Why do Chelsea play in Fulham?

If you ever hop off at Fulham Broadway Underground station expecting to find Fulham Football Club, you might be in for a surprise. Instead of being directed to Craven Cottage, home of Fulham FC, you'll be pointed toward Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's famous ground—both located in the borough of Fulham.

But what if I told you that it could have very well been Fulham playing at Stamford Bridge today, if it weren't for one or two individuals ...

In this video, we dive into the fascinating history behind Chelsea's formation and how they ended up playing at Stamford Bridge, a stadium originally earmarked for Fulham FC. We explore the key decisions, quirky twists of fate, and the rivalry that could have seen Fulham as the team playing at Stamford Bridge today—leaving Chelsea as just another "what if" in football history.

From Fulham's early days of wandering through various grounds (including one with a tree in the middle of the pitch) to the Mears brothers' bold decision to found Chelsea FC, we unravel the story of how two clubs, separated by just 1.5 miles, became neighbours in one of London's most affluent areas. We also touch on the legacy of Archibald Leitch, the architect who shaped the stadiums of both clubs and many more across the UK.

Join us as we explore how close Fulham came to calling Stamford Bridge home, and why Chelsea ended up taking root there instead. This is a story of missed opportunities, visionary decisions, and a twist of fate that has shaped the footballing landscape in London for over a century.

Route None would love your support. If you enjoy deep dives into football and uncovering the stories behind events from football history, don't forget to subscribe to stay updated with our latest content. Your support helps us grow and continue producing new videos on a regular basis.

[musaabahmed]

yet another certified banger, love how chelsea still keeps the tradition of having an owner with no football experience building a team

[blvck]

Title should be “Why do Chelsea play like Fulham?”😭😭

[ozgundoganay]

Probably the best thing to happen to me in 2024 was finding this channel. Love the vids, keep up the great work!

[kartoharaschi]

5:14 He really pulled the "My name is Gustavo, but you can call me Gus" card.

[MBKBooster]

Next time you visit Craven Cottage, get your pint at The Rocket, just across Putney Bridge. It's an inexpensive 'Spoons.

[syvus]

i think the humour you sprinkle in here is what sets you apart from the other channels with similar setups, makes it feel way more humans, way nicer

[yuvarajar]

This channel is a hidden gem 💎 . Only gonna get bigger. Great work

[Blockhead-lcfr]

videos like this one about stuff from like the 1900s are videos I really love, every time I see a notification that you've uploaded I'm excited to watch whatever random football stuff you have for me today

[wr]

Stamford Bridge, in York, was the site of a famous battle in 1066 where England's newly-crowned King Harold Godwinson and his army defeated the invading Viking army of Harold Hardrada. The battle is famous because it marked the end of three centuries of Viking raids into England and because King Harold had to return south immediately after the battle to fight against the invading Duke William of Normandy at the more famous Battle of Hastings.

[habibaghasafari]

For the premier league fans outside of England, this channel provides good information about the history of the clubs.

[mainmansentertainment]

Yet another exceptional video. Top drawer quality, and brilliant storytelling.

[tomfurstyfield]

This is the best one yet, just keeps getting better

[rogerbenest]

Henry Norris...the Charles Tyson Yerkes of early 20th Century football. London certainly attracted all sorts of scoundrels during that time!

[zaccsigma]

Mate don't be shocked your growing so fast because the quality of the videos is consistently super high. Keep it up.

[KingNiallM]

I’m not having this, you didn’t just come out of nowhere. Your videos are too good. Who did you used to work for?

[mewbsss]

This is the kind of channel that i would've gatekeep but you deserve so much more! I'm telling everyone!

[gintama]

Chelsea fan here. I'm glad I found your channel. Can't wait to see more football videos.

[Fidel-Castroni]

This channel is the next big thing on FootballTube. Mark my words

[CrippledJokerlol]

Bro this guy is awesome its literally football content that is actually interesting

[jamesmiller]

Just made a pizza and opened YouTube to find a video and bam first video I found is yours. Prefect video.