Chelsea fans rage after being unable to buy tickets for opening match despite paying £60 fee
Some Blues supporters trying to get seats for the August 17 clash with Crystal Palace found themselves with tens of thousands of people ahead of them in a queue - despite paying up to £60 for a premium membership.
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But others backed the new system because it at least gave a good indication of their chances of buying a ticket, rather than keeping them hanging on for a long time only to be disappointed.
Chelsea released seats for the Palace game for sale to 'True Blue' and "Junior Blue" members at 10am on Thursday morning, with thousands logging on and being given a position in the queue by club partners Ticketmaster.
And fans were quick to let their rage out on social media.
One posted: "Waste of a £60 membership. Fix yourself up Chelsea."
A another wrote: "Membership system is a joke at Chelsea now."
One fan asked: "Can I refund my membership? This was by far the worst decision by Chelsea."
Another said: "So Chelsea need to seriously do something about these memberships."
While a further supporter fumed: "I don't get it. Purchase membership for £60 and can't even get in."
The new True Blue scheme was already controversial.
Last season, members paid a flat £35 annual fee for the right to try to buy tickets for home games.
Moment Todd Boehly makes incredible promise to Chelsea fans after stunning Club World Cup triumph
But Blues bosses not only increased the fee for the basic membership to £40 for 2025/26, but also introduced the new premium True Blue tier which costs £60 and gives priority over standard membership.
The £60 is small beer compared to the £4,000 charge that Manchester United supremo Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly wants to charge fans for the right to buy a season ticket at United's future new stadium.
Yet the result is that Chelsea fans who want a realistic chance of seeing their team at Stamford Bridge have to pay £25 more than before.
The Chelsea Supporters' Trust last month accused the club's owners of exploiting loyalty with a number of changes to ticketing policy.
The huge demand for tickets only underlines the need for the Blues to increase their home capacity, either by redeveloping the Bridge or building a new 60,000-seater stadium elsewhere.
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