Craven Cottage

Craven Cottage is one of the most beautiful and atmospheric football grounds in England, a riverside gem nestled on the banks of the Thames in the affluent London borough of Fulham. The site takes its name from a royal hunting lodge, Craven Cottage, built in the nineteenth century by Baron Craven on the wooded banks of the river. Fulham Football Club moved to the ground in 1896, and the famous Cottage itself, a Grade II listed building, still stands in the corner of the stadium, serving as the players' changing rooms and one of English football's most distinctive architectural features.

The ground's most celebrated structure is the Johnny Haynes Stand, originally known as the Stevenage Road Stand, designed by the great football architect Archibald Leitch and opened in 1905. With its ornate red-brick facade, decorative gabling, and the Cottage perched at one end, it remains one of the finest examples of Edwardian football architecture in the country. The stand was renamed in 2004 in honor of Johnny Haynes, Fulham's greatest ever player and the first footballer to earn £100 per week, whose statue greets supporters arriving at the ground.

Craven Cottage's setting is unmatched in English football. The Putney End backs directly onto the Thames, and the walk along Bishops Park to the ground on matchday, with the river glistening and rowers gliding past, is one of the game's most civilized pre-match experiences. The Riverside Stand, for years a modest affair, has been rebuilt into a modern structure that contrasts with the Victorian charm of the rest of the ground while complementing the riverbank setting. The Neutral Zone, a section behind the goal where home and away fans once sat side by side, was a unique feature of Craven Cottage until segregation requirements ended the practice.

Despite its genteel surroundings, Craven Cottage has witnessed plenty of drama over the years. Fulham's remarkable run to the 2010 Europa League final, with famous victories over Juventus and Hamburg at the Cottage, produced some of the most electric European nights in London football history. The ground has also hosted international matches, rugby league, and even baseball during the Second World War. As Fulham have consolidated their place in the Premier League, the expanded and improved Craven Cottage stands ready for a new era while retaining the timeless charm that makes it one of the game's truly special places.