Chelsea are set to play at Wembley during the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge after the RFU chief rejected their proposed move to Twickenham, according to the Mirror.
As the Mirror report, Chelsea were granted planning permission to expand the Bridge’s capacity from 41,631 to 60,000; drawing themselves level with Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester City. However, they need a temporary home to play in during the three-year redevelopment.
The tabloid note that the Blues identified Twickenham as a potential halfway house. That idea has, however, been rubbished by RFU chief Ian Ritchie, who claims that there is no intention to host football matches at Twickenham due to fears of “match-day traffic, an increase in litter, public urination and other anti-social behaviour.”
The Mirror believe that Chelsea will now almost certainly be playing their football at Wembley for three-years, but that may prove to be less than ideal for the fans.
Wembley stadium is eight miles away from Stamford Bridge, which will lead to a more lengthy commute for the Chelsea faithful. There have also been grave concerns over the stale atmosphere during Tottenham’s Champions League games at Wembley, with Chelsea facing similar issues.
Chelsea fans ought to enjoy Stamford Bridge while they still can.