Shamrock Rovers' hopes of an expanded ticket allocation for their away day against Chelsea have been cut short.
The Irish champions got their hopes of a big name in the UEFA Conference League draw earlier this year, with two-time Champions League winners Chelsea on the cards.
Unfortunately for Rovers, the new format for the Conference League means that they will not enjoy a visit from Chelsea to Dublin, but the Hoops will travel to London for their final game of the league phase.
The biggest game of their Conference League adventure, Shamrock Rovers would have hoped to bring a sizeable away contingent to Stamford Bridge. However, partly due to concerns raised by London police, they will be limited to just 2,000 away fans.
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Shamrock Rovers to have limited ticket allocation for Chelsea away day
24 October 2024; Shamrock Rovers supporters before the UEFA Conference League 2024/25 league phase match between Larne and Shamrock Rovers at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Chelsea have this Wednesday published application details for supporters for their upcoming Conference League clash with League of Ireland champions Shamrock Rovers.
On their website, Chelsea revealed that police had advised that they expect away supporters to attempt to infiltrate home areas of the stadium on December 19.
"Loyalty points are being used for this fixture as a result of police advice regarding high demand from away supporters and the prospect of them trying to infiltrate home areas of the stadium on their first visit to Stamford Bridge," said a Chelsea statement.
Chelsea season ticket holders will have first access to tickets until 9am on Thursday, before applications open for Chelsea members with 12 loyalty points or more. No ticket exchange or forwarding will be allowed to Chelsea members for this game.
It is clear that Chelsea are trying to limit the number of Shamrock Rovers fans in attendance in December. Just last week, Rovers travelled north to Belfast to face Northern Irish champions Larne. On that occasion, 2,500 Rovers fans were in the stands at Windsor Park.
UEFA regulations require at least 5% of the stadium's overall capacity (2,000 in the case of Stamford Bridge). Larne had agreed to a slight increase in that number. It does not appear as though the same generosity will be forthcoming from English giants Chelsea.
Shamrock Rovers will travel to London for the final game of their Conference League campaign on Thursday December 19th, with kick-off at 8pm.
Rovers currently sit in 10th place in the Conference League table, with four points from their first two games. Before facing Chelsea, they will host The New Saints and Borac either side of a trip to Rapid Wien.
