Numerous stunning football stadiums around the world have captured the imagination of fans and players alike with their grandeur and history. However, there are also many ambitious stadium projects that never came to fruition, leaving fans to wonder what could have been. From Chelsea to Liverpool, these clubs had plans for remarkable stadiums that never materialised.
Chelsea Football Club has long been considering expanding their Stamford Bridge stadium, with plans dating back to 2012 when Roman Abramovich sought to purchase the Battersea Power Station for a new stadium. Despite the enticing sketches featuring the building’s iconic chimneys, the bid was unsuccessful. Subsequent designs by Swiss firm Herzog and de Meuron have surfaced, but the club’s stadium plans remain uncertain, with talk of potentially relocating to Earls Court.
Liverpool FC, eager to compete with larger stadiums, proposed a new 60,000-seater stadium in Stanley Park in 2007. However, the plans faced opposition from the Liverpool City Council, leading to their abandonment. Despite this setback, Liverpool managed to expand Anfield to over 60,000 seats through the Anfield Road stand expansion last season.
Similarly, Everton FC also had plans for a new 50,000-seater stadium at Kings Dock, a project that was rejected by the government. The club’s relocation plans finally found success with the approval of the Bramley-Moore Dock proposal in 2020. The current season marks Everton’s last at Goodison Park before moving to their new 52,888-seater stadium.
Bristol City had ambitions to build a 42,000-seater stadium in Ashton Vale in 2007, but plans were derailed when local residents successfully applied for the area to be registered as a town green. The club eventually decided to renovate Ashton Gate instead, increasing capacity from 16,600 to 27,000 in 2016.
Portsmouth FC envisioned a spectacular new 36,000-seat stadium at Portsea in 2007, designed by Herzog and de Meuron. However, financial challenges and the 2008 global financial crisis led to the project’s cancellation, forcing the club to remain at Fratton Park.
In Spain, Barcelona considered relocating Camp Nou offshore to a proposed mega-stadium connected by a bridge, with a capacity of 150,000. Ultimately, the club decided to proceed with the current renovation project to increase Camp Nou’s capacity to 105,000 by June 2026.
Dinamo Zagreb also toyed with ambitious designs, including a volcano-shaped stadium nicknamed the ‘Blue Volcano’ with a capacity of 55,000. However, this eco-friendly stadium concept remained a digital rendering, never becoming a reality.
While these stunning stadium projects may have remained dreams, they serve as a reminder of the ambition and innovation in football stadium design. Fans can only imagine the atmosphere and excitement these grand stadiums would have brought to the beautiful game.