Who is Jason Griffin? Meet Chelsea staff who served club for over 30 years but was recently let go without explanation by Todd Boehly

Todd Boehly’s Chelsea recently dismissed chief groundsman Jason Griffin and his son Reisse. The club have refused to clarify the reasons behind the sacking.

Jason was at Stamford Bridge for over 30 years. He was promoted and made chief groundsman in 2003, leading a group of groundsmen, including his son Reisse. Shortly after his appointment, Reisse rose up through the ranks and became the assistant chief groundsman.

Jason and Reisse oversaw the maintenance of not only Stamford Bridge but also Chelsea’s Cobham training ground. Additionally, they took care of Kingsmeadow, where the Blues’ women’s and youth teams play. The pair received plaudits for their exceptional work at Chelsea.

Boehly and Clearlake Capital consortium have overseen a structural overhaul at Stamford Bridge since becoming the club owners in a £4.25 billion takeover last year. They have dismissed coaches, players and groundsmen, hoping to build a better project.

According to the Daily Mail, the Pensioners have said that they do not comment on the dismissal of personnel. That means the reasons for Griffin's sacking are likely to remain confidential for the foreseeable future.

Griffin was involved in a famous altercation with then-Manchester United ace Patrice Evra in 2008. Evra slammed into Jason as he began work on the pitch following the Pensioners’ 2-1 win over United.

Then-United’s fitness coach Tony Strudwick was also in a row with Griffin, but the FA investigation found the groundsman not guilty.

Ben Foster says Kepa Arrizabalaga is not right goalkeeper for Chelsea

Former England goalkeeper Ben Foster has lambasted Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga for his performance against Everton.

Kai Havertz’s 76th-minute penalty saw the Blues get their noses in front. They held firm for the most part and came close to bagging their fourth straight win across competitions. In the 89th minute, though, substitute Ellis Simms beat Kepa, squeezing the ball underneath the goalkeeper.

Foster did not like what he saw from Kepa and urged the Blues to get in a fresh face, saying that the custodian is not up for the task. Foster said on his YouTube channel (via Metro):

“Let’s talk about Everton’s equaliser because I think Kepa should save it. A top goalkeeper saves that. This is a big moment. We’re in injury-time, so if he saves that, it’s 2-1, three points, boom, everyone is happy. These are the fine margins, but I think a top goalie has to save that.”

He added: