Fulham Football Club — Craven Cottage, the Cottagers, 1879

Fulham play their home matches at Craven Cottage on Stevenage Road in the Fulham area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (SW6 6HH). The ground sits on the north bank of the River Thames, between Putney Bridge and Hammersmith Bridge — close enough to the water that the away dressing room genuinely looks out at the river.

Craven Cottage's distinctive features include The Cottage itself (a Grade-II listed pavilion built in 1905 that houses the dressing rooms in the corner of the ground), the Stevenage Road Stand (designed by stadium architect Archibald Leitch in 1905, also Grade-II listed), and the Riverside Stand rebuild completed in 2024 that lifted capacity to ~29,600. The closest tube station is Putney Bridge (District Line, ~10 minutes' walk via Bishop's Park).

Fulham was founded in 1879 by worshippers at St Andrew's Church, Star Road, in the Fulham district. The club was originally called Fulham St Andrew's Church Sunday School FC before shortening to Fulham FC in 1888. Fulham is the oldest established London club — older than Tottenham (1882), Arsenal (1886), and Chelsea (1905). It was a founder member of the Southern League in 1898 and joined the Football League's Second Division in 1907.

The Star Road / St Andrew's lineage is preserved in the club crest and supporter culture, though the club has been operationally independent of the church for over a century. The nickname the Cottagers derives directly from the pavilion at Craven Cottage rather than from any cottage-industry heritage.

Fulham moved to Craven Cottage in 1896. The site was previously a hunting lodge belonging to the Earl of Craven; the original cottage burned down in 1888 and the football ground occupies the former lodge grounds. The current Cottage pavilion was designed by Archibald Leitch in 1905 — the same architect responsible for Ibrox, Highbury, Stamford Bridge, Goodison Park, and many other early-20th-century English grounds.

Leitch also designed the Stevenage Road Stand (now the Johnny Haynes Stand) in 1905. Both structures are Grade-II listed by Historic England — the only listed elements of any active English football ground. The result is that Craven Cottage has been incrementally renovated rather than rebuilt, preserving the period architecture in a way unique to modern English top-flight football.

The 2024 Riverside Stand rebuild was the most ambitious capacity expansion in Fulham's history — a complete demolition and reconstruction of the south stand that lifted total capacity from ~25,700 to ~29,600 and added riverside hospitality terraces overlooking the Thames.

Fulham's defining modern moment is the 2009-10 Europa League campaign under manager Roy Hodgson. The club beat Juventus in the round of 16 (4-1 on aggregate after a 4-1 second-leg win at the Cottage), Wolfsburg in the quarter-finals, and Hamburg in the semi-finals to reach the final — Fulham's first major European final.

The final on 12 May 2010 in Hamburg ended Atlético Madrid 2, Fulham 1, with Diego Forlán scoring the winner in extra time. The run is widely cited as one of the most over-achieving English Europa League performances since the competition's UEFA Cup-era restructuring. Hodgson was named LMA Manager of the Year for the season and left for Liverpool that summer.

Other modern highs include three FA Cup semi-final appearances and a sustained Premier League stay from 2001 to 2014 — the longest unbroken top-flight run in Fulham's history.

Mohamed Al-Fayed — the Egyptian-born owner of Harrods — bought Fulham in 1997 when the club was in the fourth tier. Al-Fayed's investment funded four promotions in seven seasons, taking Fulham from the Third Division to the Premier League by 2001. He famously installed a statue of Michael Jackson outside Craven Cottage in 2011 (removed in 2014 after fan and historical objections).

Shahid Khan — Pakistani-American billionaire and owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL — acquired Fulham from Al-Fayed in July 2013 for a reported ~£200 million. The Khan ownership has been steadier than Al-Fayed's: the Riverside Stand rebuild, sustained academy investment, and a focused recruitment strategy that has kept Fulham mostly competitive in the Premier League since promotion in 2022.

Fulham's major honours and distinctions:

• UEFA Europa League runners-up — 2009-10 (lost 2-1 to Atlético Madrid in Hamburg).
• Football League Second Division champions — 2000-01 (during the Al-Fayed promotion run).
• Football League First Division (Championship) champions — 1948-49 and 2000-01.
• Football League Third Division South champions — 1931-32.
• Football League Second Division play-off winners — 2018, 2020, 2022 (rare three-time Wembley play-off winner).
• FA Cup runners-up — 1974-75.
• Johnny Haynes — Fulham legend, first £100-per-week footballer in England (1961), 56 England caps, statue outside Craven Cottage.
• George Cohen — Fulham right-back, 1966 World Cup-winning England side; the only Fulham player ever to win the World Cup.

Three practical visit tips:

• Tube. Putney Bridge (District Line) is the closest, ~10 minutes' walk through Bishop's Park. The Park route is one of the most scenic walks to any English football ground.
• Match-day demand. Premier League fixtures at the Cottage sell out the season-ticket allocation; general-sale availability varies. The atmosphere inside is unusual for the modern Premier League — closer-to-pitch sightlines than most newer bowl stadiums.
• Stadium tours. Self-guided audio and guided tours include the Grade-II listed Cottage pavilion, the dressing rooms, the Johnny Haynes Stand, and the pitchside on non-match days. Book via fulhamfc.com.