A treat for those that like going to traditional football grounds, two sides of the ground date back many years albeit seats have now been put onto what was terracing with the Stevenage Road stand now named after Fulham legend Johnny Haynes dating back to 1905, a rare treat to see a football ground with a stand as iconic as this these days.
Getting There
Train
The easiest and by far the quickest way is to change at Clapham Junction and take a train to Putney, from there it is a short walk over Putney Bridge from where you can see Craven Cottage nestling on the banks of the Thames.
For those that prefer to go into Central London you need to pick up a westbound district line tube going to Wimbledon and alight at Putney Bridge.
It should be noted that with a replacement bus service from Southampton to Eastleigh in operation that journey times are extended by about 30 -40 minutes on the train.
Car
There are a couple of options, perhaps the most direct is to follow the M3 as it then becomes the A316 after passing through Richmond follow directions for the A205 (South Circular) eastbound to Putney. Putney is just across the river from Craven Cottage about a ten minute walk. but will probably offer the best options for parking.
Parking
Parking around Craven Cottage is extremely limited with 1 hour parking meters being the only options, which are obviously no good for those wanting to spend longer than that watching the game.
Perhaps the best option would be to park over the river in Putney where there are many options including street parking, the farther you go away from the Bridge the cheaper and easier is the rule. and its obviously well situated to head back to the M3 aftrwards.
The Ground
Saints fans are situated in the Putney End, a stand built just over a decade ago it holds 6,000 in total divided into roughly half being allocated to visiting supporters with the other half usually being a neutral zone which often sees away supporters in that section as well. Strangely for a stand built fairly recently it does have some supporting pillars that obstruct the view but only in the rear section.
Saints have sold over 4,000 tickets for this game and probably a few have bought tickets in the neutral section.
Beer and the usual food stuff is available, but although the kiosks are covered from the rain etc they are open being just under the stand at the back so are cold in winter and for those that havent noticed it is winter out there.
If you do like a beer in the ground etc then a good tip is go to the kiosk in the left hand corner and then you can enjoy a fine view of the Thames as it goes past the ground.
Pubs Eating Etc
The Eight Bells on Fulham High Street next to Putney Bridge is a popular pub with away fans but tends to get extremly busy, nearby there is also the Temperance Bar and the Golden Lion as well as The Kings Arms, again these are likely to be packed with Saints supporters.
If you have parked over in Putney or got the train to there, then that might offer the best chance for a pre match drink given the few options near the ground will probably be busy, there are a number of pubs near Putney Station.
Fulham
Craven Cottage
Capacity: 25,678 (all seated)
Address: Stevenage Road, London, SW6 6HH
Main Telephone No: 0843 208 1222
Fax No: 0207 384 4715
Ticket Office: 0843 208 1234
Ticket Office Fax No: 0207 384 4810
Team Nickname: The Cottagers or The Whites
Ground Opened: 1896