Gourlay: Blues could stay at Bridge
Ron Gourlay has insisted Chelsea's bid to build a new stadium at
Battersea Power Station does not mean they have given up on redeveloping
Stamford Bridge.
GettyImagesA group of Chelsea fans have owned Stamford Bridge since 1997
Chelsea last week announced ambitious plans to transform Wandsworth's Grade
II* listed power station into a 60,000-capacity ground, confirming they had made
an offer for the 39-acre site.
The Blues are unable to move to a new ground until they convince fan-led group Chelsea
Pitch Owners to return the freehold of Stamford Bridge to the club, something
they failed to do in October.
And chief executive Gourlay claimed on Thursday no decision had been taken to
relocate, revealing the Blues were still exploring whether their home of 107
years could be increased to a 55,000-seat stadium.
"What we've all got to do is keep our feet on the ground as far as Battersea
is concerned,'' Gourlay said.
"When we met with the Chelsea Pitch Owners shareholders back in October, we
indicated that we were doing everything in our power to stay at Stamford Bridge,
to extend Stamford Bridge, and we've looked at potential opportunities of a
new-build around the Stamford Bridge area.
"Not only does that cause us issues with economics, it also causes us major
challenges around potential planning applications and all the rest.
"We do feel, as a club, that to stay among the elite, we've got to have a
bigger stadium. And one of the things that we discussed with the shareholders was to look at
opportunities within a three-mile perimeter of the current site at Stamford
Bridge.
"One of them is Battersea. There's a long way to go, there are other bidders in there, and we just need
to see where it goes from there. But if we didn't enter into that bidding process then we would have lost that
as an opportunity if we need it one day down the line. We've got to be in a position to make the move quickly.
"But we've still not said no to Stamford Bridge and we're still looking at
other alternatives and are working very hard behind the scenes to achieve
that.''
Gourlay refused to be drawn on whether he had met with a member of the Qatari
ruling family, Khalid Al Thani, about securing additional investment for any
development at Battersea.
"There are a number of meetings that go on around the world, really, a number
of friends, a number of partnerships,'' he said.
"I wouldn't go reading too much into any of that.''
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