Chelsea’s Supporters Trust have written to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters about Todd Boehly’s ownership of a ticketing resale site that the league says is unauthorised
Chelsea’s Supporters Trust have asked the Premier League to open an investigation into whether Todd Boehly is committing a conflict of interest by part-owning an unauthorised ticket resale site. Chairman Boehly, who earlier this week spoke about his ownership of the club, has a 41% stake in Vivid Seats, an online reseller that currently lists tickets for every remaining Premier League fixture this season at inflated prices.
That includes a £20,000 seat to see Liverpool ’s final game of the campaign, where they expect to lift the trophy, and hundreds of general sale tickets at Stamford Bridge which the club itself deems to be “illegal sales.”
The CST says it has made several attempts to speak with Boehly but have yet to receive a reply. And that has prompted them to write to Prem chief Richard Masters outlining why it believes Boehly’s association with Vivid Seats is a “breach of trust” and “a clear conflict of interest.”
Chelsea, alongside the police, have worked tirelessly to clamp down on ticket touting outside Stamford Bridge in recent years.
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And a CST spokesperson said: “Not only does this undermine the efforts of Chelsea FC, The Premier League, and The Metropolitan Police to combat ticket touting, but Vivid Seats contravenes the Chelsea FC ticketing policy, and is explicitly named by the Premier League as a known unauthorised ticket website.
“We believe that now is the time for the Premier League to act swiftly and ensure that a major shareowner of a Premier League club ceases facilitating the sale of tickets for significantly above face value.”
Chicago-based Vivid Seats is listed by the Premier League as an “unauthorised ticket website”, with the league urging supporters to “exercise extreme caution.” The website charges 10 per cent commission from the sale of tickets as well as a further service charge fee and it is against the law for anybody living in Britain to use it.
A Football Supporters’ Association spokesperson added: “The Football Supporters’ Association is right behind the points made by our members at Chelsea Supporters’ Trust. It is crystal clear that the Premier League needs to take action.
“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 supporters have recently protested against the club’s ownership, which also includes Behdad Eghbali’s Clearlake Capital group. Earlier this week Boehly claimed that he and his co-owners of Chelsea could part ways if they were to disagree over the club’s future stadium.
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