
Stamford Bridge is certainly a stadium with a few stories to tell. Since its doors opened in 1877, it has hosted athletics, greyhound racing, speedway, boxing, cricket, baseball, American football and, of course, football.

Chelsea moved there in 1905 and it's been their home ever since, through all manner of triumphs and moments of despair.

From the sweeping terraces of yesteryear, populated by working-class men in flat caps, to the modern all-seater stadium we know today, we take a look back at Stamford Bridge's history in pictures.

An utterly bizarre spectacle unfolds on the Stamford Bridge pitch during a Funny Games Competition in 1911. The men have been blind-folded and have a bit in their mouth like a horse to pull along the women

The summer of 1912 sees a gymnastics demonstration given by students at the Polytechnic Harriers meeting on the pitch

This image from September 1913 captures the crowd at Stamford Bridge for a league match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. As you can see, there's very little room to move and absolutely everyone is wearing a cap

This variety artist was given the duty of informing the Stamford Bridge crowd that the friendly match between a team of variety artists and a team of jockeys in December 1914 had been postponed. Looking at the muddy pitch, you can see why

The broad sweep of the Stamford Bridge terraces during the early years is captured in this photograph from 1919. Following the end of the First World War, the public flocked back to watch football in enormous numbers, as can be seen here

Stamford Bridge was considered such a prestigious venue, it held three FA Cup finals between 1920 and 1922, immediately before the opening of Wembley Stadium. This picture shows the scene at the 1921 final between Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The huge crowd of 72,805 saw Tottenham's Jimmy Dimmock score the only goal.

And here, Tottenham receive the Cup from King George V after their win over Wolves at Stamford Bridge

Plenty of different sports have been staged at Stamford Bridge down the years, including greyhound racing, American football, baseball, cricket and speedway. On this day in 1930, however, it was the British Games athletics taking place

The Spanish national team pose for a photograph in the Stamford Bridge goalmouth during their visit to London in 1931. It wasn't a particularly auspicious trip, as England thrashed them 7-1 in an international staged across town at Highbury

The international match between England and Austria in December 1932 seemed to capture the public's imagination. And the 42,000 lucky enough to be there witnessed a thrilling game, with England winning 4-3

Training methods have certainly come a long way from this January 1935 shot, which sees the Chelsea players doing the steeplechase around the Stamford Bridge pitch perimeter on what appears to be a rather murky day

It is August 1, 1935 and the Chelsea players report for training at Stamford Bridge. Their first task is to erect the goal posts. Somehow, you can't imagine today's pampered professionals doing the same!

A young spectator is passed down to the front of the crowd for a better vantage point at this October 1937 fixture between Chelsea and Arsenal in the First Division. A crowd of 76,000 attended and saw a 2-2 draw

Chelsea manager Willy Birrell (centre), newly appointed, talks with his trainer Arthur Stollery (right) and assistant trainer Norman Smith on the pitch. In the background, construction work on the North Stand is well underway. The two-tier stand was originally meant to span the entire length of the pitch, but the outbreak of war stopped progress (see below)

In 1945, with Britain emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, the Russian side Dynamo Moscow arrived for a four-match tour. They drew a crowd of 74,496 to Stamford Bridge officially, but contemporaries put the figure much higher, such was the thirst for a return to regular football following the conflict. The game ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw

The boxer Jack Hobbs makes novel use of the Stamford Bridge barriers during a work-out in 1953. Hobbs, who hailed from down the road in Shepherd's Bush, fought 18 bouts, winning 15 of them

The American evangelist Billy Graham finds a captive audience as he addresses the crowd during half-time as Chelsea play Newcastle United in April 1954. It was Chelsea who needed divine intervention that day, as they were beaten 2-1

Chelsea won their first league title in 1954-55 and the trophy is shown off to their fans in this photograph

In addition to Chelsea's football matches, Stamford Bridge also played host to greyhound racing between 1933 and 1968. The track, around the outside of the pitch, was 434 yards in length. The posters tell us meets were held on Thursday and Saturday

It's 1960 and, as a large crowd watches on, Newcastle United goalkeeper Bryan Harvey dives on the ball to thwart the Chelsea inside forward Johnny Brooks. It wasn't the best afternoon for Harvey, whose side were beaten 4-2 in front of 30,489

Jimmy Greaves poses with his Jaguar Mark 2 car outside Stamford Bridge in 1965. England international striker Greaves was a Tottenham player at this time, but he started his career by coming through the ranks at Chelsea, playing 169 times for them

December 1970 and Chelsea fan Jackie Butterworth is lucky enough to receive her match ticket from club captain Ron Harris. The club had just bought an automatic ticket machine to make life easier for the staff

The modern East Stand as shown shortly after its construction in the mid-1970s. The three-tier cantilever stand was state-of-the-art at the time and intended as the first part of an extensive redevelopment of the stadium. It opened for the 1974-75 season but financial difficulties meant the remainder of the masterplan went uncompleted for a few more years

Blues fans run on to the pitch to celebrate their promotion to the First Division in 1977 following a 4-0 win over Hull City. Chelsea fluctuated between the first and second tiers during the 1970s and 1980s

The North Terrace at Stamford Bridge as seen in 1978. It is now the Matthew Harding Stand. Note the fences at the front to prevent hooligans invading the pitch and the letters on the scoreboard at the back. Other matches taking place on that day would be listed in the match programme next to a letter and the half-time scores displayed on the board

Chelsea's ground staff with their mower in 1979. They are (left to right) Arthur Meadows, George Anstiss and John Anstiss

Chelsea stadium manager Andy Dunlop sits in his no-frills office in September 1979

Chelsea mascot Stamford the Lion enjoys a pre-match kickabout with a young mascot ahead of their game with Birmingham City in September 1979. Stamford remains a popular part of the match entertainment today

The players return to the field for the second half of a midweek reserve fixture held at Stamford Bridge in 1979. Reserve games were played at the venue for many years, but Chelsea's second string now play at Aldershot's Recreation Ground

Chelsea assistant manager Bobby Gould is pictured in the home dugout during a Second Division fixture with Oldham Athletic in May 1980. Despite a 3-0 win that day, Chelsea missed out on promotion on goal difference

The disappointment of narrowly missing out on a return to the First Division didn't stop the fans invading the pitch at the end. Chelsea would finish fourth, level on points with promoted Birmingham City but six goals worse off

The Stamford Bridge pitch is used for a floodlit cricket match between Essex and the West Indies in August 1980. The stand appears to be full, though the three men on the boundary suggests it is a rather short distance to the rope

Fans assemble at Stamford Bridge for the Second Division match with Wrexham in August 1980. Note the £2 admission!

The scoreboard reads 'Every picture tells a story', drawing attention to the fact Chelsea are thrashing Newcastle United 6-0 in this October 1980 Second Division fixture

A cold snap in the winter of 1981-82 leaves the Stamford Bridge pitch buried in snow. The sign may demand people to stay off but the temptation to have a kickaround in the snow must have been overwhelming

Every possible vantage point was taken when Chelsea took on Liverpool in the fifth round of the FA Cup in February 1982, including the roof of this nearby block of flats. It was a good day for the Blues, who won 2-0

You're nicked! A policeman quite literally collars a supporter as trouble flares during the Chelsea vs Liverpool FA Cup tie in 1982. Chelsea had a notorious hooligan element at that time, with crowd disorder common at Stamford Bridge

Ken Bates purchased debt-ridden Chelsea for £1 in 1982 and would oversee their return to the top level of English football and the complete redevelopment of the ground. By the time Chelsea was bought by Roman Abramovich in 2003, Stamford Bridge was completely unrecognisable from the scene behind him here

Ian Botham bats for Somerset during a Lambert & Butler cricket competition at the Bridge in 1982. Beefy was at the height of his fame, having inspired England's incredible Ashes win over Australia the previous year

A peek inside the dressing room after Chelsea finally secured their return to the First Division in 1984. The Blues finished level on points with Sheffield Wednesday but won the league on goal difference

A panorama of Stamford Bridge taken in the mid-1980s when the ground was a mixture of large grandstands and terraces

An aerial photograph shows the oval shape of Stamford Bridge in 1984. There are terraces at either end, with the travelling Sunderland fans housed on the near side, the modern East Stand and the covered West Stand on the right. Chelsea won 1-0

The fashions of the time are visible as this group of Chelsea fans watch the First Division match with Manchester United in October 1985. Note the high fences and barbed wire to keep supporters off the pitch. United won the game 2-1

By the late 1980s, Stamford Bridge had fallen into a state of ruin, with some of the terraces overgrown. The venue was partly owned by a property developer called Marler Estates, leading to a long and acrimonious legal dispute. Eventually, after Marler went bankrupt in the early 1990s, Ken Bates was able to return the freehold of the ground to the club

The coming of the Premier League era brought exciting new possibilities for Chelsea and this model for the proposed redevelopment of Stamford Bridge is from June 1993. The stadium in the model is broadly how the ground looks today

The Stamford Bridge pitch being relaid in 1997, as part of ground development works

A view of the unfinished West Stand taken in September 1998. The ground was a construction site for a lot of the 1990s, but a shiny and modern stadium would eventually emerge

Frank Lampard runs out of the Stamford Bridge tunnel ahead of their Premiership game against Leeds United in 2003

A smiling Jose Mourinho is unveiled as Chelsea's new manager in 2004. The modern West Stand provides the backdrop. On this day, Mourinho, brought in from Porto, proclaimed himself 'The Special One' and that would prove to be the case as he led Chelsea to back-to-back Premier League titles during his first spell

The exterior of the Stamford Bridge West Stand pictured in 2005 as the crowds flock to the game

Didier Drogba and Mikael Forsell hitch a ride with the Chelsea groundsman during their title celebrations in May 2005

The exterior of the stadium is devoted to Chelsea legends past and present, with pictures and information displays on the 'Shed Wall' to appeal to visitors on match days and those tourists and fans who make the pilgrimage to the ground

Bringing us right up to date with this photograph of Stamford Bridge this season. The stadium has certainly evolved over time into a top-class place to watch football and the modern day capacity stands at 41,490

The future: An artist's impression of how Stamford Bridge will look when it is fully redeveloped in time for the 2021-22 season. Owner Roman Abramovich has worked closely on the awe-inspiring design, which is inspired by Westminster Abbey. When finished, the capacity will be raised to around 60,000