The stories around Roman Abramovich’s purchase of Chelsea have already passed into legend but a new podcast interview with Ken Bates, the man who sold the club to the oligarch, has revealed some fascinating new details.
One of the most interesting is the tale that Abramovich took a helicopter tour of London once he had a deal in place to buy the Blues.
Spotting a lovely patch of green right in the middle of town, Roman thought he had spotted the perfect place for a training ground.
Ahead of the 20th anniversary of selling Chelsea to Roman Abramovich, Ken Bates has opened up on the deal that changed English football and why the Russian originally wanted to buy Regent’s Park – before being told it was owned by the Queen #CFC https://t.co/UhAopZbDIL
— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) March 21, 2023
Unfortunately for him, it was Regent’s Park, owned by the Queen, who was not as keen on a sale as Bates.
The terrifying thing is – if it hadn’t been Royal property, Abramovich may well have had the cash to buy it – despite the fact it might have cost a billion pounds or more (it’s almost impossible to value a site that large, located that centrally, with that much history and potential value).