Chelsea advance stadium plans

Chelsea are advancing their plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge through a series of meetings with local businesses and residents. They abandoned the idea of moving home after difficulties with three alternative sites around London including Battersea and Earls Court.

At the moment the capacity is 41,623. Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium has a capacity of 60,000 giving them £30m more a year in ticket income than Chelsea.

Chelsea are advancing their plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge through a series of meetings with local businesses and residents. They abandoned the idea of moving home after difficulties with three alternative sites around London including Battersea and Earls Court.

At the moment the capacity is 41,623. Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium has a capacity of 60,000 giving them £30m more a year in ticket income than Chelsea.

However, Stamford Bridge is five acres smaller than the Emirates, making it more difficult to fit in a larger stadium. It is proposed to have a tier below street level similar to Real Madrid’s Bernebau stadium.

One of the difficulties is where Chelsea would play for the two years that it would take to redevelop the stadium. The idea of using Twickenham has led to local objections and Wembley might not be available. West Ham would not want to share the Olympic Stadium once they have moved in there.

Any proposals will need the approval of the individuals known as the Chelsea Pitch Owners who are the freeholders.