Chelsea have been excused of a 'clear exploitation of supporter loyalty' after they confirmed a £75 ticket price for next weekend's Leeds United match.
Leeds will play in front of fans for the first time since March when they take on their London rivals at Stamford Bridge next Saturday evening.
The upcoming easing of the national lockdown next week will see fans allowed to return to stadiums in areas that fall under Tiers 1 and 2.
While this means Leeds fans will remain locked out of Elland Road owing to the city's Tier 3 status, London will be placed in Tier 2, meaning 2,000 fans will be permitted in Stamford Bridge.
The Blues released ticketing details for the visit of Marcelo Bielsa's men on Saturday morning, with fans in the West Stand lower tier being charged £75 and those in the Shed End lower tier £40, with tickets being subject to a ballot system.
The cost of these higher-prices tickets was questioned by the Chelsea Supporters' Trust, who put out a strongly worked statement calling the price 'eye-watering' during the current time of 'financial uncertainty'.
Their statement read : "The CST is extremely disappointed with the CFC announcement regarding the return of supporters to Stamford Bridge. Throughout all discussions we have had with the club , the consensus was that tickets would be sold on 50% loyalty points and 50% on a first-come, first-served basis with, potentially, a one price ticket for any part of the stadium.
"The club, in their wisdom, have decided to charge an eye-watering £75 for the majority of sold tickets. The CST is also appalled to learn that this price is the highest that any PL club is charging for tickets. At a time of financial uncertainty, for CFC to charge supporters £75 for a match ticket, the CST believe that this is clear exploitation of supporter loyalty.
"The CST have expressed our disappointment and anger to the club representatives in a phone meeting this morning and will continue to push for a more appropriate scheme in the upcoming months."
Chelsea addressed the issues that the return of fans brings with it in a statement on their website:
"We listened to all the feedback, and we appreciate that not everyone will agree with the system being put in place.
“But at the very heart of all the decisions we have made on this matter is the desire to be as fair as possible to as many as possible. We ask for your patience as we work our way through all season ticket holders eligible to attend.”
