Between 50-100 Chelsea fans protested against the Ricketts family
Perspective Chelsea owner Tom Ricketts has reiterated his promise to put 'diversity and inclusion at the heart of the club' should the takeover bid fronted by his family be successful.
It comes after between 50-100 Chelsea fans protested against the Ricketts family prior to Saturday’s Premier League game against Brentford at Stamford Bridge - with the #NoToRicketts campaign appearing to gather momentum.
Last week, Tom Ricketts met with Paul Canoville - Chelsea's first black player - to apologise for father Joe Ricketts' historic Islamophobic comments. He also set out his plan for the club's future.
The Ricketts family respond
The Ricketts family responded to the Chelsea supporters' protests, insisting that the aim is to put 'diversity and inclusion at the heart of the club'.
The statement read: "Over the past fortnight, our bid team has met with several supporter groups to explain our vision for Chelsea Football Club.
"In those meetings, and by letter to all groups, we have shared a set of specific commitments we will make to fans, if our bid is successful.
"We believe these are far-reaching and certainly include an absolute commitment on the part of the Ricketts Family and the bid team to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of the club.
"We look forward to more meetings – including with the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust – over the coming day and to making a public reiteration of our values and commitments."
https://twitter.com/henrywinter/status/1510177524105502729
The
rivals bidders for Chelsea, which includes LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly and British businessman Jonathan Goldstein, Sir Martin Broughton and Lord Sebastian Coe and Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca, are expected to meet with Stamford Bridge club executives next week.
It is also thought that the perspective owners might even get the chance to sit down with manager Thomas Tuchel.
When asked on Friday if he would meet the bidders, Tuchel replied: "Im not sure if they want to and I’m not sure if I should.
"I don’t know if it’s a good idea or a bad idea. Maybe it's best to be involved, if I am involved, as late as possible.
"I’m not sure if I could tell you the names of the consortiums and new bidders.
"It is my information that it is down to four and in the next weeks there should be further talks and negotiations."
Chelsea Supporters' Trust against the Ricketts' family bid
The Chelsea Supporters' Trust said earlier on Saturday that its membership "neither supports nor has confidence in" the potential new owners and that 77 per cent of members polled did not support the Ricketts' family bid.
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