Mourinho says Chelsea has worst home fans, Supporters’ Trust fire back

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, has refused to back down in his criticism of the club’s fans, by now claiming that they are the worst set of supporters in the Premier League.
Mourinho slammed the atmosphere inside Stamford Bridge, after the 2-1 win over West London rivals Queens Park Rangers, stating that it was “like playing in an empty stadium”.

“I can clearly say we are the team to get less support in home matches,” Mourinho said.
“I think it’s getting worse. When comparing to my pre­vious time, I think it’s getting worse. I don’t question the passion and the love – I’m nobody to question that and I know clearly that’s not true.
“Chelsea fans show us their passion for this club every day, but there is a certain line of living [way of behaving] at the matches at Stamford Bridge.”
However, chairman of the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust, Tim Rolls, said: “I think the manager’s criticisms were slightly ill-advised because the fans pay good money to watch highly paid footballers.

“While I’d rather the ground was like a bear-pit, that’s not what the Premier League is like these days with the changed demographic of spectators coming to games, not least because there are an ever increasing number of tourists in the ground.
“On pricing, it’s £50 a game, give or take. So an awful lot of young people can’t afford to go very often, clearly. That’s a problem across the Premier League. In fact, the atmosphere issue is not just a Chelsea issue, either. We were at Old Trafford the previous week and the atmosphere wasn’t what it was, just as it isn’t at Liverpool, either.
“Home fans are made to sit down, but away fans can stand up. Home fans who do stand up and sing at the Bridge have received letters from the club saying a repetition could mean their season ticket or membership being revoked. That doesn’t help.

“The average age of Chelsea supporters attending home games these days is over 40 – it’s nearer 50 where I sit – and that is the case at a lot of Premier League grounds. We need to somehow be encouraging the 16-25s to come and the only way we can do that is price tickets accordingly, and allow them to congregate together in a ‘singing section’.”