Rival bidders make their pitches to win over Chelsea supporters

Rival bidders Sir Martin Broughton and Nick Candy have made their pitches to win over Chelsea supporters following their respective bids to buy the club.   

Former British Airways chairman Broughton and British property tycoon Candy are two of the front runners to take over the club after Roman Abramovich was sanctioned at the start of March.

And with the Blues closing bids on the club at 9pm on Friday, the respective bidders have made their pledges to the Chelsea fans ahead of a potential takeover. 

Sir Martin Broughton has vowed Chelsea would never again face another fight for their future should he win the battle to buy the Stamford Bridge club. 

Amid a proposal to put fans at the centre of club decision-making, Broughton pledged to stop Chelsea ever suffering again from geopolitical shifts.

'The plan will guarantee that the club is never beholden to a single individual or sovereign wealth fund, ensuring that the club never faces a crisis like this again,' read a statement outlining Broughton's plans.

Broughton acted as Liverpool chairman in 2010 to oversee the Reds' sale to current owners the Fenway Sports Group, who have ushered in sustained success at Anfield.

The former British American Tobacco chairman worked with state-owned bank RBS Group on that takeover, leaving him as the sole person with UK experience of working with Government on a football takeover.

That prior experience could bolster his candidacy for Chelsea, while double Olympic gold winner Coe's sports business and politics acumen is a genuine coup.

'I am assembling a team that will ensure the future success and financial stability of a club I've supported for more than 60 years,' Sir Martin commented.

'We will secure a prompt purchase and smooth