It may be the off-season period for English Premier League (EPL), but clubs are still raking in millions of shillings from tours and sale of merchandise.During a recent tour to the Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC, Mozzart Sport was taken through one of the tours that culminated to a stop at the team’s shop.Follow our WhatsApp channel for more newsBefore the visit to the shop, the hosts took us around the stadium and were gracious enough to explain the cost of tickets, how regular renovation works are done among other practices, that go a long way in ensuring the venue meets all modern demands.Unlike it is the case with local facilities, Chelsea attaches the highest value to the state of the stadium’s playing surface.##NAJAVA_MECA_8982676##New grass is planted at the end of the season! Yes you read that right.When we visited, a big white sheet was covering the playing surface. Our tour guide Derek Smith, a longtime supporter of the club, is a very informed man.On a busy day, he says, his department takes 40 people around, with each visitor taking a maximum of 10 minutes.A tour ticket costs Kshs 5,664 which means for an eight hour shift the club collects at least Kshs 10 million from tours alone.Why former Celtic coach considers Victor Wanyama one of his best signingsIn a month, this translates to about Kshs 300 million on tours alone.“The club is located near Westminster which is a tourist attraction and so attracts many tourists,” Smith explained.He revealed how Stamford Bridge was later modified to meet the modern demands of a football stadium.“Back in the days, we had a track around it and we also could host cricket matches as well as music concerts but not anymore,” he disclosed.Athletics Kenya reveals Nyayo Stadium tartan track installation timelineSurprisingly, the stadium is also located deep inside a residential area, but Smith insists this does not interfere with the day to day activities of the residents.During matches, the club deploys at least 700 marshals and hundreds of policemen, with certain roads being closed to ensure a smooth experience both fans and the residents.The stadium has been in existence for the last 125 years, but still maintains its good condition with Smith explaining that every year, it is repainted and repairs done.A look into Kasarani Stadium’s newly refurbished VVIP lounge [VIDEO]At the Chelsea shop, all manner of merchandise are on sale with the cheapest going for Kshs 1,593.The shop employs at least 30 people, including shop assistants and cashiers.It is not cheap to watch a Chelsea match.Details of Africa Women’s Homeless Football Cup to be hosted in KenyaSmith says the best offer is getting a ticket for the League Cup match as Premier League tickets are highly-priced and hard to find.“For a match between Chelsea against either Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool or Manchester United you are looking for anything upwards of Kshs123,000,” he says.He admits that, even in England, there are cases where people are conned when purchasing tickets and warned us to buy only from official websites.“We have had cases where fans come with tickets that have already been used. What happens is someone sets up a group to sell tickets, and person who goes to the stadium gets to use it. When the second person comes, it can not be used because it has already been used. That is why we are asking fans to only use official websites when buying match tickets. We are not responsible when you lose your money,” he added.
