Craven Cottage has been the home of the premier football team, Fulham Football Club, since 1896. The fortunes of the venue and the club have been intertwined with each other for over a century and a decade, and today, it boasts of full attendance every time the team plays in this venue.

Craven Cottage was originally just what its name suggests – a cottage built by the sixth Baron Craven, in the year 1780. History tells us that the surrounding areas were the woods where Anne Boleyn used to go hunting. Rumour has it that this cottage had visitors such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and even Queen Victoria stayed here at some time, though there is no documentary proof authenticating the claim. The cottage was destroyed in a fire in 1888, and in 1894, the Fulham representatives decided to build a football venue on these grounds.

Clearing the Path

It took them two years to clear the land of all the debris and plants, before they were able to level it enough to build a football ground. They were able to hold the first match here only in 1896, with four wooden structures as stands, accommodating a total of 250 people. Today, the refurbished stadium can fit over 27,000 football fans, and the highest number of people that had gathered in the venue was on 8th October 1938, with a record-breaking 49,335 fans.

This figure cannot really be corroborated, since ticket sales then were not truly documented, as many fans climbed into the stadium from Bishops Park at the Putney End. Even then, a gathering of over 45,000 was considered to be quite impressive during those days.

The Craven Cottage has had a chequered history, with regards to its renovations and improvements. When the London City Council wanted to close it down in 1904, Archibald Leitch was given the responsibility of rebuilding the pavilion. Even today, his red brick style John Haynes Stand and Cottage serve to be the finest examples of his genius. In the 1948 Summer Olympics, many football matches were played at this stadium. In December 2003, an 8 million dollar plan was put into place to improve the stadium’s infrastructure. In July 2012, the plans to increase the stands capacity to 30,000 were prepared.

Nearby Facilities & Future Plans

There are plans to improve Craven Cottage including the building of a riverside walkway. The walkway will become a great place to spend the evenings on the banks of the Thames and provide access to the many excellent restaurants and eating places in the vicinity. New floodlight masts will also be installed in order to reduce light pollution, and new stands built in a manner in which they will reflect the ambience of the area.

Craven Cottage has also been the venue of several five a side football matches, and also some weddings. The half-time entertainment shows have included diverse performers, such as those performed by Arabic dancers and brass bands. The Fulham carnival is an occasion for all fans to come in their football colours of black and white and partake in the dancing and street side entertainment. Craven Cottage has withstood turbulent times to remain an iconic symbol of the football club and its resilient spirit.

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