Chelsea struggle to sell FA Cup semi-final allocation

[Getty Images] Chelsea have introduced a ticket promotion for their FA Cup semi-final, with hundreds of seats still available to season-ticket holders and members. At Wembley Stadium on Sunday, groups of up to 20 seats remain available together. Supporters are also being allowed to purchase up to three tickets, rather than the usual one, highlighting a lack of demand.

Any member who has held their membership since 5 April can purchase a ticket, even if they have never attended a Chelsea match before. The reduced interest follows a five-game losing run without a goal — Chelsea's worst such sequence since 1912 — which was extended by Tuesday night's 3-0 defeat at Brighton. The situation is considered unusual, given Chelsea's large London-based support and the fact they have not struggled to sell FA Cup allocations in the past.

By contrast, demand from Leeds supporters has been high. Leeds were granted a small additional allocation and have effectively sold out their tickets twice over. There are fears touts could exploit the situation by reselling Chelsea tickets at inflated prices to Leeds fans, with the Yorkshire club contesting their first FA Cup semi-final since the 1986–87 season.

The match is also steeped in history since the 1970 FA Cup final, infamously dubbed one of the dirtiest matches in the competition's history and sparked a North-South rivalry between the two clubs. Among the touting companies that could profit is Vivid Seats, which is part-owned by Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly, and is already selling seats for up to £1,705 .