ONE OF the Premier League's wealthiest football clubs has suffered a defeat long before the new season starts – dished out by neighbours unhappy about their boozy late-night gig plans.

Residents living close to the billionaire-backed team's stadium launched a protest campaign against the prospect of pop concerts featuring all-day alcohol sales.

The high-profile gigs would have added to the existing annual sporting calendar of 19 league home games plus cup ties.

But the plan has now been scrapped in a victory for neighbours over the club's rich US owners.

The venue in question is Stamford Bridge, in well-to-do west London – and the club now licking its wounds is two-time Uefa Champions League winners Chelsea FC.

The ruling has been hailed as a triumph for people power, with campaigners today celebrating how they had "frightened" the footballing power which has a lion on the badge and as its mascot.

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Chelsea were bought by a US consortium headed by Todd Boehly last summer, after Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich – bankroller of the Blues since 2003 – was forced to cede control following his country's invasion of Ukraine.

The club, who have long been investigating for years how to boost Stamford Bridge's 41,000-capacity, wanted to boost revenue in the meantime by hosting concerts there.

London rivals Tottenham Hotspur have attracted music superstars such as Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Guns N' Roses to perform at their new 62,850-capacity stadium since opening it in 2019.

Yet Chelsea have been forced to abandon their hopes of doing similar.

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Hundreds of residents living around the ground – which is in Fulham, south-west London – signed petitions urging Hammersmith and Fulham council to refuse permission.

Chelsea had applied for approval for a concert venue in part of their stadium.

Under their proposals, it would have remained throughout the year with an alcohol licence from 10am until 11pm, the Mail On Sunday reported.

Yet after talks with council officers, the club has now decided to withdraw the application – to neighbours' delight.

Writer Kate Reardon, who has lived close by for eight years, said: "We are thankful Chelsea have chosen to engage and listen to residents' concerns."

But she went on: "What really frightened them was the sheer scale of the application.

"It would have given any future owners the possibility of making the residents' lives a misery.

"Chelsea have been here since 1905 and their ability to influence the health and happiness of the neighbourhood cannot be understated."

Another happy local, 49-year-old Ramzi Mroueh, said: "We are relieved and very grateful that Chelsea FC listened to our concerns and pulled the application."

And neighbour Adriana Ennab said: "It shows what is possible when the community works together towards a goal."

Chelsea's hopes of emulating London rivals such as Spurs, Arsenal and West Ham United by getting a bigger ground have also been hampered by technicalities.

Stamford Bridge is owned by thousands of fans in shares, giving the the Chelsea Pitch Owners PLC organisation a big say on whether the Blues can move.

The group have to approve the shift from Stamford Bridge if the club were to continue in their current form of "Chelsea".

The CPO also owns the freehold to the Bridge and would need to be bought out by the club's owners for control of the stadium.

Abramovich, a former ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, attempted to buy the land in 2012 but was rebuffed by CPO shareholders.

Blues fans suffered more misery in the Premier League season which concluded last month, with the club finishing 12th in the table – their lowest placing since 14th in 1994.

They went through four managers in 2022-2023 – Thomas Tuchel, ex-Brighton and Hove Albion boss Graham Potter, one-game interim head coach Bruno Saltor then returning club legend Frank Lampard whose 11-match caretaker spell brought just one win.

They have since hired a permanent replacement in former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Spurs are not the only Premier League club in London who are able to put on pop concerts.

Arsenal's 60,074-capacity Emirates Stadium has hosted the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Green Day, the Killers and earlier this month the Arctic Monkeys ahead of their Glastonbury headline spot this weekend.

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