January 9 – Chelsea’s redevelopment of their Stamford Bridge stadium has been put back another year with the club now unlikely to move into the new ground until 2024, but perhaps even in 2025.
The club had originally hoped they would be in their new stadium for the start of the 2021/22 season but they now look unlikely to leave Stamford Bridge for a temporary home until 2021.
The new delays have arisen over delays in purchasing land required for the new stadium and further delays in planning permissions required. The new Stadium plans – first released three years ago – require a complete demolition of the old stadium which in itself is a complex logistical plan requiring land purchase and planning permissions.
Once levelled, the rebuild of the stadium will take three years at a cost now estimated at £1 billion, double the initial cost estimate for the stadium.
A project spokesman said last November:“We hope, subject to approvals, to start (work) in the third quarter of 2018 including the museum and health club being demolished, with work on the railway lines starting in 2019.”
That timeline now looks very unlikely with the club expected to be still playing at Stamford Bridge until 2021.
Chelsea has played at Stamford Bridge since 1905. The new construction will increase the 41,600 capacity to 60,000 with the addition of 13,374 extra general admission tickets and a doubling of the number of hospitality seats to 9,200 (the key to unlocking significant new match day revenue).
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