Ask any matchday Chelsea fan who the CPO are, and they’ll tell you that it stands for the Chelsea Pitch Owners, a fan-owned organization. Not everyone, however, will know that this very same entity could be the key to keeping the club at Stamford Bridge forever.
Following the recent £2.5billion takeover by Todd Boehly’s BlueCo consortium, there have been whispers that the new owners might seek a way from the famous stadium that’s been their home since the club’s founding in 1905, 119 years ago.
The CPO, however, represents a huge obstacle in the path of any such move. This article looks at how this has come to pass, and what may lie ahead for the CPO in the Chelsea story.
Why move away from The Bridge?
Like with most things in modern football, it all comes down to money. Stamford Bridge is a top English stadium, but there are fears that its capacity, which is less than several elite British clubs, could hold it back compared to the monster revenue that the likes of Manchester United earn.
The club has several big revenue streams, with sponsorships ranging from food companies (Cadburys) to sports gambling and online casinos (as per their recent deal with betting giant Betway).
Yet, Stamford Bridge also lags behind the world’s top stadia, like The Emirates and the new Bernabeu when it comes to generating revenue. Chelsea’s owners, like many in the world of football, are drawn to the prospect of a new stadium.
The potential benefits are huge: increased capacity, higher revenue streams from premium seating and corporate hospitality, and the opportunity to create a state-of-the-art facility that rivals the best stadia in Europe.
Stamford Bridge’s current capacity of around 41,622 falls short of the largest Premier League stadiums, and its surrounding residential areas limit its expansion potential, and the income streams that come with it.
The aging infrastructure of Stamford Bridge also requires heavy investment in maintenance and upgrades. These costs would divert resources away from other areas of the club, such as player transfers and squad development.
Supporters of a new stadium argue that it would create a clean slate, where the owners take the club a step backwards to go several forwards and build a truly world-class arena.
The CPO’s power to block a move
The Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO) hold a unique position of power in the club’s affairs. As the freehold owners of the Stamford Bridge land, they have the ability to veto any plans for the club to move away from its historic home. This power has been a source of both strength and frustration for Chelsea’s former owners.
The organization successfully resisted previous attempts by the club to relocate, including Roman Abramovich’s ambitious plans for a new stadium, that were eventually shelved.
Any future owner wanting to move Chelsea away from Stamford Bridge will need to do so with the CPO’s approval. This would involve lengthy negotiations, compromises, and probably important concessions to get them on board, presuming they can be won over.
The CPO’s power is a comfort to Chelsea fans, and perhaps supporters at other clubs, who feel overwhelmed by the hold that commercial organisations have over British football. They are also a huge thorn in the side for the club’s new owners.
Expanding Stamford Bridge: A viable alternative?
Moving away from Stamford Bridge may seem like the most obvious solution for Chelsea’s owners, but expanding the existing stadium is still possible.
The club has explored this possibility in the past, with plans for redevelopment that would increase capacity and modernize the facilities.
Yet, as mentioned, local laws would restrict the height and carbon footprint of any new buildings, and the club would need to get a wide array of planning and construction approvals, not to mention the agreement of the local community.
That said, the new owners know that expanding Stamford Bridge could offer several advantages. It would allow Chelsea to maintain its historic home and all the tradition and identity that comes with it. It would also probably be cheaper than building a new stadium from scratch, or even redesigning one to another site. The Bridge is already built for football so would have many useful features already in place for a redevelopment.
The decision of whether to expand Stamford Bridge or relocate the club is a huge one and fans may have to wait a long time before they know which route Chelsea FC will eventually choose to take.
