The Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO) deny accusations that they are holding Chelsea FC back and say they are focused on what is best for the club.
Todd Boehly, part owner of Chelsea, said earlier this week the club must think long term about redevelopment of its Stamford Bridge home or risk an ownership split.
The CPO was set up by former Chelsea chairman Ken Bates in 1993 in an attempt to stop a housing development being built on the ground which the Blues have played at since 1905.
CPO chairman Chris Isitt, said: “The principal of the CPO is that it is there to ensure that football continues to be played at Stamford Bridge.”
“We really would encourage anybody that has a firm opinion and a view about what needs to happen to make sure that they’re a shareholder so they can actually have a vote on things when the time comes.”
Anyone is able to buy a CPO share, which currently has over 23,000 members, and if any changes are desired by ownership, they must receive a minimum or 75% of the vote in order to progress.
The most recent incident of this was in 2011 when Roman Abramovich attempted to buy the freehold back from the CPO, an attempt which failed as the vote fell short at 61%.
If Boehly or Clearlake Capital want to build a new stadium or relocate the club, they will have to meet the same three-quarters majority.
Ian Barker, 63, has been a CPO shareholder since 1994 and originally bought a share as it gave him a better chance to get a ticket for the FA Cup final.
Barker stated buying a share demonstrates a level of loyalty shown to the club, and that the voice of the fans matters.
Barker said: “I’ve got a measure of loyalty here and I want to see the club succeed.
“Would I be willing to see Chelsea move?
“The answer is yes, I’m not putting my views or my desire to stay at Stamford Bridge above the betterment of the club.”
A group of fans online frequently target the CPO over the group being perceived as holding the club back from a brand-new stadium, but both Isitt and Barker disagreed with that notion.
Barker said: “I don’t buy into the idea that the that’s holding Chelsea back.
“There are ways of developing the club at Stamford Bridge, or persuading people like me that actually the there is some fabulous proposal that is for the club’s betterment.
“It’s for the club to come up with that.”
Featured Image: Oscar Glyn
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