Menu toggle

The Riverside Revamp: Fans Split on New Stand

Written by Cameron Ramsey on 12th October 2017

“Craven Cottage, by the river, take me home!” Thus goes a song which reverberates around the most beautiful stadium in existence on a regular basis, a ringing indictment of the special bond which Fulham fans have with their historic home on the banks of the Thames.

There’s simply no sporting venue on the planet like or even close to the Cottage. Uniquely embodying the best of a bygone era, many a Fulham supporter feels unified and privileged when sat within its quaintly captivating glory, and there have been numerous fights by brave and true men down the years to keep Fulham at the Cottage, even when all seemed lost.

However, after the Cottagers were granted permission to expand the Riverside Stand in 2013, the grand old auditorium is about to undergo a relatively spectacular revamp, a scheme which will catapult the south-west Londoners well and truly into the 21st century and beyond.

It’s projected that the Riverside Stand is to be expanded by 4,300 seats, supposedly taking the stadium’s capacity to approximately 30,000 or so. Extra room for spectators is the most welcoming factor, naturally; however the most surprising and mesmerising aspect of the proposed plans is the aesthetics – the concept of what’s to be expected once it’s finally completed is utterly breathtaking.

Indeed, in solidarity with the club’s followers, Fulham invited fans on Thursday, October 12th, to come and see two exhibitions which focused on the design of the redeveloped Riverside Stand, and though many believed it was an exquisite project to behold, some were evidently not so dazzled, taking to Twitter to voice their opinions.

If anything is certain in life, it’s that you can’t please everyone. Prided on being the oldest club in the country’s capital, Fulham will forever be a key part of London’s continually thriving football scene, and the Cottage grounds that history in bricks and mortar.

However, ultimately, if Fulham are to progress as a club into the future as they strive to compete in the glitz of the Premier League once more, there surely can’t be any harm in giving the charismatic fortress a slight makeover, no matter how lavishly extravagant it may appear on the surface.

More writing from Fulhamish

Enjoy Fulhamish's content?

Our independent coverage is enjoyed by thousands of Fulham fans each week via our articles, podcasts and videos. We do this out of our love for FFC, but we have many overheads to pay in order to sustain a high level of quality across all platforms.

Our aim is to keep our coverage completely free, but this is only possible with your support. If you can, please consider contributing to Fulhamish monthly via Levellr.

As a thank you for your generosity, you have the option to join our Telegram community, where hundreds of Fulhamish fans chat daily about all things FFC.

Support On Levellr