Medical Emergencies At Craven Cottage

Fulham Football Club would like to make supporters and visitors aware of important information and guidance to ensure the safety of everyone attending matches at Craven Cottage. The health and safety of everybody attending matches is of paramount importance, so fans can be reassured that all clubs have a Matchday Medical Plan, with dedicated crowd medical teams in stadia, ready to assist during the match.

If a supporter becomes unwell at Craven Cottage and requires medical assistance, then we strongly advise that the nearest steward is made aware, who will ensure that the crowd medical team is notified and that appropriate care is provided. It is important to note that the responsibilities of the crowd medical teams are separate to club medical support teams for players.

In recent seasons, a number of Premier League and EFL matches have been paused while medical treatment has been provided to supporters. On several occasions, the usual Matchday Medical Plan has been bypassed with members of the clubs’ on-pitch medical teams called in to assist.

Supporters are asked not to alert players or staff on the pitch, as in most cases the crowd medical team will be able to provide medical care as the match continues. Should a situation arise where there is a need for the match to be halted, a decision will be taken between the crowd medical team, the ground safety team and the match officials, with the information relayed to the supporters at the ground.

This is in line with the briefing note produced by the National Events Medicine Advisory Group (NEMAG), in conjunction with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) and football authorities. Again, it is important to remember that if you have any concerns or need assistance while at the match, then please notify your nearest steward.

Someone requiring medical attention

We are all part of the Fulham Family, looking out for one another, and we would like everyone to enjoy their experience and to stay safe. The following guidance is encouraged in the event of someone requiring medical attention:

Report an incident to a steward by providing clear, concise information about the situation and location, as they will need to relay this to the Safety Officer.

Steward positions

Note that stewards located at the front of the stands and at the segregation line in the Putney End aren’t able to leave their positions as their roles are to ensure effective emergency evacuation should the need arise. In these positions, the steward would signal for a supervisor to make contact with the Control Room. Stewards in all other areas are able to leave their post and either locate a supervisor, respond to a situation, or use an emergency phone to contact the Control Room.

Stewards are present in all stand access stairways and supporters can ask for their assistance. There are emergency phones linked directly to the safety Control Room near all exit gates, these are permanently supervised by stewards.

Each stand has a Stand Manager and two Safety Supervisors. One Safety Supervisor will always be located in the front trackway, the other will be roving. If the incident is non-urgent, consider using the FULSTOP text messaging service by texting FULHAM, plus details of the incident, to 60066.

Medical team position

Medical teams (in green uniform) are located at the end of concourses pre-match and at half-time, and on accessibility decks in all stands during the match. These are located at: Riverside Stand – either end of the lower tier, Hammersmith End – Block H1, Putney End – Block P2 & Johnny Haynes Stand – Block AL.

Further info

Whilst there are crowd medical teams on matchdays who are able to provide immediate assistance, when visiting the ground or surrounding area on a non-matchday, a defibrillator is located at Security Gate 50 behind the Hammersmith End, at the entrance and exit to Stevenage Road. Fulham Football Club has registered this facility on the British Heart Foundation’s Circuit website for the use of the public and emergency services. The security is operated 24 hours a day.