Inside Chelsea’s tricky trio of stadium expansion options...

CHELSEA have all the hallmarks of one of the grandest football clubs in the world. Except for one major stumbling block. Billionaire owner? Tick. Multiple Premier League titles? Tick. Two-time Champions League winners? Tick. Two £100million-plus transfer signings? Tick. And a world-class mega stadium to top it all of? Ah, that’s where the problem lies. Stamford Bridge is certainly an iconic stadium in English football but it first opened way back in 1877.

Image Credit: The Sun [Chelsea players celebrating with the Champions League trophy.]

But even with renovations at the beginning and end of the 20th century, its capacity is still limited to a mere 40,173 - making it only the 11th biggest football stadium in England (12th when Everton’s new ground opens later this year). Chelsea have been desperate to work out how to expand their home ground for years. Could now be the time to finally make some progress and get on with increasing that underwhelming capacity?.

Image Credit: The Sun [Stamford Bridge stadium before a Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC match.]

Quite simply, Chelsea are falling behind. And not just behind their so-called ‘Big Six’ rivals. We all know about Arsenal and Tottenham’s 60,000-seater-plus grounds opened in the last 20 years in North London - the latter’s one of the most impressive in world football while the former is already subject to update plans. Anfield has undergone significant expansion work in recent years. Old Trafford may be crumbling and in dire need of modernising - or a complete rebuild - but it is massive.

Image Credit: The Sun [Artist's impression of the proposed new Chelsea stadium.]

West Ham (62,500), Manchester City (52,900), Newcastle (52,258) and Aston Villa (42,918) all have bigger grounds than Chelsea - as do Championship side Sunderland (48,095). Everton are about to overtake Chelsea while neighbours Fulham have already updated their ground with a swanky new riverside stand which even features a swimming pool. Villa, Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Manchester City, Forest and Leicester all have plans in the works to improve and enlarge their grounds, too.

Image Credit: The Sun [Aerial view of Stamford Bridge stadium in London.]

A dated Stamford Bridge lacks many of the facilities new stadiums can offer. But, crucially, a small ground means fewer corporate boxes and fewer seats so fewer tickets sold so fewer people buying drinks, food and merchandise on a matchday. And that means less money for the club - and in an age of Profit & Sustainability Rules, inflation and hiking transfer fees, that is revenue Todd Boehly and Co can ill-afford to miss out on.

Image Credit: The Sun [Illustration of Premier League stadiums and their capacities.]

Chelsea and improved stadium plans are nothing new - with three rather ambitious plans within the last 20 years. There was the “futuristic” 60,000-seater design images released in 2017 which led to comparisons to a Slinky and an egg slicer with its unique pattern from the architects who did both the Allianz Arena in Munich and Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium. The club did get planning permission at the time but it expired due to various delays and economic challenges.

Image Credit: The Sun [Table showing projected Premier League stadium capacities.]

Before that, Chelsea failed in a bid to move into Battersea Power Station as it was instead converted into a luxury shopping centre. And former owner Roman Abramovich even had the crazy idea of building a stadium ON TOP of Waterloo Station over the existing network of train lines. Needless to say, none of those suggestions have come to pass and still Chelsea are stuck with their limited attendance figures.

Image Credit: The Sun [Illustration of a proposed Chelsea Football Club stadium inside the Battersea Power Station.]

A sports ground opened on the site of Stamford Bridge way back in 1877 for London Athletic Club, making it the oldest Premier League stadium and eighth oldest football stadium in the world. In 1904, the land was offered to Fulham and there were thoughts of selling up to Great Western Railway. But leaseholders Gus and Joseph Mears decided to stay put and in 1905 founded a football team instead - Chelsea Football Club.

Image Credit: The Sun [Illustration of a proposed Chelsea Football Club stadium inside Battersea Power Station.]

Ironically, there were plans back then to increase the capacity to 100,000 - albeit in the days before seated stands. Fast forward to the 1990s and Stamford Bridge was converted into the all-seater stadium of today with the original running track removed. So what could be the next stage of its development?. Well, there are seemingly three main options - but all three are tricky…. One suggestion would be to increase the capacity of the current Stamford Bridge stadium.

Image Credit: The Sun [Aerial view of London, including the London Eye and a proposed Chelsea stadium.]

Boehly has previous in this regard, immediately bankrolling renovations of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ baseball stadium after buying the franchise in 2012. He wasted little time in making plans to do something similar at Chelsea, appointing Janet Maire Smith to oversee the Stamford Bridge redevelopment in July 2022 after she did the Dodger Stadium, too. But expanding Chelsea’s ground is far more complicated for two reasons.

Image Credit: The Sun [Aerial view of Stamford Bridge stadium.]

Firstly, because of its location in central London in a built-up area full of houses, businesses, shops and two train lines which run directly past two sides of the ground. The only space not built on in the immediate vicinity is also off the table as it is Brompton Cemetry on the other side of the London Overground tracks. If they were to expand the current ground, Chelsea would want to make it worthwhile and therefore increase the number of seats to at least 50,000 - if not closer to 55,000 if possible.