Chelsea supporters have responded to recent comments made by Jose Mourinho about the Stamford Bridge atmosphere, explaining exactly why the London side's stadium is so “quiet”.
The Portuguese boss blasted the Blues faithful after Chelsea fought hard to a narrow 2-1 home win over relegation-threatened QPR, claiming to be frustrated with the fans not showing enough support.
“Everyone knows how much I feel connected to this club and the fans. At this moment it’s difficult for us to play at home, because playing here is like playing in an empty stadium," Mourinho stated after Saturday's game.
“The team then starts playing like it’s a quiet, soft game at home. It’s difficult to get that strong start where the players, team and fans at Stamford Bridge [are all together].
Now though, Chelsea Supporters' Trust chairman Tim Rolls has given an answer to Mourinho's statement, arguing that high ticket prices is the reason why their home ground feels “empty”, as the former Real Madrid boss put it.
"It's £50-plus to go," Tim Rolls underlined.
"And young people - who are the most likely to sing and make noise - have been priced out of the game."
"Until the clubs recognise that and do something about affordable pricing for young people and creating sections of the ground where they can sing and make some noise then the situation is unlikely to improve," added Rolls.
"It's unrealistic to expect 18- or 19-year-old kids on the minimum wage to come to Stamford Bridge or any other Premier League ground - this isn't just an issue at Chelsea, it's an issue across the board."
In a survey done by BBC, the British news media found that the cheapest season ticket at Chelsea was £750, whilst the most expensive is priced at a staggering £1,250.
However, a spokesman for the club claims that Chelsea are working hard to keep prices down, saying: "We work hard within the constraints of the current stadium to keep ticket prices down, and have frozen those prices in seven of the last nine seasons.
"The club's ticketing policy is due to be discussed with supporters at a forum later this month."
