Chelsea have unveiled their plans for the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge and they are inspired by Westminster Abbey. The new stands will be wrapped in flying buttresses which come together in a ring in the middle to hold up the roof.
Chelsea have unveiled their plans for the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge and they are inspired by Westminster Abbey. The new stands will be wrapped in flying buttresses which come together in a ring in the middle to hold up the roof.
The new stands also take their inspiration from the sweeping parabolas of the pre-war stadium and the three tier structure of the East Stand which was built in 1973. The intention is to keep season ticket holders in the seats they are used to, and to keep ticket prices down by expanding capacity. New fans will be settled in the gods. The average age of current season ticket holders is 54.
The pitch will sink four metres and gain two metres in width. There will be no prawn sandwich ring of silence as at the Emirates with corporate hospitality moved to the outside, not given its own mezzanine. A new ‘raft’ with capacity for 18,000 fans will connect directly to Fulham Broadway and the District Line.
The biggest problem facing the scheme has been the restricted capacity of the site, hemmed in by a railway line, Brompton Cemetery and residential and commercial properties.
Ken Bates stands to get a windfall from the scheme. He owns a penthouse flat at the Chelsea Village Hotel next to the stadium and will expect to receive a premium price when the site is cleared. The project does include two hotels.
Chelsea expect to submit a planning application in September and would need a temporary home for at least two seasons, probably from 2017. Wembley Stadium is one option, but there are planning constraints on the number of events and it is also used for NFL, as well as other football matches.
Twickenham has a capacity of 82,000 and is in south-west London where there is a lot of Chelsea support, more so than around Wembley. However, there would be strong local opposition and segregation of fans is an issue.
The club’s matchday revenue is about £30m lower than Arsenal and Manchester United because Chelsea have a smaller capacity and fewer corporate seats. The ground capacity will be expanded from 41,623 to about 60,000.