Chelsea Pitch Owners plc is a charitable organisation that is part of Chelsea Football Club and is responsible for the stadium’s upkeep, know its president, share price, shareholders and debt
It holds both the freehold and the name rights to Chelsea Football Club’s Stamford Bridge stadium.
Chelsea Pitch Owners President, Shareholders, Share Price, Debt, Certificate And Twitter
History
Following a large-scale attempt to restore Stamford Bridge in the 1970s and 1980s, Chelsea ran into major financial difficulties. The club’s freehold was sold to property developers Marler Estates as a result of the financial crisis and subsequent change of ownership (and subsequently Cabra Estates). Chelsea was on the verge of losing the stadium as a result of the transfer.
The stadium’s (and hence the club’s) future was only assured in 1992, when a market crash bankrupted the property developers, allowing then-chairman Ken Bates to work out a deal with their bankers and reclaim control of the stadium for the football club. Following this, Chelsea Pitch Owners was formed, and with the help of a non-recourse loan of £10 million from Chelsea Village plc, the club’s parent company, it purchased the freehold of Stamford Bridge, the turnstiles, the pitch, and the Chelsea FC name in 1997. In turn, the CPO handed the club a 199-year lease on Stamford Bridge for a pittance.
Ownership and organisation
The goal of providing Chelsea Pitch Owners control of the freehold was to ensure that Stamford Bridge would never be sold to property developers again. To prevent any one person or organisation from obtaining control of the CPO, voting rights are limited to 100 per shareholder, regardless of how much shares they own.
The only pitch to be owned in English football, it is currently purchased by 13,000 fans worldwide with over 23,000 individual shares sold. Famous shareholders include current manager, Thomas Tuchel, Frank Lampard, Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho, Pat Nevin, Steve Clarke, Marcel Desailly, Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink, David Webb, Dennis Wise and Ray Wilkins.
John Terry is the President with shares starting at £100 plus admin fee with premiums for framed and player signed shares which get you a certificate. Shareholders can be of any age and shares can be bought on behalf of others from this site.
1/2 In response to the many comments posted in recent days, we wholly support statements from @ChelseaSTrust particularly that we have no legal role or direct say on the decision as to who the Club will be sold to – which is a commercial matter for Chelsea FC
— Chelsea Pitch Owners (@pitchowners) March 23, 2022
The CPO also owns the Chelsea Football Club Ltd name, which is licenced back to the club on the condition that the first team plays its home games at Stamford Bridge. This means that if Chelsea moves to a new stadium in the future, they will need consent from 75 percent of CPO shareholders to use the name Chelsea Football Club.
The corporation is a non-profit organisation with no stock exchange listing. Its goal is to acquire the funds necessary to pay off the loan and then lease the freehold back to the club under the stringent condition that the ground be used only for football. Fans are urged to invest in the club’s future by purchasing shares. Around 15,000 CPO shares were sold in 2011, and the debt was paid off to the tune of £1.5 million. John Terry, a former club captain, is the current President of the CPO.
Club Proposal
Chelsea Football Club announced in May 2012 that they had submitted a bid to buy the Battersea Power Station property, with the option of relocation to a 60,000-seater stadium. Chairman Bruce Buck acknowledged that there were a number of obstacles to overcome, including gaining support from fans, CPO shareholders, and local Wandsworth residents, as well as obtaining Wandsworth Council, the Greater London Authority, and heritage authorities’ approval.