Chelsea Girls announce they’ll play all WSL video games from subsequent season at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea will play all of their WSL house video games from subsequent season at Stamford Bridge, the membership have introduced.

It’s a transfer that follows within the footsteps of Arsenal, who made the same transfer to the Emirates final summer time. They nonetheless play home cup and Champions League league section matches at Meadow Park.

Nevertheless, this season, the Blues have performed all of their house European matches on the West London floor, whereas nonetheless enjoying the vast majority of their video games at their Kingsmeadow house in Kingston, south west London.

It was the primary floor owned by a ladies’s staff and has been Chelsea’s primary house for nearly a decade. They grew to become the only occupants in November 2020, when AFC Wimbledon – who they’d ben groundsharing with – moved to Plough Lane.

The bottom had been touted as a brand new house for Chelsea after Sonia Bompastor mentioned in January that the membership have been choices away from Kingsmeadow.

That has now been revealed as a permeant transfer to Stamford Bridge, though it’s unclear have been home cup fixtures shall be performed. It’s possible that Champions League matches will nonetheless be performed on the west London floor, whereas Kingsmeadow will proceed for use as a floor for ladies academy matches.

The membership says the transfer was made in comfort with Chelsea gamers, companions, the fan advisory board and teams, and can considerably improve the capability from slightly below 5,000 to 40,000.

An announcement added: “Stamford Bridge will give CFCW a stage befitting the club’s achievements and ambition, a place to compete and win.

“It is more than a venue – it is a statement of intent. With every Barclays WSL fixture set to be played at Stamford Bridge, this move reflects the club’s unwavering belief in the long-term opportunity in women’s football as well as the responsibility the club has to help push the game forward.

“By establishing a everlasting house at Stamford Bridge, CFCW is investing not simply in at the moment, however in a legacy. Enjoying at Stamford Bridge will elevate visibility, present consistency for followers, unlock potential, and encourage the subsequent era as the game continues to develop.”

An open letter from the Chelsea gamers additionally accompanied the announcement, studying: “This moment is not just for us. It’s for every player to have worn the Chelsea badge. It’s for every person who has pushed the women’s game forward. It’s for every supporter who has been with us on our incredible journey.

“This can be a new chapter, however our ambition stays the identical. We wish to win. We wish to elevate extra trophies. We wish to create additional historical past. That’s what Chelsea has all the time carried out -and we’ll proceed that legacy with our supporters beside us on the Bridge.”

‘We wish to be actually formidable on and off the pitch – it is the correct time for us to try this’

In an unique interview with Sky Sports activities forward of the announcement, Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor mentioned: “The women’s game is growing and we need to make sure we follow and we also initiate that group. We want to be really ambitious, really top in terms of what we do off and on the pitch. That’s the right time for us to do that.

“Even when we already as a membership obtain quite a bit, we nonetheless have room for enchancment and with the ability to provide the perfect expertise for the followers, but in addition for the gamers. They wish to play within the largest stadiums. The Bridge is a extremely historic stadium the place we created already lots of reminiscences.

“Even for the fans, we want to create a really special experience for them. So giving them the opportunity to come to the Bridge, bringing more, even more fans to the game, to our games. We are really excited to be part of that journey and that experience.

“The gamers performed an enormous, huge half as a result of clearly they’re crucial individuals on this undertaking. They’re those who’re on the pitch. They’re all actually excited concerning the announcement and the information.

“When you are a player, you want to play in stadiums where you can bring the most fans possible. You want to live that experience with winning games in a great atmosphere. That’s what we want to create for the future. And again, that’s really exciting.”

A giant, dangerous transfer for Chelsea

Evaluation from Sky Sports activities’ Charlotte Marsh:

“The move to Stamford Bridge is a huge statement of intent from Chelsea in what is proving to be a transformative year.

“The Blues have struggled to take care of their chokehold of the WSL, however have already received a trophy with the League Cup. Nevertheless, their await a Champions League title goes on.

“And it is that competition that has seen Chelsea dip a semi-permanent toe into Stamford Bridge. They have made the ground as accessible as possible for women’s football fans, including their ‘Families at the Bridge’ initiative and Bottomless at the Bridge’ hospitality package.

“The choice may be very a lot a process in attempting to maintain tempo with Arsenal, who’ve constructed a singular fan tradition, however the easy reality is Chelsea don’t entice the identical numbers for the video games they’ve performed at Stamford Bridge.

“A big part of any football game is atmosphere, and a key argument for WSL teams remaining at smaller grounds is making them sell-outs and generating noisy home support.

“That’s one thing Chelsea have cultivated at Kingsmeadow, which has given them an enormous benefit. How that may translate to Stamford Bridge stays to be seen.

“Fans will not want to sacrifice the atmosphere they have cultivated for a ‘keeping up with the Jones’-style move, and Chelsea will not back track if things do not look to be working out.

“It is a huge transfer, an comprehensible one too – however dangerous. Plenty of work needs to be carried out to make it a hit.”