from management for the reasons behind the decisions that have been made - and have clearly not worked.
Boehly and co don't need another party to do their talking for them. They certainly don't need one wanting to throw insults at other supporters' groups. What they need to do is speak to the support themselves - and directly. After transforming the club as they have, it's the least they can do.
Chelsea Fans' Advisory Board statement in full:
“Following some stories in the press about supporter engagement and the atmosphere at Chelsea Football Club, the Fan Advisory Board thought it would be useful to let fans know about some of the work we have been doing to ensure the supporter voice is heard.
“Bluntly, we don't recognise the suggestion that fans are not being involved in the future of the club. This goes directly against our experience. So we wanted to set the record straight.
“Chelsea's FAB is a pioneering effort, created around a year ago, to ensure that the fan's voice is listened to across the club. Our Chair Neil Beard was elected by members and ST holders in an open vote. The FAB represents a wide and diverse range of the Chelsea FC supporter base and constitutes an advisor selected through the Fans' Forum [Gary Beckwith], the other board advisor through diversity equality and Chelsea Pride [Tracy Brown, FAB Vice Chair]. In addition, four additional FAB members were selected via an open application process, one of whom is the Chairman of the Chelsea Supporters' Trust and another represents the views of overseas supporters. In this way the FAB ensures it is very broadly in touch with supporter sentiment, to collect and present these views very directly to the club and its board members.
“Supporters are able to contact the FAB board members directly via the club website and the FAB hold regular in-person drop-in sessions at the Tea Bar at Stamford Bridge, behind the Shed End. The next one is from 12:30pm ahead of the Burnley game on Saturday.
“At Chelsea Football Club's last main board meeting (on March 11th), Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali directly (and in-person) asked the FAB to help shape the club's proposals in relation to ticketing and we have been working on exactly that. We have had multiple sessions with club executives to work through potential proposals and provided with data to help substantiate any potential changes.
“So whilst the precise content of these meetings must remain confidential, until any decisions and changes can be communicated with supporters, the idea that fans are not involved and not at a decision making level, could not be further from the truth.
“The club is aware that, while the FAB is constructive and understands the realities, we are also challenging. We make our views known forcefully. We achieve real change. We work and will continue to work on the relationship.
“We are helped by two other enhancements to fan engagement.
“First of all, the club is doing much more work to survey a significant cross-section of the fanbase's opinion. And sharing this work with the FAB. So far what we have learned has been well aligned with the advice we have been offering.
“Second, significantly more resources have been allocated to fan liaison than at any point in the club's history. Before the FAB was created there was one part-time employee devoted to supporter liaison. There is now a department which will number four full-time members of staff. Contrary to what has been suggested, these facts give a full and proper picture of what is going on.
“Finally, we would like to add this.
“Chelsea's men's team is part way through a season with much to play for. We will soon return to Wembley. We want to rise up the table, with the European places in touching distances. We have exciting young players with real green shoots of improvement in the men's first team following significant investment. In addition, our Women's team continues to thrive domestically and on the European stage in Emma Hayes' final season.
“Football is a matter of opinion and expressing emotion is part of that. But we have to get behind our team and make our contribution to victory rather than seek chaos and division through attacks and campaigns.
“Every Chelsea fan (including the ownership group) is frustrated at setbacks or results that don't go our way. But the team and the club more broadly needs its supporters. The only people who benefit from Chelsea fans turning on Chelsea are fans of other clubs. If we're pulling in the same direction then 'every little thing gonna be alright'."
