Stamford Bridge is quite impressive looking, having had three new stands built since the mid-1990’s. The developers have taken advantage of the fact that the ‘old’ Stamford Bridge was oval shaped and have stretched the new stands right around the ground ‘filling in’ the corners so that the stadium is totally enclosed. The latest addition to the stadium is the attractive looking West Stand, which was opened in 2001. Located on one side of the pitch, it is a superb three-tiered affair having a row of executive boxes running across its middle, the type of which you are able to sit outside. Its roof is virtually transparent, allowing more light to reach the pitch and gives it a unique look. Opposite is the older East Stand. Opened in 1973 this towering stand is also three-tiered and has the team dugouts situated at its front.
Both ends are smaller being two-tiered. One of these is the Matthew Harding Stand, named in memory of the man who did so much to transform the club. Opposite is the Shed End which has a Police Control Box suspended below its roof. There are two large video screens located in opposite corners of the stadium. Outside the ground, behind the West Stand is a statue of former playing legend, Peter Osgood.
Chelsea are one of only a few Clubs who have played at the same stadium since they were formed. Chelsea FC came into being in 1905 in a pub in Fulham Road just across from what is now Stamford Bridge. The Club have played at on the Stamford Bridge ever since. Interestingly the pub where the Club were formed still exists and is now called the Butcher’s Hook.
Stamford Bridge actually predates Chelsea football club; the Blues were founded with the intention of playing their games at Stamford Bridge and that has been the case since 1905. The original construction was a 100,000 capacity bowl stadium with every inch exposed to the elements as there was no roof at all. Come 1930 work started on the very first roof which, along was seating, was put on what would become known as the Shed End. Further development of that nature followed at the end of the thirties.
There were plans to revamp the entire stadium some thirty to forty years later but finances ran dry meaning the entire project wasn’t completed. Question marks over the long term future of Chelsea’s tenancy at Stamford Bridge remained through to the nineties with little development taking place. The only modern day changes have been additions of things like shops, restaurants and a hotel. Any hope of growing the capacity is pinned on the new stadium.
Rewind to 2017 and planning permission was granted for the demolition and rebuilding of a new and revamped 60,000 capacity Stamford Bridge. Now, as of September 2021, nothing has happened with the Chelsea stadium standing just as it was. It was thought the new look Bridge would be built and hosting matches by now; instead planning permission has expired with the club stating the “new stadium project is on hold”. It’s widely expected something will happen again in future but the Blues won’t discuss timescales at the present time.
Away fans are located on one side of the Shed End lower tier (towards the East Stand side), where the normal allocation for league games is 3,000 tickets. For cup games, the whole of the Shed End can be allocated. The view from this area of the ground is pretty good and the refreshment areas are modern looking. There are televisions on the concourses, showing amongst other things at half time, highlights from the first half. The range of food on offer on the concourse is quite limited with just there being Pies (£4.60), Hot Dogs (£5.30) and Vegetable Wraps (£6). Alcohol is also available in the form of Singha Beer (Pint £5.30), Old Speckled Hen (500ml Bottle) £5.20, Guinness (400ml can) £5 and Red or White Wine (187ml miniature bottle) £5.50)
On the whole, I found Stamford Bridge a pleasurable day out. There was a good atmosphere within the ground and even though there wasn’t a lot of space between the home and away fan sections, it didn’t feel intimidating. The stewards were also pretty laid back. I was seated in the Shed End and I did find a little difficult to go up and down the steps of the stand, due to the stand itself being quite steep and the steps between rows quite small. The only ‘real hassle’ I had was trying to get through the lines of stewards situated outside the stadium at the entrance to the away section. They seemed to assume that I was a Chelsea fan and kept ushering me towards the home end. Only after showing my ticket for the visiting section for the third time did I finally make it inside!
Pay By Card For Food and Drink? Yes
The pubs near the Stamford Bridge ground can be quite partisan, so I would recommend getting a drink somewhere on the journey there. A number of away fans drink in the pubs around the Earl’s Court area, which is only a couple of tube stops away from Fulham Broadway station. The Courtfield Tavern, which is almost opposite the main entrance to Earls Court Tube Station, is a particular favourite with away supporters.
John Ellis a visiting Leicester City fan adds; ‘We found that away fans were allowed into the Goose pub on North End Road, which is located about a mile away from Stamford Bridge. The beer was reasonably priced by London standards and it showed Sky Sports’. Alcohol is available inside the stadium (£4.60 a pint), however for certain fixtures, the Club opt not to sell any to away supporters, so don’t bank on it!
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Leave the M25 at Junction 15 and take the M4 towards London, which then becomes the A4. Carry on over the Hammersmith flyover and after a further one and half miles, take the Earls Court turning (A3220). Continue past Earls Court station and down the one way system until you reach the junction with Fulham Road (A304). At this junction, turn right at the traffic lights and after about half a mile, you will see the ground on your right.
A number of local resident schemes are in operation around the stadium, so you may well end up having to park some way from the ground itself. What parking there is available in the local area is rather pricey too. There is also the option of renting a private driveway near Stamford Bridge via YourParkingSpace.co.uk.
Post Code for SAT NAV: SW6 1HS
The nearest tube station is Fulham Broadway which is on the District Line. Take a tube to Earls Court and if necessary, change for a Wimbledon bound tube. The nearest over ground train station is West Brompton, which is served by trains from Clapham Junction (which is in turn served by trains from London Waterloo and Victoria stations). It is around a 15 minute walk to the ground from West Brompton station. As you come out of the station turn right and proceed along Old Brompton Road. You will soon see the Brompton Cemetery immediately on your right and further along set back from the road is its impressive looking entrance. Turn right through the entrance into the cemetery (there are normally a number of other supporters doing the same) and as you walk on through the cemetery you will soon see the tops of the stands of Stamford Bridge. If it is a night game then do not go into the cemetery, but take the next right after the cemetery into Finborough Road. After a half-mile, turn right onto the Fulham Road and the stadium is located down on the right.
For travelling across London by public transport I recommend planning your journey ahead with the use of the Travel For London Plan your journey website.
Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Find train times, prices and book tickets with Trainline. Visit the website below to see how much you can save on the price of your tickets:
Remember if travelling by train then you can normally save on the cost of fares by booking in advance.
Visit the the trainline website to see how much you can save on the price of train tickets.
Click on the trainline logo below:
If you require hotel accommodation in London then first try a hotel booking service provided by Booking.com. They offer all types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced Apartments. Plus their booking system is straightforward and easy to use. Just input the dates below that you wish to stay and then select from the map the hotel of interest to get more information. The map is centered on the football ground. However, you can drag the map around or click on +/- to reveal more hotels in the City Centre or further afield.
Thomas Cook Sport offer combined match ticket and hotel packages for most Chelsea home games. See what is available by clicking on the banner below.
Like a number of Clubs, Chelsea operates a Category (AA, A & B) pricing policy for home league games, whereby the more popular games cost more to watch. Category AA game prices are shown below, with Category A & B prices in brackets:
Home Fans*
West Stand Upper Tier: £87 (A £75) (B £70 )
West Stand Middle Tier: Season Tickets Only
West Stand Lower Tier: Adults £69 (A £61) (B £56)
Shed End & Matthew Harding Stands Upper Tiers: Adults £64 (A £60) (B £55)
Shed End & Matthew Harding Stands Lower Tiers: Adults £61 (A £57) (B £52)
East Stand Upper Tier: Adults: £69 (A £61) (B £56), Senior Citizens/Under 16’s £27.50 (A & B £26)
East Stand Middle Tier: Season Tickets Only
East Stand Lower Tier (Family Area): Adults: £50 (A £46) (B £41), Senior Citizens/Under 16’s £19.50 (A & B £18)
Away Fans
As per an agreement with all Premier League Clubs, away fans will be charged a maximum price of those shown below for all League games:
Adults £30
Over 65’s £23.50
Under 20’s £23.50
These prices are also for Premier League games, cup games may be priced differently (usually more cheaply) than those quoted above.
Category AA games are against Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Concessions are only made available in the East Stand and to away supporters.
A stadium plan of Stamford Bridge, showing the different sections, can be downloaded from the Chelsea FC website (PDF document).
Official Programme £3.50
CFCUK Fanzine: £1
Chelsea vs Tottenham rivalry: We probably don’t need to tell you that Tottenham’s biggest grudge match is against Arsenal. That does not for one minute mean that Chelsea and Spurs don’t hate each other though; they do. The obvious connection is that both clubs are London based but their rivalry is more complex than that. It all began with the 1967 FA Cup Final before Tottenham, a relegation candidate themselves, played a major role in the Blues relegation in 1975. It’s been a fierce match ever since with the Battle of Stamford Bridge the best recent example of their dislike; that game saw Tottenham travel to the Chelsea stadium in a title race. Chelsea came from 2-0 down to ensure Leicester were named Champions.
Chelsea vs Arsenal rivalry: Like the Spurs rivalry, Arsenal have bigger fish to fry but trips to Chelsea’s ground aren’t just another game. Chelsea and Arsenal have long been the biggest clubs in London, which brings spice naturally but the hatred intensified in the 2000s as Jose Mourinho took the Blues back to the top of English football. The controversial transfer of Ashley Cole and Mourinho vs Arsenal Wenger have added further smoke to the fire in recent times.
Chelsea vs Liverpool rivalry: Chelsea’s ground and Liverpool’s Anfield stadium might be a xxx hour drive apart but there is little love lost between the duo. It’s another rivalry that Mourinho has played a role in creating. The two were regularly meeting as big clubs but when the Portuguese elevated Chelsea to true elite status. There have been a few events that have whipped this game into one of the biggest rivalry’s in the Premier League and none are more significant than Luis Garcia’s ghost goal in 2005.
Chelsea FC fixture list (to take you to the BBC Sports Website)
For details of disabled facilities and club contact at the ground please visit the relevant page on the Level Playing Field website.
Peter Osgood was a striker, who to this day is a legend at Stamford Bridge. He was part of the FA Cup winning side in 1970 and the Cup Winners Cup Final winning team a year later. He spent a total of 10 seasons at Chelsea, scoring 105 goals in 289 appearances. He was capped four times by England. He passed away in March 2006. The statue was unveiled in October 2010 and is located behind the West Stand.
Thanks to Joris from the Doing the 116 website for providing the photo above.
The club offer tours of the ground, which are available daily between 10am and 4pm. The only exceptions are match days, the day before a Champions League fixture & bank holidays. The tour lasts for around 45 minutes and is coupled with a visit to the new Chelsea Museum. It costs*; Adults £19, Concessions £14, Under 16’s £13 (Under 5’s go free), Family Ticket 2 Adults + 2 Children £48. To book your tour call 0371 811 1955 or book online via the club website. If you wish you can just visit the museum. This costs; Adults £11, Concessions £10, Children £9 and this does not need to be pre-booked. Read my Stamford Bridge Tour Review.
* The prices quoted are for tours booked online. Prices increase by up to £3 per ticket for those paying on arrival or via the telephone.
Concessions apply to: Senior Citizens, Students (with valid ID), Disabled (Carer goes free).
Record Attendance:
82,905 v Arsenal
Division 1, October 12th, 1935.
Modern All Seated Attendance Record:
42,328 v Newcastle United
Premier League, December 4th, 2002.
Average Attendance:
2019-2020: 40,563 (Premier League)
2018-2019: 40,437 (Premier League)
2017-2018: 41,282 (Premier League)
If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me at: contact@footballgroundguide.com and I’ll update the guide.
Special thanks to:
Owen Pavey for providing the ground layout diagram and stadium photos.
Haydn Gleed for providing the YouTube video of Stamford Bridge.
The video of the Stamford Bridge Tour and Museum was produced by Raidin and is made publicly available via YouTube.
Content retrieved from: https://footballgroundguide.com/leagues/england/premier-league/stamford-bridge-chelsea.html.
