- Todd Boehly co-owns the ‘unauthorised ticketing website’ Vivid Seats
- Chelsea fans are now calling for the Premier League to investigate their owner
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The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust have written to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters, calling on him to use his power to investigate and act on Todd Boehly‘s connection to controversial ticket sale website Vivid Seats.
The CST write they have contacted Boehly directly to offer the American billionaire ‘multiple opportunities to both publicly and privately address supporters’ concerns’ but that their requests have been in vain.
They add their members are ‘infuriated’ that their co-owner is involved in a website used to flog tickets to Premier League fixtures, including his own team’s.
Mail Sport was sent the letter on Wednesday prior to its release, with the CST reminding Masters it is ‘totally inappropriate’ and ‘significantly undermines’ the attempts by their club and others such as the Premier League and Metropolitan Police at reducing the scourge of ticket touting.
Vivid Seats is an US-based online marketplace of which Boehly is both an investor and director, and it is namechecked on the Premier League’s list of ‘unauthorised ticketing websites’.
In their letter, the CST state: ‘Vivid Seats currently lists tickets for every Premier League fixture for the remainder of the season and most tickets are being sold for above face value at significantly inflated rates. For example, a ticket for Liverpool‘s final home fixture of the season is currently listed on Vivid Seats for almost £20k.
Todd Boehly has been slammed by Chelsea fans for co-owning a ticket reselling website
Supporters group the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust has accused Boehly of a ‘breach of trust’
‘Most notably, Vivid Seats currently lists hundreds of Chelsea FC General Admission tickets at significantly inflated prices. As these tickets are not sold by the Chelsea FC website, they are considered by CFC to be ‘illegal sales’. To further compound matters, Vivid Seats is also explicitly named on the Premier League website as ‘a known unauthorised ticket website’.
‘Many CST members are clearly infuriated by this connection and have written to us to say that Mr Boehly’s association with Vivid Seats is a ‘breach of trust’ and ‘a clear conflict of interest’.’
The letter adds: ‘The CST firmly believes that it is now time for the Premier League to act and investigate. We would welcome your views as chief executive officer of the Premier League on this matter and anticipate that the Premier League would take this opportunity 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.’
A Football Supporters’ Association spokesperson said: ‘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.’
Boehly’s team were contacted for comment by Mail Sport.