Chelsea FC Cleared For Wembley Stadium Use
The FA has stated that they are happy with Chelsea FC moving to Wembley Stadium while Stamford Bridge is redeveloped
The Stamford Bridge redevelopment plans have taken another step towards realisation with the Football Association (FA) declaring that they would be more than pleased to oblige if Chelsea FC request to use Wembley Stadium as a temporary home ground.
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The FA’s chief executive, Martin Glenn, stated that such an agreement would in fact be beneficial for the English game’s administrators due to increased revenues.
"We are there to provide help. We can run the FA for less costs and we can raise more. There’s a range of things. It’s primarily a football stadium, football matches are more profitable to run than concerts and other things."
Despite the massive investment to redevelop the national stadium into the 90,000 modern goliath that it is now, it is only used for football on a handful of occasions per year.
Concerts involve a lot preparation work (tarping over the turf, rigging sound systems) and as the events are not directly sanctioned by the FA, most of the gate receipts go to the concert promoters. An opportunity for more football matches is consequently a positive for the organisation.
Furthermore, the bigwigs understand that it is also in their best interests that football grounds across the country are modernised.
"We are the national stadium and seeking to use it more is what we are all about. We have an obligation to football. I’m not talking specific clubs but it’s in our interest as an association for clubs to redevelop their grounds, make superb facilities and if it’s possible to help them in that transition by using Wembley, we are absolutely supportive of that."
Currently Tottenham Hotspur are also vying for the chance to play under the arch as plans for a new White Hart Lane take shape. According to The Guardian, the Premier League will permit a ground share between the Blues and their North-London neighbours but will not allow one club to play at two designated home grounds in the same campaign.
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In terms of alternatives, Chelsea have looked at the home of English rugby, Twickenham Stadium, as a potential site as well but the national stadium seems the more viable option.
Having said that, should the Blues move into Wembley it will mean playing in a half-empty stadium. Current regulations mean that the stadium can only host its full 90,000 capacity on a certain number of occasions and thus the club would have to perform in front of a restricted 50,000 crowd for the year.
However, this shouldn’t be too much of a concern given that sacrifices are needed to make the Stamford Bridge redevelopment possible. A new permanent home is an important factor in establishing Chelsea as a durable global footballing power and it is good to see that all pieces of the (expensive) jigsaw are falling into place.
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