Chelsea fan figures?

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Before I start, this is not trolling and I only created a new thread so that I didn't hijack another one.

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Just a point I was interested in regarding the number of Chelsea fans that there are and your global popularity/market penetration. Obviously your popularity has increased post Roman Abramovic and your success. We could label these fans glory hunters, but that is irrelevant and I don't want this thread to take that turn. Does anyone have figures pre and post Roman? I know that your income reached record levels last season and that can be explained by your success (etc). Obviously some of that can be accounted by merchindising. Any ideas of what the increase in Chelsea's fanbase actually is? Any ideas on your market penetration and what areas you have targeted? nice?

[Eddie26]

Before I start, this is not trolling and I only created a new thread so that I didn't hijack another one.

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Just a point I was interested in regarding the number of Chelsea fans that there are and your global popularity/market penetration. Obviously your popularity has increased post Roman Abramovic and your success. We could label these fans glory hunters, but that is irrelevant and I don't want this thread to take that turn. Does anyone have figures pre and post Roman? I know that your income reached record levels last season and that can be explained by your success (etc). Obviously some of that can be accounted by merchindising. Any ideas of what the increase in Chelsea's fanbase actually is? Any ideas on your market penetration and what areas you have targeted? nice?

Teso, I wouldn't even know where to find those numbers. I can tell you some US based numbers though from the US Blues. I can get that info tomorrow for you and let you know. I don't think we've (the US Blues) seen a huge spike in membership post-RA but I am interested to see. There are a lot of people (including most here on BigSoccer) that don't belong to the US or NY Blues. I have no idea why though. I mean, by being a member, you get offered tickets to any home, EPL game before ANYONE in England. Season ticketholders included. Plus you get discounts at the Megastore and the US Blues have a meet up once or twice a year.

I know in Philly (where I am), we had about the same 8 members of the Philly Blues for the last 8 years or so. This year we've taken on 4 "new" members (including one who got us legit and built us one kick ass site, www.chelseafcphilly.com - it's still being worked on though) so with those four, our membership has gone 50% this year alone. We don't charge a fee to join us but it's like an informal club of people that email and get together for all Chelsea games at a pub in Philly. Although 2 of the new members are transplants from other areas of the country.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Thanks for the help eddieba26. I'm interested to see what the change has been as well.

[Eddie26]

Teso, it's going to take a couple days. The "head muckity muck" from the US Blues was in London this weekend for a Chelsea FC Supporters Club dinner/conference with the team. They recently went from one part time employee in charge of Supporters Clubs to TWO FULL-TIME admins who's sole job is to take care of supporters clubs and the meeting was an introduction of sorts to the new people to the supporters clubs around the world. That can probably tell you something about an increase (plus it was a really problem point for Chelsea in the past). They want to really build up their Supporters Clubs since it's really free advertising.

[tejedora]

There are a lot of people (including most here on BigSoccer) that don't belong to the US or NY Blues. I have no idea why though. I mean, by being a member, you get offered tickets to any home, EPL game before ANYONE in England. Season ticketholders included. Plus you get discounts at the Megastore and the US Blues have a meet up once or twice a year.
Dunno about other folks, but for me it's a matter of geography and money. I checked out the US Blues website some time back, and again just now to see what might have changed. Maybe I'm missing something, but it doesn't seem to offer benefits that I can actually use. The regional club is headquartered in San Francisco. I live in Oregon, have a job with weird hours, and two kids still in school, so flying off to SF (or NY or London) for the weekend just isn't in the cards right now. The discount at the Megastore is a nice idea, but not enough in and of itself, when it costs about $70 for both the US Blues and CFC memberships in order to get the discount.

It does sound like it'd be a good deal for anybody near a regional club or with the time and financial resources to fly over to London for matches.

I can't tell from the website whether there's a local group within driving distance of where I live (Oregon is a "blue state" on the map, but that doesn't tell me much). I guess I should shoot them an email and see if they can give me more information. If I could drive to Portland to watch matches with other Chelsea fans, then it would be worth joining the US Blues, for me anyway.

[sanariot]

I can't tell from the website whether there's a local group within driving distance of where I live (Oregon is a "blue state" on the map, but that doesn't tell me much). I guess I should shoot them an email and see if they can give me more information. If I could drive to Portland to watch matches with other Chelsea fans, then it would be worth joining the US Blues, for me anyway.

Awhile back, CFCinDC posted a link to some really cool North American Chelsea fan Directory/search engine site...Hopefully she catches wind of this thread and posts it again and helps some of you far-flung fellas hook up...

If there's no local group, but local fans...(to paraphrase Peter Tosh)...orga-NIZE IT!

[Eddie26]

Awhile back, CFCinDC posted a link to some really cool North American Chelsea fan Directory/search engine site...Hopefully she catches wind of this thread and posts it again and helps some of you far-flung fellas hook up...

We are currently reorganizing and rebranding. You'll see us a lot more real soon.

[BridgeMonkee]

Pre-Roman the fan base was pretty big. Chelsea have always been a well supported Football club if you look at the 1930's and 40's and 50's. Drifted off in the mid-to-late 1970's and 80's.

Fan clubs? I dunno a lot of football fans are not really fan club type people really.

With the Kenyon on the case and his rebranding and global marketing skills, etc, etc. Yeah we'll have a lot more global fans I guess. In the UK a lot more kids choosing their first team may choose to follow the Chelsea due to the success on the pitch. maybe?

I'm a third generation Chelsea supporter its just in the blood and that is that.