Chelsea owners have presented fresh proposals for the ongoing renovations and redevelopments at Stamford Bridge. These proposals include plans to place two massive lion sculptures outside the historic 118-year-old stadium, adding to its iconic charm.
The Chelsea owners continue their plans which were originally agreed when ex-owner Roman Abramovich sold the club to Boehly & Clearlake Capital for a record £4.25bn takeover. For permission to install one of the lion sculptures, which can be seen on Chelsea’s badge, upon the current security hut at Britannia Gate, an application was made to Hammersmith & Fulham Council. The other would take the place of the totem advertising sign that is now located next to Fulham Road.
The sculpture would be up to 2.4 metres tall and span a width of 1.8 meters. The details of the finances for these sculptures is currently unknown. These developments come on the back of another plan when a July article in The Athletic said that the West London club and the Stoll Veterans Charity have agreed to share land in order to increase the footprint of Stamford Bridge for a new projected stadium expansion.
Under the terms of the agreement, Chelsea intends to acquire the majority of the 1.2-acre Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions site, situated between Stamford Bridge and Fulham Broadway tube station. This acquisition is contingent upon local residential consultation.
In their project application, Chelsea provided the following explanation:
‘Chelsea FC changed ownership in May 2022 and its new owners have made a commitment to upgrading the Stadium’s facilities and appearance to positively transform the visitor experience. Consistent with this approach, this application proposes to install sculptures at the Britannia and Stamford Gates, which will refresh the appearance of the Stadium’s entrances and draw upon the Club’s long history with an innovative artistic design.’
