| Contents |
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What's Craven
Cottage Like?
Future Ground
Developments
Johnny Haynes
Stand External View (photo)
What Is It Like
For Visiting Supporters?
Hammersmith End
And Riverside Stand (photo)
Where To Drink?
Riverside Stand And Putney End (photo)
How To Get There
By Car & Where To Park
Johnny
Haynes Stand (photo)
By Train/Tube
Local Rivals
Admission Prices
Programme
& Fanzine
Ground Layout
Fixtures
2012-2013
Disabled
Facilities
Record &
Average Attendance
Stadium Tours
Fans Ground Reviews
Hotel
Accommodation
Craven Cottage
Location Map
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| What's
Craven Cottage Like? |
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On one side of the
ground is the Stevenage Road Stand which has recently been
renamed the Johnny Haynes Stand after the
former Fulham great. It previously had
terracing at the front, but this has now
been made all seated. The stand was
originally designed by Archibald Leitch
(who designed a number of football grounds
and stands in the early part of the 20th
century) and was opened in 1905.
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.
Opposite is the aptly named Riverside
Stand. which sits on the
banks of the River Thames. This all seated, covered stand was
opened in 1972. It was slightly
raised above pitch level,
but at the beginning of the 2007/08 season
additional rows of seating were installed
at the front of it, bringing it down to
the pitch side. It also has a row of
executive boxes running across the back of
it and also houses a television gantry. There are a couple of small
windshields to either side, plus it has a
couple of supporting pillars. 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.
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have now been replaced by two new large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. 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 is a small electric scoreboard
situated above the Putney End. Outside the
stadium alongside Stevenage Road is the Johnny Haynes Statue,
whilst Outside the Hammersmith End
overlooking the River Thames is a statue of
Michael Jackson, which was paid for by the
owner of the Club, Mohamed Al Fayed.
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Future
Ground Developments
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The Club have now received
planning permission to redevelop the
Riverside Stand. The new stand which
will incorporate a riverside walkway
behind it, will increase the
capacity of Craven Cottage to
30,000. Work is likely to start on
this after the end of the 2012/13
season. Further information about
the stand and an artists impressions
of how it might look, can be found
on the Craven
Cottage Redevelopment website.
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| Johnny
Haynes Stand - External View |
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| What
Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? |
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Away fans are
housed to one side of the Putney End Stand
on the river side of the ground. This
stand is shared with 'neutral' supporters,
with away fans being allocated around
3,000 seats, which is just under half of
the overall capacity of this stand. There
are a couple of supporting pillars that
could impede your view, but this only
applies to certain seats in Row DD and
above. The leg room is ample and as the
rows of 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.
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. Cans of Tetleys,
Guinness and plastic bottles of Carlsberg
(500ml) are available at £4.
The Club offer an interesting range of
pies by Vilis. Including amongst others
Lamb & Mint (£3), Vegetable (£3),
Cottage Pie (£3.50) and Sausage Rolls
(£2.50). You could also get a roll with a
Cumberland sausage filling (£3.50). On my
last visit I did try the Lamb & Mint
pie, but I have to admit that it was not
my 'cup of tea'. 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). Around the concourses are flat
screen televisions showing the game going
on inside.
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 away
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!"
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.
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| Hammersmith End
And Riverside Stand |
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| Where To
Drink? |
Near
to the tube station is the 'Eight Bells'
which is popular with away fans. Along
Fulham High Street there are a number of
pubs to be found. If anyone has any
particular recommendations then please
e-mail me at: duncan@footballgrounds.net.
David Frear recommends;
'The Crabtree on Rainville Road (10 minutes
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'.
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Riverside Stand
And Putney End
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| How
To Get There By Car & Where To Park |
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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 turn right into
Crabtree Lane for the ground.
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.
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.
Map
showing the location of Craven Cottage,
Fulham (at the bottom of this page).
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Johnny
Haynes (Stevenage Road) Stand
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| By Train/Tube |
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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.
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.
Remember if travelling by
train then you can save on the cost of
fares by booking in advance. Visit the thetrainline
website to see how much you can save.
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| Local Rivals |
| Chelsea, QPR and
Brentford.
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| Admission Prices |
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Fulham operate a three category system
of ticket pricing (A, B
& C) whereby the most popular
matches will cost more to watch than the
least popular ones.
Home Fans:
Riverside Stand:
Adults £45 (B £40) (C £35), Concessions
£30 (B £25) (C £20), Juniors £15 (B £10)
(C £5)
Johnny Haynes Stand (Centre):
Adults £47 (B £42) (C £35), Concessions
£33 (B £28) (C £22), Juniors £20 (B £15)
(C £10)
Johnny Haynes Stand (Wings): Adults £45 (B
£40) (C £30), Concessions £30 (B £25)
(C £20), Juniors £15 (B £10) (C £5)
Johnny Haynes Stand (Outer Wings): Adults
£35 (B £30) (C £25), Concessions £25
(B £20) (C £15), Juniors £15 (B £10) (C
£5)
Hammersmith & Putney Ends: Adults £40
(B £35) (C £30), Concessions £30 (B £25)
(C £20), Juniors £20 (B £15) (C £10)
Away Fans:
Putney End: Adults £40 (B £35) (C £30),
Concessions £30 (B £25) (C £20), Juniors
£20 (B £15) (C £10)
Concessions apply to Over 65's and Under
21's. Juniors are under 17's.
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| Programme &
Fanzine |
Official Programme: £3.50
One F In Fulham
Fanzine: £2.
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Ground
Layout
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| Fixtures
2012-2013 |
| Fulham
FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website).
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| Disabled
Facilities |
| For details of disabled
facilities and club contact at the ground
please visit the relevant page on the Level
Playing Field website.
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| Record
& Average Attendance |
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:
2009-2010: 23,909 (Premier League)
2008-2009: 24,344 (Premier League)
2008-2009: 23,774 (Premier League)
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| Tours Of Craven
Cottage Of C O |
The Club offer tours of Craven
Cottage on most Fridays, Saturdays and
Sundays. The Sunday tours are also combined
with taking Sunday lunch at the ground. The
cost of the normal tours are; Adults £8, Under
12's £5 and Under 5's are Free. There is also
a Family Ticket available (2 Adults + 2
Children) for £21. Sunday tours with lunch
cost Adults £38, Under 12's £19 and Under 5's
£9.95. See the Fulham
website for tour dates.
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| Fans
Reviews Of Craven
Cottage |
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| Hotel
Accommodation |
If you require hotel
accommodation in the area then first try a
hotel booking service provided by Late Rooms.
They offer all types of accommodation to suit
all tastes and pockets from; Budget Hotels,
Traditional Bed & Breakfast establishments
to Five Star Hotels and Serviced Apartments.
Plus their booking system is straightforward
and easy to use. Yes this site will earn a
small commission if you book through them, but
it will go to help with the running costs of
keeping the Guide going. The Hotels listing
also includes details of how far away the
accommodation is located from Craven Cottage.
Access
their London
Hotels and Guest Houses page
Remember that you can use the above link
or panel below to book any other hotels
that you may need for business or leisure,
either in the UK or abroad.
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| Map showing the location of
Craven Cottage, Train/Tube stations and
listed pubs |
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Instructions for
using the map:
- Use the bar on the left of the map to
zoom in / out using the + / - keys.
- Click and drag an area of the map to
move around or use the up/down, left/right
arrows
- Click the Satellite button to see aerial
view photograph.
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| Feedback |
| If anything is incorrect or you have
something to add, please e-mail me duncan@footballgrounds.net
and I'll update the guide.
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