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Bates defends ticket policy

Last updated : 18 March 2002 By Rich Godden
Some sections of the home crowd made their feelings known over Chelsea's allocating of FA Cup semi-final tickets during the win over Sunderland. Chelsea will meet Fulham at Villa Park on April 14 and both sides had been given 19,000 tickets for the match. But tickets were made available for all season ticket holders except those in the lower section of the Matthew Harding Stand. The only chance that those fans will get tickets is if other season ticket holders decline their tickets and even then it may go down to a ballot.

Chairmen Ken Bates was not happy at the amount of tickets that his club had been given and let his feelings be known: "We have an average gate of 38,000 with over 22,000 season ticket holders. Fulham have an average gate of 19,000. Yet the FA have given the clubs 19,000 tickets each for the semi-final. So Fulham get one per fan, and we get one every two fans!"

The Blues were already annoyed at the decision to stage the tie at Villa Park when they felt that Highbury was a much more suitable venue due to it's location. Now their fans will be forced to travel 100 miles to Birmingham for a ridiculous kick off time of 7pm.