A whole new ball game at Stamford Bridge?

One of Europe’s most famous sporting venues could be swapping footballs for wrecking balls if a planning application for a new stadium on the site is successful.

Current English champions Chelsea FC submitted the application to rebuild Stamford Bridge – its home since 1905 – to London’s Hammersmith and Fulham Council. A consultation on the proposals will run until 8 January.

If the project goes ahead, it will involve demolishing the stadium and a number of nearby buildings before work on the new ground can begin.

The club is looking to build a 60,000 seat stadium.

This would increase the capacity by almost half from the maximum 41,600 the ground holds at present.

It would continue a trend in London football stadia that started with Arsenal’s move to the newly built Emirates Stadium in 2006 and continued with the opening of the new Wembley a year later.

West Ham United are set to move into London’s Olympic Stadium next summer, while Tottenham Hotspur has announced plans for a new stadium.