Chelsea charging eye-watering £12,500 for ONE TICKET to final two Prem games – £139 per minute of action
CHELSEA have angered fans by charging an extraordinary £12,500 for ONE TICKET for their final two home games of the season against Liverpool and Manchester United.
The staggering prices for the club’s VIP dugout experience are a new record for the Premier League – and will cost punters £139 for every minute of action on the pitch.
Chelsea’ are selling their exclusive Dugout Club tickets for £12,500[/caption]
The plush seats behind the home dugout have been used by stars including Gerard Butler (middle back row)[/caption]
Actress Cara Delevingne (blue hat) has also taken advantage of the exclusive ticket[/caption]
Chelsea caused outrage last season by charging a then-record £5,000 for a Premier League game against United, but have dug in by more than doubling the price for their most expensive games this year.
Liverpool are due to visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday 3 May for a game that could see Arne Slot‘s side win the title.
The date and kick-off time is likely to change however, due to requests from broadcasters.
The United game is on the last day of the season on Sunday 18 May and the most expensive ticket will again be priced at £12,500.
Chelsea are also selling tickets behind the away dugout at Stamford Bridge aimed at Liverpool and United fans for £7,500 for both matches.
Most tickets for the 136-seat Dugout Club are priced at between £2,000 and £3,000 per person per game.
But the visit of Tottenham for a midweek game at the start of April will cost £6,000.
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust labelled the prices as “eye-watering” and “unaffordable.”
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The fans want Chelsea to use the extra money to keep costs down for ordinary supporters.
“The Dugout Club seats for the Man Utd and Liverpool games will bring in around £1.2million in extra revenue,” a spokesperson told SunSport.
“This is an eye-watering amount of money and is totally unaffordable for the average Chelsea supporter.
“Record-breaking premium pricing has increased the club’s revenue and this must be considered when deciding future general admission ticket prices.”
The Dugout Club was introduced by Chelsea’s owners last season as way of making money from an area of the ground where players’ families and friends have traditionally been seated.
While billed as a VIP experience the Dugout Club is not a purpose-built dining area such as those at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Etihad Stadium, where fans can get a view of the tunnel whilst eating their pre-match meal.
Film star Butler is among those to have tested out the expensive seats[/caption]
The idea is to increase matchday revenue[/caption]
At Chelsea, the seats are located directly behind Enzo Maresca’s dugout close to where non-playing members of the squad often sit.
As part of the package fans get the opportunity to watch both teams warm-up from pitch-side in the company of a former Chelsea player, and the chance to meet current players after the game in a media area.
In addition, pre and post-match food and drink is provided from three hours before kick-off.
How do Chelsea’s prices compare?
CHELSEA’s Dugout Club prices are staggering, but they’re far from the only pricey seats in the Prem..
Chelsea, Dugout Club, £12,500 per person
Aston Villa, Doug Ellis Box, £5999 pp
Man City, Captain’s Centre Circle, £4830 pp
Manchester United , Warwick Private Executive Box, £2000 pp
Nottingham Forest, Boardroom Experience, £1194 pp
Chelsea’s position is that while expensive, the tickets are not aimed at ordinary fans.
The Dugout Club is also used by Chelsea’s owners to entertain A-list guests.
Hollywood star Gerard Butler and model Cara Delevingne both watched matches from there last season.
Chelsea’s general admission prices went up for the first time in 13 years this season, but the increases have been relatively modest for season-ticket holders.
The cheapest adult season-ticket costs £787.50 – making one ticket for the Dugout Club equivalent to almost 16 seasons of watching Chelsea from the cheap seats.
Chelsea have also been criticised by fans for converting general admission seats into corporate areas.
As a result of the high prices charged in these areas, no matches at Stamford Bridge have sold out this season.
