Stamford Bridge
Home of Chelsea FC since 1905, with a rich history of football and other sports.
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, in West London. It is the home of Premier League club Chelsea. With a capacity of 40,044, it is the twelfth-largest football stadium in England.
- Location
- Fulham, Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London
- Opened
- 1877 (as athletics venue), 1905 (Chelsea FC)
- Primary Tenant
- Chelsea Football Club
- Capacity
- 40,044
- Highest Official Attendance
- 82,905
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Opened in 1877, the stadium was used by London Athletic Club until 1905, when new owner Gus Mears founded Chelsea Football Club to occupy the ground. It has undergone major changes, most recently in the 1990s when it was renovated into a modern, all-seater stadium. The stadium's highest official attendance is 82,905, for a league match between Chelsea and Arsenal on 12 October 1935.
In Their Own Story
The stadium's history took a pivotal turn in 1877 when it opened as a home for the London Athletic Club. In 1904, brothers Gus and Joseph Mears acquired the lease, intending to stage professional football matches. Although offered to Fulham Football Club, they declined for financial reasons. The Mears family then founded Chelsea Football Club to occupy the ground. Before Chelsea's first match in October 1905, the venue hosted the World Championship of shinty in 1898 between Beauly Shinty Club and London Camanachd. Financial crises in the early 1970s left the East Stand unfinished and the rest of the ground untouched until the 1990s. During this turbulent period, Chelsea was relegated to the Second Division in 1975 and again in 1979. In 1982, chairman Ken Bates bought the club for £1 but not the freehold, leading to a legal battle with property developers Marler Estates that ended only after their bankruptcy in the early 1990s.
Reader's Guide
Stamford Bridge has hosted Charity Shield games, FA Cup finals from 1920 to 1922, ten FA Cup semi-finals, and three England matches. It has also hosted numerous other sports, such as cricket, rugby union, rugby league, speedway, greyhound racing, baseball and American football. The stadium was the venue for the 2012–13 UEFA Women's Champions League final.
Did You Know?
- Stamford Bridge opened in 1877 as a home for the London Athletic Club.
- The stadium's highest official attendance is 82,905 for a league match in 1935.
- Stamford Bridge hosted the FA Cup final from 1920 to 1922.
- The stadium was used for the 2012–13 UEFA Women's Champions League final.
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