Chelsea rule out Stamford Bridge move

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.

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.


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


"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 £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."


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."