Decorative pillars show the club's foundation date as 1880 though this is thought to be incorrect.
Of particular note, was Ranelagh House, Fulham's palatial home from 1886–1888. ===Under construction: 1894–1905=== When representatives of Fulham first came across the land, in 1894, it was so overgrown that it took two years to be made suitable for football to be played on it.
At the time, the surrounding areas were woods which made up part of Anne Boleyn's hunting grounds. The Cottage was lived in by Edward Bulwer-Lytton (who wrote The Last Days of Pompeii) and other somewhat notable (and moneyed) persons until it was destroyed by fire in May 1888.
Of particular note, was Ranelagh House, Fulham's palatial home from 1886–1888. ===Under construction: 1894–1905=== When representatives of Fulham first came across the land, in 1894, it was so overgrown that it took two years to be made suitable for football to be played on it.
It has been the home ground of Championship club Fulham since 1896.
A deal was struck for the owners of the ground to carry out the work, in return for which they would receive a proportion of the gate receipts. The first football match at which there were any gate receipts was when Fulham played against Minerva in the Middlesex Senior Cup, on 10 October 1896.
home grounds Premier League venues English Football League venues Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Defunct rugby league venues in England London Broncos Sports venues completed in 1896 Fulham 1896 establishments in England
Described as looking like an "orange box", it consisted of four wooden structures each holding some 250 seats, and later was affectionately nicknamed the "rabbit hutch". In 1904 London County Council became concerned with the level of safety at the ground, and tried to get it closed.
A court case followed in January 1905, as a result of which Archibald Leitch, a Scottish architect who had risen to prominence after his building of the Ibrox Stadium, a few years earlier, was hired to work on the stadium.
On 26 November 2019, the Chairman Shahid Khan provided an update in which it was announced that the new development will be known as Fulham Pier, a destination venue outside of match-day use. ===Johnny Haynes Stand=== Originally called the Stevenage Road Stand, after the road it backs onto, the Johnny Haynes stand is the oldest remaining football stand in the Football League and professional football, originally constructed in 1905, and is a Grade II listed building.
Children were often placed at the front of this enclosure and the area had a distinctive white picket fence to keep fans off the pitch up until the 1970s. ===The Pavilion=== The Cottage Pavilion dates back to 1905 along with the Johnny Haynes Stand, built by renowned football architect Archibald Leitch.
During this era, the Cottage was used for choir singing and marching bands along with other performances, and Mass. In 1933 there were plans to demolish the ground and start again from scratch with a new 80,000 capacity stadium.
The record attendance is 49,335, for a game against Millwall, 8 October 1938.
These plans never materialised mainly due to the Great Depression. On 8 October 1938, 49,335 spectators watched Fulham play Millwall.
The ground hosted several football games for the 1948 Summer Olympics, and is one of the last extant that did. ===Post-War=== It was not until after Fulham first reached the top division, in 1949, that further improvements were made to the stadium.
It ended 1–1 at 90 minutes. ==See also== Fulham RLFC ==References== ==Further reading== ==External links== Craven Cottage Craven Cottage Social Media Football Ground Guide profile History of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Venues of the 1948 Summer Olympics Olympic football venues Football venues in London Fulham F.C.
The ground hosted several football games for the 1948 Summer Olympics, and is one of the last extant that did. ===Post-War=== It was not until after Fulham first reached the top division, in 1949, that further improvements were made to the stadium.
In 1962 Fulham became the final side in the first division to erect floodlights.
The stand is now better known as the Riverside Stand. On Boxing Day 1963, Craven Cottage was the venue of the fastest [football|hat-trick] in the history of the English football league, which was completed in less than three minutes, by Graham Leggat.
Following the sale of Alan Mullery to Tottenham Hotspur in 1964 (for £72,500) the Hammersmith End had a roof put over it at a cost of approximately £42,500. Although Fulham was relegated, the development of Craven Cottage continued.
The international record is held by Jimmy O'Connor, an Irish player who notched up his hat trick in 2 minutes 14 seconds in 1967. Between 1980 and 1984, Fulham rugby league played their home games at the Cottage.
However, when Fulham were relegated in 1968, Trinder decided not to change the flags as "Fulham won't be in this division next season".
It has the Hammersmith End to its left, the Putney End to its right and is opposite the Johnny Haynes Stand. During the 1970s, Craven Cottage flooded, with water gushing in from the Riverside.
Children were often placed at the front of this enclosure and the area had a distinctive white picket fence to keep fans off the pitch up until the 1970s. ===The Pavilion=== The Cottage Pavilion dates back to 1905 along with the Johnny Haynes Stand, built by renowned football architect Archibald Leitch.
In 1971-72, an all-seater stand was built, originally known as the Riverside Stand (the name was confirmed in the Fulham v Carlisle United programme on 4 December 1971).
The stand, which cost £334,000 and held 4,200 seats, was opened with a friendly game against Benfica in February 1972, (which included Eusébio).
In the Fulham v Burnley programme on 4 October 1977, it was revealed that the stand would be re-named the Eric Miller Stand, following the recent death of the former vice-chairman.
The international record is held by Jimmy O'Connor, an Irish player who notched up his hat trick in 2 minutes 14 seconds in 1967. Between 1980 and 1984, Fulham rugby league played their home games at the Cottage.
On 28 May 2014 Scotland played out a 2–2 draw with a Nigerian team who had qualified for the 2014 World Cup Finals. On 27 March 2018, Australia played host to Colombia in the international friendlies, the match ended 0-0, both teams having qualified for the 2018 World Cup Finals in Russia. ===Other=== Fulham RLFC, now London Broncos, played at Craven Cottage between 1980 and 1984, hosting their largest attendance.
Craven Cottage held the team's largest ever crowd at any ground with 15,013, at a game against Wakefield Trinity on 15 February 1981. ===Modern times=== When the Hillsborough disaster occurred in 1989, Fulham were in the second bottom rung of The Football League, but following the Taylor report Fulham's ambitious chairman Jimmy Hill tabled plans in 1996 for an all-seater stadium.
The international record is held by Jimmy O'Connor, an Irish player who notched up his hat trick in 2 minutes 14 seconds in 1967. Between 1980 and 1984, Fulham rugby league played their home games at the Cottage.
On 28 May 2014 Scotland played out a 2–2 draw with a Nigerian team who had qualified for the 2014 World Cup Finals. On 27 March 2018, Australia played host to Colombia in the international friendlies, the match ended 0-0, both teams having qualified for the 2018 World Cup Finals in Russia. ===Other=== Fulham RLFC, now London Broncos, played at Craven Cottage between 1980 and 1984, hosting their largest attendance.
Craven Cottage held the team's largest ever crowd at any ground with 15,013, at a game against Wakefield Trinity on 15 February 1981. ===Modern times=== When the Hillsborough disaster occurred in 1989, Fulham were in the second bottom rung of The Football League, but following the Taylor report Fulham's ambitious chairman Jimmy Hill tabled plans in 1996 for an all-seater stadium.
The name of the stand actually reverted to "Riverside Stand" in the 1990s. The Riverside Stand backs onto the River Thames and is elevated above pitch level, unlike the other three stands.
Craven Cottage hosted the Oxbridge Varsity Football match annually between 1991 and 2000 and again in 2003, 2006 (the same day as the famous 'Boat Race'), 2008, 2009, and 2014 as well as having a Soccer Aid warm-up match in 2006.
Craven Cottage held the team's largest ever crowd at any ground with 15,013, at a game against Wakefield Trinity on 15 February 1981. ===Modern times=== When the Hillsborough disaster occurred in 1989, Fulham were in the second bottom rung of The Football League, but following the Taylor report Fulham's ambitious chairman Jimmy Hill tabled plans in 1996 for an all-seater stadium.
Craven Cottage hosted the Oxbridge Varsity Football match annually between 1991 and 2000 and again in 2003, 2006 (the same day as the famous 'Boat Race'), 2008, 2009, and 2014 as well as having a Soccer Aid warm-up match in 2006.
Also, a special stone to commemorate the supporters' fund-raising group Fulham 2000, and The Cottagers' return to Craven Cottage, was engraved on the façade.
Northern Ireland won 3-0, Sammy Morgan and a Trevor Anderson brace concluded the scoring in the first half. On 22 February 2000, it hosted England’s under 21s international under 21 friendly against Argentina’s under 21s.
A year remained to do something about this (teams reaching the second tier for the first time are allowed a three-year period to reach the required standards for the top two divisions), but by the time the last league game was played there, against Leicester City on 27 April 2002, no building plans had been made.
In December 2003, plans were unveiled for £8 million worth of major refurbishment work to bring it in line with Premier League requirements.
Craven Cottage hosted the Oxbridge Varsity Football match annually between 1991 and 2000 and again in 2003, 2006 (the same day as the famous 'Boat Race'), 2008, 2009, and 2014 as well as having a Soccer Aid warm-up match in 2006.
When the ground became redeveloped, with the standing terraces replaced in 2003–04 the club applied for a licence to have a designated neutral area, in the rows closest to the Cottage, but this currently doesn’t exist due to the reduced capacity.
With planning permission granted, work began in January 2004 in order to meet the deadline of the new season.
The work proceeded as scheduled and the club were able to return to their home for the start of the 2004–05 season.
Their first game in the new-look 22,000 all-seater stadium was a pre-season friendly against Watford on 10 July 2004.
The stand had terracing until the reopening of the ground in 2004, when it was replaced with seating in order to comply with league rules following the Taylor Report. ===Putney End=== The Putney End is the southernmost stand in the ground, nearest to Putney and backing onto Bishops Park.
Following his death in 2005, the stand was renamed after former player Johnny Haynes. The exterior facing Stevenage Road has a brick façade and features the club's old emblem in the artwork.
Craven Cottage hosted the Oxbridge Varsity Football match annually between 1991 and 2000 and again in 2003, 2006 (the same day as the famous 'Boat Race'), 2008, 2009, and 2014 as well as having a Soccer Aid warm-up match in 2006.
Flags of every nationality in the Fulham squad were hung from the roofing, although they were removed after the 2006–07 season commenced and there is now an electronic scoreboard in place.
South Korea was hosted on 6 February 2007.
Fulham previously announced in 2007 that they are planning to increase the capacity of Craven Cottage by 4,000 seats, but this is yet to be implemented.
Craven Cottage hosted the Oxbridge Varsity Football match annually between 1991 and 2000 and again in 2003, 2006 (the same day as the famous 'Boat Race'), 2008, 2009, and 2014 as well as having a Soccer Aid warm-up match in 2006.
The capacity of Craven Cottage has been increased during summers for instance in 2008 with a small increase in the capacity of the Hammersmith End.
Fenway Sports Group originally partnered with Fulham in 2009, due to the perceived heritage and quirks shared between the Cottage and Fenway Park, saying no English club identifies with its stadium as much as Fulham. The current stadium was one of the Premier League's smallest grounds at the time of Fulham's relegation at the end of the 2013–14 season (it was third-smallest, after the KC Stadium and the Liberty Stadium).
Craven Cottage hosted the Oxbridge Varsity Football match annually between 1991 and 2000 and again in 2003, 2006 (the same day as the famous 'Boat Race'), 2008, 2009, and 2014 as well as having a Soccer Aid warm-up match in 2006.
The singer, who died in 2009, was not a Fulham fan and had no interest in football whatsoever, but attended a Fulham match once, saying "Fulham fans were like people at my concerts.
With Mohamed Al-Fayed selling Harrods department store for £1.5 billion in May 2010 a detailed plan emerged in the Riverside Stand as the only viable area for expansion.
In 2011 Brazil played Ghana, in an international friendly, and the Women's Champions League Final was hosted. Craven Cottage often hosts many other events such as 5-a-side football tournaments and weddings.
There was also proposals for a bridge to span the Thames, for a redeveloped Riverside stand and a museum. More substantial plans arose in October 2011 with the 'Fulham Forever' campaign.
In September 2011, a friendly between Ghana and Brazil was also held at Craven Cottage. On 15 October 2013, Australia beat Canada 3–0 at Craven Cottage.
One plane tree survives today in a corner of the Putney End, the sole tree to be found in any British senior football stadium. On 3 April 2011, Fulham unveiled a statue of Michael Jackson inside the stadium before its match with Blackpool.
They have since evolved into the London Crusaders, the London Broncos and Harlequins Rugby League before reverting to London Broncos ahead of the 2012 season.
The Telegraph ranked the Cottage 9th out of 54 grounds to hold Premier League football. ===Plans=== On 27 July 2012, Fulham FC were granted permission to redevelop the Riverside Stand, increasing the capacity of Craven Cottage to 30,000 seats.
Fenway Sports Group originally partnered with Fulham in 2009, due to the perceived heritage and quirks shared between the Cottage and Fenway Park, saying no English club identifies with its stadium as much as Fulham. The current stadium was one of the Premier League's smallest grounds at the time of Fulham's relegation at the end of the 2013–14 season (it was third-smallest, after the KC Stadium and the Liberty Stadium).
Buckingham Group Contracting were chosen in March 2013 as the construction company for the project.
In September 2011, a friendly between Ghana and Brazil was also held at Craven Cottage. On 15 October 2013, Australia beat Canada 3–0 at Craven Cottage.
In 2013, Al-Fayed stated that the statue will be moved to a different property he owns, though it was eventually moved to the National Football Museum in Manchester in 2014.
Craven Cottage hosted the Oxbridge Varsity Football match annually between 1991 and 2000 and again in 2003, 2006 (the same day as the famous 'Boat Race'), 2008, 2009, and 2014 as well as having a Soccer Aid warm-up match in 2006.
On 28 May 2014 Scotland played out a 2–2 draw with a Nigerian team who had qualified for the 2014 World Cup Finals. On 27 March 2018, Australia played host to Colombia in the international friendlies, the match ended 0-0, both teams having qualified for the 2018 World Cup Finals in Russia. ===Other=== Fulham RLFC, now London Broncos, played at Craven Cottage between 1980 and 1984, hosting their largest attendance.
In 2013, Al-Fayed stated that the statue will be moved to a different property he owns, though it was eventually moved to the National Football Museum in Manchester in 2014.
The statue was removed from public display at that museum in March 2019, likely due to sexual abuse allegations made in the Channel 4/HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, which had aired days before. 2016 Saudi Super Cup, Played on 8 August 2016, ended with Al-Hilal losing 4–3 on penalties to Al-Ahli.
On 28 May 2014 Scotland played out a 2–2 draw with a Nigerian team who had qualified for the 2014 World Cup Finals. On 27 March 2018, Australia played host to Colombia in the international friendlies, the match ended 0-0, both teams having qualified for the 2018 World Cup Finals in Russia. ===Other=== Fulham RLFC, now London Broncos, played at Craven Cottage between 1980 and 1984, hosting their largest attendance.
The ground's capacity is now 19,359, which happened with the closure of the Riverside Stand for redevelopment in the close season of 2019.
In May 2019, the club confirmed that work on the new Riverside Stand would commence in the summer of 2019.
During occurring through the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons, the ground's capacity is temporarily reduced to 19,000. ==The ground as it stands== ===Hammersmith End=== The Hammersmith End (or Hammy) is the northernmost stand in the ground, the closest to Hammersmith.
The end of the Riverside Stand towards the 'Hammy End' indicates the end of the 'Fulham Wall', a landmark in The Boat Race. From the 2019–20 season, this stand is being demolished and rebuilt, which will expand the capacity of the ground to around 29,600.
On 26 November 2019, the Chairman Shahid Khan provided an update in which it was announced that the new development will be known as Fulham Pier, a destination venue outside of match-day use. ===Johnny Haynes Stand=== Originally called the Stevenage Road Stand, after the road it backs onto, the Johnny Haynes stand is the oldest remaining football stand in the Football League and professional football, originally constructed in 1905, and is a Grade II listed building.
The statue was removed from public display at that museum in March 2019, likely due to sexual abuse allegations made in the Channel 4/HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, which had aired days before. 2016 Saudi Super Cup, Played on 8 August 2016, ended with Al-Hilal losing 4–3 on penalties to Al-Ahli.
During occurring through the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons, the ground's capacity is temporarily reduced to 19,000. ==The ground as it stands== ===Hammersmith End=== The Hammersmith End (or Hammy) is the northernmost stand in the ground, the closest to Hammersmith.
It is due for completion at the beginning of the 2021–22 season.
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