Stamford Bridge, London
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
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There has been a stadium on the site of Stamford Bridge since 1877 and for more than 100 years it has been the home of European champions Chelsea FC.
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Capacity: 41,077
Opened: 1877 (for football 1905)
Pitch size: 103m x 68m
• Not far north of the Thames in west London, the stadium served London Athletics Club from 1877 until 1905 when Chelsea FC were founded, immediately joining the Football League.
• Used for the FA Cup finals of 1920, 1921 and 1922 prior to the opening of Wembley Stadium, Stamford Bridge has also hosted three senior England matches and in 1945 more than 100,000 people are thought to have watched a 3-3 friendly draw between Chelsea and post-war tourists FC Dinamo Moskva.
• Stamford Bridge staged the first leg of the inaugural Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final on 5 March 1958, a London XI holding FC Barcelona 2-2 before losing 6-0 in the return.
• Other sports held at Stamford Bridge include rugby union, athletics, shinty, speedway, greyhound racing, cricket, baseball and American football.
• The huge and costly East Stand was built in 1973 with the rest of the stadium made all-seater in the 1990s after the ground was saved from redevelopment. Reconstruction meant the demolition of the famous Shed End but also the removal of the old track which had left some stands far from the action. A major office and hotel development was also part of this rebuilding process.
• Stamford Bridge will host a second European final when the UEFA Women's Champions League concludes there on 23 May 2013.