The story of Stamford Bridge (Video)
Stamford Bridge is one of the oldest football grounds in the country and has been the home of Chelsea Football Club since our formation in 1905.
The Bridge opened as a sporting arena on 28 April 1877. Located in Fulham, adjacent to the borough of Chelsea in West London. It is the home of Premier League club Chelsea.
With a capacity of 40,343, it is the ninth largest venue of the 2023 24 Premier League season and the eleventh largest football stadium in England.
In 1945, Stamford Bridge staged one of the most notable matches in its history. Soviet side FC Dynamo Moscow were invited to tour the United Kingdom at the end of the Second World War and Chelsea were the first side they faced.
An estimated crowd of over 100,000 crammed into Stamford Bridge to watch a 3 3 draw, with many spectators on the dog track and on top of the stands. In the early 1970s the club's owners initiated a project to renovate Stamford Bridge.
However, the cost of building the East Stand escalated out of control after shortages of materials and a builders' strike and the remainder of the ground remained untouched. The increase in the costs, combined with other factors, sent the club into decline.
As a part of financial restructuring in the late 1970s, the freehold was separated from the club and when new Chelsea chairman Ken Bates bought the club for £1 in 1982, he did not buy the ground.
With the Taylor Report arising from the Hillsborough disaster being published in January 1990 and ordering all top division clubs to have all-seater stadiums in time for the 1994 95 season,
Chelsea's plan for a 34,000 seat stadium at Stamford Bridge was given approval by Hammersmith and Fulham council on 19 July 1990.
On 4 May 2012, Chelsea announced a bid to purchase Battersea Power Station to build a 60,000 seater stadium on the site in conjunction with property developers Almacantar.
However the bid was not accepted, and the Battersea Power Station site was redeveloped for residential and commercial uses.
In July 2022, it was reported that the club's new owner Todd Boehly had appointed American architect Janet Marie Smith to oversee the renovation of the stadium.
In July 2023, it was reported that Chelsea had agreed a deal to buy the majority of the 1.2 acre Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions site between Stamford Bridge and Fulham Broadway tube station for the stadium redevelopment.
Record attendance: 82,905 vs Arsenal F.C. on 12 October 1935. Lowest attendance: 3,000 vs Lincoln City, Second Division, 17 February 1906. During Covid 19: 2,000 vs Leeds United, Premier League, 5 December 2020.
Stamford Bridge is not owned by Roman Abramovich, or even Chelsea Football Club.
Instead, the freehold of the ground and the naming rights of the stadium are owned by Chelsea Pitch Owners PLC (CPO), a non profit organisation which is part of the club.
Stamford Bridge is easily accessible by public transport.
The closest London Underground station Fulham Broadway has a dedicated match day entrance, allowing crowds easier entry or exit from the station, avoiding the main ticket hall and shopping centre.
Given the stadium's location in south west London, car parking in the local area is extremely limited and therefore the use of public transport is recommended by Chelsea FC and local supporter groups.
The Bridge pitch is surrounded on each side by four covered all-seater stands, officially known as the Matthew Harding Stand (North), East stand,
The Shed End (South) and West Stand. Each stand has at least two tiers and was constructed for entirely different reasons as part of separate expansion plans.
Thanks for watching the Jeff Karim's video. Congratulations to Chelsea for qualified to another league cup final 2024 in Wembley after beating Middlesbrough 6 1 in the semi final at Stamford Bridge yesterday.
From Stamford Bridge to Wembley we'll keep the blue flag flying high. Flying high up in the sky. We'll keep the blue flag flying high. We are Chelsea.
This year 2024 marks the Jeff Karim's 30 years supporting Chelsea since 1994. The pride of London for a reason.
