Chelsea have not felt so distant from the fans since the electric fences were proposed

IT’S small beer for billionaires like Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.

Understandably, the price of a pint at Chelsea, the cost of a coach at Bramall Lane or entry to a youth match are not even in the big men’s bank accounts.

But if you run an English football club, even if you don’t know what is of value to the fans, you have to make sure there are people around who do.

Boehly and his sidekick clearly fell short in that regard and scored an own goal that was just as spectacular as that of defender Axel Disasi against Leicester on Sunday.

Chelsea Supporters’ Trust’s letter to the chairman and his co-owner was not the usual fed-up fan tirade.

It could have been a devastating four-page assassination attempt on the entire Boehly and Eghbali regime.

But did you notice how little criticism was directed at the despicable football played by an overpriced and underperforming group of players?

What two hard-nosed American financiers make when warned of the ‘irreversible toxicity, almost regardless of results on the pitch’ in a scathing attack on their ability to run a Premier League club would be a delight to know.

Well done, guys.

It takes some effort to take down the normally mild-mannered CST, a chosen group of diehards ranging from mid-20s to retirement age and made up largely of professionals.

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For them and many others dedicated to the pursuit of Chelsea FC, it is not all about silverware – contrary to outside perception.

There are those at Stamford Bridge who feel entitled after so many years of winning trophies.

But for most it is a cult, a religion, a devotion. It’s about belonging and being part of it. Just like with other clubs, win or lose.

The price of a pint, a hot dog, a fixture, a season ticket or an away trip may seem insignificant to those spending £1 billion on a development team.

But it means a lot to the fans who were there before and will be there long after Boehly and his friends leave Clearlake Capital.

And they don’t like being left blank either. Chelsea’s owners have predictably missed the point when it comes to fan base.

Next month’s match at Sheffield United is on Sunday April 7.

Kick-off is at 5:30 PM due to the city’s half marathon earlier that day. There is also a train strike.

Still, the Bramall Lane end will be full. Just like it was on Christmas Eve at Wolves.

A friend paid £600 on the black market for two tickets to see Chelsea the day before New Year’s Eve.

He still hasn’t told his wife the actual costs.

He was at Middlesbrough when pitiful Chelsea lost 1-0 in the Carabao Cup semi-final in midweek.

Chelsea have been terrible for most of this season and last season. Yet my friend will still go.

That includes thousands of others who just want to feel like part of the team, even if they lose.

The perceived lack of communication from the owners is seen as a rejection of value.

The CST points to a gap between club and supporters that has not occurred since the early 1980s.

At that point, then chairman Ken Bates attempted to electrify the fences around the pitch to thwart the hooligans in The Shed.

With the Stamford Bridge crowd on the slide as a result of Boehly and Behdad’s aloof, lofty attitude, they may have to do the same thing again – only this time to keep the fans inside.