When Abramovich tried to buy Regent’s Park

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.

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).

Chelsea News