Middlesbrough v Chelsea

[ClaretDiver]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but Chelsie have requested their FA Cup tie be played behind closed doors? I don’t see why Boro fans should be punished….

[Sproggy]

Open all the stands for home fans.

Pathetic from Chelsea.

[claret wizard]

Chelsea really should be kicked out, let ‘boro go through.

[claretonthecoast1882]

Just read the Chelsea statement, what a classless club now asking for sporting integrity

[giveusaB]

If Chelsea win what happens to the Quarter final prize money of £360,000 and also their share of the tie being televised ?

[ALP]

**** poor from Chelsea, why on earth should Bore be penalised for their rotten owner?

Tell em to screw themselves.

[randomclaret2]

Bankrolled for 20 years by Abramovich, then squealing about " sporting integrity "

[Funkydrummer]

Everything comes to he who waits.

Now they are seeing what it's like to be at a disadvantage.

Welcome to most other club's worlds.

Enjoy it, you classless, self centered, pampered bunch of entitled to$$er$.

[claretonthecoast1882]

If Chelsea win what happens to the Quarter final prize money of £360,000 and also their share of the tie being televised ?

The FA should donate it to the Ukraine fund seen as Chelsea can't have it and Ukraine needs it due to actions of their owners pal

[duncandisorderly]

If the argument is that it's fair that both teams have fans, and unfair that one team doesn't have fans, then it would be fair for neither team to have fans and simply award the tie to middlesbrough.

[Tricky Trevor]

If Chelsea win what happens to the Quarter final prize money of £360,000 and also their share of the tie being televised ?

I think I read that they can keep prize money but in an account giving Abramovich no access.

[ClaretTony]

Chelsea have already sold a significant number of tickets for this game which confuses the issue. They’ve even offered to give the rest away.

All a bit confusing.

[claretburns]

From BBC:

Within government I am told by one senior source that there is "exasperation" at what was described to me as a "tin-eared request" by Chelsea to play the match behind closed doors.

Officials feel they are bending over backwards to allow Chelsea to play with a special license when other businesses in similar circumstances would not have received such assistance, and that they have been listening to the club's concerns.

But the feeling within Whitehall is that Chelsea are now trying to penalise other clubs for the predicament that they are in, and are mystified they are prioritising tickets and travel arrangements.

I am told Chelsea wanted 4,000 fans at Middlesbrough rather than the 500 they were due to have, and that this is seen as "throwing their toys out of the pram" at the first opportunity.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Apparently they're having to travel up there by coach instead of flying.

Oh dear, how sad.

[bfcjg]

They have a banner at Stamford Bridge with Abramovich on it next to trophies he's bought for them with the caption the Roman Empire. It should be changed to the collapse of the Roman empire.

[jrgbfc]

Carragher made a good point on MNF last night about Chelsea using their money to bully other clubs the last 20 years, poaching their best youngsters and trying to buy their best players etc. What goes around comes around.

[conyoviejo]

I'd demote Chelski into the Southern league .Good enough for them.

[Vegas Claret]

hopefully lots of "is that all you take away" will be heard

[ClaretTony]

Carragher made a good point on MNF last night about Chelsea using their money to bully other clubs the last 20 years, poaching their best youngsters and trying to buy their best players etc. What goes around comes around.

It’s a very good point too given the way they’ve poached young kids. They once did it to Leeds with two kids which landed Ken Bates in trouble for calling Chelsea a bunch of shysters from Siberia.

[claretonthecoast1882]

It’s a very good point too given the way they’ve poached young kids. They once did it to Leeds with two kids which landed Ken Bates in trouble for calling Chelsea a bunch of shysters from Siberia.

Be nice if some of their best prospects in the academy ended up leaving due to the club being unable to offer them terms and other clubs moved in

[Vegas Claret]

if Boro and their fans needed firing up they don't anymore

[GodIsADeeJay81]

It’s a very good point too given the way they’ve poached young kids. They once did it to Leeds with two kids which landed Ken Bates in trouble for calling Chelsea a bunch of shysters from Siberia.

Didn't Chelsea end up paying Leeds a few million?
The two lads didn't even make it to the first team either did they?

[IanMcL]

I'd demote Chelski into the Southern league .Good enough for them.

They would take a kicking there!

[KRBFC]

The FA should donate it to the Ukraine fund seen as Chelsea can't have it and Ukraine needs it due to actions of their owners pal

How about we donate it to our own country, like the homeless? or the poorly children?

As for ''Ukraine needs it due to actions from their owners'', it's not Abramovich bombing Ukraine you dummy

[slw]

cheeky b:sarts, pathetic
A full house, no away fans and a home win.

[claretburns]

Request withdrawn - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60757919

[randomclaret2]

Steve Gibson has made some strong remarks this afternoon

[Funkydrummer]

Request withdrawn - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60757919

How jolly decent of them.

No pressure there then.

[FCBurnley]

Be nice if some of their best prospects in the academy ended up leaving due to the club being unable to offer them terms and other clubs moved in

Especially if we were one of the clubs who benefited

[Claretitus]

Request withdrawn - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60757919

And quite right too. Bunch of cheeky bas****s. Who the ***** do they think they are? Absolutely hate EVERYTHING about that club.
C’mon Boro.

[Top Claret]

PR disaster for Chelsea they should be made to suffer in the future for their selfish classless behaviour by club and fans

[claretburns]

Steve Gibson has made some strong remarks this afternoon

Very strong remarks:

"Chelsea and sporting integrity do not belong in the same sentence.

"Where is the intellect of Bruce Buck, the chairman of Chelsea, who has been an apologist for his owner, where the trophies won over 19 years have come from the corrupt money provided by Abramovich?" Gibson added.

"Where is the intellect of the chairman of Chelsea when it comes to playing his games at home in front of his season-ticket holders? Does he want to play all his away games at empty stadiums?

"Abramovich has been kicked out of football and Bruce Buck should be kicked out of football too."

[Paul Waine]

Tim Rolls of the Chelsea Supporters' Trust was on BBC 5 Live around 15:15 this afternoon (for 12 minutes). He's spoken well about the Supporters' Trust feeling it's a bizarre request by Chelsea and the Supporters Trust not wanting Boro fans to miss the game. He's OK with Chelsea not being able to sell any more tickets - he admits he's one of the 500-600 that had already bought tickets. He's reticent about criticising Chelsea under Abramovich's ownership and hopes the club can move on quickly under new ownership.

[Buxtonclaret]

If Chelsea win what happens to the Quarter final prize money of £360,000 and also their share of the tie being televised ?

Good point.

[dougcollins]

As for ''Ukraine needs it due to actions from their owners'', it's not Abramovich bombing Ukraine you dummy

Existentially, it would be straightforward to argue that he is.

[Buxtonclaret]

Can quite easily see Middlesbrough being the best supported club in the country when they kick off this tie...

[beddie]

As for ''Ukraine needs it due to actions from their owners'', it's not Abramovich bombing Ukraine you dummy

At no point though has Abramovich condemned the war, says it all really.

[taio]

How about we donate it to our own country, like the homeless? or the poorly children?

As for ''Ukraine needs it due to actions from their owners'', it's not Abramovich bombing Ukraine you dummy

May be you should quote properly before calling someone a dummy based on that.

[Vegas Claret]

it's a little silly really, the reason for not allowing Chelsea to sell tickets is so Abramovich gets no money..............it's an FA Cup tie so Chelsea get 45% of receipts regardless of their fans attending.

[claret wizard]

it's a little silly really, the reason for not allowing Chelsea to sell tickets is so Abramovich gets no money..............it's an FA Cup tie so Chelsea get 45% of receipts regardless of their fans attending.

No they don’t, that would be illegal. That money will most likely stay in escrow with the FA. Chelsea cannot trade as normal. They have a special licence to operate with strict conditions attached to it.

[Vegas Claret]

No they don’t, that would be illegal. That money will most likely stay in escrow with the FA. Chelsea cannot trade as normal. They have a special licence to operate with strict conditions attached to it.

........and escrow holds the money - so once the sale goes through they will get that money and that makes the decision to not allow Chelsea fans ridiculous.

[KRBFC]

At no point though has Abramovich condemned the war, says it all really.

Neither have many Russians, they've seen what happened to Navalny. I don't think it says it all, at all.

[Paul Waine]

In case anyone is in any doubt about Abramovich's culpability for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, this is what the EU said about him when they imposed sanctions on Abramovich and Chelsea - Lille game goes ahead, but decisions to be made if they get through - yesterday:

The EU ruling states: “Roman Abramovich is a Russian oligarch who has long and close ties to Vladimir Putin. He has had privileged access to the president, and has maintained very good relations with him. This connection with the Russian leader helped him to maintain his considerable wealth.

“He has been benefitting from Russian decision-makers responsible for the annexation of Crimea or the destabilisation of Ukraine. He is also one of the leading Russian businesspersons involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation, which is responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the destabilisation of Ukraine.”

[GaryClaret]

In case anyone is in any doubt about Abramovich's culpability for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, this is what the EU said about him when they imposed sanctions on Abramovich and Chelsea - Lille game goes ahead, but decisions to be made if they get through - yesterday:

The EU ruling states: “Roman Abramovich is a Russian oligarch who has long and close ties to Vladimir Putin. He has had privileged access to the president, and has maintained very good relations with him. This connection with the Russian leader helped him to maintain his considerable wealth.

“He has been benefitting from Russian decision-makers responsible for the annexation of Crimea or the destabilisation of Ukraine. He is also one of the leading Russian businesspersons involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation, which is responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the destabilisation of Ukraine.”

Along with that anyone who wants an education on this can watch the recent Panorama on how he got his money on iPlayer.