Jose Mourinho complained last month that it was like playing in ‘an empty stadium’ and, though he apologised, the issue is being taken seriously in the boardroom.

After meeting supporters’ groups over the last month to canvass opinions, chairman Bruce Buck presented some of the ideas to the club’s fans’ forum in a meeting at the Bridge. Chelsea want to trial a new singing section in the Shed End, which is shared with away supporters, in the hope it will spark more noise from other parts of the ground. They also want to give individuals responsibility for leading the singing.

The noisiest Chelsea fans are usually at the other end of the ground in the Matthew Harding Stand, and another idea is to move away fans and create a second large groundswell of vocal support in the Shed End.

Away fans used to sit behind the dug- outs in the lower East Stand but Mourinho complained in his first spell at the club that they were too close to him and could easily influence the linesman and fourth official.

(dailymail.co.uk)