Visiting Chelsea and Stamford Bridge
Below you will find your perfect guide for going to England to watch Chelsea at Stamford Bridge!
Headlines from the travel guide:
Chelsea Honours
First Division: 6 (last 2017)
FA Cup: 8 (last 2018)
League Cup: 5 (last 2015)
Champions League: 1 (2012)
Europa League: 1 (2013)
Cup Winners’ Cup: 2 (last 1998)
Stamford Bridge
Capacity: 41,631
Pitch: 103 x 67.5 m
Opening match: J28 April, 1877
Stamford Bridge
Fulham Road
London
SW6 1HS
Stamford Bridge is now one of Britain’s most modern, safe and comfortable venues. The limited capacity is because Stamford Bridge is surrounded on three sides by railway tracks and on the fourth by a very busy road.
Proposals have been unveiled to completely redevelop the site and build an iconic 60,000 capacity arena. If it goes ahead it is likely Chelsea will have to play their home games elsewhere for three seasons.
STAMFORD BRIDGE DIRECTIONS
Stamford Bridge is the most central of all of London football grounds and it is easy to get there by subway or bus.
Tube:
District Line towards Wimbledon and alight at Fulham Broadway.
Bus:
lines 14, 211 and 414 stop outside Stamford Bridge.
Please check www.tfl.gov.uk – Transport for London
STAMFORD BRIDGE BARS
Around Stamford Bridge there are many pubs and restaurants. Top watering holes, for example:
Broadway Bar & Grill, 474 Fulham Road
The White Horse, 1-3 Parson’s Green
Lots Road Pub & Dining Room, 114 Lots Road
Brogan’s, 1 Fulham Broadway
Fox & Pheasant, 1 Billing Road
Prince of Wales, 14 Lillie Road
The Atlas, 16 Seagrave Road
Sofa So Bar, 515 Fulham Road
STAMFORD BRIDGE STADIUM TOUR
Daily: every half hour from 10:00 – 15:00
There are no tours on match days or the day before a Champions League match.
Admission including museum:
£19.00 – adults
£13.00 – students and pensioners
£14.00 – children
Booking: +44 (0)871 984 1955 alt.
www.chelseafc.com/the-club/stadium-tours-and-museum
CHELSEA MUSEUM
The Centenary Museum takes you on a journey through time – from London’s cobbled streets to the 2005 FA Cup victory 100 years later. You will meet both Lord Richard Attenborough and William ‘Fatty’ Foulke, Chelsea’s legendary gigantic goalkeeper.
The club’s highs and lows through the decades are shown in the light of the great events in London, England and the world.
ADMISSION
£11:00 – adults
£ 10:00 – students and pensioners
£ 9.00 – children
CHELSEA TRAINING GROUND
Chelsea’s training ground is in Cobham, Surrey. The facility is not open to the public but open training sessions for fans are arranged from time to time at Stamford Bridge.
CHELSEA CLUB HISTORY
Chelsea FC were formed in March, 1905. The well-known property developer Gus Mears had bought Stamford Bridge Athletic Ground years earlier with the intention of building a large arena on a par with Crystal Palace. Fulham were offered the chance to move in but turned it down. There was only one thing left to do: start a new club.
The issue of a name was settled on March 14, 1905 at the Rising Sun pub (now the Butcher’s Hook). Among the proposals rejected were Stamford Bridge FC, Kensington FC and the slightly grand London FC.
The new club would need a league to play in. Mears’ business partner Fred Parker turned first to the Southern League, but Fulham and Tottenham put a stop to the plans. That only left the Football League where Woolwich Arsenal were the only London team.
The Football League wanted to see more teams from the capital, and Parker’s request was granted on May 29, 1905. Chelsea FC were, therefore, a member of football’s high society even before the team had kicked off in their first game.
They made excellent progress and were promoted to the First Division in 1907/08 when the club were averaging 32,000 spectators for their home games.
Chelsea set English attendance record
On a Saturday in October, 1935 a public attendance record was set for English league football: 82,905 people crowded into the stands to see the local derby against Arsenal.
Chelsea celebrated their golden jubilee in the best possible way. In 1954/55 the club won the First Division, their first title.
Chelsea’s first FA Cup was captured in 1970. The final was played at Wembley where a goal by Ian Hutchinson in the 86th minute pulled Chelsea back to 2-2. The replay at Old Trafford was 1-1 after 90 minutes. But 14 minutes into extra time David Webb scored the winner.
The success continued. Chelsea had earned a place in the Cup Winners Cup and made it all the way to the final. There they met Real Madrid who levelled the scores in the 90th minute.
Two days later the replay was held. Peter Osgood scored in both games and this time Irishman John Dempsey added a second and Chelsea won 2-1, their first international title.
One of Chelsea’s greatest victories was on Swedish soil when they beat Stuttgart in the 1998 European Cup Winners’ Cup in Stockholm. Gianfranco Zola scored the game’s only goal and the team was coached by Gianluca Vialli.
Chelsea win FA Cup at old Wembley
Chelsea won the last FA Cup final to be played at the old Wembley in 2000, winning 1-0 against Aston Villa. Once again, Roberto Di Matteo scored in an FA Cup Final. Three years earlier, when Middlesbrough were defeated 2-0, he scored after just 43 seconds.
With spectacular players and Jose Mourinho as manager it was a new era for the club. Chelsea won five titles in three seasons.
And in the Champions League final in 2008, Chelsea stumbled – or rather slipped – when they were on the verge of winning the highly-coveted trophy. When John Terry had the chance to decide the game in a penalty shoot-out, he lost his footing and missed. Instead, it was Manchester United who were celebrating in Moscow that night …
Bad luck conspired against Chelsea the following season too. Barcelona scored in the 93rd minute of their semi-final clash at Stamford Bridge to land a spot in the Champions League final. A few weeks later, however, victory in the FA Cup final against Everton (2-1)) helped heal the wounds.
Chelsea win the double
In 2009/10 Chelsea won the double for the first time – the seventh English club to achieve this feat.
The Blues defended their FA Cup and won the league in what was in many respects an historic season. When they played Wigan on the final day of the league season they won 8-0 – the fourth time that season Chelsea scored at least seven goals, a splendid record.
The Premier League’s top scorer Didier Drogba accounted for 29 of the total of 103 goals. A goal difference of +71 is not bad…
The 2011/12 league season was a bit indifferent but Chelsea saved their best for cup games and they won their fourth FA Cup Final in six years when Liverpool were beaten 2-1 and Didier Drogba scored in a FA Cup Final for the fourth time.
Chelsea win Champions League
Two weeks later it was time for another final: the Champions League. The match was played at the Allianz Arena and Chelsea met Bayern Munich – in other words they were the guests.
When Thomas Muller scored the first goal in the 83rd minute things did not look good. But five minutes later Drogba equalised with a powerful header. Arjen Robben’s penalty was saved by Peter Cech in a scoreless extra time.
More penalty kicks awaited. After Peter Cech saved Bayern’s fourth and fifth attempts Chelsea had one more chance to take home the trophy. And who held their nerves under control and ensured that Chelsea were the first London club to win the Champions League? Naturally, Didier Drogba who thus paid a dignified farewell to the club.
Jose Mourinho’s return to Chelsea was a rollercoaster. Two cups in 2015 – the League Cup and the league title – was followed by a disastrous autumn and a departure in December.
For 2016/17 Chelsea bet on a proven Italian name: Antonio Conte. With three straight Serie A titles as manager of Juventus Conte knows how the perfect defensive side should play. Add to that all the creativity and power of the squad and the Premier League title was won.
However the following campaign was underwhelming. The side never looked like defending their title and finished outside the Champions League places. Chelsea did end the season on a high, winning the FA Cup, but it was no surprise when Conte departed and Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri took his place.
CHELSEA FACTS
Many foreign players have achieved great success at Chelsea. The first of them was Nils Middelboe, the Great Dane, who played for Chelsea from 1913 to 1921.
Jimmy Greaves, the legendary centre forward from London’s East End, scored no less than 124 goals during his 157 league games for Chelsea. He left in 1961 for AC Milan.