FULHAM
Premier League, Craven Cottage, Saturday 14 September 2024, 3pm BST
West Ham United’s early-season tour of London continues after the September international break with a trip down the River Thames to Craven Cottage.
The Hammers will not leave the capital in the league until 2 November, with nine straight matches scheduled inside the M25 to kick-off the 2024/25 campaign.
The fourth of those sees Julen Lopetegui take his squad to Fulham, where those who featured last season will have nightmares when they recall the 5-0 humbling the Irons took at the hands of Marco Silva’s side.
That result, and a pre-match accident that saw a party boat carrying West Ham fans collide with Hammersmith Bridge, will have taken the shine off what is, for many members of the travelling Claret and Blue Army, one of the most enjoyable away fixtures of the season.
Home to Fulham since 1896, Craven Cottage has been renovated and extended in recent years, with the Riverside Stand rebuilt, increasing the capacity to around 25,000. When the upper tier is fully opened, which is expected to be in December 2024, that capacity will rise to 29,600.
West Ham supporters will be situated in the Putney End.
How to get there…
If you are not taking the boat, then the simplest way to reach Craven Cottage is by using public transport.
The nearest London Underground station is Putney Bridge on the District line, which is a 15-minute walk along Ranelagh Gardens and the Thames Path through Bishops Park and into Stevenage Road, from where you can access the Putney End.
Fulham Broadway and Parsons Green are also on the District line, but are both around 30-minutes’ walk to Craven Cottage.
Alternatively, you can travel to Hammersmith on the Hammersmith & City, Circle, Piccadilly or District lines. From there, it is a half-hour walk to the stadium, or you can take the 220 bus to Fulham Palace Road.
If you prefer, Putney mainline station is around 25-minutes’ walk away across Putney Bridge on the south side of the River Thames and can be reached by South Western Trains from Clapham Junction and Waterloo. You can also catch the 74, 220 or 424 bus to Fulham Palace Road.
Parking around Craven Cottage is both extremely limited and restricted to the extent that driving really is not advisable.
Where to stay…
There are dozens of hotels within striking distance of Craven Cottage.
While accommodation in the immediate vicinity of the stadium is fairly sparse, you do not need to go too far east to reach Kensington and Earl’s Court, or north to reach Hammersmith and Shepherd’s Bush, where there are loads and loads of options to choose from, depending on your taste and budget.
What to do…
The nearest tourist attraction to Craven Cottage is Fulham Palace, which was the home of the Bishops of London for over 1,300 years. Admission to the historic house and botanic garden in west London are free and tickets can be purchased online at fulhampalace.org.
On the opposite bank of the River Thames in Barnes is the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust London Wetland Centre, which is a 105-acre wetland reserve full of nature, wildlife and walking routes.
A bit further afield, South Kensington is home to some of London’s best-known museums, including the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum.
What’s happened there before…
Thames Ironworks FC first visited Craven Cottage on 8 April 1899, when David Lloyd scored the only goal of the game to secure a 1-0 Southern League Second Division victory for the away side.
Since then, West Ham United have travelled to the famous old stadium in the Southern League First Division, FA Cup, War-time London Combination, Football League Second Division, War League South, Football League First Division, EFL Cup and Premier League!
Our most emphatic victory at Craven Cottage came on 18 August 1956, when Billy Dare (two), Mike Grice and Ken Tucker scored in a 4-1 victory in the Second Division.
Prior to last season’s humbling, recent visits had been successful, too, with three wins and a draw from the previous four games there.
