Chelsea have been accused of a "clear exploitation of supporter loyalty" by their own fans for their pricing structure before supporters return to Stamford Bridge.
Fans can return to some Premier League grounds from December, including clubs in London as the city is currently in tier two of the government restrictions, designed to slow the spread of coronavirus.
But Chelsea have angered their own fans' group, which has labelled the £75 tickets on sale for the game against Leeds United as "eye-watering" and an "exploitation" of the loyalty of Blues supporters.
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The £75 tickets are reportedly the highest amount any Premier League club is charging.
Up to 2,000 fans will be allowed to attend the game on December 5, so naturally demand will be huge. There will be no lack of fans willing to pay £75 to see Frank Lampard's side in action, but the question will be whether that's a fair price during an incredibly tough economic time.
There's also controversy about how tickets will be allocated. The Leeds game, plus the following midweek visit of Krasnodar in the Champions League, are to be the subject of a ballot system.
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This has left the Chelsea Supporters Trust "extremely disappointed". The CST claim they were led to believe "tickets would be sold on 50% loyalty points and 50% on a first-come, first-served basis." Which, in theory, might reward regular match-going fans.
Chelsea responded in a statement on their website: "We listened to all the feedback, and we appreciate that not everyone will agree with the system being put in place.
"But at the very heart of all the decisions we have made on this matter is the desire to be as fair as possible to as many as possible."
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It should be noted that tickets for the Krasnodar game have had a price fixed at £35. Chelsea have already qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, so Lampard may not use a full-strength team.
However, for the Leeds game, fans will be charged £75 for the West Stand lower tier and £40 for the Shed End lower tier.
The CST's statement on Twitter, said: "The club, in their wisdom, have decided to charge an eye-watering £75 for the majority of sold tickets.
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"The CST is also appalled to learn that this price is the highest that any PL club is charging for tickets. At a time of financial uncertainty, for CFC to charge supporters £75 for a match ticket, the CST believe that this is a clear exploitation of supporter loyalty.
"The CST have expressed our disappointment and anger to the club representatives in a phone meeting [on Saturday] and will continue to push for a more appropriate scheme in the upcoming months."
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