Official Stadium Plan Announcement Soon?

[DavidEU 2,023]

Taken from CFCnet:

We hear there’s to be an official announcement about the stadium plans soon - possibly by the time you read this. It’s bound to be a controversial decision and one that will be a hot topic in our online forum.

Thoughts?

(Unable to link to the site, but can be found on CFCnet, under the title: "CFCnets unoffical Chelsea FC Magazine Out Now!")

[EskWeston 696]

There has been a lot of talk lately about being able to develop on the current site. So not sure if they have managed to get around the problems somehow....

Would be nice to have a plan in motion though because to move on to being a bigger club we need a bigger stadium.

[DavidEU 2,023]

My personal opinion Esk is that if something is going to be done (major), it will be to move to a new site, as unfortunately, that seems the only possibility.

[EskWeston 696]

My personal opinion Esk is that if something is going to be done (major), it will be to move to a new site, as unfortunately, that seems the only possibility.

Well it is certainly a realistic possibility as there doesn't seem to have been a lot to be done with the current site. Although the main problem with relocating is where do we go, not exactly tons of sites for us to choose from.

[DavidEU 2,023]

No, but the BBC and Earl's Court are too distinct posibilities

Also, under the magazine content, it also says:

- Leaving Stamford Bridge - With the announcement of a possible ground move soon, Marc Beyeler looks at some reasons why we should look at leaving the Bridge.

[Fulham Broadway 17,299]

Problem with Earls Court that the legal stipulatuions are that it has to remain a conference and exhibition centre.

There has been speculation linking us with a whole variety of sites in London including Wembley, the Olympic Stadium at Stratford, White City, Battersea Power Station, Earls Court, Chelsea barracks and the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

This crops up all the time , and the club announced last year that increasing capacity was the only viable option.

[DavidEU 2,023]

This crops up all the time , and the club announced that increasing capacity was the only viable option.

I thought they said that increasing capacity would be the PREFERED option, but moving would be a possibility?

[Fulham Broadway 17,299]

I thought they said that increasing capacity would be the PREFERED option, but moving would be a possibility?

It came down to the only viable option being quite a way away. The one that seemed preferable was contaminated land. Interesting to see how it pans out though.

[EskWeston 696]

You do feel that something will have to be done one way or the other very soon. The club certainly havn't said one way or the other how it is going to go, but with all the big clubs either expanding or moving to new bigger grounds we need to be able to compete. Mainly to help bring in more cash.

[DavidEU 2,023]

Adding to Esk's point, what sort of capacity do people want? 55,000 (same as Arsenal) has been branded about a fair bit.

Something does need to be done ASAP though.

Nou Camp 96,000

Bernabeu 90,000

San Siro 80,000

Old Trafford 76,000

Stamford Bridge 43,000

[Elliott 7]

The main problem with expanding the current site is not so much the buildings, railway and graveyard that surround the Bridge, but the fact that even more people will be coming. Our plans will have to include some way of dealing with this, and I can't think for the life of me what that'd be.

[EskWeston 696]

The main problem with expanding the current site is not so much the buildings, railway and graveyard that surround the Bridge, but the fact that even more people will be coming. Our plans will have to include some way of dealing with this, and I can't think for the life of me what that'd be.

Well that is the only problem that everyone all exits onto the same road and there are not many ways around that which is why we can get permission for a larger capacity.

[Elliott 7]

Question to the wise and mature members of this site: were the attendances higher than now in the days of terraces and cheap ticket prices? If so, how on Earth did the area cope with even more people, and do you think then maybe the area could cope after all with a higher stadium capacity?

Thanks!

[EskWeston 696]

Question to the wise and mature members of this site: were the attendances higher than now in the days of terraces and cheap ticket prices? If so, how on Earth did the area cope with even more people, and do you think then maybe the area could cope after all with a higher stadium capacity?

Thanks!

We have had massive attendances in the past, but i wouldn't say on anything like a regular basis. Also the area would not have been as built up and health and safety issues were pretty much non-existant.

[DavidEU 2,023]

Yup, Elliot, thats because of new health and safety regulations.