Stamford Bridge is the football stadium of Chelsea Club, located in England. His story is no less interesting than the football team itself. It is about him that we can say that the team was created for the stadium, and not vice versa. During its existence, the object has been reconstructed more than once.
Opening date and name
Officially, the stadium was opened in the XIX century, namely on April 28, 1877. The name of the stadium, according to many researchers, appeared much earlier than himself. Nearby was a small river called Stamford. The road crossing it was called Sandy Ford, or Sanford Bridge. The bridge was called stone, or "Stanbridge." Subsequently, according to many, these words were used to compose the name of the stadium - "Stamford Bridge". Initially, it was exclusively athletics competitions, and not football matches. So it was twenty-eight years. At the beginning of the 20th century (1904), the Mirs brothers purchased the stadium. In addition, they bought nearby plots of land to create a full-fledged complex. The brothers dreamed of organizing their own football club, and this required the acquisition of Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea FC relocation
Initially, the stadium was supposed to be subordinate to Fulham, but the club management refused the offer. It was then that the stadium was handed over to the Chelsea club, which still holds its games there. At the time of the transfer, Chelsea FC was not as popular and formidable as it is today, but just began to take shape. Many could not even imagine what the club would become after a hundred years. But, although there have been many changes, the venue is Stamford Bridge Stadium.
Architect
The stadium was designed by the famous architect of England Archibald Leitch. In addition, he was involved in the development of many other arenas in the UK. Especially famous are Old Trafford and Goodison Park. Initially, the stadium got one platform - the East. She had a length of one hundred and ten meters and accommodated five thousand fans. Only in the future, having spent a lot of time and labor, was it possible to erect the remaining stands. Initially, a treadmill available at the stadium significantly removed spectators from the field. For many years, the stadium remained unchanged.
1930
For twenty-five years, Stamford Bridge has remained unchanged. In 1930, the owners of the club decided to erect a canopy. The building appeared over the Southern rostrum. It was there that the most devoted fans of the team gathered. This rostrum can be called the personification of the Chelsea club.
However, this tribune of the stadium was forced to disappear in 1994. More precisely, they should have dismantled it. The tribune was intended only for standing places, and, according to the new rules, all seats in the stadium must be seated. In 1997, a new tribune was erected, which met all the rules.
1939
This year was the founding date of the North stands of the stadium. Initially, it was thought to create it quite extensive, but the outbreak of World War II did not allow the plans to come true. The tribune was a continuation of the eastern part. It was quite different from the neighboring ones, but was often used to accommodate fans. The tribune lasted until 1975, and then was redone. But she was destined to survive the destruction for the second time, namely in 1993, when the complete reconstruction of the Stamford Bridge was carried out.
1960
Some restructuring of the stadium took place to the detriment of the team. In the period of 60-70s the club was in its prime. Having decided that such a successful team needed a more convenient field, the management made an attempt to completely reconstruct the Stamford Bridge. However, in order to implement the plan, the team had to rent many players, as they could not collect the required amount. This idea almost led the team to complete collapse, and to recover, it took two decades.
In 1964-65, the Western tribune was erected, but with seating. Three quarters of it were occupied by separate armchairs and one quarter by benches. It was demolished when the new Stamford Bridge was being built. Her reconstruction was the last and, although it was quite old, many fans were sad to part with it.
Nevertheless, the new grandstand turned out great. The capacity was thirteen and a half thousand people, and each spectator could conveniently observe the progress of the game. The cost of construction cost the club management thirty million pounds.
1970
In 1973, the Eastern Tribune was erected. She became one of the best in England and was ultramodern. The tribune was the only part that has managed to stand up to this day. Of course, it underwent some changes during the reconstruction of the entire stadium in the 1990s.
The 70s became quite difficult for both the team and the stadium. Because of its past decisions, Chelsea FC went bankrupt by the end of the decade, and in order to pay off the construction company, the management was forced to give it the stadium.
The team began to train on the sites in conjunction with other clubs. Meanwhile, the Stamford Bridge was being prepared for demolition. In its place, the company was going to build a residential area (houses, shops). The disappearance of the famous stadium was avoided thanks to team president Ken Bates. To return home, he spent a lot of effort and money. It was possible to get the stadium back only after almost ten years. Ironically, the construction company went bankrupt, which took the object. We can say that the stadium in London then began a new life.
This period was the most difficult in the history of the club, but the management and players were able to withstand everything. Subsequently, the stadium began to be restored, it took as much as seven years.
1990
The northern tribune marked the beginning of a large-scale reconstruction in 1994. The old one was completely destroyed, and in its place a new one appeared, which was intended for the most notorious fans. The tribune was named in honor of Matthew Harding (one of the directors of the team), who died in a helicopter crash.
The Western stand was next, and in parallel with it a new hotel was being built. Thanks to the work done, the fans were able to get as close to the field as possible, which allowed them to fully enjoy the team's games.
Subsequently, the construction was prevented by disputes with the authorities, this pushed the reconstruction of the remaining tiers for two whole years.
The completion of the reconstruction is considered August 21, 2001. It was on this day that the erection of the Eastern rostrum ended, the reconstruction of which began in 1973.
Stadium today
Now Stamford Bridge, with a capacity of 41,841 people, is one of the most excellent stadiums not only in the UK, but throughout the world. After the reconstruction, it was completely transformed. From oval turned into rectangular. Thanks to this, the fans are as close to the field as possible. In the past ten years, the stadium has been constantly improving and supplemented. During the reconstruction, not only the field was changed, but also many complexes located nearby. Around it there are a huge number of club complexes and shops. The stadium ranked ninth in capacity in the UK. According to the rating of the UEFA organization, Stamford Bridge received five stars. The stadium is now on par with such famous England arenas as the Emirates and Wembley.
Interesting Facts
At the stadium there were dog races (1937-1968). In 1945, after the war, the Soviet Dynamo team took part in a tour of England, playing four friendly matches, including from Chelsea to Stamford Bridge. The first match just took place against them. The teams had an amazing game, and the final score was 3: 3. The audience at the end of the match demolished the fence and ran out onto the field. This meeting was one of the most interesting and exciting in the history of football.
In 1980, for the first time in England, a cricket match was held under artificial lighting in this particular stadium. In 1997, an American football match was held at Stamford Bridge for the first time. In 2005, in honor of the centenary of the club, management opened a new museum of the team. The largest attendance was in 1935 - 82 905 people. The smallest attendance in 1906 was 3,000 people. After World War I, the stadium hosted the Cup final for three years in a row. The stadium had the most iconic rostrum in England - the Shed End. Chelsea fans gathered here. Often they were called "bounty hunters."
Relatively recently, the club was bought by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Together with him came new financial opportunities, which allows the stadium to flourish. Management is constantly trying to expand it. The plans are to increase the number of seats to fifty-five thousand. However, this raises problems with UEFA. Since the stadium is located near the city’s transport communications, it is limited in expansion. Sometimes there were even ideas about building a new arena, but still Chelsea are still playing in their famous field. In addition, fans do not want to part with their usual and beloved stadium.
A few words can be said about the cost of tickets for matches that take place at Stamford Bridge. The cost of cheap (lower seat levels) is from 50 to 70 pounds. More expensive - from 60 to 90.