Chelsea's New Stadium Plans Face Setback
Stamford Bridge has fallen far behind other big club stadiums, and plans to build a new one have been put on hold.
Chelsea's plans to build a new stadium have stalled after the option of moving to Earl's Court, in West London, was put on hold.
According to a report from The Guardian, Chelsea had considered relocating from their current home at Stamford Bridge, in Fulham Broadway, to the nearby Earl’s Court area. The Earl’s Court Development Company (ECDC) is planning to build a large-scale project there, including housing, office space, shopping areas, and a public park.
However, ECDC quickly denied the possibility of incorporating a stadium for Chelsea in their development plans. In response to the news, the company released a statement confirming that there were no provisions for a stadium in their proposal.
ECDC is set to present the project to local councils next week. Should it be approved, Chelsea’s chances of moving out of Stamford Bridge, which currently holds around 40,000 spectators, will be significantly limited. Stamford Bridge's capacity lags behind many of the larger stadiums owned by other top Premier League clubs.
Chelsea's primary option remains renovating their current stadium, either by redeveloping it or by demolishing it and building a new one. To facilitate this, the club recently acquired nearby land, which was formerly used as a veteran’s home.
However, this route presents challenges, including the proximity of a subway line that would complicate construction, and the need for Chelsea to temporarily relocate during the build. One option could be to use Wembley Stadium, a move that Tottenham Hotspur also employed from 2017 to 2019 while constructing their new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after demolishing White Hart Lane.
Additionally, any move away from Stamford Bridge would require approval from 76% of the Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO), a group of fans who own the rights to the land on which the current stadium stands. This ownership structure, established in the 1990s, was designed to prevent the sale of the stadium by the club.