It emerged this week Chelsea’s new owners are investing in major upgrades to Stamford Bridge, with renovations to the West Stand in the works and plans to install new murals around the ground leaving supporters excited about what the future will look like now Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital are running the club.
It is an encouraging move from the new regime. Admittedly, there has been no update on increasing Stamford Bridge’s capacity of 41,600, which would help Chelsea close the revenue gap on rivals with much bigger grounds, but the thinking is long-term. The board has sought out Janet Marie Smith, whose work on improving some of the most famous venues in US sport includes the rebuild of Dodger Stadium, home to the Boehly-led consortium’s Major League Baseball side, the LA Dodgers, and the aim is to improve the match-day experience for fans.
