But it is easy making an impression when you start a new adventure — what should Chelsea supporters expect for the long-term? Who better to ask than followers of the LA Dodgers, people who have experienced the highs and lows of the work Boehly and Walter have done, albeit there are eight other members in Guggenheim Baseball Management.
That is some statement, given the success under previous owner Roman Abramovich between 2003 and 2022, something Jones may not be completely aware of. However, you could not doubt the sincerity and belief in his voice. “If I was a fan of Chelsea I’d be thinking ‘we’re going to be OK, good things are coming’. They are as good an ownership group that the club could have hoped for. It’s not a bad thing, it’s a good thing.”Walking around one of the concourses at Dodgers Stadium, which holds 56,000, one wonders if anyone will have something negative to say. The fact they are staging a comeback against the Cubs, who led 5-0 after the first innings, means everyone is upbeat.
“The quality of the hot dogs went down a lot,” he begins…”I always came here for that taste of the Dodgers dog. Now they’re made by some other company and I’m sure it’s about the money. Like the team shirt I’m wearing, it cost $225. That’s a simple jersey so don’t tell me they’re not making money. The parking is $30 a car! I remember when it used to be $2-3. Why does it need to be $30?
But Dodgers’ fan Jared Nunez believes the owners are too loyal to Roberts. “They have kept Dave Roberts in and they shouldn’t have done. He gets us to the play-offs but he chokes when we do. He makes bad decisions.” As he enjoys relaxing at one of the bars showing the game just outside the stands, he is confident good times are ahead for Chelsea.
You would think the 70-year-old knows all there is to know about how to run a successful club. But working with Boehly and Walter over the past decade has added something new. Not every American owner of a Premier League club has a good reputation. Liverpool have enjoyed great success under Fenway Sports Group, however the Glazer family are not as popular atKasten has no doubt about what lies in store for Chelsea though, nor is he concerned that Boehly’s and Walter’s involvement across the Atlantic will mean the Dodgers suffer.
SJohnsonSport Best ever... except for a lack of, you know, championships. One WS victory in the last thirty years.