Chelsea consider move to Earl’s Court as Todd Boehly looks at swapping Stamford Bridge for stunning 60,000 stadium
CHELSEA are re-considering a shock move to a 60,000-seater Earls Court stadium.
Blue owner Todd Boehly continues to try and put his own stamp on the West London club.
ReutersChelsea are reportedly considering a move to a new stadium in Earls Court[/caption]
Stamford Bridge has a 40k capacity and was last renovated in 1998Rex
The Daily Mail report that the American has created a team dedicated to building the new venue.
Plans include a swanky 60k stadium on a 40-acre site in Earls Court.
The development is said to still be in the “early stages” and no official planning applications have been submitted.
Boehly would require permission from Chelsea Pitch Owners – the 180-year lease shareholder group who owns the freehold – to leave Stamford Bridge.
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A move to local Earls Court, where the Exhibition Centre once stood, was explored under Roman Abromovich.
But plans were abandoned in 2010 when the Hammersmith and Fulham Council squashed them.
Another option is to REBUILD Stamford Bridge one stand at a time.
That would see a staged rebuild of the current ground, with the stands replaced and upgraded one by one.
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The hotel behind the Shed End would also be bulldozed.
Boehly has supposedly appointed architect Janet Marie Smith, who has worked on a host of stadium renovations in the US.
A number of Smith’s projects include Baltimore’s Oriole Park, Atlanta’s Olympic Stadium, the Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park and Boehly’s Dodger Stadium in LA.
Chelsea want to build a new 60,000-capacity ground to satisfy supporter demand and keep up with domestic rivals.
Title-chasing Arsenal and Manchester City both have plush, modern stadiums.
