Following this morning’s news regarding plans for the Riverside development at Craven Cottage, the Club can now provide further details on the transition process for Season Ticket Holders, ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.
The development works at Craven Cottage will commence this summer, and to enable the Club to continue playing its matches at Craven Cottage whilst work on the Riverside Stand is in progress, the ground’s capacity will reduce to around 19,000, with the Hammersmith End, Putney End and Johnny Haynes Stand accommodating all supporters for both the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons.
The complex process of relocating supporters will involve moving all Season Ticket Holders from the Riverside Stand to pre-allocated seats which are currently available in the Putney End and the Hammersmith End. To ensure that rows of seats are kept together as practicably as possible, and that every Season Ticket Holder is offered a seat for next season, those currently located in the lower sections of all blocks in the Riverside Stand will be relocated, principally, to the front sections of the Hammersmith End and, where seats are available, to other areas of this stand. Those in the remaining, upper, areas of the Riverside Stand will be offered a season ticket in Blocks P1, P2, P3 or P4 in the Putney End.
In addition, the construction process will affect blocks in the Hammersmith End located closest to the Riverside Stand: Block H8 and a small section of H7 will need to be vacated. Therefore, supporters located within these areas will also be provided with details of relocation within the Hammersmith End.
Substantial improvements in addition to the Riverside Stand development will take place in other areas of the ground, including accessibility works to create an improved experience for supporters, meeting necessary statutory standards, as we strive to continue to ensure that Craven Cottage remains a welcoming venue for all. This will result in a small number of seat losses across blocks H1 and H2 in the Hammersmith End, and Season Ticket Holders affected by these accessibility works will be contacted by the Club directly.
Fulham Football Club CEO Alistair Mackintosh said: “An incredible amount of work has already gone into the Riverside development, as well as the process for the transition of Season Ticket Holders during the two-year period of which the Riverside Stand will not be available. We are, however, delighted that we will continue to play our home fixtures at Craven Cottage during the build process, despite many logistical challenges, as the importance of Craven Cottage to our Chairman, our team and our fans is never underestimated.
“The Club has maintained a dialogue with the Fulham Supporters’ Trust throughout this process and I thank everyone who has been involved so far, along with the valuable feedback we have received to enable us to reach this stage. There is, however, still much work to be undertaken and we thank you for your understanding during what will be a challenging period.”
The capacity at Craven Cottage during the next two seasons will be significantly reduced. From this Friday (24 May), 2019/20 Season Tickets will go on sale to existing Season Ticket Holders, and supporters will start to receive full information via post, email and online, regarding the price of their seat, details of relocation for those affected by the development, as well as the deadline date to purchase.
Supporters are advised to check their post and email from this Friday and refer to fulhamfc.com for further updates.
We appreciate the patience and understanding of supporters during the extensive discussions and planning needed prior to final details being confirmed regarding arrangements for next season.