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Introducing Stamford Bridge Stadium
Stamford Bridge, or ‘The Bridge’ as it is commonly referred to by Chelsea fans, is one of the top football stadiums in the United Kingdom. This ground has seen all kinds of superstars over the years, and we are not just referring to the players either. As we all know, the managers of football teams can sometimes be referred to as legends or superstars at certain clubs, and the likes of Jose Mourinho would definitely fit this description.
The stadium itself is actually based in Fulham, which is a small suburb in West London. Of course, this is the home ground of Chelsea Football Club, who is definitely one of the powerhouses of Premier League football. Chelsea, among other clubs like Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal, has long been at the top of the game, and Stamford Bridge is the arena where Chelsea put on a show for their thousands of fans.
The stadium is quite a spectacle as it happens, and we would like to share with you some of the interesting facts about The Bridge right now.
Cool facts about Stamford Bridge that you may not know
Although we've established that Stamford Bridge is the home of Chelsea Football Club, we would like to now go beyond the tip of the iceberg and dive into some of the cool facts about this stadium in the sections below.
Plans to increase capacity by more than 50%
Compared to other Premier League stadiums, Stamford Bridge is actually not that large. With the maximum stadium capacity at just over 40,000, it doesn't even rank in the top 5 for Premier League football stadiums. However, this could all be changing in the coming years, as plans have been suggested for the Stadium to increase its capacity by more than 50%. This would allow more than 20,000 additional fans to come and watch Chelsea for each and every home game, which would be a welcome change.
Diversity of events held
Out of all the Premier League football stadiums in the land, Stamford Bridge is probably one of the most diverse concerning its functionality. While it is quite common for Premier League stadiums to host other sporting events, Stamford Bridge has taken this to new levels. This stadium has been home to greyhound racing, American football, baseball, speedway, track and field events, and several other sporting types.
Electric fence was put up to control fans in the mid 80’s
Sadly, football hooliganism can be rife within the Premier League, and this was particularly evident during the 1980s. It would seem that Chelsea fans were particularly violent during home games at Stamford Bridge for this period, and this actually compelled the owner at the time to install an electric fence for crowd control. This was put in place to stop fans from interacting with each other and to prevent pitch invasions, and the electric fences that were installed were traditionally used to contain cattle on farms. As you might imagine, this was frowned upon by the relevant health and safety bodies and was removed a few years later.
Built in 1876
Since English football has been going on for quite some time, there are many stadiums around the land that have moved locations throughout the years. Interestingly, Stamford Bridge is one of the few that has remained in its exact location since 1876, although the ground wasn't officially used for football games until the early 20th century. Still, this is quite a legacy, so when you do step through the gates at Stamford Bridge, you are quite literally stepping into history.
Legacy of ‘The Special One’
We could not finish this particular section without mentioning the special one. This man almost needs no introduction these days, and Jose Mourinho made a name for himself while managing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. He would be quite outspoken in his opinions with the media, and he would even have the audacity to predict opponent team line-ups before they were even released. Amazingly, he would often be correct, and he managed to guide Chelsea to 3 Premier League titles.
Players that grace the Stamford Bridge pitch right now
Although Chelsea hasn't had immense success in recent years, it is still one of the most prestigious clubs in the Premier League. The club has a rather large budget as well, which is why you can find many top players at Stamford Bridge these days.
Olivier Giroud
Olivier Giroud is unquestionably one of the top strikers in the Premier League right now. He actually joined Chelsea from one of the main rival clubs in the form of Arsenal, so as you might imagine, he isn't too popular among Arsenal fans when these teams come together. Giroud is terrific with the ball at his feet, but he's also a force to be reckoned with in aerial battles, which is why he’d scored so many goals for the club.
Timo Werner
Werner is a brand new addition to the Chelsea squad, and he is already helping to bolster the attacking line-up. Werner was actually one of the best goal scorers in the German Bundesliga, which is why Chelsea chose to snap him up in the first place. To say that this guy is dangerous in front of goal would be an understatement, and we are eager to see how many goals he manages to score for Chelsea during this season.
Thiago Silva
In the world of Premier League football, it is often the goal scorers that receive all the credit and the attention. However, people regularly fail to recognise the importance of having a strong and courageous defender, which is exactly what you will find with Thiago Silva. This experienced Brazilian has been helping Chelsea at the back for many years, and he continues to put in sublime performances for the club to this day. For this reason, Thiago Silva is thought of as one of the top defenders in the league.
