Craven Cottage: Fulham
Craven Cottage actually has its roots in a real life cottage that stood on the site of Fulham’s home ground from 1780 until it burnt down in 1888. Rumoured occupants of the cottage over the years include Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Florence Nightingale and even Queen Victoria, though none of these rumours have ever been substantiated. The cottage was located on a patch of ground that has now become the centre circle, whilst the pitch area that surrounded it was actually a forrest that was part of a hunting ground used by Anne Boleyn.
Before settling at Craven Cottage Fulham were a team of footballing nomads, travelling from one ground to another without ever really laying down roots at any of them. They were looking for a permanent home, though, and club representatives realised they had somewhere with potential when they came across the land that would later become their home ground. The land was overgrown so badly, however, that it took two years to make is suitable for football to be played on it.
Stats
| Craven Cottage Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1896 |
| Capacity | 25700 |
| Average Attendance | 24301 |
| Record Attendance | 49335 (Fulham v Milwall Dockers (1938)) |
| Pitch Size | 100 x 65 (6500) |
| Nickname | The Cottage |
| Owner | Fulham F.C. |
| Clubs Hosted | Fulham F.C., Fulham L.F.C., Fulham Rugby League Club |
| First Fixture | Fulham v Minerva (10/10/1896) |
| Fulham Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1879 |
| Nickname | Cottagers, Whites, Black and White army |
| Club Mascot | Billy the Badger |
| Rivals | Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Gillingham |
| Previous Stadiums | Star Road, Eel Brook Common, Lillie Rec, Putney Lower Common, Ranelagh House, Barn Elms Playing Fields, Parsons Green, Half Moon, West Brompton, Loftus Road |
| Kit | White & Black w/ Red Detailing (Home) / Turquoise and Blue (Away) / Black w/ White Detailing (Third) |
| Training Ground | Fullham FC Training Ground |
| Shirt Sponsor | SBOTOP |
| Team Owner | Shahid Khan |
| Record Goalscorer | Gordon Davies (178) |
| Record Appearances | Johnny Haynes (658) |
Craven Cottage Photos
By Andrea 93 (FinePix S5800 S800) [Public domain]
Steve Daniels [CC BY-SA 2.0]
Alexander P Kapp [CC BY-SA 2.0]
By Nick (originally posted to Flickr as Fulham v Spurs) [CC BY 2.0]
By Nick from Bristol
Nigel Chadwick [CC BY-SA 2.0]
Craven Cottage Seating Plan and Where to Sit
Craven Cottage is built in the ‘English Style’ of having four distinct stands on each edge of the pitch. It is a stadium not without some charm, and here are the details of each section of the ground:
- The Johnny Hayes Stand – This is a Grade II listed building and is the oldest remaining part of the stadium. It has the original wooden seating from when it opened in 1905. It was named after the club’s famous forward in the aftermath of his death in 2005.
- The Putney End – This part of the ground is famous for it’s neutral seating section and normally houses the away fans.
- The Riverside Stand – This is considered by most to be the main stand of the ground as it contains the manager’s dug-outs. It’s also popular with Fulham fans because its concourse backs onto the river Thames. It enjoyed a significant redevelopment in time for the 2024/25 season.
- The Hammersmith End – This stand has a traditional ‘Kop’ style feel to it, owing to the fact that is a large single-tiered terrace and normally houses the more vocal home fans.
Fulham Ticket Prices
Fulham don’t make it all that easy to find out the price of their match day tickets, but we do know that they are expensive. In fact, in 2023 fans had to protest at the price rises, as tickets for Craven Cottage are some of the most expensive in the league.
Tickets for a Man Utd game that year cost between £67 and £160 for adults, although away fans have it better as they can’t be charged the same extortionate rates.
The last solid evidence we have found shows that Fulham categorise their games. So here are the cheapest and most expensive ticket prices for adults and concessions, depending on the category of the match:
- Category A: £35 – £50 / £30 – £35
- Category B: £30 – £35 / £25 – £30
- Category C: £25 – £35 / £25 – £30
One thing to be aware of is the fact that the ticket price will go up by £5 if you leave it until match day to buy them, while members get £5 off £2 for concessions).
How To Get Fulham Tickets
The club’s website is the place to start when you’re looking to buy your tickets, but you can also pick them up in person from the ticket office or by calling the ticket office directly. Just remember, it will cost you £5 more if you leave it until the day of the game.
Where to Buy
Getting To Craven Cottage
Fulham’s home ground is located in a pretty ideal location for London, so it’s reasonably easy to get to via all of the usual methods. Here’s a look at each:
Train – If you’re coming from outside of London then you’ll likely arrive at one of the main thoroughfares, such as Euston, Kings Cross-St. Pancras or Victoria. From there you’ll want to take the tube to Putney Bridge, which is about twenty minutes walk away. Alternatively Hammersmith station is around one and a half miles from the ground, the same distance as Fulham Broadway. Putney Bridge is also a Railway Station and is served by South West Trains.
Bus – London has an excellent transport system and if you’re wondering how to get around the place then you’d do well to download an app like Citymapper. There are loads of buses depending on where you’re coming from, with the 85 and C4 serving Kingston-upon-Thames, the 220 from Hammersmith or the numbers 74, 424 and 220 from Putney, to name but a few options.
Car – Driving to, in and around London is always tricky and your parking options are limited once you get there. If you’re determined to drive, however, you’ll be heading to the West of London and if you’re coming from the North, for example, then you’ll take the M6, the M40 and then the A4 before hitting the A219.
By Air – London is served by a whole host of airports, including London City Airport, Stansted and Gatwick. Figure out the best one for you and then take advantage of the numerous connections to Central London in order to begin your journey to Craven Cottage. The best airport for West London is provably Heathrow.
Taxi – There are loads of taxis in London, but they don’t come cheaply. A journey from Euston station to the ground will take around half an hour and cost about £40, more if you get stuck in the capital’s notoriously bad traffic.
Parking Near Craven Cottage
On-street parking is limited around match times, so you’ll want to avoid it if you’d also like to avoid a ticket. There is no parking at the stadium itself nor in the surrounding area, though you might be able to find some private ground used as a parking area or a public car park somewhere in the surrounding region. Fulham Broadway Car Park isn’t exactly close but it might actually be your best bet if you really can’t use public transport.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
Craven Cottage Hotels
London may lack friendliness, cheap housing and a sense of humour, but it doesn’t lack hotel options. Here are some of our favourites not far from the ground:
ibis London Earls Court - £80+
Holiday Inn Express London - Earl's Court - £105+
The Malt House - £110+
Pubs and Bars Near Craven Cottage
It’s said that in London you’re never more than six foot away from a rat or an actor. There’s also a strong possibility that you’ll be able to spin around and open your eyes facing a pub, so here’s a list of our favourites (pubs, not actors, or rats):
The Eight Bells
The Temperance
The Golden Lion
Facilities
Craven Cottage is an old stadium but it’s had some expensive updates, so it’s a nice place to spend a bit of time. It’s a friendly ground with a good sense of its own personality too. The concourses aren’t all enclosed, though, so it can get a bit nippy in the winter even if it’s great in the summer. There are the usual kiosks and stalls to buy drinks and food from.
Prices
- Programme: £4
- Pie: £4.5
- Cup of tea: £2
- Beer: £5.5
Hospitality
Since the stand that houses most of the hospitality options is currently being developed, the hospitality options are currently a bit of a mix of off-site and on site. However, since the offsite options have been re-located to Fulham Palace, you might not be too disappointed, and it is only minutes away from the stadium itself.
You can enjoy a three course a la carte dining experience hosted by Fulham legend Les Strong, with inclusive drinks and seating in The Putney End; or go for the Buffet option which is more of a laid back experience with perks like prosecco on arrival, and complimentary program, teamsheet, and half time drink.
Back in the stadium, you have the Chairman’s Lounge, which is the most exclusive package offering “exceptional culinary craft and service delivered by world-class professionals”, personal interactions with Fulham FC players, business leaders football icons, seats on the balcony, and more.
The Superbox is a shared box for 30 people with inclusive drinks, a hot & cold buffet before the game and hot pies after, great seats, refreshments, a match day programme and a visit from a first team player. The Thameside Superbox is very similar but comes with slightly upscaled surroundings.
The TV studio includes all of the above plus a dedicated host, and is where the TV pundits actually sit to watch the game.
Private Hire
Craven Cottage is an ideal place to host meetings and events right on the edge of the Thames. Whether you’re looking for somewhere in London to host a party, have a conference or hold an exhibition, Fulham’s events team have got you covered. The redevelopment of the Main Stand means that the stadium can now boast some of the most impressive spaces in South West London.
Stadium Tours & Museum
Tours of Craven Cottage take place on certain Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. They start at various different times so check the website for the latest info, and they can be arranged in a more bespoke manner if you’d like to contact the club. Walk ons are permitted, but only if there’s enough room on the tour so you’re best off booking in advance. The tour lasts for about an hour and a quarter and costs £25 for adults and £20 for juniors and concessions; under 5’s are free. You can also buy a family ticket for £80.
About Fulham
Fulham Football Club was founded in 1879. After the turn of the most recent millennium, the club spent thirteen consecutive seasons in the top-flight before they were relegated in 2014. That is more than half of the entire time that the club has been in the top-flight in total, which is 25 seasons. The first spell came in the 1960s and the second spell came during the 1990s, when Mohamed Al-Fayed was the owner and they climbed their way to the top-flight from the fourth division.
Despite the fact that they have never won a major trophy, Fulham have seen some top-class players come through their ranks. Players such as Bobby Robson, George Cohen and Rodney Marsh have all pulled on the famous white jersey. They did reach the FA Cup final in 1975 when they were beaten by London rivals West Ham, and they also lost in the final of the UEFA Europa League, formerly the UEFA Cup, when managed by former England boss Roy Hodgson in 2010.
Craven Cottage History
Yes Craven Cottage began life as a Royal hunting lodge and yes it’s also been Fulham’s home ground since 1896, but did you also know it used to have a Michael Jackson statue outside of it? Former owner Mohamed Al-Fayed was such a fan of the popstar that he erected one in his memory in 2011. This in spite of the fact that the King of Pop wasn’t a Fulham fan and didn’t even have any interest in football, but did go to a game at Craven Cottage once and said, “Fulham fans were like people at my concerts. I wanted to jump up and start dancing“.
The ground has also been used to host numerous international matches, such as Ireland versus Colombia and South Korea against Greece. In 2011 the stadium was used to host the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League between Lyon and Potsdam, whilst between 1980 and 1984 it was the home of Fulham Rugby League Club, a team that is now better known as the London Broncos. If you’re a fan of random facts then you might like to know that Craven Cottage has hosted the most Australia international matches outside of Australia itself.
Future Developments
Ever since Mohamed Al-Fayed sold Fulham and Shahid Khan took over there was hope that the new owner would redevelop parts of Craven Cottage. That hope became a reality with the development of the Riverside Stand. Work began in the summer of 2019, increasing capacity of the stand to 8,650 and also housing built-in amenities for fans and locals alike. The build was scheduled to take two years but in actuality did not open until the start of the 2024/25 season.
Fulham also added a new riverside walkways development including an event space and a pier that is open to the public, and is capable of accepting deliveries and passengers by boat.
No other developments are imminent.