Chelsea allowed to sell cup, away, and WSL tickets again; access £30m cash reserves

After continuing discussions and maneuvering between the club and the UK government, including one unsavory diversion with the Middlesbrough match, Chelsea’s operating Licence has been amended for the second time, with restrictions lifted on certain ticket sales as well as on some of the club’s cash reserves.

As confirmed yesterday, Chelsea can now sell tickets to fixtures that have been added to the schedule since the sanctions were levied on Roman Abramovich — so FA Cup and Champions League matches, both home and away — as well as away tickets to any and all games. Away fans can also buy tickets to any match held at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea can also sell tickets to Women’s Super League matches without any restrictions as well.

All proceeds from these ticket sales will be going to charities benefiting the victims of the war in Ukraine as per the club’s request.

“The Premier League will receive and hold any revenue from the sale of these tickets that would normally have gone to Chelsea. Chelsea FC have requested and the Premier League agreed that this revenue will be donated to charity to benefit victims of the war in Ukraine. The beneficiary charities will be announced in due course after consultation with the club.”

-Premier League statement; source: Athletic

That’s a generous gesture from the club certainly, and is enabled by the Licence also freeing up £30m from the club’s cash reserves (held by Fordstam, our holding company) that we can access to keep the club operating until the new ownership group is in place. That’s supposed to happen “by May”, but the available funds will also take some of the pressure off that situation and hopefully allow for proper due process to take place.

Restrictions regarding new home ticket sales to Premier League matches remain in place, as do the restrictions on merchandising, transfers, and contracts.