Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham that is home to Chelsea Football Club. It is nicknamed "The Bridge" by the club's supporters. The capacity is 42,055; it was the largest league ground in London before Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium opened in July 2006. This will make it the seventh largest ground in the Premier League (see List of Premier League stadiums). The capacity of 'The Bridge' could possibly increase to around 55,000 over the next few years, although any major development is limited due to the stands being very close to two railway lines.
The Mattthew Harding Stand
The Matthew Harding Stand, previously known as the North Stand, is along the north edge of the pitch. It is named after former Chelsea director Matthew Harding, who transformed the club in the early 1990s before his death in a helicopter accident in October 22, 1996. It was due to a considerable investment in the club by Harding that the stand was able to be completed, and as such the tribute is fitting. The stand has two tiers and is the area where a majority of Season Ticket Holders will be found. As such, this stand is considered the area where the best and most consistent atmosphere will emanate from, particularly the Lower Tier. There are rumours that owner Roman Abramovich will make this bigger, however it would be necessary to knock down the 'Chelsea World of Sport' (for 2005/6 the 'Chelsea Centenary Museum') which falls behind the Matthew Harding stand.
For some European matches, sections of this stand are unusable, as large television vans block entrances to the stand. Therefore, the stadium operates with a reduced capacity for these occasions.
East Stand
The East Stand
Capacity: 10,925
The oldest stand, the East Stand is located along the east side of the pitch. Previously it was the home to away supporters on the bottom tier, however at the start of the 2005/2006 season manager José Mourinho requested the move of the family section to this part of the stand to boost team morale. The stand has three tiers and is the heart of the stadium, housing the tunnel, dugout, dressing rooms, conference room, press centre, AV and commentary box. The middle tier is occupied by facilities, clubs, and executive suites. The upper tier provides spectators with one of the best views in the stadium.
Shed End
Capacity: 6,814
The Shed End is located along the south side of the pitch. The stand has two tiers. The lower tier used to be home to the family centre, however for the 2005/2006 season and beyond the club has moved the away fans to the East corner of the stand (Gates 1-3 of the Upper Tier and around half of the Lower). The Shed also contains the centenary museum and a memorial wall where families of deceased fans are able to leave a permanent memorial of their loved ones indicating their eternal support for the club.
The new Stamford Bridge West Stand - Entrance.
West Stand
Capacity: 13,432
The West Stand, recently updated, is located along the west side of the pitch. It has three tiers, in addition to a row of executive boxes that stretches the length of the stand. This stand houses Abramovich on match days. Due to this, Abramovich installed heaters so fans (and himself) are warm on the terraces during the cold winter days.
The construction of the stand was almost responsible for Chelsea's financial crisis, which would've seen the club fall into administration but for the intervention of Abramovich. In borrowing some £70m from Eurobonds to finance the project, Ken Bates put Chelsea into a perilous financial position, primarily because of the repayment terms (not even Abramovich can pay these off, they're set in stone for the next 30 years).
Now complete, the stand is the main external 'face' of the stadium, being the first thing fans see when entering the primary gate on Fulham Road. The Main Entrance is flanked by the Spackman and Speedie hospitality entrances, named after former Chelsea players Nigel Spackman and David Speedie. The stand also features the largest concourse area in the stadium.
The Matthew Harding Stand, previously known as the North Stand, is along the north edge of the pitch. It is named after former Chelsea director Matthew Harding, who transformed the club in the early 1990s before his death in a helicopter accident in October 22, 1996. It was due to a considerable investment in the club by Harding that the stand was able to be completed, and as such the tribute is fitting. The stand has two tiers and is the area where a majority of Season Ticket Holders will be found. As such, this stand is considered the area where the best and most consistent atmosphere will emanate from, particularly the Lower Tier. There are rumours that owner Roman Abramovich will make this bigger, however it would be necessary to knock down the 'Chelsea World of Sport' (for 2005/6 the 'Chelsea Centenary Museum') which falls behind the Matthew Harding stand.
For some European matches, sections of this stand are unusable, as large television vans block entrances to the stand. Therefore, the stadium operates with a reduced capacity for these occasions.
East Stand
The East Stand
Capacity: 10,925
The oldest stand, the East Stand is located along the east side of the pitch. Previously it was the home to away supporters on the bottom tier, however at the start of the 2005/2006 season manager José Mourinho requested the move of the family section to this part of the stand to boost team morale. The stand has three tiers and is the heart of the stadium, housing the tunnel, dugout, dressing rooms, conference room, press centre, AV and commentary box. The middle tier is occupied by facilities, clubs, and executive suites. The upper tier provides spectators with one of the best views in the stadium.
Shed End
Capacity: 6,814
The Shed End is located along the south side of the pitch. The stand has two tiers. The lower tier used to be home to the family centre, however for the 2005/2006 season and beyond the club has moved the away fans to the East corner of the stand (Gates 1-3 of the Upper Tier and around half of the Lower). The Shed also contains the centenary museum and a memorial wall where families of deceased fans are able to leave a permanent memorial of their loved ones indicating their eternal support for the club.
The new Stamford Bridge West Stand - Entrance.
West Stand
Capacity: 13,432
The West Stand, recently updated, is located along the west side of the pitch. It has three tiers, in addition to a row of executive boxes that stretches the length of the stand. This stand houses Abramovich on match days. Due to this, Abramovich installed heaters so fans (and himself) are warm on the terraces during the cold winter days.
The construction of the stand was almost responsible for Chelsea's financial crisis, which would've seen the club fall into administration but for the intervention of Abramovich. In borrowing some £70m from Eurobonds to finance the project, Ken Bates put Chelsea into a perilous financial position, primarily because of the repayment terms (not even Abramovich can pay these off, they're set in stone for the next 30 years).
Now complete, the stand is the main external 'face' of the stadium, being the first thing fans see when entering the primary gate on Fulham Road. The Main Entrance is flanked by the Spackman and Speedie hospitality entrances, named after former Chelsea players Nigel Spackman and David Speedie. The stand also features the largest concourse area in the stadium.
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