Chelsea FC owner planning £2bn stadium redevelopment
Chelsea Football Club’s billionaire American owner Todd Boehly is reportedly considering demolishing the club’s iconic Stamford Bridge stadium in a £2bn redevelopment project.
The stadium, which has been the home of Chelsea FC since 1905, has a capacity of 40,303, making it only the 11th-largest stadium in the UK.
The newly-proposed stadium would have a capacity of 60,000.
The proposed developments would not see the revamped stadium completed until 2030, meaning Chelsea may have to play their games at rival Fulham’s home Craven Cottage, although Twickenham and Wembley Stadium are also being touted as alternatives.
Conversations about upgrading the stadium have been in the works since 2011, when previous owner Roman Abramovich looked to move the Premier League giants into a bigger home. The club was granted planning permission for a new site in 2017 with a target to finish construction by 2021, however the plans were put on hold.