The Chelsea Club Thread **No Spoilers**

Cosimo

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JohnnyG

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Excellent news :cool:
It will probably be Wembley for 3 years or so from the season following next and whilst I can't stand the place it's a means to an end and the travelling is pretty much the same for me as currently.
CL games might be good there though, if we get them.
 

Cosimo

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Still at Stamford Bridge until 2020 (Times):

Chelsea are planning to stay at Stamford Bridge until the end of the 2019-20 season because of delays to the start of structural work on their new stadium. The revised timetable is a setback for the club in their plan to redevelop the site into a 60,000-seat arena, but they are confident of being able to return in three years and open their new ground in the summer of 2023.

Chelsea had hoped that their rebuilt stadium would open for the start of the 2021-22 season when Herzog & De Meuron’s design was revealed two years ago, but delays in their planning application and essential infrastructure work have led to the planned opening date slipping back two years to the start of the 2023-24 season. The club estimate that the building work will take three years but the scale of the project means that there is a possibility it could take four.

Chelsea gained planning permission for the project from Hammersmith and Fulham council and Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, earlier this year, but have been forced to delay the project due to the complexity of the build.

In addition to the local council and the Greater London Assembly, Chelsea must also work closely with Network Rail and Transport for London over plans to install decking over railway lines that serve the stadium. In correspondence with the council, Network Rail described Chelsea’s plans to build on top of the overground southern main line as “a major operational liability” and expressed concerns over safety, although such reservations were not enough for the local authority to deny the club planning permission.

The proximity of the redevelopment to Brompton Cemetery, which has grade I listed status and is the subject of a conservation order, presents another complication.


Chelsea have yet to agree to purchase the freehold to Stamford Bridge from the Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO), after their offer was rejected in 2011, or to extend the lease beyond the 112 years that remain. CPO must sign a section 106 planning notice before building work can begin, while Chelsea must also reach agreement with Ken Bates, their former chairman, to buy his penthouse suite in the Chelsea Village hotel before demolition can begin.

Chelsea are confident that the redevelopment will go ahead, but are resigned to delaying the start until 2020. The club have considered following Tottenham Hotspur’s example at White Hart Lane by beginning some building work while remaining in situ, but that has been dismissed as impractical and not cost effective.

Chelsea must also reach agreement on a temporary home while Stamford Bridge is being rebuilt. Wembley is the club’s preferred option, but they have also spoken to West Ham United about a potential ground-share at the London Stadium. Chelsea declined to comment last night.
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Rendog

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Any Chelsea fans here going to the FA Cup Final? Anyone annoyed that it no longer tells you what seat/block you'll be pre-allocated? Happened for the semi-final too. Complete pot luck now as to where you'll sit depending which category you purchased.
 

Cosimo

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Loans to fund building of new stadium (Times):

Chelsea are seeking to borrow £500 million to fund the building of their new stadium rather than rely on Roman Abramovich to pay for it.

The club received planning permission for the 60,000-seat redevelopment of Stamford Bridge from Hammersmith and Fulham Council in January — a decision endorsed by the mayor of London in March — but have yet to confirm how they intend to fund one of the most ambitious stadium redesigns attempted in the UK.

Abramovich has spent more than £1 billion on Chelsea since buying the club in 2003, and it has been widely reported that he is willing to foot the bill for the stadium, but the board is now pursuing other options. The Times has learnt that Chelsea have held talks with several investment banks in recent months about obtaining a loan or loans totalling £500 million — £100 million more than Tottenham Hotspur are borrowing from three banks to help to fund their new stadium at White Hart Lane.

Chelsea are also in negotiations with a number of companies over a naming-rights deal, which it is hoped, along with advance season-ticket and corporate hospitality sales, will provide the rest of the funding. Unlike Tottenham, Chelsea are committed to keeping the name of their ground in the full title — The X Stadium at Stamford Bridge is their preferred formulation — which could reduce the value of the deal.

Chelsea have yet to confirm the final cost of their new stadium, but the initial estimates of £500 million appear extremely conservative, particularly as the price of Tottenham’s new ground has risen to £800 million one year before it is due to be completed. The Chelsea project is arguably a more difficult piece of engineering because the additional 20,000 capacity will be created by lowering the pitch.


There are no regulations preventing Abramovich from funding the stadium, as infrastructure and capital investment are exempt from Uefa’s financial fair play restrictions. There is no suggestion that a reluctance to pay for the stadium should be taken as an indication of Abramovich’s interest in Chelsea waning given that the owner has been the driving force behind the scheme, but taking out commercial loans would have an impact on the club’s transfer policy due to the cost of servicing the debt.

Chelsea had hoped to start building work at the end of next season, but the likely start date has been put back until 2020, at which point the club will leave Stamford Bridge and probably decamp to Wembley, which is likely to be a temporary home for three or four seasons.
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GIBURROWS

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As a Chelsea Supporter I see this season as a washout so to bring in Frank is a good move as there should be no expectation not only because of the transfer ban but also because City are miles ahead of us and still strengthening!!

Some will say it's too soon but is football management that hard at a club like Chelsea where money & the owner rule everything, as Hazard has gone the job should be somewhat easier as when he downed tools so did some of the other players.

Do Derby County get their name back now?
 

Shamikebab

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It's going to be a weird move. Tough taking a job where you can't make changes and Chelsea are not a club known for giving managers time. Will be good to kick off the season with Ole vs Frank though! Who would have guessed that a year ago?
 
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