Chelsea Football Club has long been discussing the prospect of a new stadium, with previous talks having swung from expansions of their current home to chatter about a newly built stadium.
Now, though, under Todd Boehly and co.'s stewardship, the plan for the increased-capacity stadium could finally arrive in the form of a new Stamford Bridge.
What are the plans for the new Chelsea stadium?
Right now, Stamford Bridge has a capacity of 42,000. The plans, which are still largely in their infancy, aim to add 18,000 to the overall capacity, taking the total up to 60,000. That would make the stadium the fourth biggest in the Premier League.
That’s the ‘what’ element covered. The details become a little more interesting in the ‘how’ and ‘where'. Stamford Bridge has a long history, with multiple honours having been lifted there, but both a demolition and a complete rebuild are on the agenda.
That might sound like an extreme step to take, but it’s the most profitable way to build a modern-day stadium with existing buildings challenging to incorporate into newer developments both in terms of the aesthetics and the requirements of meeting the building regulations that exist today.
Even so, a Stamford Bridge rebuild won’t come cheap with a staggering figure of £1.5bn being stated.
When could the Chelsea new stadium be ready?
The other big question that needs to be discussed is ‘when’ and that is not a pretty answer for Chelsea fans. Any rebuild of Stamford Bridge would take around five years to complete and, with the activity being a proper rebuild, there will be no matchday action at the stadium during works.
The use of Wembley Stadium and a ground share with Fulham have both been tabled as potential options. A Stamford Bridge homecoming should be in line for 2030.
Chelsea new stadium latest
Chelsea's plans to move away from Stamford Bridge seem to have hit a snag again. The Blues wanted to build a stadium with a larger capacity, which would see them become among the Premier League clubs upgrading their venues. Stamford Bridge is a 40,000-capacity venue, but given the growing fan base, a move away from the current grounds would see the Blues nearly double their ticketing income. So, what's the latest in Chelsea's new stadium plans?
December 2024
The Guardian reports that plans for a move to Earl's Court, near Stamford Bridge, are on hold. The site is set to be developed into a shopping centre, housing project, offices, and a park. Unfortunately, a new stadium for Chelsea Football Club is not included in these plans. The Earl's Court Development Company (ECDC) is in charge of this project.
If ECDC presents its plan to the local council, Chelsea will have difficulty building a new stadium. The club has two options: redevelop Stamford Bridge or build a new stadium. However, building a new stadium near a subway adds challenges. This means Chelsea FC may need to temporarily move to Wembley Stadium, similar to what Tottenham Hotspur did from 2017 to 2019 while constructing their new stadium.
Importantly, Chelsea will need at least 76% approval from Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO) to build a new stadium. This group of fans currently owns the land where Stamford Bridge is located.
Are Chelsea leaving Stamford Bridge?
As briefly touched on, the main options throughout the Stamford Bridge revamp have fallen into one of three categories: an extension, a full rebuild, or a brand new stadium. In reality, the latter two options are the only two that had real legs.
The Blues seriously considered moving to a new ground during Roman Abramovich’s time in charge, with Battersea Power Station cited as the most likely destination. In fact, Kohn Pedersen Fox—an architect firm—created plans to recycle the chimneys, while the club reportedly made a formal offer for the land.
The failure on that front saw the old Chelsea regime again explore what work could be done at Stamford Bridge. Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron were heavily involved in this process and their plans heavily resembled the Bird’s Nest Stadium from Beijing; that’s perhaps unsurprising when considering they are the firm behind that arena.
Again, for one reason or another that didn’t happen and here we are today.
So, what will Chelsea new stadium look like?
Based on the details in the public domain right now, we don’t know much about what the new Chelsea stadium might look like. It will be very different from the Archibald Leitch-built ground that dates back to 1877, though. Another thing we can almost guarantee is that the overall matchday experience will be transformed from a fan’s perspective.
Janet Marie Smith is one of the leading voices on the new stadium project and brings a host of experience in this area courtesy of her role with the baseball side LA Dodgers.
An array of external commercial and hospitality units near the ground complements their stadium. The exterior of the current Stamford Bridge doesn’t allow for such development but the club are exploring the option to purchase 1.2 acres of land very close to the stadium plot, which would facilitate this ‘fan park’ type location.
It's just a case of sitting tight and waiting… for now.
Watch this space.
Premier League Capacities
- Manchester United (Old Trafford) 74,879
- Tottenham Hotspur (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) 62,850
- West Ham (London Stadium) – 62,850
- Liverpool (Anfield) – 60,725
- Arsenal (Emirates Stadium) 60,432
- Manchester City (Etihad Stadium) 55,017
- Newcastle United (St James' Park) 52,338
- Aston Villa (Villa Park) 42,682
- Chelsea (Stamford Bridge) 41,623
The artist's impressions above and others from Herzog & de Meuron can be viewed on the de Zeen Magazine website. The formal planning permission request can be viewed on the Hammersmith and Fulham Council website.
The power of the Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO)
The power of the Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO) will have a significant impact on the club's plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge or move elsewhere.
If Chelsea do move away from Stamford Bridge, the Lillie Bridge depot area has been identified as a potential development site. Moving to an alternate site would require approval from 76 percent of Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPC) shareholders.
This group currently owns the land where the ground sits, “as well as the name ‘Chelsea Football Club'.”
This has caused issues in the past, especially when Roman Abramovich tried to move away from Stamford Bridge in 2011 by purchasing the freehold from CPO. However, he secured just over 60% of the vote, which wasn't enough to secure the freehold, meaning it remained in the hands of the CPO. Ultimately, this led to a difficult relationship between the club and the shareholder group for large parts of the Abramovich reign.
Liam Twomey of The Athletic said: “Wounds from the acrimonious 2011 vote healed considerably in the final years of the Abramovich era and, acting on behalf of new owners Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly, club president and chief operating officer Jason Gannon has made an early effort to build closer ties with CPO.”
He added: “Any plan that involves the team moving, temporarily or permanently, from Stamford Bridge will require CPO approval – a reality that concerns some supporters who fear the club being left behind by their domestic and European rivals if such a proposal is blocked.”
Latest Stamford Bridge redevelopment updates
September 2024: New new Chelsea stadium
Liam Twomey of The Athletic released an update on the future of Stamford Bridge and potential new stadium sites on Tuesday, 10 September.
Similar to the update in November 2023, Twomey reported that Earls Court Development Company, who are leading the redeveloping project of the former Earls Court Exhibition Centre, has no plans to build a new stadium for Chelsea on the site.
Earls Court Development Company reiterate there’s no plan for Chelsea to build a new stadium on their site as they press ahead with their own project.
? #CFC https://t.co/RnBXz7DByT
— Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) September 10, 2024
Twomey said: “The Earl's Court Development Company (ECDC) intends to present its masterplan for a mixed use development that would include the construction of 4,000 new homes, extensive retail and office space, three large cultural and performance venues and an urban park to Hammersmith and Fulham council and the Royal Borough of Kenisington and Chelsea council next week.”
A spokesperson for the ECDC said (via Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian): “There is no plan within our plans for Chelsea FC to relocate to the Earl’s Court site. We have a fully detailed design, shortly to be registered with both local authorities, which prioritises the delivery of thousands of homes and jobs, culture and open space through a well-designed and considered master plan which has evolved over four years of engagement. This will see development commence in 2026 with the first residents and occupiers moving in from 2030. This is, and will remain, our primary focus.”
Piece updated with ECDC statement reiterating that its plan does not include a football stadium.
It has not stopped Chelsea talking to relevant parties about Earls Court. It’s complicated and CPO an obstacle to a move. But SB redevelopment hard. https://t.co/4SEDsJAOFt
— Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) September 10, 2024
Chelsea's management team is still assessing its options, and redeveloping Stamford Bridge is still possible. However, due to the stadium's proximity to a tube line, it would not be very easy and would take many years.
April 2024: Task force shuffle
A report in the Guardian confirmed earlier suspicions that a move to a new stadium is still on the table despite the club purchasing the plot of land adjacent to the stadium.
In the same month, the stadium task force was shuffled around with new personnel being drafted in to lead the project and others pausing their involvement.
Chelsea executives Chris Jurasek and Jason Gannon are now in charge of the task force with Janet Marie Smith, who was previously appointed by Todd Boehly due to her work on the Dodger Stadium renovation in the USA, stepping down.
Some people have speculated that Smith's removal from the project could be a sign that the club are leaning more towards building a new stadium given that her knowledge and expertise lie in renovation work.
November 2023: Earls Court option ruled out
The Athletic reports that the Earls Court Development Company, who are overseeing the multi-billion pound redevelopment project of the former Earls Court Exhibition Centre, have confirmed a new Chelsea stadium is not part of their plans.
“There is no football stadium in the Earls Court masterplan,” they revealed.
Instead, the project will include 4,000 new homes, retail and office space and three culture/performance venues, plus an urban park. That's what the plans say for now.
The site has been unused since the demolition of the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in 2014. If the Blues were to leave their iconic Stamford Bridge home, it has often been seen as the natural future home of Chelsea Football Club. That now seems unlikely.
Owner Todd Boehly is expected to make a final decision on the club's future in due course.
October 2023: Chelsea buy land to rebuild Stamford Bridge
Chelsea is moving ahead with plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge after buying a large piece of land next to the stadium. They spent around £80 million to purchase this land from Stoll, a charity that helps veterans find housing. This land purchase makes it possible for Chelsea to improve Stamford Bridge instead of relocating to a new site.
While this doesn’t guarantee they will stay, it gives them a better option. The redevelopment plans may include tearing down the existing Stamford Bridge and building a new stadium, which would involve turning the pitch 90 degrees.
The area Chelsea bought is 2.4 acres. Stoll consulted with its residents before agreeing to the sale, which was not the only offer they received. Other companies also wanted to buy this valuable piece of real estate in a prime location, contributing to the high price.
Today we have announced that we have agreed to sell the majority of our Fulham site to the Chelsea FC ownership group following a 9-week resident consultation. This will enable us to establish new properties, better services for veterans & secure Stoll's financial sustainability.
— Stoll (@stoll_veterans) October 17, 2023
FGG says: A big moment for the blue side of London
Chelsea's plans for a new stadium seem to be hanging in a strange limbo. While moving isn't simple, expanding Stamford Bridge is equally complicated. With new ownership at Chelsea now starting to make progress with their project, the long-term plans for the club's stadium will be a big talking point in the near future.