Chelsea FC have been discussing a possible move to a larger stadium for some time now. Moves to a new location at the Battersea Power Station were discussed but they have been instead replaced with plans for renovations to Stamford Bridge.
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The club released concept artwork last month with plans to make the Bridge a “cathedral of football” with thick columns and designs inspired by Westminster Abbey and a bygone era. If those plans were to be put in motion, the Blues would still need a place to play for two or three seasons as the renovations are completed.
They initially asked the Rugby Football Union for permission to use the Twickenham ground but it was met with opposition from a number of groups including the neighborhood where the ground is located.
One of the rumored locations is Wembley Stadium and Chelsea FC have reportedly made a bid of £11m a year to be given permission to use the ground. They would reportedly be using it for three seasons, beginning from the 2017-18 season and carrying in to ’19-’20 season.
Tottenham are also interested in using Wembley while they create their own stadium close to White Hart Lane but they have been outbid by Chelsea. It is a similar story to the club’s transfer dealings as they are often outbid and outmuscled by the more wealthy London clubs.
Wembley is the national stadium of England and seats 90,000 people at full capacity. Chelsea would not be able to use the full capacity and would have to cap attendance at 50,000 because of restrictions on the number of large events that Wembley can host. That is still considerably more than Stamford Bridge which at its current capacity can only hold around 42,000 fans.
Their relatively small stadium compared to clubs such as Manchester United or Arsenal is one of the things holding Chelsea back in the Financial Fair Play era. They have had no problem competing and beating the other big boy clubs on the pitch but if the club is to become self-sufficient then it will need a ground that matches its ambitions and an extra 20,000 seats per match will help immensely.
Playing at Wembley would be an excellent alternative once the plans for the renovations are put in motion as it would give the Blues a modern arena with all the comforts of home. The two stadiums are around 11 miles apart and it would not be as comfortable of a trip for the local fans it would be well worth it once Stamford Bridge has been upgraded.
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