Why Chelsea fans’ protests were heard, but won’t lead to change and we reveal full details of the new Stamford Bridge Wetherspoons: CHELSEA CONFIDENTIAL

I arrived at Stamford Bridge’s Bovril Gate, at 6pm sharp as advertised, to see whether the protest plans which gained traction on social media had spread to the Chelsea supporters attending their game versus Southampton.

All gravy it was not, as fans were already letting their frustrations be known while blue flares burned. It should be noted this was a peaceful protest with the Metropolitan Police making no arrests. There was no appetite for trouble, only an aching to have their voices heard.

Initially I found a crowd of 50 fans, including one throwing dollar bills in front of a banner carrying Todd Boehly’s face with the message: ‘Thanks Chelsea fans for making me richer (Vivid Seats).’ It added: ‘Wanted for crimes against Chelsea – Clearlake & BlueCo.’

Those numbers soon increased towards 200 – not including the looky-loos stopping to watch – as they marched down Fulham Road singing songs against the ownership. The street was scheduled to be closed to traffic at 6.45pm anyway, so was not too troubling for coppers.

‘Roman Abramovich’ was the most popular chant of choice, but others included: ‘We want our Chelsea back’; ‘Jose Mourinho’; ‘BlueCo out’; ‘You greedy b*******, get out of our club’; ‘Boehly, you’re a c***’; ‘F*** Vivid Seats’; ‘You should have bought Brighton’; ‘What do you think of Tottenham? S***! What do you think of s***? Tottenham!’

A few Southampton fans, who could claim to be living a more miserable life at the bottom of the Premier League, started their own chant as they passed: ‘This is embarrassing.’ They also mocked their counterparts for complaining about ‘greed’ after a billion-pound outlay.

Updates were being sent back to Stamford Bridge, with one security officer telling his colleagues via radio: ‘There’s about 200 in total. All good-natured. Some chanting.’

Speaking to supporters in attendance, they were not all there for the same reason. Boehly bore the brunt of their anger as the face of the original takeover, but others were there to vent at Clearlake Capital and many towards the recruitment model focusing on youth.

Chelsea hoped to shield their players from the protest, not wanting any distractions ahead of a must-win match. That is hard to do in the social media age and Pedro Neto and Levi Colwill later celebrated their goals with ‘yapping’ hand signals, while manager Enzo Maresca and captain Reece James each urged supporters to ‘stick together’ in their programme notes.

While the fans were heard, internally it will not prompt an immediate change to an approach which the Chelsea hierarchy believe will bring the good times back. That will hopefully start with a return to the Champions League next season.

Sun, sea and set-piece practice? No thanks!

While Arsenal used their 10-day gap between games to go away on a warm-weather training trip to Dubai, Chelsea are spending their own mini break at home in London.

The Blues have more than a week until they next play. That will come when Enzo Maresca takes his team to Copenhagen for their Conference League last 16 first leg on Thursday, March 6, followed by a Premier League showdown at home with Leicester on Sunday, March 9.

Maresca had the power to push for a trip away to somewhere sunnier, but the 45-year-old Italian decided against telling his players to pack their bags, as they will spend time at home with their families and continue to work at Cobham instead.

Wesley Fofana will use the time to build up his fitness with a view to facing his former club Leicester, who sold him to Chelsea for £73million in 2022.

That would be his first appearance since December 1 after a hamstring injury. The 24-year-old Frenchman will not travel to Copenhagen after being left out of their Conference League squad.

Rugby League in, Rugby Union out

Willie Isa has already began working with Chelsea in a full-time role at their Cobham training base, his responsibilities including an objective to instil a winning culture in a player-support capacity.

That surprise appointment – broken by Mail Sport – led some supporters to wonder whatever happened to the other hiring they made from the world of rugby in Gilbert Enoka, the All Blacks coach who introduced the ‘no d***heads’ policy into the New Zealand set-up.

Confidential checked in with Enoka this week to confirm that he is no longer working with Chelsea as a mental skills specialist.

His arrangement with the Blues has indeed ended, as his consultancy agreement was only on a short-term contract.

See you at Spoons!

Stamford Bridge is set to get its own Wetherspoons with Confidential told that this summer will see the grand opening of a new pub called Walham Green in time for the 2025-26 season.

JD Wetherspoon was granted approval in mid-2024 for a site at 472 Fulham Road, situated in the Grade II-listed former ticket office next to Fulham Broadway underground station and a few minutes’ walk from the Bridge (or maybe 10 minutes if you’ve had a few too many IPAs).

It was originally thought that it would be opening in early 2025 to capitalise on the football footfall.

While no official date has yet been set, we are told you can expect to be able to stagger into your newest Spoons when the next season starts in August. Anyone for a pint?

But a blow on new stadium

The Chelsea Pitch Owners board meet frequently with senior club officials and last month’s CPO annual general meeting offered some insight into the stadium situation.

The options are a complete rebuild of Stamford Bridge, a stand-by-stand redevelopment, or to move to a new site entirely, with Earls Court regularly rumoured.

CPO chairman Chris Isitt said in his statement at the AGM: ‘Whichever outcome is eventually proposed, the timeline for the redevelopment project will stretch well into the future.’

Isitt added: ‘We understand that no decision has yet been made and that a decision is not imminent, however we continue to ensure that the company and its shareholders have a voice and play a full part in the next steps.

‘I’d like to remind shareholders that under the articles of association of the company, CPO was created to ensure that football continues to be played at Stamford Bridge by a team called Chelsea FC.’

Bompastor’s scouting mission 

It is not only the men who are targeting young signings, but the women too.

Chelsea women’s manager Sonia Bompastor made the most of the international break by attending the England Under-23s game with France in Stevenage on Tuesday night.

The French coach was spotted with her assistant Camille Abily – whom she revealed last week she is in a long-term relationship with – and they watched from the stands as London City Lionesses forward Isobel Goodwin scored the only goal to seal victory for Emma Coates’ Young Lionesses.

The only Chelsea player involved in either squad was 19-year-old midfielder Ashanti Akpan, who is currently on loan at Birmingham City and was an unused substitute on the night.

Of course, Chelsea striker Aggie Beever-Jones – one of the most exciting youngsters in football right now – was the standout star of the Under-23s last year and Bompastor knows all too well the value of bringing in young talent to strengthen her ever-improving Blues squad.

Maresca’s canteen summit for ALL staff 

More information on that meeting called by Enzo Maresca at Chelsea’s training ground.

As well as the kitchen workers, groundsmen, kitmen and all of the other support staff who were told by Kevin Campello – the club’s head of first-team operations – to be in the canteen for 10am, Confidential is told co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart were there too.

Maresca delivered a speech aimed at boosting unity at Cobham and now, nobody can be under any illusions that the club is targeting anything less than Champions League football.

CONTRIBUTOR: Tara Anson-Walsh