After nearly a decade of wrangling, Chelsea appear to be nearing a plan for growing the capacity of their stadium. The indications seem to b...
The different stakeholders, variables and political climate have made development first imagined by Roman Abramovich a decade ago a slow and painful experience.
News of planned redevelopments being published by the club may signal the beginning of the end of a standoff over the future of Stamford Bridge, a debate that has pitched the fans and Abramovich into opposite sides of the argument.
The roots of the delay is the unique structure in the ownership of Stamford Bridge.
After stadium troubles in the 1980's Chelsea finally regained control of Stamford Bridge in the early 1990's with former owner Ken Bates giving the naming rights of the club and the Stamford Bridge pitch to a fan group called Chelsea Pitch Owners. The Chelsea Pitch Owners is a fan owned organisation where fans can pay £100 for a share in the pitch.
This standoff had occasionally come close to all out war as Abramovich tried to wrestle control of the pitch at Stamford Bridge and the Chelsea Football Club name.
In trying to win a vote to buy the naming rights the fans and the owners were at war in a dirty campaign for control. In a highly charged vote the motion to sell the naming rights and the pitch which allowed the site to be redeveloped was defeated.
Shaken by fan power Chelsea have had to look at other options. With Battersea, White City and Earls Court ruled out there were few options left in the local area making Stamford Bridge the only real option.
Even the local council softened their stance on redevelopment options to ensure that the Premier League continued to be synonymous with SW6.
Finally getting a stadium fit for the Champions of England may be a few years away but finally Chelsea are taking the first steps.
