Craven Cottage

The ground has only three sides in use at the moment as a new stand is being constructed on the Riverside part of the ground (see below). On the other side of the ground is the classic looking Johnny Haynes Stand, which is named after the former Fulham great. Originally opened in 1905 it is the oldest remaining stand in the Football League and is protected by having a Grade 2 listing status. It was originally designed by Archibald Leitch (who designed a number of football grounds and stands in the early part of the 20th century) and has some of the common trademarks of his works, such as an impressive looking outer red-brick facade, which stretches along Stevenage Road. Considering its age, it can be forgiven for having a number of supporting pillars and old wooden seating in its upper tier. It does though have a fine classic looking gable on its roof; labelled Fulham Football Club.

Both ends which were previously terraced have now been replaced by two new large all seated, covered stands, that look fairly similar in design. They both though have some supporting pillars which is disappointing. The Hammersmith End has one large pillar towards the front and middle of the stand, whilst opposite the Putney End has a row of pillars running across the stand, about a third of the way down it. Attached to these stands in three corners of the ground are some three-storey structures that are used to house corporate executive boxes. An unusual feature is that the teams enter the field from one corner of the ground, by the Cottage and then make their way up onto the pitch as it is raised. Overlooking the ground from one corner, between the Johnny Haynes Stand and Putney End, is the unique Pavilion building, which many fans refer to as ‘the Cottage’ (although this is technically incorrect as the original cottage after which the ground is named, was demolished many years ago). This looks somewhat misplaced being more reminiscent of a small cricket pavilion, rather than something found at a football ground, but it does add to the overall character. The only disappointment is that the fabulous old floodlights that the ground previously had, have been removed and replaced by a nondescript modern set. There are video screens located above both ends. Outside the stadium alongside Stevenage Road is the Johnny Haynes Statue.

Works have begun for the building of the new Riverside Stand at Craven Cottage. This will involve the complete demolition of the existing stand which was opened in 1972 as the Eric Miller Stand. The new stand will be quite sizeable, having a capacity of just under 9,000. It will have a large higher tier and a smaller lower tier. The development will also include restaurants, meeting facilities, bars, nine flats and a new riverside walkway behind it. It is anticipated that the works will take two years. Once completed it will raise the capacity of Craven Cottage to 29,600. However whilst works take place, the capacity will be restricted to 19,000 for at least a season, with a view to the lower tier of the new stand being made available during the 2020/21 season and it then being fully open for the start of the 2021/22 season. The Buckingham Group have been appointed as the contractors to construct the new stand.

An Artists Impression Of How The New Stand Will Look

And From The Thames River

The above images are supplied courtesy of the Fulham FC website.

Away fans are housed to one side of the Putney End Stand on the riverside of the ground. Due to the building of the new Riverside Stand, the number of seats available to away fans has been reduced to 1,600 seats. There are a couple of supporting pillars that could impede your view, but this only applies to certain seats in Row DD and above. Some of these are classed as a ‘restricted view’ seats and are discounted by £2 off the ticket price. The legroom is ample and as the rows of the stand seem to have been constructed from metal and plywood, rather than concrete, fans can’t resist making some noise, by stamping up and down on it.

Also due to the building of the new stand the ‘neutral supporters’ area on the other side of the Putney End has been suspended to house Fulham fans. In the past away fans have purchased seats in this neutral area (without any major problems I may add), but again this unavailability will mean more difficulty for visiting fans wanting to get tickets.

One other item of interest is that Fulham is the only Club that I know of that has a designated area of the ground reserved for ‘neutral supporters’. This is located on one side of the Putney End, adjacent to the away fans section. I guess that the original idea was to attract tourists to London to a game. However, for each game, there seems to be a good mix, of home, away and neutral fans in this area. Both away fans and neutral supporters use the same entrance and both can access the same facilities at the back of the stand. However, the reduced stadium capacity at the moment, also means that there will be less availability for visiting fans to buy tickets in this area. However, the Club are not really ‘geared up’ for both home and away fans sharing this end, with both sets of supporters using the same entrance to the ground and both accessing the same facilities at the back of the stand.

Food and drink are served from a number of outlets and stalls situated behind the stands. These areas although mostly covered are not enclosed, which is great in the Summer but can be rather cold in Winter. However, if you go to the outlets around to the left of the stand then you can enjoy some nice views of the Thames, whilst having your beer. Food inside includes a range of pies but at £4.50 a piece they are the most expensive in the League. Generally, there seems to be enough food and drink outlets available so that the queues were never too long (those located on the Thames side, hardly even had a queue at half time even though on my last visit the away section was sold out). The main kiosks also take card payments which is handy. Around the concourses are flat screen televisions showing the game being played inside. Food on offer includes a range of Pies (£4.50), Cheeseburgers (£5) and “Moms BadBoy Hot Dogs” (£5).

I have been previously to Craven Cottage on a number of occasions and on a nice summer day, this is one of my favourite grounds. From the walk from the tube station through a park, to having a pint overlooking the River Thames, this can be quite an enjoyable experience and I have never had any problems there. The walk down Stevenage Road to the away entrance gives you chance to admire the quaint red brick facade of the Johnny Haynes Stand, whilst inside you can enjoy modern facilities, and apart from the game, you can still catch glimpses of rowers making their way along the Thames.

I have to say the recent re-developments have made a great ground even better and there is now a superb blend of the new and the old, giving the ground great individuality and character. My only grumble has been sometimes the rather large police presence outside the ground (including mounted police and dog handlers), before and after the games that I have attended. One would have thought they were expecting a riot. On one of my visits, the Birmingham Fans were chanting to the Fulham fans, “you only sing when you’re rowing!”

Card Payments

Can anyone confirm whether you are able to pay for food and drink inside the ground in the away section by card? Please email contact@footballgroundguide.com.

Near to the tube station is the ‘Eight Bells’ which is popular with away fans. James Merrick a visiting Ipswich Town fan adds; ‘We arrived at the Eight Bells at 1pm, to find it was already full but was advised to head for the “The Temperance” which is only a few minutes walk away. From the Eight Bells walk up to the main road and turn right. The Temperance is across the road (Fulham High Street) on the corner. They have a round bar in the centre of their main room, there is ample seating and the football was being screened on a large projector with other tvs placed around the room. Prices were reasonable and the service excellent. There was also plenty of food on offer (burgers, hot dogs and chips etc..) again for reasonable prices. There was a mix of home and away fans in there, but there were no problems whatsoever, in fact we spent a bit of time talking to some very nice Fulham fans about the game and their season as a whole’. Opposite the Temperance on the same road is the King’s Arms, which is also popular with visiting supporters. It also shows televised sport. Further along the High Street is the King’s Head which also admits visiting fans.

David Frear recommends; ‘The Crabtree on Rainville Road (10 minutes walk from the ground) welcomes all away supporters and as a Fulham season ticket holder I can tell you that as long as you don’t watch your football at Loftus Road you can be assured of a warm welcome’. To find this pub go along Stevenage Road away from the Cottage and the away end. On reaching the home end of the ground, turn left along an alley which runs behind the stand. When you reach the River Thames turn right and walk along the riverside path. You will reach the Crabtree on your right. Alan Holmes a visiting Norwich City fan adds; ‘The Eight Bells (before the game) had a wonderful atmosphere (home fans enjoying it as well) and there was even a backboard proclaiming “Run by football fans for football fans” and headed “Welcome to all Canaries fans!” The Crabtree (afterwards) was well worth the swim against the tide and when the weather is pleasant, the spacious beer garden is an added bonus. This pub is also just under 20 minutes walk from Hammersmith tube station. There was an excellent range of real ales in both pubs’.

If you are a fan of Wetherspoons pubs, then on the opposite side of the Thames to the ground is the Rocket Wetherspoons pub. From the Putney Bridge tube station go on up to the main road, then cross the Thames via Putney Bridge. Over on your left you will see a semi-circular tower located on the riverfront. The Rocket is located at the bottom of this tower. Once over the bridge look for the path on the left taking you down to the river bank and walk along from there. If arriving at Putney overground railway station then there is a Wetherspoons virtually opposite the station entrance called the Railway. Steven Yardley a visiting Birmingham City fans adds; ‘The Rocket is a large Wetherspoons pub which I went into for a couple of pints, before the match. There was a good mix of supporters inside all getting on fine. I found the Fulham supporters very friendly.’ Just along the riverbank from the Wetherspoons is the Boathouse, a Youngs pub which is also frequented by visiting supporters.

Otherwise alcohol is available inside the ground in the form of; Carlsberg (Pint £5), Cider (Pint £5), Riverside Brew Bitter (Can £5), Guinness (Can £5) and Wine (Bottle 187ml £5.30). They also offer a Beer and Pie for £8.70, or Beer and a Cheeseburger or Hot Dog (£9.60).

Fulham have had more home grounds than most teams in the Football League. They originally played at the Mud Pond on Star Road; they stayed here for the first four years of the club’s history. The Cottagers bounced around a few places after that including playing at different parks and parkland, which have since been developed. Some of those places include the Barn Elms playing fields, Ranelagh House and Captain James Field, near Halford Road.

In 1894, Fulham purchased Craven Cottage, which was initially built as a cottage – hence the name. It took two years to reconstruct and rebuild it into a stadium. The Fulham stadium was finally complete and they had somewhere they could call home. Fast forward to 2021 and Craven Cottage has been Fulham’s ground for over a century; although they haven’t played there for all 125 years. Between 2002 and 2004, Fulham had to share Loftus Road with local rivals QPR whilst Craven Cottage was under renovation.

From the North M1
At the end of the M1, turn right (west) onto the A406 (North Circular) and follow it towards Harrow for nearly 4.5 miles. Turn left (east) onto the A40 heading into London (passing close to Loftus Road and after a little over 4 miles turn right (west) onto the A402 for just about 350 yards. Here you turn left (south) along the A219 for a little over half a mile. This brings you into Hammersmith where you turn right onto the A315 and then after just 130 yards or so turn left (south) back onto the A219. Follow this road for a little over a mile, and the ground down the side streets off to your right.

From The North M40 & West M25
Leave the M25 at Junction 15 and take the M4, which then becomes the A4, towards Central London. After around two miles branch off left into Hammersmith Broadway (before the flyover). Go around the ring road around central Hammersmith, keeping to the right. Then take the A219 Fulham Palace Road. Keep straight on this road, passing Charing Cross Hospital on your left. After about another half a mile, take one of the right hand turns for the ground. If you pass the Fulham Palace Garden Centre on your right, then you have gone too far.

From the South M25 Leave the M25 at Junction 10 and take the A3 towards Central London. After around eight miles, leave the A3 at the turn off for the A219. Take the A219 towards Putney. Continue straight on this road, down Putney High Street and across Putney Bridge. You will see the ground on your left.

Car Parking

Parking close to the ground can be quite difficult as Jim Huegett informs me; ‘please note that parking on the streets near to the ground is restricted to one hour ‘pay & display’ on matchdays. This isn’t obvious from the parking meters and signage and the wardens are out in force on match day’. To compound matters these restrictions are also in place for Bank Holidays, Sundays and evenings up to 9.30pm, so it will be a case of finding some parking further away from the stadium.

Thanks to Robert Donaldson, a visiting Stockport County fan, for providing the directions.

Post Code for SAT NAV: SW6 6HH

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The nearest London Underground station is Putney Bridge, which is on the District Line. The ground is about a fifteen minute walk. Turn left out of the station and then immediately turn right into a street called Ranelagh Gardens. As the road bends around to the right you will see the Eight Bells pub on your right. Turn left after the pub to take you up to the main road by Putney Bridge. Cross over to the other side of the main road and proceed up to the bridge and then on reaching the bridge turn right to enter into Bishops Park alongside the Thames. Just proceed through the park (keeping the Thames on your left) and you will reach the ground ahead.

An alternative route by tube, is to get the Piccadilly Line to Hammersmith from Central London or Heathrow. It is then around a 20 minute walk to the ground, going straight down Fulham Palace Road (passing Charing Cross Hospital). Further on you can then turn right into Crabtree Lane (for the pub of the same name) or carry on and turn right into Harbord Street for Craven Cottage.

Tony Baker adds; ‘Those wishing to avoid the Tube can use the Putney National Rail station, which can be reached from Waterloo and Clapham Junction. Its about a 15 or 20 minute walk to the ground. Turn right upon leaving the station, and keep going straight, down Putney High Street and over Putney Bridge. You will meet the crowds from the Tube station here. Follow them along the river bank through Bishops Park and to the ground’.

For travelling across London by public transport I recommend planning your journey ahead with the use of the Travel For London Plan your journey website.

Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Find train times, prices and book tickets with Trainline. Visit the website below to see how much you can save on the price of your tickets:

Adults £30
Over 65’s/Under 22’s £25
Under 18’s £15

A £2 discount is offered off these prices for seats classed as ‘restricted view.’

Official Programme: £3.50
One F In Fulham Fanzine: £2.

Fulham vs Chelsea rivalry: Fulham and Chelsea’s grounds are separated by just 1.4 miles, which is where the roots of this rivalry were born. Fulham consider Chelsea their biggest rivals, which means the fact they’ve regularly been in a lesser division hurts deeply. Chelsea’s recent successes under Roman Abramovic will have stuck in the craw even more for the Cottagers.

Fulham vs QPR rivalry: Fulham fans may think of QPR as their second biggest derby game but for QPR it is Fulham who are their major rivals. The derby match pre-dates that of Fulham Chelsea and is actually one of the oldest grudge matches in London.

Fulham vs Brentford rivalry: As West London derbies go, Fulham vs Brentford is one that has come and gone over the years. Rewind to the 1920’s and the two were at loggerheads. Things settled for a few years as the teams went in different directions before a short rebirth in fifties. Thirty years later meetings at Craven Cottage were spiced up again as the teams were in the same league for a long time with the latest grudge match coming in the 2020 EFL Championship Playoff final; Fulham delivered a knockout blow to Brentford in extra time to advance to the Premier League.

Fulham FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website).

For details of disabled facilities and club contact at the ground please visit the relevant page on the  Level Playing Field website.

The Club offer tours of Craven Cottage on most Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and the occasional Sunday. The cost of the tours are; Adults £15, Under 13’s £12 and Under 5’s are Free. There is also a Family Ticket available (2 Adults + 2 Children) for £35. See the Fulham website for tour dates and to book online.

Record Attendance

49,335 v Millwall, Division Two, October 8th, 1938.

Modern All Seated Attendance Record:
25,700 v Arsenal ~
Premier League, September 26th, 2009.

Average Attendance

2019-2020: 18,204 (Championship League)
2018-2019: 24,371 (Premier League)
2017-2018: 19,896 (Championship League)

Official Web Site: www.fulhamfc.com
Unofficial Web Sites:
FulhamWeb 
Fulham Supporters Club 
Independent Message Board
The Green Pole
Friends of Fulham Forum

If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me at: contact@footballgroundguide.com and I’ll update the guide.