The Rugby Football Union said that Chelsea "held talks over moving to Twickenham for a season if Stamford Bridge is redeveloped," according to Ben Rumsby of the London TELEGRAPH. The Premier League leader made an "inquiry" about its prospects of playing at the home of rugby while increasing the capacity of its own stadium from 41,623 to up to 60,000. The RFU said, "While we don’t comment on any specific confidential conversations, each request is taken on its merit, assessing a variety of factors, such as the effect on the pitch, availability, transport and local considerations and other important implications." Chelsea announced in June that it "had begun a consultation with local stakeholders as a first step towards exploring the feasibility of expanding Stamford Bridge" (TELEGRAPH, 9/28). In London, Stephen Jones wrote football "has never been played at Twickenham, which has a capacity of 82,000, but the stadium has allowed rugby league on its hallowed turf and hosted rock concerts." If Chelsea was to play at Twickenham for a season, it could not be before '16-17 "as the southwest London stadium hosts the Rugby World Cup next season" (LONDON TIMES, 9/28). The LONDON TIMES also reported Twickenham "has previously refused football teams permission to move in for a short period." In '01, when Fulham was seeking a temporary home, then RFU CEO Francis Baron said it was "not interested." There "are thought to be other stadiums under consideration" including Wembley (LONDON TIMES, 9/28). REUTERS' Tom Hayward wrote a Chelsea spokesperson said that "any talks were still at an embryonic stage." The spokesperson said, "We're investigating different scenarios as part of the consultation process we started earlier this year, but have had no discussions of substance so far" (REUTERS, 9/28).
