It's been a long time coming and due to the fact I no longer DJ weekends or work weekends I finally managed to get down to the cottage. The missus had sorted pretty much everything so despite me almost crying when I saw the ticket prices we were set to make it down.
Made it to the ground via the train, tube and then a bus and then realised i'd left the tickets at the Hotel, rang the ticket office and they managed to reprint them without any hassle. Must say it was fantastic service.
I then had a walk around the ground which is, as I'd imagined beautiful. We go around the country viewing these lego grounds with no character and nothing different from the last and we have the honour of calling Craven Cottage our home. Even the stewards and grounds staff seemed to be smiling as I was walking around and seemed more than happy to help us.
The game was lacklustre, the people I met were beyond welcoming and I can safely say, performance aside, I am incredibly proud to be a Cottager amongst a City full of Man Utd, Liverpool and now Man City fans. I hope It won't be so long before my next visit down as watching us away at other grounds doesn't quite have the same appeal.
COYW
The ground, the river, the fans are wonderful, pity about the game you saw. I personally think football is the whole experience not just what 11 men do, or in Fulham's case don't do, on the pitch, even this forum is part of the Fulham thing. Alot may disagree with me but it what keeps me sane in times like now.
Just everything about the setting and the matchday experience makes us pretty special relative to most other clubs.
Shame the performance on the pitch didn't quite match the rest of your day Mr NC sir, but glad you were able to make it.
The game was pretty poor but I completely agree. The ground was amazing, absolutely loved it. Walked down the river down to The Crabtree and was surrounded by the best bunch of football supporters imaginable, mingling with Wigan fans and no trouble. Very proud Cottager, Sort the performances out and we'll have even more to smile about!
Although I'm outposted to that hotbed of football, Colchester, I have to get back to my football roots, at Craven Cootage, a few times every season simply because it remains one of the best grounds to visit. The walk from Hammersmith Station, along the Thames towpath, mingling in the Crabtree, is all part of the day. The "modernised" grounds (Emirates/Britannia/even Old Trafford) are soulless....and often quieter/unatmospheric. It's almost irrelevant as to whether I'm watching Fulham in the Premier League or the lower/lowest Leagues.
From my current home town's perspective, the move from the dilapidated, but noisy and fun, Layer Rd. ground to a new purpose built out ot town Community Stadium has been a football support disaster.
Glad you enjoyed it. I took my friend's son to his first match. He's 15 and surprisingly likeable for that age.
At least coming from the North you would be used to the cold.
Ticket prices nearly made you cry?
Fulham has one of the cheapest ticket prices in the premier league.. Cheapest of the London pl clubs. Can't complain about that...
I took 36 kids and adults on Saturday, for some of them it was their first time, and although myself and Leon who posts on here didn't quite enjoy it, everyone else loved it and some have since asked me about how to get season tickets, some people are easily pleased
Went to see Brighton V Watford at the Amex a few weeks ago. Rightly seagull fans are very proud of their new ground, after years without a proper ground to call their own. It was okay......seats were fantastically comfortable; access was easy; and dear old Brighton Council let you travel free to the game on either a bus or local train for 3 hours either side of the match.
But as I sat there watching Watford play a great away game, all I could think of was the Cottage......and my little wooden tip- up seat in the Johnny Haynes stand.
Big smile on my face this Saturday as we walked along the river, had a pasta at the Plum Cafe; a half in the very crowded Chancellors, and then walked along the Thames looking for any rare birds that had flown across from the London Wetlands Centre.
Love living in Brighton.....but there's only one special place on earth to watch football.
Quote from: Mladens Nan on January 14, 2013, 06:08:05 PM
Ticket prices nearly made you cry?
Fulham has one of the cheapest ticket prices in the premier league.. Cheapest of the London pl clubs. Can't complain about that...
This was the £45 quid for the Johnny Haynes stand along with the ticket prices for the Train down too. Despite the fact we aren't the most expensive it still sounds a lot for 90 mins of 'entertainment'.
Proved to be worth every penny for the trip in whole anyway visiting the Cottage.
Quote from: jms on January 14, 2013, 07:23:02 PM
Went to see Brighton V Watford at the Amex a few weeks ago. Rightly seagull fans are very proud of their new ground, after years without a proper ground to call their own. It was okay......seats were fantastically comfortable; access was easy; and dear old Brighton Council let you travel free to the game on either a bus or local train for 3 hours either side of the match.
But as I sat there watching Watford play a great away game, all I could think of was the Cottage......and my little wooden tip- up seat in the Johnny Haynes stand.
Big smile on my face this Saturday as we walked along the river, had a pasta at the Plum Cafe; a half in the very crowded Chancellors, and then walked along the Thames looking for any rare birds that had flown across from the London Wetlands Centre.
Love living in Brighton.....but there's only one special place on earth to watch football.
These new stadiums do look the business from the outside but as you get inside their concrete and soulless interiors, it's obvious the older grounds with more character are much better.
I agree with you on both. I gather that tickets for Old Trafford, had they increased in line with inflation, should now be a tenner. I know that the crowds are far safer and more comfortable but, given the rocketing income of clubs, it's a shame they've passed it on to the players while sending ticket prices rocketing.
I think the likes of Wembley, the Emirates and other new grounds are well-organised, it is easy to get food and drinks and the view is great. But as you said, there's little or no character. That might come with time but it will be hard when they all seem to have been ordered from the same architects' catalogue.
Quote from: Northern Cottager on January 15, 2013, 09:55:57 AM
Quote from: Mladens Nan on January 14, 2013, 06:08:05 PM
Ticket prices nearly made you cry?
Fulham has one of the cheapest ticket prices in the premier league.. Cheapest of the London pl clubs. Can't complain about that...
This was the £45 quid for the Johnny Haynes stand along with the ticket prices for the Train down too. Despite the fact we aren't the most expensive it still sounds a lot for 90 mins of 'entertainment'.
Proved to be worth every penny for the trip in whole anyway visiting the Cottage.
Quote from: jms on January 14, 2013, 07:23:02 PM
Went to see Brighton V Watford at the Amex a few weeks ago. Rightly seagull fans are very proud of their new ground, after years without a proper ground to call their own. It was okay......seats were fantastically comfortable; access was easy; and dear old Brighton Council let you travel free to the game on either a bus or local train for 3 hours either side of the match.
But as I sat there watching Watford play a great away game, all I could think of was the Cottage......and my little wooden tip- up seat in the Johnny Haynes stand.
Big smile on my face this Saturday as we walked along the river, had a pasta at the Plum Cafe; a half in the very crowded Chancellors, and then walked along the Thames looking for any rare birds that had flown across from the London Wetlands Centre.
Love living in Brighton.....but there's only one special place on earth to watch football.
These new stadiums do look the business from the outside but as you get inside their concrete and soulless interiors, it's obvious the older grounds with more character are much better.