Council offers Chelsea stadium help

Chelsea could get help from Hammersmith and Fulham Council to upgrade Stamford Bridge after their latest attempt to find a new stadium site failed.

The European champions last month submitted a bid to move to Battersea Power Station but it emerged this week that a joint proposal from two Malaysian developers was selected as the preferred bid.

The Blues have been seeking a new home for some time due to the problems of improving their 42,000-seat home, but finding a site in the local area has been just as tough.

The new leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, Cllr Nicholas Botterill, however, has insisted he wants to see Chelsea remain at Stamford Bridge and has been in touch with the club in an attempt to open the discussions.

"It now looks highly unlikely that CFC [Chelsea Football Club] will be moving from their historic home," he said. "The council remains committed to working with the club to explore all possible avenues for keeping the Blues here at their original home.

"The door is open and the council is again ready to sit down and discuss how Stamford Bridge can be appropriately upgraded so that it is fit for one of Europe's leading football clubs."