Chelsea have called Stamford Bridge their home since 1905. The ground is iconic but is behind some of the newer stadiums in Europe in regards to modernity. Recently, their plan to build a new stadium near the Earl’s Court area suffered a major setback. Renovation and rebuilding look like the most probable options for the club. Ongoing ownership issues at the club would make it interesting to see how the co-owners undersee the process. The owners will need to have a shared vision of what they want from a new stadium with no room for disagreements.
Chelsea looking to move to Earl’s Court
Chelsea have considered this idea for a long time now. Roman Abramovich also wanted to relocate but could not materialize a plan. Stamford Bridge is behind many stadiums in Europe when it comes to seating capacity and infrastructure. The plan to move to a new stadium in west London’s Earl’s Court has existed for a long time. Things look tougher than ever after the Earl’s Court Development Company’s statement about the plan. The ECDC has ruled out the possibility of a stadium for Chelsea FC in the project. The project has planned for Housing spaces, Office spaces, shopping areas, and a Public Park but no stadium. They are going to present their plans to the local authorities for approval. If the approval goes through, the plan to move there would shatter.
The owners will need to write hefty cheques to redevelop the stadium, with the assumed cost going upwards of 1 or 2 billion pounds. After the recent ownership issues at Chelsea, both Eghbali and Boehly would have to be on the same page to oversee an operation this big. With the chances to move way looking slim, the idea of a rebuild makes more sense.
Rebuilding Stamford bridge
Chelsea’s need to rebuild their stadium could be seen under Abramovich also, the former owner had a plan established to rebuild the stadium and increase the seating capacity to 60,000. This could not happen because of a few legal issues and then the selling of the club meant that the new owners would decide what they want to do at the club. After the statement released by the ECDC it looks like rebuilding or renovating is the only option left. The project won’t be straightforward for the owners.
The ground is surrounded by subway lines on two sides making an extension in the direction impossible. To make things difficult, the owners would require the support of the CPO. The Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO), own the rights of the land that the stadium is built on. The club would need at least 76% approval from the CPO to do anything on the land. This was established in the ’90s’90s to make sure that the owners couldn’t sell the land.
In the long run, Chelsea would need a stadium with a larger seating capacity and an upgrade is inevitable. With rivals building new stadiums, Chelsea need to keep up with recent advancements in the sport. A stadium upgrade is a big decision and would require the owners to come to a common solution. The redevelopment process would take time and require Chelsea to play home games somewhere else. The Wembley stadium is an option to be their temporary home, just what Spurs did when they were building a new stadium.
Chelsea have a lot of things to focus on and moving into a better stadium is one of the top priorities. The fans have been asking for a bigger stadium with modern technology. With Chelsea acquiring land nearby, the stage looks set for a stadium upgrade.
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