On Friday, 17 May it was revealed that Chelsea match ticket prices will increase for next season despite the team's poor performances on the pitch. In a post published on the official Chelsea website, the club revealed that there will be an increase of 5% on all general admission tickets after consultation with the Fan Advisory Board (FAB).
Since 2011/12, adult general admission tickets at Stamford Bridge have been frozen so an increase has been anticipated for some time. The timing of the announcement, with the club set for another season out of the Champions League, is unlikely to go down well with fans, though.
The club have blamed the ‘inflationary pressures' of operating Stamford Bridge as the reason for the ticket price increase, stating that their matchday costs have risen by 33% since 2018.
The 5% increase will come into effect at the beginning of the new season while there will also be a 3% reduction in season ticket holder discounts versus the cost of purchasing watch matches individually. No fans will pay more than £4 extra per game.
In better news for Chelsea fans, the club have decided to keep the concessionary discount at 50%. There were fears that the club would follow the likes of Tottenham who revealed earlier this year that concessionary discounts will be phased out in the coming years.
The FAB comments on Chelsea match ticket prices
The Chelsea FAB have been in consultation with the club for the past 12 months on ticket prices and it is understood that without them, the increases could have been more severe. The FAB's Chairman, Neil Beard, said:
“We welcome the club’s thorough consultation with the FAB on this critical issue for supporters. Our unanimous recommendation was not reached lightly. The club shared openly with us revenue projections and the impact on Chelsea’s ability to compete.
“Working closely together, we looked at the long-term trends and took into account previous freezes and the rate of inflation. We made sure the financial impact on supporters was properly understood and addressed.
Chelsea have increased the price of general admission season tickets for the first time in 13 years – the first hike of the Clearlake Capital-Todd Boehly regime.
But fears among fans of a huge rise have been allayed, as general admission season-ticket prices will rise by five…
— Vince™ (@Blue_Footy) May 17, 2024
“The FAB believes this is a fair and acceptable change and we look forward to continuing to work closely and collaboratively with the club moving forward.”
Chelsea's Chief Executive, Chris Jurasek, added:
“We are delighted to have had such active collaboration from our Fan Advisory Board in determining next season’s GA ticket prices. We understand the importance of balancing impact on fans with the need to do everything we can to deliver the revenue growth which will be critical to making this club successful on the pitch in a financially sustainable way.”