Chelsea Football Club (CFC) has failed in its bid to purchase the freehold land on which its Stamford Bridge stadium is located from Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO).

Nearly 62 per cent of the votes cast at the CPO's general meeting on 27 October backed the plan, although a 75 per cent majority was required in order for the motion to be approved.

CPO was established in 1993 in order to secure the future of the west London ground, which had come under threat and left the Premier League club at risk of being made homeless.

In its offer to CPO, the club was seeking to purchase the freehold in return for "effectively" writing off a £10m loan made to CPO 14 years ago to assist in its purchase of the site.

CFC chair Bruce Buck said: "Obviously we are disappointed but we recognise and we respect totally that the shareholders of Chelsea Pitch Owners have spoken.

"We will meet with [owner] Mr Abramovich and the rest of the board and we will decide what action, if any, we will take going forward."