Chelsea FC To Reveal Stamford Bridge Expansion Plans
Chelsea FC this morning released a statement regarding plans to increase the capacity of Stamford Bridge. Plans which may force a temporary move away for three years.
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Stamford Bridge has been Chelsea’s home since the club’s inception 100 years ago and has undergone numerous changes. The last major adjustment to the stadium was in the 1990’s, where the ground was modernised to become an all-seater. The capacity is currently just under 42,000.
Despite the significance of the ground to the West London club’s history, there have been several pushes in recent times to either move or expand the capacity of the stadium to mirror the increased stature of the Blues in world football. For reference, seven other teams in the previous Premier League season could hold more spectators than the eventual champions.
However, most previous plans involved Chelsea leaving their spiritual home. Owner Roman Abramovich had investigated potential sites at the disused Battersea Power Station, the struggling exhibition centre of Earls Court, and in the area of White City (currently close to where QPR call home). None of these, though, were determined viable for one reason or another including strong supporter opposition to not seeing Chelsea play football at The Bridge.
The reason that the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge has never been really considered so far is largely because the ground is more or less situated right in the middle of a residential area.
While a great deal of sports stadiums/arenas in the United States (perhaps less so with baseball) are giant structures situated out of the way, Stamford Bridge is literally enclosed by people’s homes, and thus there is very little room to expand. Furthermore, the real estate in that area is some of the most expensive in London making economic viability an issue.
With Financial Fair Play restricting the club, the extra revenue that can be generated on match-day cannot be underestimated
According to The Telegraph, one of the ideas now touted is to dig below street level to provide more room, enabling the capacity to increase to 60,000. The construction work is estimated to take three years with Twickenham and Wembley Stadium being looked at as potential intermediary homes.
For those unaware, Twickenham (Twickers) is the home of England Rugby Union and is the national stadium for the sport. With a capacity of 82,000 it is the 2nd largest stadium in the United Kingdom but it has never hosted a football match. Wembley, on the other hand, can fit 90,000 and has certainly hosted a few football (UK and US…) games in its time.
Regarding the time-frame for moving forward, the club had this to say:
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‘Local stakeholders, neighbours, season ticket holders and club members will be invited to comment on the potential expansion.
‘This feedback, which to date has assisted our progress in earlier stages, will continue to inform the next stage of the study.’
This exhibition period is believed to be between June 30th and July 2nd.
Meanwhile, the need for a larger stadium has never been greater. With Financial Fair Play restricting the club’s licence in the transfer market, the extra revenue that can be generated on match-day cannot be underestimated. The club even admitted as much:
‘The process now enters a further local consultation phase. This will include an explanation of the rationale for expansion, driven by spectator demand for more seats and the need to increase stadium revenue to remain competitive with our major rivals, this revenue being especially important under Financial Fair Play rules.’
Over to you Chelsea fans, what do you think? Excited by the prospects of a new Stamford Bridge? Or would you rather the club just start completely from scratch on a new site? Sound off in the comments below!
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