Nick Candy makes ‘golden share’ pledge to Chelsea fans as bids submitted

Nick Candy has pledged to “give football back to the fans” should he pull off his bid of more than £2billion to buy Chelsea.

The British property tycoon vowed to hand Chelsea fans the coveted ‘golden share’ ownership stake in the Stamford Bridge club on submitting his bid to buy the Blues on Friday night.

Sir Martin Broughton lodged his bid for Chelsea before merchant bank Raine Group’s Friday deadline, with Chicago Cubs owners the Ricketts family following suit.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give football back to the fans and put them at the heart of the operations and strategy of a leading global football club- Nick Candy

In a frenzied final few hours to lodge bids to buy Chelsea, Broughton and Chelsea fan and World Athletics president Lord Sebastian Coe beat the submission deadline.

Broughton and Coe’s powerhouse British business experience and standing, coupled with financing from investment supremo Michael Klein, adds major weight to their candidacy.

LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly’s strong consortium also had a confirmed bid, with others likely to have been lodged but not made public.

Chelsea fan Candy issued a lengthy statement in confirming the submission of his bid, vowing to write off the loan to Chelsea Pitch Owners to safeguard the Blues’ future at Stamford Bridge.

The 49-year-old has promised a total renovation of the stadium, where his property expertise could come to the fore.

Candy has teamed up with South Korean firms Hana Financial Group and C&P Sports Group in his Blue Football Consortium.

“Chelsea is one of the most iconic and successful professional football clubs in the world, with a rich heritage, global following, and a highly valuable brand,” said Candy.

“Football clubs are