Roman Abramovich
Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich(Image: Alexander Hassenstein - UEFA)
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There are pros and cons to both of Chelsea's options regarding their stadium situation.
On one hand, the Blues decide to knock down Stamford Bridge and remodel their iconic stadium. That, though, would see the west Londoners tasked with finding a temporary home, most likely Wembley, for the years it takes to redevelop.
On the other, a lot of Chelsea supporters would be opposed to ditching their current home and building a brand-new stadium on a different site. A site on Earl's Court has been touted but that now appears unlikely, with ECDC (Earl's Court Development Company) stating there are different plans in place.
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However, Chelsea insiders believe a solution to the above could still be found. Earlier this year, football.london was told not to rule it out. But any move away from their current site would need permission from Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO), the supporter group who hold the freehold of their home.
Last month, CPO chair Chris Isitt released a statement via the supporter group's X account that said they had received no proposals to relocate to another site.
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It is difficult to gauge the percentage of the split between the Chelsea supporters that want the club to remain at Stamford Bridge and those who would rather see them move elsewhere, but online, there seems to be more in favour of the former.
See West Ham United as an example. Their fans never forgave their owners for leaving Upton Park to move to the London Stadium. If you've ever been to the latter, it does not really feel like a football stadium for a number of reasons.
The grass isn't always greener, even when it is a state-of-the-art stadium in question.
A general view of the London Stadium
A general view of the London Stadium, West Ham United's home since 2016(Image: Kevin Hodgson/MI News/NurPhoto)
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There are other instances where it has worked out, but there are a large number of supporters opposed to moving to a different site.
When Roman Abramovich was the owner of Chelsea, the Hammersmith & Fulham Council Planning Committee approved a planning application for the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge. Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST) followed with a statement to express their delight.
An excerpt from the statement said: "The Chelsea Supporters' Trust is delighted to learn that Hammersmith & Fulham Council Planning Committee have approved the planning application for the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge.
"The Club has been at the heart of the community for 112 years and we welcome both the decision made by Mr Abramovich to redevelop the football stadium rather than move to another part of London and the Council's unanimous decision to approve these exciting and ambitious plans.
"Stamford Bridge and Chelsea FC can now remain part of the community for many years to come, playing football in one of the finest Stadiums in the country and one that reflects our rich history."
Less than 18 months later, Abramovich was forced to shelve the stadium plans after suffering delays in the renewal of his visa.
Roman Abramovich
Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich (Image: IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)
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The aforementioned statement from CST was back in January 2017. We're approaching its 10-year anniversary, and, remarkably, we're no closer to finding out exactly what is going to happen. Granted, there was a change of ownership in the middle of those nine-and-a-bit years.
Renovating Stamford Bridge - as in a stand-by-stand upgrade - is not seen as a viable option by Chelsea's owners at the time of writing, so that can more or less be ruled out. It leaves the Blues with two options: knock the stadium down and rebuild it, or move to a different site and start from scratch.
Chelsea supporters are desperate for a meaningful update on the situation but it is a time-consuming process, as sources continue to point out. The wait continues.
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