Chelsea fan says buying last shirt before sanctions shut club shop was ‘surreal’

A man who bought the last Chelsea shirt at the Stamford Bridge club shop before it closed due to sanctions said it was a “surreal moment”.

The Government on Thursday announced it is sanctioning Chelsea owner, Russian-Israeli billionaire Roman Abramovich, amid his alleged ties to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, which he has strongly denied.

Martyn Hardiman, 29, from Guildford, was with his two-year-old son, Peter, when staff shut the merchandise shop following the news.

He said: “We went round to the club shop and it was still open and, as we went in, they closed the door behind us (and) put the signs up saying, ‘We’re closed due to the ongoing sanctions’.

“We went up, got the shirt, and it turned out to be the last shirt sale of the current era, apparently.

“It was a surreal moment but a cool bit of history and his grandad will be chuffed to bits, so that’s pretty cool.”

Fans outside the stadium said they were “nervous” and “concerned” about the sanctions, which also banned future ticket sales, though most were not worried about the club’s long-term future.

Fan of 17 years, Kai Chapman, 19, from Nottingham, said: “I’m quite gutted, really. We could see it coming but as a fan base and a club in general we’ll have to move on.

“I get the whole point of sanctioning Abramovich but, in terms of supporters, I think it’s a bit harsh to punish us because all we want to do is support our club and go to games, and without being able to purchase tickets it’s going to put us in a hard and awkward position.”

Although he described the sanctions as a “bit concerning right now”, he added: “Chelsea was here before Abramovich came in and it will still be here after he leaves.”

Clive Winter, 61, from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, who has been a