Chelsea at Battersea Power Station

The idea that Chelsea have no history has always been nonsense. They were in the FA Cup final during World War I, won the Championship in 1954-5 and won a European trophy before Liverpool did. But it is interesting in that it may represent a folk memory of the fact that Chelsea were formed in 1905 to fill the already-existing Stamford Bridge Stadium, where they have played ever since.

I ought to be appalled at the idea of Chelsea leaving the Bridge, but there is something wonderful about the thought of the club reviving the derelict and traduced Battersea Power Station. It looks particularly so in the illustration above (which comes from the SkyscraperCity board), though I suspect the proposal is to build the new stadium beside the power station rather than within it.

It has a further appeal for me: I am a lifelong Chelsea supporter because my mother was born in Battersea. And I gather this is quite common among Chelsea fans. In the streets around Stamford Bridge people support Fulham, but the club's support follows the railway lines south out of London.