Stamford Bridge (stadium)

   Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, that is home to Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Greenand it is affectionately referred to as The Bridge. The capacity is 42.055, making it the eighth largest ground in the Premier League. KSS Design Group (architects) designed the complete redevelopment of Stamford Bridge Stadium and its hotels, megastore, offices and residential buildings. Chelsea Football Club was created to make use of the stadium and they have played home games there for their entire 106 year history.

The Bridge
View of The East Stand and The Shed End
Full name	Stamford Bridge
Location	Fulham Road Fulham London England SW6 1HS
Coordinates	51°28′54″N 0°11′28″W
Built	1876
Opened	28 April 1877
Renovated	1904–1905, 1990s
Owner	Chelsea Pitch Owners plc
Operator	Chelsea F.C.
Surface	Grass
Architect	Archibald Leitch (1887)
Capacity	42.055
Field dimensions	103 x 67 metres (112.6 x 73.3 yards)
Tenants
Chelsea F.C. (1905–present) London Monarchs (NFL Europe) (1997)

   Stamford Bridge' is considered to be a corruption of 'Samfordesbrigge' meaning 'the bridge at the sandy ford'. Eighteenth century maps show a 'Stanford Creek' running along the route of what is now a railway line at the back of the East Stand as a tributary of the Thames. The upper reaches of this tributary have been variously known as Billingswell Ditch, Pools Creek and Counters Creek. In mediaeval times the Creek was known as Billingwell Dyche, derived from 'Billing's spring or stream'. It formed the boundary between the parishes of Kensington and Fulham. By the eighteenth century the creek had become known as Counter's Creek which is the name it has retained since.

   The stream had two local bridges: Stanford Bridge on the Fulham Road (also recorded as Little Chelsea Bridge) and Stanbridge on the Kings Road, now known as Stanley Bridge.The existing Stamford Bridge was built of brick in 1860–2 and has been partly reconstructed since then.