CHELSEA Women will play their domestic home cup games and European league-phase matches at AFC Wimbledon’s Plough Lane starting next season as part of a multi-year agreement.
The Blues will play their Women’s Super League and Champions League knockout games, should they progress, at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea Women have a long-standing association with the Dons, previously at Kingsmeadow before the League One side moved to their current purpose-built, 9,000-capacity ground.
“I would like to thank everyone associated with Chelsea Women FC for selecting our home, the Cherry Red Records Stadium, as a fitting stage for their cup matches. We look forward to providing an outstanding experience for players, guests and supporters alike,” James Woodroof, Wimbledon managing director, said on the Dons’ website
“This agreement is significant for AFC Wimbledon, as we seek to further drive revenue and stadium usage to help us become more financially sustainable and competitive.
“In recent seasons, AFC Wimbledon Women’s team have played between four to seven matches at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, with the remainder at Tooting & Mitcham FC. We remain committed to ensuring our Women’s team also get the opportunity to play at Plough Lane whenever the schedule allows, and a share of proceeds from the Chelsea ground-hires will be directed towards our Women’s team.”
Nadia Shahrestani, business operations director at CFCW, said: “We are delighted that from next season we will be playing league phase cup fixtures at the fantastic Cherry Red Records Stadium. While Stamford Bridge is our home, we want to ensure that our alternative venue is inclusive, convenient, as well as being fully compliant with all competition regulations.
“We look forward to creating some special memories at the ground with our incredible fans and would like to thank AFC Wimbledon for all their support.”
