Stamford Bridge Thread

[Fulham Broadway 17,299]

1 hour ago, Unionjack said:

Can just see Fulham playing therre eh!

I am not sure it’s worth renovating the Bridge. Yes there are big games where we could sell out 60k but the capacity is about right with the prices as they are, when we come back from being rootless, with a long mediocre patch, we might not be able to regularly fill a bigger stadium by the time it’s ready. With TV money as it is, any extra made by hospitality etc. on a match day is pocket money in comparison. People don't seem to realise 10-15 points at home are won every season because of the close proximity of the fans.

There is an easier way - just knock down the hotel and make the shed end bigger.

[Unionjack 7,531]

1 minute ago, Fulham Broadway said:

I am not sure it’s worth renovating the Bridge. Yes there are big games where we could sell out 60k but the capacity is about right with the prices as they are, when we come back from being rootless, with a long mediocre patch, we might not be able to regularly fill a bigger stadium by the time it’s ready. With TV money as it is, any extra made by hospitality etc. on a match day is pocket money in comparison. People don't seem to realise 10-15 points at home are won every season because of the close proximity of the fans.

There is an easier way - just knock down the hotel and make the shed end bigger.

I kinda agree mate. OK it might be nice to have a posh new home but right now Id rather get the team sorted out (AND the board). Get back into some sort of stability here we are in the top 4 regular again with a team all gelled up and then do it.

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

4 hours ago, Fulham Broadway said:

I am not sure it’s worth renovating the Bridge. Yes there are big games where we could sell out 60k but the capacity is about right with the prices as they are, when we come back from being rootless, with a long mediocre patch, we might not be able to regularly fill a bigger stadium by the time it’s ready. With TV money as it is, any extra made by hospitality etc. on a match day is pocket money in comparison. People don't seem to realise 10-15 points at home are won every season because of the close proximity of the fans.

There is an easier way - just knock down the hotel and make the shed end bigger.

We have to be brutally honest Chelsea are not going to get an extra 18,000 fans to watch us play the likes of Burnley, Bournemouth etc especially in midweek. Bigger ground means bigger away support but there's no way Burnley could bring 5,000 to Chelsea in midweek so there will be empty seats. Can't see them knocking down the hotel but making the Shed a 6,000 capacity was a joke and the blame is firmly at Bates door for that. West Ham do get much larger crowds although their twattish fans aren't happy but to use a line from the League of Gentlemen '' They are a local club for local people'' Chelsea aren't our support comes mainly from the Home Counties.

Historically our crowds during midweek have always been poor because fans have to travel into London and then get through the rush hour traffic on the road and on the Underground. Fans will have to travel even further if we are at Wembley and I expect crowds to be below 42,000 for some games. Not going to lie FB I'M a bit concerned about the next few years but it's Chelsea and as you know predictable we are not. 

[Superblue 6,372]

3 hours ago, Iggy Doonican said:

We have to be brutally honest Chelsea are not going to get an extra 18,000 fans to watch us play the likes of Burnley, Bournemouth etc especially in midweek. Bigger ground means bigger away support but there's no way Burnley could bring 5,000 to Chelsea in midweek so there will be empty seats. Can't see them knocking down the hotel but making the Shed a 6,000 capacity was a joke and the blame is firmly at Bates door for that. West Ham do get much larger crowds although their twattish fans aren't happy but to use a line from the League of Gentlemen '' They are a local club for local people'' Chelsea aren't our support comes mainly from the Home Counties.

Historically our crowds during midweek have always been poor because fans have to travel into London and then get through the rush hour traffic on the road and on the Underground. Fans will have to travel even further if we are at Wembley and I expect crowds to be below 42,000 for some games. Not going to lie FB I'M a bit concerned about the next few years but it's Chelsea and as you know predictable we are not. 

I live in Gloucester and have travelled down to Chelsea a few times for midweek games with my dad and it's a pain. Taking half a day minimum off work because ideally we need to catch the bus around lunchtime and not getting home until the early hours (with work the next day) is a slog, so I can understand your point.

Playing Devil's Advocate a bit here, but from what you've just said regarding fans from further afield. Should the club consider making an offer itself for Wembley? I know that a lot of fans, and particularly those that are based in London wouldn't be happy with this idea, but there are a few serious considerations to be made with this:

1. The stadium build is now being talked about as an estimate of around £1.2bn. You can't help but feel that the transfer activity in the last couple of years where we've adopted a sell to buy mentality is being influenced by this and will be for potentially many years. With the money pumping into the league now and giving even mid table teams a lot more money to spend we could find ourselves falling seriously behind the top clubs if we're not careful.

2. The apparent length of time away from Stamford Bridge will be 4 seasons.

3. By the time this is all done, and by the looks of things, making huge sacrifices as a result, it will be around 2024-2025.

Buying Wembley keeps us still in London, albeit in a different area (However we were exploring alternative sites to Stamford Bridge previously). The cost of buying Wembley would be far lower than the expected costs for the Bridge. The stadium is ready to move straight into, would be far bigger than what Stamford Bridge can become and as a result the club can immediately start to benefit from the increased gate receipts, hospitality, etc helping to pay off the cost of buying the stadium that much quicker. The venue is iconic and world renowned and will allow the club to rent it out for events, England can still play there, etc again making more money for the club and the stadium's reputation would only enhance the club's own reputation across the world.

As I said, some fans won't like it but I am far more concerned that by the time this Stamford Bridge build comes to fruition, the club will have made so many sacrifices on the pitch to compensate that we could be left behind. If the board believe a bigger stadium is paramount for us to continue developing and being more financially competitive then surely they should consider this if the FA is indeed open to selling.

[the wes 7,212]

Shahid Khan gives Chelsea green light to rent Wembley and says ground will remain 'cradle of English football'

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/shahid-khan-gives-chelsea-green-12436750

[Fulham Broadway 17,299]

 

5 hours ago, Iggy Doonican said:

Can't see them knocking down the hotel but making the Shed a 6,000 capacity was a joke and the blame is firmly at Bates door for that

Bates was very constrained on the capacity in his time by the local authority. Saying that the MH and shed are not great stands, the space in the concourses are rubbish. UK grounds are terrible in design, compared to say Deutscheland

[Unionjack 7,531]

2 hours ago, Fulham Broadway said:

 

Bates was very constrained on the capacity in his time by the local authority. Saying that the MH and shed are not great stands, the space in the concourses are rubbish. UK grounds are terrible in design, compared to say Deutscheland

It would be good to rebuild the Shed emd and amass all us big gobs in there again.

Apparently we have got the OK IF he buys Wembley

Chelsea handed major boost following Shahid Khan's bid to buy Wembley stadium

https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/chelsea-wembley-bid-stamford-bridge-14585021

 

[the wes 7,212]

28 minutes ago, Unionjack said:

It would be good to rebuild the Shed emd and amass all us big gobs in there again.

Apparently we have got the OK IF he buys Wembley

Chelsea handed major boost following Shahid Khan's bid to buy Wembley stadium

https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/chelsea-wembley-bid-stamford-bridge-14585021

 

Why not put a bid in for wembley rebuilding the bridge will cost £1.2b why wembley is costing £800m to buy?? 

[DDA 9,924]

28 minutes ago, the wes said:

Why not put a bid in for wembley rebuilding the bridge will cost £1.2b why wembley is costing £800m to buy?? 

Location, Location. Plus can we fill 90,000 a week? Also Wembley looks like shit tbh.

[the wes 7,212]

1 minute ago, DDA said:

Location, Location. Plus can we fill 90,000 a week? Also Wembley looks like shit tbh.

I don't think we could fill 90,000 a week and the atmosphere is crap at Wembley aswell but rebuilding the bridge costs a lot more money tho 

[Superblue 6,372]

4 hours ago, the wes said:

I don't think we could fill 90,000 a week and the atmosphere is crap at Wembley aswell but rebuilding the bridge costs a lot more money tho 

Out of curiosity, anyone know spurs average attendances at wembley this season?

[xPetrCechx 13,570]

13 minutes ago, Superblue_1986 said:

Out of curiosity, anyone know spurs average attendances at wembley this season?

 

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

16 hours ago, Fulham Broadway said:

 

Bates was very constrained on the capacity in his time by the local authority. Saying that the MH and shed are not great stands, the space in the concourses are rubbish. UK grounds are terrible in design, compared to say Deutscheland

It's funny FB in the early 90's when the Taylor report was published Bates wanted a capacity of 42,000 which then was probably just about right even though in those days you could count on one hand the number of times we would fill it. But we went through the same shit with the council back then the West Stand didn't get completed till 2000 I think. In Bates defence he didn't know how big football would become and I don't blame him trying to find other streams of revenue for the club. But it almost looked like the Shed was an afterthought the temporary stand not sure of the capacity but it was the same near enough as the rebuilt Shed.

 

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

19 hours ago, Superblue_1986 said:

I live in Gloucester and have travelled down to Chelsea a few times for midweek games with my dad and it's a pain. Taking half a day minimum off work because ideally we need to catch the bus around lunchtime and not getting home until the early hours (with work the next day) is a slog, so I can understand your point.

Playing Devil's Advocate a bit here, but from what you've just said regarding fans from further afield. Should the club consider making an offer itself for Wembley? I know that a lot of fans, and particularly those that are based in London wouldn't be happy with this idea, but there are a few serious considerations to be made with this:

1. The stadium build is now being talked about as an estimate of around £1.2bn. You can't help but feel that the transfer activity in the last couple of years where we've adopted a sell to buy mentality is being influenced by this and will be for potentially many years. With the money pumping into the league now and giving even mid table teams a lot more money to spend we could find ourselves falling seriously behind the top clubs if we're not careful.

2. The apparent length of time away from Stamford Bridge will be 4 seasons.

3. By the time this is all done, and by the looks of things, making huge sacrifices as a result, it will be around 2024-2025.

Buying Wembley keeps us still in London, albeit in a different area (However we were exploring alternative sites to Stamford Bridge previously). The cost of buying Wembley would be far lower than the expected costs for the Bridge. The stadium is ready to move straight into, would be far bigger than what Stamford Bridge can become and as a result the club can immediately start to benefit from the increased gate receipts, hospitality, etc helping to pay off the cost of buying the stadium that much quicker. The venue is iconic and world renowned and will allow the club to rent it out for events, England can still play there, etc again making more money for the club and the stadium's reputation would only enhance the club's own reputation across the world.

As I said, some fans won't like it but I am far more concerned that by the time this Stamford Bridge build comes to fruition, the club will have made so many sacrifices on the pitch to compensate that we could be left behind. If the board believe a bigger stadium is paramount for us to continue developing and being more financially competitive then surely they should consider this if the FA is indeed open to selling.

A good post and I wish I had the answers. One thing is definite though if the corrupt and incompetent F.A. did sell Wembley to the Fulham chairman there would be an outcry but after a while football fans and the media would shrug their shoulders and accept it. If Abramovich bought Wembley the country would go fucking apoplectic there would be marches, questions in the house and the Daily Mail and Express would go into meltdown.

[Laylabelle 9,534]

 

12 hours ago, the wes said:

I don't think we could fill 90,000 a week and the atmosphere is crap at Wembley aswell but rebuilding the bridge costs a lot more money tho 

Wasn't there a thing about that wouldn't be able to use all the Stadium anyway and be a attendance cap in place? So be playing in a half empty stadium anyway. Plus Wembley is so soulless.