Craven Cottage (London) - Sports Tourist

Craven Cottage has been the home of Fulham F.C. since it first opened as a football stadium in 1896 and is the oldest football stadium in London. As the name suggests, the stadium is built on the grounds of a Cottage which was built in 1780 and used as a royal hunting lodge before later being destroyed by fire in 1888, with the current ‘Cottage’ built as a pavilion in 1905.

With a current capacity of 22,384, the stadium has seen many renovations across the years. Most recently the Riverside Stand was demolished in 2019 and to be rebuilt ahead of the 2023-2024 season. Fulham temporarily moved away from Craven Cottage between 2002 and 2004 as the ground was not fit for Premier League standards as it still had terracing in some sections, the club ground sharing Loftus Road with QPR during this time.

England played an international fixture against Wales at the ground in March 1907, drawing 1-1. A rugby league international between England and Australia would later take place there in 1911. A record attendance 49,335 in October 1938 watched Fulham face Millwall in a Division Two fixture. The ground would host two matches at the 1948 Olympics, including a quarter-final which saw Great Britain defeat France 1-0.

Eusébio would grace the pitch in February 1972, playing for Benfica in a friendly match to mark the opening of the Eric Miller Stand (today known as the Riverside Stand). Pelé would also face Fulham at the ground in a friendly for Santos in March 1973.

Craven Cottage has hosted a number of international matches, most notably not featuring England. The likes of Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Colombia, Nigeria, Oman, South Korea, Greece, Serbia, Croatia, Brazil, Ghana, Canada, Scotland and most frequently, Australia using the ground to play fixtures.

Other significant football matches hosted at the ground include the 2011 UEFA Women’s Champions League Final that Lyon defeated Postdam 2-0 and the 2016 Saudi Super Cup, that Al-Ahli won 4–3 on penalties following a 1–1 draw with Al Hilal.

Tenants: Fulham F.C. (Premier League)

Opened: 1896

Capacity: 22,384

Address: Stevenage Rd, London SW6 6HH

Tickets at Craven Cottage

Fulham F.C. Tickets

Fulham tickets are available to purchase online, by phone (0203 871 0810) or at the ticket office at the ground (Mon-Fri, 9.30am-4.30pm).

Premier League ticket prices for Fulham in the 2021-2021 season were in three different categories depending on the opposition, ranging from:

Adult: £35-£50 (A), £30-£45 (B) & £25-£40 (C)
Concessions/Young Adults: £30-£45 (A), £25-£40 (B&C)
Junior: £15-£25

Family area tickets cost £20-35 for Adults, £15-£30 for Concessions/Young Adults and £1 for Juniors.

Craven Cottage Stadium Tour

Fulham offer stadium tours of Craven Cottage, usually on a Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00 (excluding matchdays). The tour costs £22 for Adults, £18 for Concessions, £16 for Juniors (5-15 years), free for Children under 5 or £65 for a Family (2 Adults and 2 Juniors).

Further information and booking is available on the official website.

Location & Travel to Craven Cottage

Craven Cottage is located in the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in central London. Being in London, the stadium has extensive transport options:

Airport: The two busiest airports in the UK serve London and between them have flights to most of the world’s prime destinations – Heathrow Airport is 11 miles to the west, with Gatwick Airport approximately 25 miles south of the stadium.

You can catch the Heathrow Express train to Paddington Station, or from Gatwick Airport, you can use the Gatwick Express to reach Victoria Station and use the Underground as below.

Thinking of flying? Search & book your flights through Skyscanner here.

Boat: River boats run close by to the stadium at Putney Pier, about 20 minutes walk away with boats travelling between Blackfriars & Embankment and terminating at Putney. If you are travelling from central London for a midweek match at the Cottage, there are scheduled arrivals at Putney at 18:15 & 19:20.

Bus: From Kingston-upon-Thames bus station, you can take either the number 85 or C4 bus to Putney Bridge, approximately 10-15 min walk from the ground. From Hammersmith, bus 220 runs down Fulham Palace Road and from Putney catch bus 74, 424 or the 220 to Fulham Palace Road.

Coach: Megabus offers cheap travel to London and offers over 10 routes from Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Norwich and Sheffield. You can search and book your tickets here.

Driving & Parking: The stadium is served by the following main roads:

From North: M1, A406, A4219; passing Hammersmith
From South/East: A205, A219; following signage for Putney Bridge
From West: M4, A4; passing Hammersmith

There is no car parking on site at the ground and there is a controlled parking is very limited within the local area.

London Underground & Trains: The nearest tube station to the stadium is Putney Bridge on the District Line, approximately a 10 minute walk away. Alternatively Hammersmith station (Hammersmith & City Line /Circle Line/Piccadilly Line /District Line) and Fulham Broadway station (District Line) are both approximately a 20 minute walk away.

The closest overground station is at Putney, about 20 minutes walk away and on a directi line to Clapham Junction (5 minutes) and Waterloo (15 minutes).

Thinking of catching a train to London? Search and book your journey through the Trainline here.