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Chelsea rule out Stamford Bridge move

04 March 2012 - 06:07

Chelsea have ruled out a new stadium at Stamford Bridge due to the huge cost - believed to be in the region of £600m - and also the three year time period it would take to build a new stadium.

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The Blues have long been in discussions about a move away from the Bridge, or even increasing the size of their current home. However, it seems that will be very difficult to guarantee due to a number of factors. Chelsea directors are concerned that London rivals Arsenal will enjoy greater growth and expanded revenue due to their move to the Emirates Stadium.<br />

A Chelsea statement read: "We are not in any way stating the club has made a decision on the need to move."<br />

"It is clear to the board that a complete new build of a 60,000 seat stadium at Stamford Bridge has little chance of acceptability. A 60,000 new-build would cost over &pound;600m and require the club to play away for at least three seasons. Even if the economics were acceptable, the planning risks would likely be insurmountable."<br />

When mentioning potential expansions of their existing plot at Stamford Bridge, the statement read: "Expanding Stamford Bridge to 55,000 also has a number of challenges. The cost-per-seat of expanding the stands is very high. The incremental revenues would not even cover the hypothetical financing costs."

Written by Samuel Turnbull