0
0
Chelsea is considering spending up to £2 billion on a stadium that would require them to play their home games at Twickenham, Wembley, or Fulham’s Craven Cottage for four years.
The team must overcome various obstacles as part of a plan to demolish the stadium that has served as their home since 1905 and build a state-of-the-art facility capable of seating 60,000 people.
Owner Todd Boehly will face hurdles from railway and Tube lines, a subterranean river, and a nearby cemetery, which may compel the club to rotate the pitch 90 degrees to remain on the existing location.
According to reports, Boehly has made an informal contact to Fulham owner Shahid Khan regarding renting his club’s stadium.
The majority of league games may take place at Craven Cottage, with Champions League and category A Premier League matches taking place at Wembley or Twickenham.
Fulham are likely to be sympathetic to the idea, having relocated to QPR’s Loftus Road in 2002 when their stadium was being renovated. Chelsea has also approached the Rugby Football Union, which is looking to increase the amount of non-rugby events staged at Twickenham in order to increase income and help pay for future renovations.
Chelsea is contemplating constructing a new stadium at Stamford Bridge that may cost up to £2 billion
If the team decides to rebuild Stamford Bridge, they will be away from it for at least four years. Boehly is keen to turn the stadium into a world-class arena, which would need the removal of all present stands. Chelsea is likely to need to construct platform over the London Overground railway line in order to replace the East Stand.One alternative is to make the decking permanent in order to provide more room for the new development.
Due to height limits, the owners aim to excavate several metres lower than the present pitch. Chelsea is likely to learn this month whether they have purchased a 1.2-acre plot near to the stadium for £50 million. Stoll, a housing group that offers accommodation for war veterans, owns the site.
