Many CCN regular readers will know the name George H. as one of our regular readers and contributors. George recently flew over to England with his wife to celebrate his 40th birthday. Rich asked George to write for us this story of his first trip to the Cottage which he graciously did. Here is George’s story along with some photos of the trip.
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Hello, I’m George H. I just took my first visit to Craven Cottage for last week’s match vs. Arsenal (it was for my 40th birthday). So with no match this week and Rich off on his visit to France (probably to do a Times feature on Daniel “I’m not fond of the Scottish lifestyle” Cousin), he and Brian were nice enough to ask me to write about my trip.
First of, I haven’t been a Fulham fan for very long (only about four years). I live in the US and really didn’t follow the club game that much. I had grown up playing the game and would always pay attention to the US National team as well as the World Cup, but really didn’t follow the sport on a professional level. However, once I got my satellite dish in 2000, my eyes were opened to the many great leagues overseas, and in particular, the Premiership.
I watched as many matches as I could. I would avoid the scores from the previous weekend and watch the replays of matches at night after work. I watched Fulham a few times during this period after they got promoted in 2001 and became interested in some of their more notable players (Saha & Steed). Once Fulham bought McBride (my favorite US player), they became my team and with the ever increasing TV coverage in the US, I have been able to see most of our matches.
So, back to the visit, my tickets were for the Riverside stand near the Hammersmith end. My first impression of Craven Cottage when walking with my wife and Rich through Bishops Park to get to the match was “where the heck is the ground?” The Cottage really blends in well with its surrounding neighborhood. Once inside, I was surprised to see that it’s bigger than it appears on television. Usually, it’s the exact opposite. Must be the camera angle on TV.
Anyway, we rushed to our seats and were able to get there just in time for when the teams walk out. I had heard that the Riverside stand is known for being, how should I say this…understated. After sitting there for an entire match, I must say that the reputation is deserved. When I tried to join in with some of the singing that was coming from the Hammersmith, I did feel a bit inhibited because there was no one around me doing it as well. A chant that really made me laugh was the “stand up if you’re not Chelsea” that the Fulham fans did. Sure, the game changed not too long after that moment, but it was still a good one to hear.
After about 20 minutes, my neighbor and I developed a good running chat about all things Fulham. We dissected such topics as: 1) Sanchez’s job as a talent evaluator; 2) Niemi’s predominance to staying glued to his line (has to be attributed to his fall last year versus Watford) and 3) why Seol is cr*p. As a Yank who loves the beautiful game, it’s always nice to speak with fan from another country and not feel like they think you’re a total buffoon who doesn’t know what they’re talking about. I guess that I’ve listened to too much 606.
Another highlight was seeing the crowd’s affection for Bullard as he warmed up. For a player who had only made five previous appearances for the club, it’s incredible how much the fans have connected to him. He also seemed to be the only player who acknowledged the fans support at the end of the match. I was a bit disappointed by this. I’ve always enjoyed this part of our sport which is unique, especially in England. There always seems to be this emotional connection between the two groups, in good times and in bad. Hopefully, this was an aberration that I saw last Saturday.
Overall, the match was enjoyable for me, but it wasn’t really about the result that day (thankfully). It was about finally being there and seeing this special ground in person.
I was especially lucky to take the tour of the Cottage the following day. It was really neat to come back to the neighborhood on a non-match day and see how the landscape changes. There were tons of people out jogging, walking their dogs or just out for a Sunday stroll with their families. Again, because of the Cottage’s ability to fit in with the neighborhood, you hardly notice that you’re next to a football ground.
BTW, the tour is fantastic. For someone like me who had not spent much time at the ground yet, it gives you a whole new appreciation for it. The tour guide is a great guy (can’t remember his name, must be having a senior moment). He does it as a volunteer as he’s a lifelong Fulham fan and season ticket holder. I really commend him on his commitment to doing this.
They take you into the Cottage areas (the hospitality area, changing room, etc.) as well as the skybox and onto the pitch. The tour ends in the dining area where you can admire our trophies including the smallish 2002 Intertoto Cup which is about the size of an ice cream cone.
I have some great pictures of all of these areas (including me sitting in the dugout), but we haven’t got that roll of film back yet. I will make sure that I forward them along to Rich & Brian so they can post them later. If any Fulham fans haven’t been to the Cottage yet, I recommend it highly. You will not be disappointed.
Thanks for reading as well as to Rich and Brian for allowing me to write about this. Here’s hoping for three points at Bolton on Tues. Come on, Fulham! 


