Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage is the home of Fulham FC. It currently holds a capacity of 25,700 seats.
The first match at the site of the current stadium was played in 1896, however it took a further 10 years for the first proper stand to be built: the current Johnny Haynes stand with its characteristic red-brick facade. The stadium reached its record attendance in 1938 during a game against Millwall when a total of 49,335 people visited the ground. A decade later Craven Cottage hosted a few games at the 1948 Olympic Games. In the following years the stadium was further improved, concluding with the construction of the Riverside stand in 1972.
As Fulham played in the lower divisions in the 80s and 90s no further improvements were made, however with its rise in the late 90s, and promotion to the premier league in 2001, the stadium was not able to meet Premier League requirements. After a one-season dispensation the club moved to Loftus Road, expecting to return to a brand-new stadium a year later. However, due to opposition to the stadium plans and spiralling costs, the plans for a new stadium had to be abandoned and instead the club chose to refurbish Craven Cottage. Works were completed in the summer of 2004, after which the club moved back to play its matches at the ground again.
The club currently has plans to increase the capacity of the stadium to a total of 30,000 seats. Even though Fulham has kept considering moving to a brand-new stadium in the last few years, possibly sharing a new ground with either Queens Park Rangers or Chelsea FC, the club seems to be more committed to gradually increasing and improving the current stadium at the moment.
Getting there
Craven Cottage is located in the west of London, approximately 5 miles from the houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. It is attractively situated in the Hammersmith and Fulham area, along the banks of the river Thames and next to Bishops Park.
It is best reached by London Underground, a 10-minute walk from Putney Bridge station on the District Line. Alternatively it is a 20-minute walk from Hammersmith station, which is served by trains on the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, and Piccadilly lines.
Craven Cottage can be reached by car from the A219, which crosses Fulham north to south (Fulham Palace Road). The stadium is located two blocks west from this road. However, due to parking restrictions, it is not advised to arrive by car on matchdays.
Address: Stevenage Road, London, SW6 6HH
Tickets
Tickets can be bought online, by phone +44 (0) 843 208 1234, or in person at the stadium’s ticket office. The ticket office is also open on the day of the match.
Ticket prices vary depending on the level of the opponent. Grade A matches cost between £45.00 and £60.00, grade B matches between £30.00 and £42.00, and grade C matches between £20.00 and £35.00. Some seats offer restricted view due to pillars obscuring the goal mouth. These tickets are priced accordingly, though often still available for sold-out matches.
Stadium tours
The club offers stadium tours that include the changing rooms, trophy lounge, dugouts, Cottage balcony, and the Johnny Haynes statue. The tours run on selected dates (currently Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays) at 11:15 am or 11:00 am. Check online for exact dates and hours.
Tours cost £10.50. Bookings can be made online. For more information call +44 (0) 843 208 1234 or email cottagetours@fulhamfc.com. Walk-ups are possible if there is availability, but it is advised to book the tour in advance.
Relevant Internet links:
Fulhamfc.com – Official website of Fulham FC.
Visitlondon.com – Official London city guide.
Tfl.gov.uk – Website of the London Underground and other London public transport.
Journeyplanner.org – Plan your journey around London (public transport).
Keep up to date with the latest stadium news by following @stadiumguide on Twitter (all updates) or liking our Facebook page (occasional updates). 
A genuine ground that transcends the old and modern era’s of English stadia. Modern stands at either end with the famous old Stevenage Road Stand – now rightly called the Johnny Haynes stand. This still has lots of pillars and wooden seats – you can smell the history in there. Next to that is the old Cottage in the corner. Home to the dressing rooms, with a quirky balcony – good for spotting visiting managers doing their scouting and non-playing players. The final stand is the Riverside stand which does as it says on the tin – i.e. backs right onto the River Thames
Not the noisiest stadium by a long way, Craven Cottage has a unique atmosphere, especially for evening games. The place is really, really friendly right from the fans through to the staff – even the ones who search you as you come in.
The really unique thing at this ground is that the Putney End houses supporters of both teams without segregation. Usually half of it is allocated to away fans, and the other half is described as “neutral” where supporters of both teams sit happily side by side proudly supporting their teams and wearing their colours. Usually mixed in amongst the people there are a large number of “football tourists” – people from all over the world adding to atmosphere. It being the easiest premier League ground in London to get tickets at. Hats off to Fulham for doing this – people are trusted to behave sensibly, and from what I’ve seen they respond to that opportunity. I’ve sat there several times and never seen and bother. Only complaint is the over-priced and average food inside the ground, and the hugely expensive tickets for Category A games (ie Man U, Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs and any other London PL team – ie QPR currently and West Ham last season).
It’s great place to watch football – the antedote to so many concrete soul-less, pre-fab stadia that now grace so much of the UK
The last ground I ever stood at, and it was a pleasure, the terrace didn’t seem level? The stands behind the goals were old and tatty but that what made my visit great. It still had its history, pretty sure it still had wooden seats as well? The cottage is unique and to me very strange to see at a football ground, but this what makes grounds special, love the old school stand I stood in with its brick work on the outside, no new metal plastic stuff they use now.