A prominent Chelsea fan group has slammed the club's move to rebrand its academy squads in a scathing statement, saying they were left 'angered and frustrated' by the 'unacceptable' decision.
The club announced on Tuesday that from the 2026/27 campaign its Under-21 and Under-19 sides would play under the moniker 'Cobham Next Gen' (CNG).
Chelsea said in a statement that the move is to reflect the fact that the squads' average age is generally lower than that of their opponents, pointing out that last season's Under-18 squad featured a number of 16-year-olds. The new name is in reference to the club's Cobham Training Centre.
Academy Success and Fan Backlash
The Under-21s, led by Harry Hudson since Calum McFarlane was promoted to the first-team in January, finished top of Premier League 2 last season despite having one of the youngest squads in the division. They were beaten by Tottenham in the play-off quarter-finals, though.
The Telegraph has reported that the club's official supporters trust was not consulted before the rebrand was rubber-stamped.
The move has drawn widespread criticism from fans, which has now been formalised in a statement from the fan group Not a Project CFC.
Fan Group's Statement and Protest Threats
Not a Project CFC was responsible for organising a number of protests against Chelsea's ownership ahead of matches last season, including the FA Cup final. It has also coordinated demonstrations with disgruntled supporters of Chelsea's BlueCo sister club Strasbourg.
In a statement shared on X, they accused the club's BlueCo ownership group of damaging the club's heritage and called on other supporters unions to make their opposition to the move public.
Chelsea has been contacted for comment.
The statement read in part: “We are angered and frustrated, but sadly not surprised that the club have decided to rebrand our Under 21 and Under 19 squads as Cobham Next Gen.
“This is another example of a parasitic ownership stripping away the identity of our wonderful and historic football club piece by piece.
“The youth academy that Cobham hosts is renowned for being one of the best in the world and players have often identified with the club's name throughout their upbringing in football. Players should be proud to represent that name from the moment they enter the youth setup, and not a soulless brand name cooked up by those who do not respect the club's heritage.”
Graduates and Ongoing Concerns
Current Chelsea captain Reece James and Levi Colwill are among the academy's graduates, and club legend John Terry also passed through its ranks.
Not a Project CFC's statement continued, threatening further protest action: “We strongly urge other supporter groups to send a strong message to the club that this is yet another unacceptable act from the club's current custodians. We must continue to fight for what matters to this football club.
“We remain extremely concerned about the direction the club is heading in, particularly based on recent media reports about the ownership structure.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and should our concerns escalate, we will not hesitate to once again call for demonstrative action to try and protect our football club.”
Chelsea's BlueCo ownership has come in for regular criticism since buying the club from Roman Abramovic in 2022. Its youth-focused transfer strategy of past windows has been a particular point of concern, as has the club's managerial turnover. Xabi Alonso's appointment as manager in May made him the club's sixth permanent head coach in four years since the takeover.
