Craven Cottage has been the home of Fulham F.C. since 1896, making it one of the oldest football grounds still in use in England. Tucked beside the River Thames in the Fulham district of West London, the site traces its name back to a cottage built there in 1780 by William Craven, sixth Baron Craven, long before football arrived on the land.
What sets Craven Cottage apart from every other stadium in English football is its setting: it is the only ground in the top flight with a stand directly on the riverbank. That distinction, combined with the century-old Johnny Haynes Stand and the newly completed Riverside Stand, gives the ground a character that blends Edwardian heritage with modern hospitality — and it’s why fans researching tickets, tours, or capacity often have more questions than a typical stadium page answers.
Quick Answer
Craven Cottage is Fulham F.C.’s stadium in Fulham, West London, open since 1896 and now holding approximately 29,600 fans following the Riverside Stand’s 2025 completion. It’s best known for being the only English top-flight ground with a stand directly on the River Thames, and for the Grade II listed Johnny Haynes Stand, the oldest original football stand still in use in England. Match tickets and hospitality are sold through Fulham FC’s official tickets and hospitality site, and stadium tours are booked separately through the club’s tours page.
A Century of History on the Riverbank
The site’s story predates football by more than a century. A cottage was built there around 1780 for William Craven, sixth Baron Craven, giving the location its name. That original building burned down in a fire in 1888, and the ground that eventually rose on the same riverside plot inherited its name.
Fulham F.C. played its first match at Craven Cottage on October 10, 1896, and has called it home ever since, aside from a brief spell away during a 2002-2004 refurbishment. The Johnny Haynes Stand, completed in 1905, is the oldest surviving stand at any English football league ground still in its original form. It was designed by Archibald Leitch, the Scottish architect behind several early British football stadiums, and its red-brick facade earned the stand Grade II listed status.
The stand and its neighboring pavilion, known simply as the Cottage, were built after safety concerns following a 1905 legal case, part of a wider push to modernize English football grounds in the early twentieth century. The Cottage pavilion still serves as a players’ changing and viewing area today and is the most photographed corner of the ground.
The Riverside Stand Transformation
Fulham redeveloped the Riverside Stand in stages starting in 2019, finally completing the project and opening its full range of facilities in 2025. The rebuilt stand added several thousand seats, including over 2,300 premium seats across terraces, balconies, and lounges, and pushed the ground’s overall capacity up by roughly 4,000 from its pre-redevelopment level.
Beyond seating, the new stand introduced amenities rarely found at a football stadium, including a rooftop terrace with a pool overlooking the Thames, hotel rooms, and a spa, turning it into a matchday and non-matchday destination. Eight restaurants and lounges take advantage of the riverfront views, several of them accessible to premium ticket holders on non-matchdays as well.
Craven Cottage Capacity and Seating Guide
Craven Cottage’s capacity now sits at approximately 29,600, up from roughly 25,700 before the Riverside Stand redevelopment. The record attendance of 49,335, set for a match against Millwall on October 8, 1938, dates from an era when standing terraces allowed far larger crowds than today’s all-seated ground permits.
The stadium has four stands, each with its own character and its own seating experience. The Riverside Stand, on the Thames-facing side, is the newest and holds the premium hospitality areas, corporate boxes, and central pitch views — this is the stand to pick for the best sightlines and matchday comfort. The Johnny Haynes Stand runs along Stevenage Road opposite the river and is generally the calmer, more traditional side of the ground, popular with fans who want an authentic, old-school view without the crowd noise of the ends.
The Hammersmith End is the north end and traditionally houses the more vocal home support, making it the pick for fans who want the loudest atmosphere. The Putney End at the south end mixes home and away seating and is home to the only mature plane tree inside a British senior football ground, a quirky landmark that occasionally intrudes into the view from a handful of seats nearby.
Tickets, Membership and Hospitality Explained
Match tickets for Craven Cottage are sold through Fulham’s official ticketing system, and general sale availability depends heavily on membership status and the opponent, since Premier League fixtures can sell out well ahead of matchday. In practice, season ticket holders and official club members get priority windows before tickets open to the general public, so joining the club’s membership scheme is usually the most reliable route to a seat for popular fixtures.
Hospitality packages sit on a separate tier from general admission. They include premium seating in the Riverside Stand plus access to its restaurants and lounges, and are typically sold at multiple levels — from shared lounge access up to private box experiences — through the club’s dedicated hospitality portal rather than the standard match-ticket checkout. For the latest ticket prices, membership requirements, on-sale dates, and hospitality tiers, check Fulham FC’s official tickets and hospitality page.
Stadium Tours: What to Expect
Outside of matchdays, Fulham runs guided stadium tours that typically move through the Johnny Haynes Stand, the press box, both changing rooms, the players’ tunnel, and the Cottage pavilion, subject to what’s available on the day. Tours generally run within a set daytime schedule and do not operate on home matchdays or the day before a match, so it’s worth booking well ahead of a planned visit, especially around a fixture-heavy stretch of the season.
Tour check-in is at the reception between the Johnny Haynes Stand gates on Stevenage Road, and arriving a little before the scheduled start is recommended. Accessibility tours can be arranged with advance notice for visitors who need step-free routes. Full tour times, pricing, and booking are handled through the official Craven Cottage Tours page.
Planning Your Visit: Getting There and Parking
There is no dedicated matchday car park at Craven Cottage, and street parking in the surrounding Fulham streets is extremely limited and largely restricted to residents with permits, so the club and most guides strongly recommend arriving by public transport.
The closest London Underground station is Putney Bridge on the District line, from which the walk to the ground runs through Bishop’s Park along the Thames, taking roughly 15 to 20 minutes. Hammersmith, Parsons Green, and East Putney stations are also within reasonable walking distance for fans who want alternate routes on busy matchdays, and can be a better option once Putney Bridge gets crowded after the final whistle.
What Makes Craven Cottage Unique
No other ground in England’s top flight puts spectators this close to a major river; the Riverside Stand’s terraces and rooftop sit almost directly above the Thames towpath. Combined with the Grade II listed Johnny Haynes Stand and Cottage pavilion, both tied to Archibald Leitch’s early-1900s design work, the stadium is one of the few in the Premier League where more than a century of football heritage and a modern riverside redevelopment sit side by side on the same footprint.
Craven Cottage stadium guide FAQs
How old is Craven Cottage?
Fulham F.C. played its first match at Craven Cottage on October 10, 1896, making it one of the oldest football grounds still in continuous use in England, aside from a short spell away during a 2002-2004 refurbishment.
What is the capacity of Craven Cottage?
Craven Cottage now holds approximately 29,600 fans following the Riverside Stand’s completion in 2025, up from roughly 25,700 before the redevelopment.
Why is it called Craven Cottage?
The name comes from a cottage built on the site around 1780 for William Craven, sixth Baron Craven. That original cottage burned down in 1888, but the football ground built later on the same riverside plot kept the name.
How do I get tickets for Craven Cottage?
Match tickets and hospitality packages are sold through Fulham FC’s official tickets and hospitality site. General sale availability depends on membership status and the fixture, with club members typically getting priority access before tickets open to the public.
Can you tour Craven Cottage?
Yes. Fulham runs guided stadium tours on non-matchdays that cover areas such as the Johnny Haynes Stand, changing rooms, players’ tunnel, and the Cottage pavilion, subject to availability. Tours are booked in advance through the club’s official tours page and don’t run on matchdays or the day before.
Is there parking at Craven Cottage?
No, there is no dedicated matchday car park, and nearby street parking is heavily restricted to permit holders. Public transport via Putney Bridge Underground station is the recommended way to reach the ground.
What is the record attendance at Craven Cottage?
The record attendance is 49,335, set for a match against Millwall on October 8, 1938, back when standing terraces allowed much larger crowds than the current all-seated capacity permits.
What makes Craven Cottage unique among English stadiums?
It’s the only ground in England’s top flight with a stand built directly on a riverbank, sitting right beside the Thames, and it houses the Grade II listed Johnny Haynes Stand, the oldest original football stand still in use in England.
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