Stamford Bridge

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Updated On :09 Apr, 2021

Full Name
Stamford Bridge

Capacity
41,663

Type
Outdoor

Location
London, England, United Kingdom

Surface Type
Desso Grassmaster

Stamford Bridge (often referred as The Bridge) is the home ground of Chelsea F.C., the famous football club of British Premier League. Being located in Walham Green in Fulham, London, it is one of the major football stadiums used for premier league matches. It was formerly used by the London Athletic Club since its opening in 1877, but it went to the ownership of Chelsea Football Club when Gus Mears, the founder of Chelsea originated the club in 1905 and started playing there. Many important matches such as the International matches of England, FA Cup semi-finals, FA Cup finals and Charity Shield games have been conducted on the ground. Many other sports like Cricket, Rugby Union, Speedway, Greyhound Racing, Baseball and American Football have also been played here. As it is an old vintage stadium, it has gone through numerous renovations over the decades that have transformed the venue into an all-seater modern stadium.

Trivia

Stamford Bridge has been named after the bridge constructed on a rivulet which was a tributary of Thames in the 18th century at the back of the east stand. The route is now a railway line.
Earlier, the stadium was served by a railway station known as "Chelsea and Fulham railway station" which was closed after the Second World War Blitz, happened in 1940 and 1941.

Significance

Until 1932 it has hosted ten FA Cup semi-finals, ten Charity Shield matches, and three England matches.
In 1980 the first major day-night floodlit cricket match between Essex and West Indies was held on the ground.
A historical football match was hosted here when the Soviet side F.C. Dynamo Moscow was invited for a friendly Tour, played against home team Chelsea after the Second World War that resulted in an exciting 3-3 draw.
It hosted a Rugby Union match in 1905 between the All Blacks and Middlesex, and a baseball match in 1914 between the touring New York Giants and the Chicago White Sox.
From 1920 to 1922, the stadium hosted the FA Cup final until the venue was shifted to Wembley Stadium in 1923.
In 1933 a Greyhound Racing competition was organized by the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA).
In Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, London XI played here the home match of the two-legged final against FC Barcelona that resulted in draw with a score of 2-2.