87-465: West Ham Stadium existed between 1928 and 1972 in Custom House , east London, England, on Prince Regent Lane, near the present-day Prince Regent DLR station . The venue was used for greyhound racing and speedway on weekdays and had no connection with West Ham United football club, who played at the nearby Boleyn Ground , Upton Park from 1904 until 2016. Plans for a very large stadium in
174-612: A baseball match between the touring New York Giants and the Chicago White Sox . In 1924 the stadium hosted the 1924 Women's Olympiad , the first international event for women in track and field in the UK. A speedway team operated from the stadium from 1929 until 1932, winning the Southern League in their opening season. Initially open meetings were held there in 1928. A nineteen-year-old junior rider, Charlie Biddle,
261-594: A 60s and 70s English disc jockey, recalls times he watched Thames A.F.C with his uncle Bill Reece, who had a small bus company and was one of the directors of Thames. Murray states that he lived at the Nottingham Arms in Plaistow close to the Custom House Stadium. The stadium also hosted local baseball sides' home games in the 1930s and 1940s. BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars racing was held in
348-416: A builders' strike and the remainder of the ground remained untouched. The new East Stand was finished, but most of the (unusable) running tracks remained, and the new stand was also displaced by approximately 20 metres, compared to the pitch. The idea was to move the entire stadium towards the north. But due to the financial situation in the mid-1970s the other stands were not rebuilt for another two decades. In
435-529: A capacity of around 100,000 and was the second largest ground in England after Crystal Palace . It was used as the FA Cup final venue. As originally constructed, Stamford Bridge was an athletics track and the pitch was initially located in the middle of the running track. This meant that spectators were separated from the field of play on all sides by the width of running track and, on the north and south sides,
522-459: A cost of £100 million. The intention was that these facilities would provide extra revenue to support the football side of the business, but they were less successful than hoped, and before the Abramovich takeover in 2003, the debt taken on to finance them was a major burden on the club. Soon after the takeover, a decision was taken to drop the "Chelsea Village" brand and refocus on Chelsea as
609-666: A famous bitch called Bradshaw Fold when she finished runner up to Mick the Miller in the 1930 English Greyhound Derby . Two weeks later Mick the Miller won the Cesarewitch winning by seven lengths in his heat and on the same day winning the first prize of £200 in the final. West Ham won the Derby in 1931 with the Wally Green trained Seldom Led and one year later Future Cutlet recorded a second successive Cesarewitch victory setting
696-590: A football club. However, the stadium is sometimes still referred to as part of Chelsea Village or "The Village". 2005 saw the opening of a new club museum, known as the Chelsea Museum or the Centenary Museum, to mark the one hundredth anniversary of the club. The museum is located in the former Shed Galleria. Visitors are able to visit the WAGs lounge and then watch an introductory video message from
783-548: A home for the London Athletic Club and was used almost exclusively for that purpose until 1904, when the lease was acquired by brothers Gus and Joseph Mears , who wanted to stage high-profile professional football matches there. However, previous to this, in 1898, Stamford Bridge played host to the World Championship of shinty between Beauly Shinty Club and London Camanachd . Stamford Bridge
870-451: A home for the London Athletic Club and was used almost exclusively for that purpose until 1904. Subsequently, with the opening of the football club, the need for a playing surface resulted in the construction of the pitch. In June 2015 significant upgrades were made to the undersoil-heating, drainage, and irrigation systems. Along with the installation a new hybrid grass pitch, this brought the pitch up to modern standards. The current pitch at
957-501: A large mural by Solomon Souza on an outside wall of the West Stand of the stadium. The mural is part of Chelsea's 'Say No to Antisemitism' campaign funded by club owner Roman Abramovich. Included on the mural are depictions of footballers Julius Hirsch and Árpád Weisz , who were killed at Auschwitz concentration camp , and Ron Jones, a British prisoner of war known as the 'Goalkeeper of Auschwitz'. The Bridge opened in 1877 as
SECTION 10
#17327801786831044-432: A market crash in the early 1990s, allowing Bates to do a deal with its banks and re-unite the freehold with the club. During the 1984–85 season , following a series of pitch invasions and fights by football hooligans during matches at the stadium, chairman Ken Bates erected an electric perimeter fence between the stands and the pitch – identical to the one which effectively controlled cattle on his dairy farm. However,
1131-536: A new world record of 33.78 sec in his semi-final. In 1936 the track introduced the Cambridgeshire which would stand as the tracks second major competition. One year later in 1937 the track opened a veterinary hospital on site. The Second World War forced the racing to be suspended on more than one occasion and the Canning Town area suffered terrible bombing damage due to the fact that the docks were seen as
1218-444: A primary target. The stadium was lucky to miss the destruction that many buildings suffered in the immediate area but there were continual closures until 1946. The West Ham operation was largely moved to Dagenham Greyhound Stadium from March 1944 until 1946. Due to war closures West Ham lost the services of Stanley Biss who did not return deciding to stay at Clapton Stadium . This left Ken Appleton, Johnny Bullock and Dal Hawkesley as
1305-455: A row of executive boxes that stretches the length of the stand. The lower tier was built on schedule and opened in 1998. However, difficulties with planning permission meant that the stand was not fully completed until 2001. Construction of the stand almost caused another financial crisis, which would have seen the club fall into administration, but for the personal intervention of Roman Abramovich . In borrowing £70m from Eurobonds to finance
1392-417: A rural area near Plaistow Marsh, east of Canning Town were unveiled in the late 1920s and work began on the structure where an old sports ground (built in 1855) was situated that had belonged to the workers of the custom house of Royal Victoria Dock . The stadium was designed by Archibald Leitch , responsible for most of the major football stadia at the time including Goodison Park and Highbury . There
1479-436: A special monorail train weighing 500lbs to carry the hare. There was also a very unusual design regarding the track surface which used turf laid on a wooden foundation which had been raised twelve inches above ground level which would consequently result in a very fast track. It was described as a well-sprung dance floor matted with a special fibrous substance. The kennels consisted of six ranges totalling over 200 kennels within
1566-617: A variety of other sporting events since Chelsea have occupied the ground. In October 1905 it hosted a rugby union match between the All Blacks and Middlesex, and in 1908, Stamford Bridge was the venue for a Rugby League international between Great Britain and the touring New Zealand All Golds, who won 18–6. Two New Zealanders George Smith and William "Massa" Johnston played and scored in both these games. Two further Rugby League games were held in 1952, British Empire XIII v New Zealand, and 1983, Fulham v Cardiff. In 1914 Stamford Bridge hosted
1653-526: Is along the north edge of the pitch. In 1939, a small two storied North Stand including seating was erected. It was originally intended to span the entire northern end, but the outbreak of World War II and its aftermath compelled the club to keep the stand small. It was demolished and replaced by open terracing for standing supporters in 1976. The North Terrace was closed in 1993 and the present North Stand of two tiers (the Matthew Harding Stand)
1740-618: Is an area in the London Borough of Newham , in East London , England. The area is named after the custom house of Royal Victoria Dock . Today the dock is used for recreation but, in the past, it dominated the industry and commerce of the area from 1855 until the 1940s before closing in 1980. The main economic building of the area is the ExCeL London Exhibition Centre and the district is connected to
1827-590: Is considered to be a derivative of "Samfordesbrigge" meaning "the bridge at the sandy ford". Eighteenth century maps show a "Stanford Creek" running along the route of what is now a railway line at the back of the East Stand as a tributary of the Thames . The upper reaches of this tributary have been known as Billingswell Ditch, Pools Creek and Counters Creek. In medieval times the creek was known as Billingwell Dyche, derived from "Billing's spring or stream". It formed
SECTION 20
#17327801786831914-589: Is marked in early 20th century maps as the eastern half of Canning Town. The first Custom House in London was built in 1275 next to Old Billingsgate Market in the City of London several miles to the west. Royal Victoria Dock which was the economic hub of the settlement is today in recreational use but it dominated the industry and commerce of the area from its 1855 opening until the 1940s and closed in 1980 due to containerisation of freight. The Custom House Hotel (on
2001-639: Is the Church of England place of worship on Baxter Road since 1891. On Prince Regent Lane next to the public library is the Custom House Baptist Church. At different times in recent years, Royal Docks Academy has been used as a place of worship by various evangelical churches. Bus services are the 241 , 325 and 678 (school journeys only) running along Freemasons Road, and the 147 , 300 and 473 using Prince Regent Lane. Buses route 304 Buses route 474 The district's roads feed into
2088-417: Is the heart of the stadium, housing the tunnel, dugout, dressing rooms, conference room, press centre, Audio-Visual 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 of the pitch and it is the only section to have survived the extensive redevelopment of the 90s. Previously, it was the home to away supporters on
2175-566: The 241 , 325 and 678 (school journeys only). The Custom House Surgery is also located on this road. The Royal Docks Community School and the Shipman Youth Centre are both on Prince Regent Lane, in addition to local stores which serve the residents. Bus routes passing through Prince Regent Lane are the 147 , 300 and 473 . Custom House has one secondary school with academy status, and a number of primary schools: Secondary Schools Primary Schools Custom House has one of
2262-598: The City of London by the Docklands Light Railway and the Elizabeth line . Offices, factories and storage premises close to the DLR route provide most of the area's employment land. Schools, a college, a care home, council offices and a parade of shops also support the local economy, which has parks to north and south-east. It was originally part of the ancient parish and County Borough of West Ham , in
2349-587: The King George's Fields in memorial to King George V . The Canning Town recreational ground is located on Freemasons Road. Custom House was home to a football league club, Thames A.F.C , from 1930 to 1932, when the club was dissolved. Although there are no longer any football teams playing within Custom House, various teams in recent years with names containing 'Custom House' have played within close proximity. Custom House United (Est 2018) played at
2436-795: The Will Thorne Pavilion on Stansfeld Road in Beckton . Custom House Community FC (Est 2013) played at the Terence McMillan Stadium in neighbouring Plaistow , just over the A13 from Custom House. Custom House FC (founded in 2011) play at their home ground of Lyle Park in Silvertown . Custom House was home to the West Ham Hammers speedway team at the 120,000 capacity West Ham Stadium . Many roads built on
2523-525: The hundred of Becontree , a part of the historic county of Essex . Since 1965 , Custom House has been part of the London Borough of Newham, a local government district of Greater London. It forms part of the London E16 postcode district. Custom House has often been regarded as the eastern part of Canning Town , also a part of West Ham; however this link has tended to be downplayed since
2610-593: The lowest recorded attendance in Football League history when just 469 people turned up to watch Thames take on Luton Town on 6 December 1930. Thames only stayed two seasons in the football league, coming 20th and 22nd out of 22 teams during their brief stay. They resigned from the Football League in May 1932 after finishing bottom and were dissolved soon afterwards. They were replaced by Aldershot in 1933. In his book One Day I'll Lose My Trousers , Pete Murray ,
2697-719: The "Voice of Speedway", became the promoter of the Hammers. To fill the stadium on weekends a football team, Thames Association FC , was founded. After two years in the Southern Football League , Thames were elected to the Football League Third Division South in 1930, replacing Merthyr Town . The stadium could hold 120,000, but Thames shared a catchment area with Charlton Athletic , Clapton Orient , Millwall and West Ham United so it had trouble attracting crowds and created
West Ham Stadium - Misplaced Pages Continue
2784-483: The 1997/98 season. Along with the Matthew Harding Stand, it is an area of the ground where many vocal fans congregate. The view from the upper tier is widely regarded as one of the best in the stadium. 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. A large chunk of
2871-474: The Custom House of the Royal Victoria Dock, opened in 1855. The demand for trade brought rapid population expansion, chiefly the families of dockworkers, warehousemen, carters (distributors), packaging and semi-skilled manufacturing hands, building and utilities workmen and workers in London's street and general distribution markets. About 1740 the number of householders was estimated at 570. In
2958-568: The East Stand had a gabled corrugated iron roof, with around 6,000 seats and a terraced enclosure. The stand remained until 1973, when it was demolished in what was meant to be the opening phase of a comprehensive redevelopment of the stadium. The new stand was opened at the start of the 1974–75 season, but due to the ensuing financial difficulties at the club, it was the only part of the development to be completed. The East Stand essentially survives in its 1973 three-tiered cantilevered form, although it has been much refurbished and modernised since. It
3045-524: The GRA refused them permission to do so. The Bridge pitch is surrounded on each side by four covered all-seater stands, officially known as the Matthew Harding Stand (North), East stand, The Shed End (South) and West Stand. Each stand has at least two tiers and was constructed for entirely different reasons as part of separate expansion plans. The Matthew Harding Stand, previously known as the North Stand,
3132-613: The London Athletic Club to leave the venue. Totalisator turnover in 1946 was nearly £6 million (£5,749,592); to put this in perspective to football, the British transfer record at the same time in 1946 was £14,500. On 1 August 1968 the GRA closed Stamford Bridge to greyhound racing quoting the fact that Stamford Bridge had to race on the same days as White City . An attempt by Chelsea to bring back greyhound racing to Stamford Bridge in 1976, to alleviate debts, failed when
3219-639: The London radial route the A11 to the north. In the east of the district a single carriageway, the A112 , links Stratford via West Ham to the north to the Excel Exhibition Centre by Custom House railway station where it terminates in the south. The Cockney Rejects Stamford Bridge (stadium) Stamford Bridge ( / ˈ s t æ m f ər d / ) is a football stadium in Fulham , adjacent to
3306-554: The Matthew Harding stand. It is the largest football museum in London. The club merchandise shop, known as the Megastore, is situated on the south-west corner of the stadium. The shop has two floors; the ground floor mainly consists of souvenirs and children's gear, and the first floor offers mainly apparel, including training jerseys, jackets, coats, and replica team jerseys. There are also two smaller shops, one located at
3393-471: The Second World War and Chelsea were the first side they faced. An estimated crowd of over 100,000 crammed into Stamford Bridge to watch a 3–3 draw, with many spectators on the dog track and on top of the stands. In the early 1970s the club's owners initiated a project to renovate Stamford Bridge. However, the cost of building the East Stand escalated out of control after shortages of materials and
3480-525: The Shed End penalty spot in 2006. In 1964–65 , a seated West Stand was built to replace the existing terracing on the west side. Most of the West Stand consisted of rising ranks of wooden tip up seats on iron frames, but seating at the very front was on concrete forms known as "the Benches". The old West Stand was demolished in 1997 and replaced by the current West Stand. It has three tiers, in addition to
3567-486: The Stamford Gate entrance and the other inside the new museum building behind the Matthew Harding stand. Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich sanctioned redevelopment of Stamford Bridge to around 55,000 to 60,000 seats. Its location in a heavily built-up part of Inner London , in between a main road and two railway lines complicates the logistics of the redevelopment. Additionally, dispersing 60,000 fans into
West Ham Stadium - Misplaced Pages Continue
3654-618: The Victorian period due to Canning Town’s poor, industrial character. Historically, the area was in the extreme west of Essex and, along with Canning Town and Silvertown , formed the south of the parish of West Ham , a largely rural parish until the early 19th century. Trade expanded in the British Empire and the royal docks were built, connecting to the River Thames in this district. Custom House took its name from
3741-642: The West Ham site and two years later Stamford Bridge trainer Sid Mann switched his runners to West Ham following the closure of the track. During the same year the GRA decided to move all of the greyhounds out of the Clapton and West Ham kennels and put them in their renowned training establishment at Hook Estate and Kennels in Northaw . The Northaw kennels would now house all trainers from Harringay Stadium , White City Stadium , Clapton and West Ham which brought
3828-651: The away leg 6–0, however. On 23 May 2013, the stadium hosted the final of the 2012–13 UEFA Women's Champions League . On 5 August 2023, Stamford Bridge hosted charity match Game4Ukraine to raise money for the United24 initiative, a fundraiser to help in Ukraine 's rebuilding of facilities and infrastructure that suffered damage from the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War . In 2019 and 2024, Stamford Bridge has also been used as
3915-535: The bid was not accepted, and the Battersea Power Station site was redeveloped for residential and commercial uses. On 17 June 2014, the club announced that it had commissioned a study of the area from Fulham Broadway to Stamford Bridge and beyond, by architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands . In December 2015, Chelsea announced intention to build a 60,000-seater stadium at Stamford Bridge. On 5 January 2017, Hammersmith and Fulham council approved
4002-553: The borough of Chelsea in West London . It is the home of Premier League club Chelsea . With a capacity of 40,022, it is the ninth largest venue of the 2024–25 Premier League season and the eleventh largest football stadium in England. Opened in 1877, the stadium was used by London Athletic Club until 1905, when new owner Gus Mears founded Chelsea Football Club to occupy the ground; Chelsea have played their home games there ever since. It has undergone major changes over
4089-516: The bottom tier. However, at the start of the 2005–06 season, then-manager José Mourinho requested that the family section move to this part of the stand, to boost team morale. Away fans were moved to the Shed End. The Shed End is along the south side of the pitch. In 1930, a new terrace was built on the south side, for more standing spectators. It was originally known as the Fulham Road End, but supporters nicknamed it 'The Shed' and this led
4176-595: The boundary between the parishes of Kensington and Fulham. By the 18th century, the creek had become known as Counter's Creek , which is the name it has retained since. The stream had two local bridges: Stamford Bridge on the Fulham Road (also recorded as Little Chelsea Bridge) and Stanbridge on the King's Road , now known as Stanley Bridge. The existing Stamford Bridge was built of brick in 1860–1862 and since been partly reconstructed. Stamford Bridge opened in 1877 as
4263-532: The club to officially change its name. It became the most favoured spot for the loudest and most die-hard support, until the terrace was demolished in 1994, when all-seater stadia became compulsory by law as a safety measure in light of the Taylor Report following the Hillsborough disaster . The seated stand which replaced it is still known as the Shed End (see below). The new stand opened in time for
4350-584: The corner of Freemasons Road), was opened in 2001 to service visitors to the ExCeL centre in the district. With a large park , Newham City Farm, a King George V Park , vegetable allotments and arguably the north side of Royal Albert Dock , approximately half of Custom House's land use is for housing. The two main roads which serve Custom House are Freemasons Road near the Custom House DLR station and Prince Regent Lane. Buses serving Freemasons Road are
4437-468: The country as social housing , attaching a stigma to tower blocks , many of which have since been demolished, including the few in this district of what was West Ham or Canning Town. A slight population decline to 1931 paled into insignificance by the devastation wrought on this area in World War II , when bombing destroyed in many cases entire streets and forced large-scale evacuation. The area
SECTION 50
#17327801786834524-518: The electric fence was never turned on and before long it was dismantled, due to the GLC blocking it from being switched on for health and safety reasons. With the Taylor Report arising from the Hillsborough disaster being published in January 1990 and ordering all top division clubs to have all-seater stadiums in time for the 1994–95 season , Chelsea's plan for a 34,000-seat stadium at Stamford Bridge
4611-402: The end of 1971 an announcement was made by Newham Council that West Ham would be sold for re-development. It survived until 26 May 1972 which still came as a shock because many had hoped for a reprieve. The speedway team had been evicted and the Cesarewitch was transferred to GRA sister track Belle Vue Stadium with the Cambridgeshire sent to White City. The stadium sold for a reputed £475,000 and
4698-466: The estate under considerable pressure. This sale of the West Ham and Clapton kennels brought unease with concerns over the stadia themselves. Dal Hawkesley retired in 1966 replaced by his son Peter who was training in his own right at Romford who in turn moved to Harringay replaced by Wilf France. Hawkesleys head kennelhand Ted Parker and Colin West were also appointed by West Ham. Sherrys Prince one of
4785-527: The final of the inaugural Lambert & Butler county cricket competition. It, however, failed and the experiment of playing cricket on football grounds was ended. Stamford Bridge briefly hosted American football – despite not being long enough for a regulation-size gridiron field – when the London Monarchs were based there in 1997. The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) brought greyhound racing to Stamford Bridge on 31 July 1933 and this forced
4872-485: The first national census of 1801 the population of West Ham was 6,485. It rose steadily to 12,738 in 1841 and then began a growth, which was especially rapid between 1871 and 1901, when over 204,000 were added. By 1911, with 289,030 inhabitants, West Ham was seventh in size among English county boroughs , a status newly acquired. The new population were crowded within the boundaries of the ancient parish being in limited height of homes then affordable to most people. Unlike in
4959-447: The former vice-president Richard Attenborough . They are then guided decade by decade through the club's history seeing old programmes, past shirts, José Mourinho 's coat and other memorabilia. A motto on the wall of the museum reads "I am not from the bottle. I am a special one.", a reference to Mourinho's famous quote upon signing as manager for Chelsea. On 6 June 2011, a new museum with improved and interactive exhibits opened behind
5046-438: The great hurdlers was trained by West ham trainers during his first two Grand National wins in 1970 and 1971; they were John Shevlin and Colin West respectively. The speedway Hammers were involved in the top flight leagues from 1929 to 1939; 1946 to 1955 and 1964 to 1971. They won the inaugural British League in 1965. Romford Bombers moved to the stadium in 1972, taking the name West Ham Bombers, but lasted for only part of
5133-425: The ground as a rival to Fulham. Noted football ground architect Archibald Leitch , who had also designed Ibrox , Celtic Park , Craven Cottage and Hampden Park , was hired to construct the stadium. In its early days, Stamford Bridge stadium was served by a small railway station, Chelsea and Fulham railway station , which was later closed after World War II bombing . Stamford Bridge was initially planned to have
5220-696: The ground measures approximately 103 metres (112.6 yd) long by 67 metres (73.2 yd) wide, with a couple metres of run-off space on all sides. The south stand has by far the most run-off space being unto 3.5 metres deep. When Stamford Bridge was redeveloped in the Ken Bates era, many additional features were added to the complex, including two hotels, apartments, bars, restaurants, the Chelsea Megastore, and an interactive visitor attraction called Chelsea World of Sport. These were completed in August 2001 at
5307-472: The home of the majority of matchday hospitality guests. Each box is also named after a former Chelsea player (names in brackets): In October 2010, a nine-foot statue of popular 1960s Chelsea forward Peter Osgood , created by Philip Jackson , was unveiled by Peter's widow, Lynn. It is positioned in a recess of the West Stand near the Millennium Reception. In January 2020, Chelsea FC unveiled
SECTION 60
#17327801786835394-488: The late 1970s, the freehold was separated from the club and when new Chelsea chairman Ken Bates bought the club for £ 1 in 1982, he did not buy the ground. A large chunk of the Stamford Bridge freehold was subsequently sold to property developers Marler Estates. The sale resulted in a long and acrimonious legal fight between Bates and Marler Estates. Marler Estates was ultimately forced into bankruptcy after
5481-404: The lower tier. Any proposal to enlarge the facility would necessitate demolition of the adjacent Chelsea F.C. Museum and Chelsea Health Club and Spa. For some Champions League matches, this stand operates at reduced capacity, some entrances being obstructed by the presence of TV outside-broadcast vehicles. The only covered stand when Stamford Bridge was renovated into a football ground in 1905,
5568-655: The main trainers. Director of Racing was Captain W J Neilson and the Racing Manager was A W H Watson. Ken Appleton died in 1960 and his kennels were taken over by his son Kenric 'Ken' Appleton Jr. In addition Tom Johnston senior retired in 1962 and his son Tom Johnston Jr. took over his range at West Ham and achieved great success becoming Greyhound Trainer of the Year in 1963. In 1966 the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) bought an interest in
5655-600: The meantime, Chelsea struggled in the league, and attendances fell and debts increased. The club was relegated to the Second Division in 1975 and again in 1979, narrowly avoiding the drop into the Third Division in 1983 before finally returning to the First Division a year later. The increase in the costs, combined with other factors, sent the club into decline. As a part of financial restructuring in
5742-425: The name 'Chelsea Football Club' should it ever move from the site where Stamford Bridge exists. The club proposed to buy back the freehold from CPO. In a vote held on 27 October 2011, its shareholders opted against selling their rights. On 4 May 2012, Chelsea announced a bid to purchase Battersea Power Station to build a 60,000-seater stadium on the site in conjunction with property developers Almacantar. However
5829-407: The new ground). The other sides were all open in a vast bowl and thousands of tons of material excavated from the building of the Piccadilly line provided high terracing for standing spectators exposed to the elements on the west side. In 1945, Stamford Bridge staged one of the most notable matches in its history. Soviet side FC Dynamo Moscow were invited to tour the United Kingdom at the end of
5916-401: The noise of supporters. The pitch, the turnstiles , and the naming rights of the club are now owned by Chelsea Pitch Owners , an organisation set up to prevent the stadium from being purchased by property developers. KSS Design Group (architects) designed the complete redevelopment of Stamford Bridge Stadium and its hotels, megastore, offices and residential buildings. Stamford Bridge was
6003-400: The original wall from the back of the Shed End terrace still stands and runs along the south side of the stadium. It has recently been decorated with lights and large images of Chelsea legends. Since 2005, it has been where away supporters are housed; they are allocated 3,000 tickets towards the east side, roughly half of the capacity of the stand. Peter Osgood 's ashes were laid to rest under
6090-476: The project, Ken Bates put Chelsea into a highly perilous financial position, primarily because of the repayment terms he had agreed to. Now complete, the stand is the primary external 'face' of the stadium, being the first thing fans see when entering the main gate on Fulham Road . The Main Entrance is flanked by hospitality entrances, formerly named after former Chelsea players Nigel Spackman and David Speedie . Signage at those entrances with those players' names
6177-427: The residential roads surrounding Stamford Bridge is likely to create congestion. Earls Court Exhibition Centre , White City , Battersea Power Station , the Imperial Road Gasworks (off the Kings Road on the Fulham and Chelsea border), and the Chelsea Barracks were alternative sites explored for a stadium rebuild. Under the Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO) articles of association , the club would however relinquish
6264-979: The season before being evicted with the stadium due for demolition and its site to be used for re-development. The stadium and the surrounding land was sold for a total of £475,000. There are over 200 houses situated where the stadium stood. The Lakeside Hammers speedway team, originally known as the Arena-Essex Hammers, who raced at Arena Essex Raceway in Essex , took their name from the defunct West Ham Hammers outfit. West Ham Hammers riders included Australians Bluey Wilkinson , Jack Young and Aub Lawson , Swedish riders Björn Knutson , Christer Löfqvist and Olle Nygren , Scotland's Ken McKinlay , American Sprouts Elder , and English riders Tiger Stevenson , Malcolm Craven , Eric Chitty , Tommy Croombs , John Louis , Dave Jessup and Malcolm Simmons . In 1966, ITV television commentator Dave Lanning , known as
6351-485: The separation was particularly large because the long sides of the running track considerably exceeded the length of the football pitch. The stadium had a single stand for 5,000 spectators on the east side. Designed by Archibald Leitch , it was an exact replica of the Stevenage Road Stand he had previously built at the re-developed Craven Cottage (and the main reason why Fulham had chosen not to move into
6438-520: The stadium in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1961 the BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars World Championship was held at West Ham and won by Jock Lloyd, it was held again in 1965 and won by Ellis Ford. In those decades many enthusiasts and garage owners throughout the London area built and raced cars, by the mid 1960s BriSCA F1 stock cars had evolved from modified road cars into purpose-built single-seater "specials" of great power and stout construction. Towards
6525-566: The stadium site following its demolition are named after the stars of the team - including Aub Lawson , Jack Young and promoter Johnnie Hoskins . In Custom House there are three purpose built Christian churches representing the Anglican , Baptist and Catholic denominations. On Berwick Road is the church of St Anne, which today is part a two church Catholic parish known as the Parish of Our Lady of Walsingham (POLOW). The Ascension Church
6612-570: The two acres of the stadium grounds. The first meeting took place on 4 August 1928. The stadium management brought in a race called the Cesarewitch which gained classic status; the race started over the distance of 600 yards but become a competition for marathon greyhounds. Early successful trainers were Ken Appleton and Stan Biss , both of whom had owned greyhounds on Wembley's opening night and subsequently taken out trainers licences at Wimbledon Stadium before joining West Ham. Biss trained
6699-402: The various wealthy streets of other London districts almost the whole population of this part of what was Canning Town consisted of low-paid workers who lived in cheap, unadorned brick and mortar low rise terraces . There was a chronic shortage of open land which only became available once again when the cost of sound mid-rise and high-rise buildings became lower. High rise was first adopted in
6786-434: The venue for Soccer Aid , an annual charity match initially organised by singer Robbie Williams and actor Jonathan Wilkes . Since the 2010s, Chelsea F.C. Women , the club's women's affiliate , has played selected games at Stamford Bridge, including league games against domestic rivals as well as all UEFA Women's Champions League games. Results of FA Cup Finals at Stamford Bridge Stamford Bridge has also hosted
6873-523: The venue of the FA Cup Final from 1920 to 1922 , before being replaced by Wembley Stadium in 1923. It has staged ten FA Cup semi-finals , ten Charity Shield matches, and three England matches, the last in 1932. It was one of the home venues for the representative London XI team that played in the original Inter-Cities Fairs Cup . The team played the home leg of the two-legged final at Stamford Bridge, drawing 2–2 with FC Barcelona ; they lost
6960-451: The years, most recently in the 1990s when it was renovated into a modern, all-seater stadium. Stamford Bridge has hosted Charity Shield games. It has also hosted numerous other sports, such as cricket , rugby union , rugby league , speedway , greyhound racing , baseball and American football . The stadium's highest official attendance is 82,905, for a league match between Chelsea and Arsenal on 12 October 1935. "Stamford Bridge"
7047-464: Was a large two tier stand accommodating 80,000 spectators with a smaller stand able to hold a further 20,000 bringing the capacity for the stadium up to 100,000. The track was the largest in Great Britain with a circumference of 562 yards and 123-yard straights. The standard trip of 550 yards did not even require a greyhound to complete a full lap. The track was lit by 70 x 750 watt lamps and used
7134-627: Was built near the Lillie Bridge Grounds , an older sports ground which had hosted the 1873 FA Cup Final and the first ever amateur boxing matches (among other things). It was initially offered to Fulham Football Club , but they turned it down for financial reasons. After considering the sale of the land to the Great Western Railway Company , the Mears decided to found their own football club, Chelsea, to occupy
7221-428: Was given approval by Hammersmith and Fulham council on 19 July 1990. The re-building of the stadium commenced and successive building phases during the 1990s eliminated the original running track. The construction of the East Stand some 20 years earlier had begun the process of eliminating the track. All stands, now roofed and all-seater , are immediately adjacent to the pitch. This structure captures and concentrates
7308-415: Was killed in a racing accident. In 1931, black cinders were laid onto the circuit suitable for use by speedway and athletics. A midget car meeting reportedly attracted a crowd of 50,000 people in 1948. The ground was used in 1980 for the first major day-night floodlit cricket match between Essex and West Indies (although organised by Surrey) which was a commercial success; the following year it hosted
7395-540: Was removed in 2020, to be replaced by directional signage, meaning those entrances are no longer named after any player. The stand also features the largest concourse area in the stadium, it is also known as the 'Great Hall' and is used for many functions at Stamford Bridge, including the Chelsea Player of the Year ceremony. The aforementioned executive boxes, also known as the Millennium Suites, are
7482-570: Was subsequently demolished with housing built on the cleared site, with some streets named after former speedway stars. These are Atkinson Road ( Arthur Atkinson ), Croombs Road ( Tommy Croombs ), Young Road ( Jack Young ), Wilkinson Road ( Arthur 'Bluey' Wilkinson ), Lawson Close ( Aub Lawson ) and Hoskins Close ( Johnnie Hoskins ). 51°30′51.95″N 0°2′5.06″E / 51.5144306°N 0.0347389°E / 51.5144306; 0.0347389 Related sports: Rounders • Welsh baseball Custom House, Newham Custom House
7569-448: Was then constructed at that end. It is named after former Chelsea director Matthew Harding , whose investment helped transform the club in the early 1990s before his death in a helicopter accident on 22 October 1996. His investment in the club enabled construction of the stand which was completed in time for the 1996–97 season . It has two tiers and accommodates most season-ticket holders, giving it an excellent atmosphere, especially in
#682317