Cobham Training Centre

The Cobham Training Centre is the purpose-built training ground of Chelsea Football Club. It stands on a 140-acre site in the village of Stoke d’Abernon near Cobham in Surrey. Chelsea’s first team has trained here since 2005, and the complex was officially opened in 2007. The move came after Roman Abramovich bought the club and decided the existing facilities were no longer good enough. Jose Mourinho, then manager, called the new ground a significant step forward for the club’s ambitions. The complex was designed to house all of Chelsea’s football activities under one roof. The centre is equipped with the latest training and medical technology. There are nine outdoor pitches, including three with undersoil heating and six meeting Premier League standards. An indoor artificial pitch, a media centre, gyms, cold immersion pools, a sauna, a steam room and a 56 ft hydrotherapy pool are also on site. About a third of the buildings sit below ground level, with a moat bringing in natural light and reducing energy use. The main building has a turf roof to blend with the landscape and improve air quality. Cobham has been used for more than just Chelsea’s training sessions. It hosted the Surrey Positive Mental Awareness League for players with mental health challenges. The Cobham Cup, a youth tournament featuring teams like River Plate and Bayern Munich, is held here each year. In 2007, the Chinese Olympic football team trained at Cobham for two weeks before the Beijing Games. Old Malvernians and Cobham Rugby Football Club also use the facilities for their home matches.