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CFCW Stamford Bridge move investing in legacy

Chelsea women move into Stamford Bridge

Image: Chelsea FC

The Chelsea FC Women (CFCW) announced on April 22nd that from the 2026-2027 seasons the first team will play the all Women’s Super League matches at Stamford Bridge in London, England, UK.

‘CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB’ stated that following consultations with the Chelsea Women players, the partners, their Fan Advisory Board (FAB), and the other CFCW fan groups the Women’s team will make the iconic ground its permanent home.

The Chelsea Football Club Women, formerly known as the Chelsea Ladies Football Club, are an English women’s football club based in Kingston upon Thames, London (UK). Founded in 1992, they compete in the Women’s Super League, the top flight of women’s football in England, and play their home games at the Kingsmeadow Stadium and play their select home games at the Stamford Bridge.

The 4,850-capacity Kingsmeadow Stadium is a football stadium in Norbiton, Kingston upon Thames, London (UK) which serves as the home venue for the Chelsea FC Women (CFCW) team.

The Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, in West London (UK). It is the home of the Premier League club Chelsea F.C. and the Chelsea FC Women (CFCW). With a capacity of 41,312 it is the 12th-largest football stadium in England.

The Chelsea F.C. is an English professional football club based in Fulham, West London, England (UK). They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football, and are one of the most successful clubs in English football history.

The Fan Advisory Board (FAB) engages regularly with the club and discusses topics, exchanges information and shares insights on potential decisions that impact the Chelsea F.C. supporters.

‘CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB’ further stated that the legendary stadium, in the heart of West London and the longstanding home to 40,000 passionate football fans, will welcome the eight-time WSL champions and supporters from September.

The Stamford Bridge will give the CFCW a stage befitting the club’s achievements and ambition, a place to compete and win. It is more than a venue – it is a statement of intent. With every Barclays WSL fixture set to be played at the Stamford Bridge this move reflects the club’s unwavering belief in the long-term opportunity in women’s football as well as the responsibility the club has to help push the game forward.

By establishing a permanent home at the Stamford Bridge the CFCW is investing not just in today but in a legacy. Playing at the Stamford Bridge will elevate visibility, provide consistency for the fans, unlock potential, and inspire the next generation as the sport continues to grow.

The stadium move is announced alongside the launch of a new brand identity: Never Done – a movement as well as a reflection of the CFCW spirit encapsulating what the club stands for and how the CFCW approaches everything it does on and off the pitch, not just for now but for the next generation.

Inspired by the Chelsea family, the players past and present, the fans, and the community the CFCW has an ever-ambitious drive to break down the barriers and push the game forward in every way. The CFCW is never done winning, never done challenging itself and never done pushing for progress on and off the pitch.

Women’s football has grown exponentially in recent years thanks to participation at a grassroots level and the fans watching the action live, week-in and week-out. The CFCW’s loyal fanbase at Kingsmeadow has played its part in that trajectory. The 4,850-capacity Kingsmeadow Stadium in Kingston upon Thames, London (UK) has been the club’s home for almost a decade. It made CFCW the first women’s team to own their own stadium. The beloved stadium will continue to be a part of the CFCW journey hosting more academy matches from the next season and giving the next generation of ‘Blues’ a place to forge their footballing careers.

At Stamford Bridge, the CFCW has attracted new fans – some for their first-ever football game – and moving forward the matchdays at the Stamford Bridge will offer the fans old and new the breadth of experiences they have grown to love. With unmissable moments created through a variety of packages – from ‘Families at the Bridge’ to the club’s sellout hospitality offering ‘Bottomless at the Bridge’ – this move provides the opportunity to continue innovating and bring supporters more of what they love.

Welcoming the Blues fans and those that are new to the sport, or who want to create memories on a unique day out in London, the Stamford Bridge will be an inclusive and fully accessible space for all ages and needs with additional wheelchair space in-Bowl and a fully equipped sensory room.

Aki Mandhar, head honcho, Chelsea FC Women, said of the above announcement, “Our commitment to play the all Barclays Women’s Super League matches at the Stamford Bridge from next season reaffirms our ambition and intent to make CFCW the leading women’s sports club in the world. At CFCW we are never done growing and pushing progress to take the game and women’s sports to new heights. We are grateful to all our players and the Fan Advisory Board for their support on this historic move.”

Stated Sonia Bompastor, Chelsea FC Women’s Head Coach, “We are privileged to be involved in women’s football, to see thousands of our incredible supporters following us and being a part of our lives. We will always feel a special connection to Kingsmeadow and everything our fans, staff and the local community have helped create for us to stand here now committing our future to Stamford Bridge. The squad, and every player to have pulled on a Chelsea shirt before them, has worked so hard for this as has every member of staff to stand on the sidelines. We can’t wait to welcome you in September and to provide a stadium that helps us as we write the next chapter for this amazing club. It’s an exciting opportunity for us to keep growing, to perform at the highest level and to create a special atmosphere in a stadium we all love.”

Noted Neil Beard, Tracy Brown and Anna Phillips, Chelsea FC Fan Advisory Board Members, “This is an exciting moment for the Chelsea FC Women and the growing fanbase. Moving to Stamford Bridge is the natural next step for the team as they continue to build on the incredible legacy of every player, every staff member, every fan who has come before them. It is a stage befitting of the team and the incredible CFCW fanbase and an opportunity to grow the game, welcome the new supporters and build an atmosphere that drives the team forward. We are also delighted that Kingsmeadow will continue to be a part of the Chelsea Women journey with more opportunities for the academy teams to play there in the future. We are grateful to the club for engaging with the Fan Advisory Board on this momentous move and look forward to creating new memories together at the Stamford Bridge.”
 

Open Letter

The Chelsea Women squad have penned an open letter to the supporters reflecting on their time playing at Kingsmeadow and looking forward to the future.
 

The Blueprint

With the above exciting announcement the CFCW will be introducing ‘The Blueprint’. This will be a focus group of select fans who will provide the CFCW with their thoughts and ideas on how they can co-create and continue building on culture, atmosphere and experiences at Stamford Bridge. More information on this exciting fan initiative will be shared in due course.

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