Despite a public outcry at Stamford Bridge, Tom Ricketts has underlined his family's commitment to 'diversity and inclusion' at Chelsea if their takeover is successful. On Saturday afternoon, fans demonstrated in front of the Blues' Premier League match against Brentford.
Tom Ricketts, who had clearly observed the protesters, issued a statement in response. "Our bid team has met with many supporter groups over the past fortnight to present our vision for Chelsea Football Club," he said. We've discussed a series of concrete guarantees we'll make to fans if our proposal is successful in those meetings, as well as in a letter to all groups.
"We feel these are far-reaching, and they surely include the Ricketts Family's and the bid team's full commitment to putting diversity and inclusion at the core of the club."
"Over the coming days, we look forward to more conversations, particularly with the Chelsea Supporters' Trust, and to making a public reaffirmation of our principles and promises."
Ricketts is facing opposition as their offer for the club advanced to the next level of discussions, with the family confirmed as preferred bidders. Fans, on the other hand, have taken issue with this, with the Chelsea Supporters' Trust claiming that there is almost no support among the fandom after conducting a survey.
They said in a statement released Saturday morning: "Currently, 72 percent of people do not believe the Ricketts family could run a successful and inclusive club. The Ricketts family's bid is opposed by 77 percent of voters. The CST does not believe that the Ricketts bid will succeed in the best interests of our members."
Of course, there are other parties participating in the takeover, with Todd Boehly and Sir Martin Broughton leading consortiums vying for control of the club. Meanwhile, Stephen Pagliuca's pursuit of the Blues has progressed.