Fulham believe their swanky Riverside Stand will set a new standard for hospitality in football. City A.M. went down to Craven Cottage to take a look.
Where is the Premier League’s most luxurious hospitality to be found? Tottenham Hotspur have strong claims with their Tunnel Club, where guests pay £16k a season to feast on fine dining while watching the players trot out onto the pitch. Or perhaps it is the old-school refinement of Arsenal’s Diamond Club, an invite-only affair costing a cool £25k a year.
From next season there will be a new posh kid on the block. Fulham are readying their swanky new Riverside Stand, which features Michelin-starred chefs on rotation, unmatched views across London and an open-air swimming pool. The club believe the facility, new details of which are revealed today, will be a match for anything their more celebrated rivals are touting.
Fulham owner Shahid Khan believes it will be “a premium experience that will be unlike anything in football, here in London or elsewhere”. Lead architect Philip Johnson said: “Our vision for the new Riverside Stand at Craven Cottage was to create a unique experience that has not been seen before, whether in the context of football or beyond.”
Naturally, access to the Riverside Stand doesn’t come cheap. Membership to the Gourmet, its most exclusive section, costs around £10k, but insiders believe that represents better value than some competitors. And there are more affordable options, including the football-focused Dugout, a stylish bar where fans might get to meet coaches before taking seats just 3.5m from the pitch.
What sets the Riverside apart from other sports hospitality projects is Fulham’s determination to take advantage of their unique location on the banks of the Thames by creating 365-day-a-year destination. Its various restaurants will be open every day for non-matchgoing diners, while there is also a hotel, health club and of course the only rooftop pool in English football.
It was conceived by Populous, the go-to sports arena designers behind Tottenham and the Emirates as well as Wembley, the Principality and Aviva Stadiums but for whom this still represented a new challenge. “Essentially we were asked to maximise capacity while maximising the potential of the site next to the river,” Johnson told City A.M.
Work began on the Riverside almost five years ago and completion has been hit by delays caused by the original constructors going bust. But the seats have all been installed and the lower tier and Dugout bar are set to open for the start of next season, with the remaining areas expected to be ready by December this year.
The public can buy tickets from 9 April and will get a closer look on Saturday when the Thames path that runs behind the stand is opened for those watching the Boat Race. The walkway has always been closed but it is hoped that pedestrian access and food trucks parked by the stand will help the club’s ambition to entice visitors year-round.
While the Riverside is designed for the well-heeled consumer, the football is no afterthought. The modern stand will bump Craven Cottage’s capacity by more than 3,000 and features sound-reflecting technology to optimise atmosphere. Plus, the more money that is spent at the ground, the better the club is equipped to challenge on the field.
It is a consideration clubs can’t ignore in an era when English football clubs’ spending is being regulated like never before. Says Khan: “It’s about offering the ultimate match day hospitality experience in the world that will also benefit the long-term promise and future of Fulham Football Club. The new Riverside Stand at Craven Cottage will make it possible.”
For more information visit www.fulhamfc.com/riverside-redevelopment
