Hammersmith and Fulham Council is committed to helping Chelsea upgrade Stamford Bridge after a move to a new home fell through.
Council wants to help Blues remain where they are
Hammersmith and Fulham Council is committed to helping Chelsea upgrade Stamford Bridge after a move to a new home fell through.
The UEFA Champions League winners learned on Thursday that they had been thwarted in their efforts to move to the Battersea Power Station site which had been earmarked as a possible new home.
A joint proposal from two Malaysian companies was selected as the preferred bidder to develop the derelict Battersea site on the banks of the River Thames, leaving the Blues to ponder having to find some way of improving their current home.
The West London giants, owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, have played at Stamford Bridge since 1905. However, the stadium has a capacity of just under 42,000.
Finding a different site in the local area has proved tough but the new leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, Cllr Nicholas Botterill, has insisted he wants to see Chelsea remain where they are and has been in touch with the club in an attempt to open the discussions.
"It now looks highly unlikely that CFC will be moving away from their historic home," he said.
"The council remains committed to working with the club to explore all possible avenues for keeping the Blues here at their original home.
"The door is open and the council is again ready to sit down and discuss how Stamford Bridge can be appropriately upgraded so that it is fit for one of Europe's leading football clubs."
