Fulham Football Club has unveiled its newly developed Riverside Stand, a project that has garnered attention for its luxurious offerings and exceptional design. This greenest of the green clubs’ stand at the club’s historic Craven Cottage stadium. It recently boasted an expansion of hospitality placements, with season tickets in excess of £3,000 – making their season tickets the priciest in the Premier League. This bold initiative aims to set a new benchmark in the matchday experience for supporters. Simultaneously, it addresses the daily realities of fiscal sustainability in a very resource-intensive competitive space.
The Riverside Stand has the UK’s biggest eight-tier hospitality section. Here, fans will have a chance to enjoy Michelin-star inspired menus, providing them an unmatched dining experience on match days. You too can get your VIP access to this members-only space—and the new ‘Sky Deck’—here. This beautiful rooftop venue covers three storeys and boasts a panoramic view over the River Thames and famous London skyline. This unique architectural design does more than improve aesthetics; it makes for an inspiring and energetic environment for fans and supporters.
The stand was designed to hold 28,000 spectators. It provides an amazing experience with some of the best seats available in the stadium, particularly ones located along the halfway line. Gate 51 is the main gateway, getting fans through the gates to access this new state-of-the-art facility. The concourse area is intended to get fans excited with various food kiosks and live music, creating an energetic atmosphere before each match.
The Riverside Stand Architect Phillip Johnson of the firm Populous designed the Riverside Stand. Yet it has faced lengthy setbacks from its initial target completion date of September 2021. The Covid pandemic brought major challenges to the ambitious project. Furthermore, we had difficulties in obtaining a lease for the River Thames. Fulham’s ownership continues to express confidence, even in those troubling times. They are confident that the new, larger stand will considerably improve fan experience and increase club income.
The Riverside Stand is a modern architectural and engineering marvel. It is unique in being a Grade II listed building and the oldest professional sports ground in the English game. This designation places significant restrictions on any modernization attempts, resulting in constant criticism from fan communities. The Fulham Supporters Trust has expressed concern over a season ticket price hike of 2.8%. They think this increase would ensure that some of their most hard-core fans don’t have access to the best features and amenities.
“Our ambition to be financially sustainable, as well as competitive on the pitch in an ever-demanding Premier League, are also always important factors when deliberating ticket prices.” – Fulham
In the face of the criticism, club officials argue that their pricing strategy has been unfortunately made necessary to maintain financial viability. As a result, project director Glen Sutton noted, the design philosophy of the Riverside Stand was a far cry from conventional football experiences.
“We thought way less about the average football experience. The design of this is much more similar to world-class hotels, cruise ships or restaurants than anything in football.” – Glen Sutton
Alistair Mackintosh, Fulham’s Chief Executive Officer, stood before the gleaming new stand with great pride. He noted that it has long been an aspirational dream for the club. He pointed out that besides the beautiful location along the Thames river, the hospitality space was quite rudimentary.
“Fulham has always been blessed with a wonderful location but until today not had wonderful hospitality.” – Alistair Mackintosh
The Riverside development includes a flexible community marketplace with ten independent traders, seven of these being local to the borough. This initiative is designed to strengthen community relationships and offer fans more varied, local fare during match days.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose INEOS company is the fulcrum of Fulham’s ownership. He doubled down on that pricing approach by arguing it’s in line with pricing at other clubs across the Premier League.
“I don’t think it makes sense for a Man United ticket to cost less than a ticket to see Fulham.” – Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Ratcliffe emphasized that being able to operate year-round attracts skilled workers to the hospitality services industry. This retention can be sizable fatality for most other entertainment attractions.
“By opening for 365 days a year, we can ensure we keep the best staff away from restaurants and hotels in the city which other sections of the entertainment sector struggle with.” – Sir Jim Ratcliffe
As the Riverside Stand welcomes supporters through its doors for the first time, it will mark an exciting new chapter for Fulham FC. The ownership envisions it as not just a home for a football team. They plan to open it up not just as an entertainment destination year-round.
“This has been a long time coming. We wanted the best stand in the world. Going way back, this was a real vision for me – but we had delays with Covid, and needing a lease for the River Thames.” – Alistair Mackintosh
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