FOREST AWAY: Fulham, Saturday 15th February – Fan Guide

I won’t be alone in wondering how things has transpired to mean I was still in the away end at Exeter past 11pm on a Tuesday evening. Clearly, our inability to overcome a spirited home side and Taiwo’s nasty injury meant that the delay couldn’t be helped, but it did once again throw up the ridiculous decision to move this game to midweek in the first place. Getting home gone 3am is not exactly reasonable, and I sympathise with Ipswich fans and further flung Forest fans who have more obstacles to overcome due to ITV scheduling our tie for a Monday night on their fourth channel.

Despite the frustration, it was an evening that will live long in the memory. Not for anything that Forest did; but to witness a really important match for our hosts. It seemed a shame to confine it to a Tuesday evening given the excitement that was being conjured up around St James’ Park in the hour or so before kick-off.

The Big Bank terrace was heaving long before the game began and the songs could be heard while many of us were still making our way towards the ground. There was also an impressive fleet of banners that were unveiled as the teams came out onto the pitch. And let’s not forget how fun it was to squeeze into an old terrace again, which gave a nostalgic feel alongside some of the old classic Wembley chants throughout the evening.

I wasn’t too familiar with Exeter’s story, but as a supporter run club evenings such as this one are clearly vital to them and although I wished we had made lighter work of it, I’m pleased they did at least have a memorable night.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION – FULHAM

Last Visit: A sorry evening as the Reds lost 5-0, although the support from the away end that night was rather special.

Famous Visit: April 2022 and a Philip Zinckernagel goal handed Forest a 1-0 victory to make us start to think that we might even snatch an automatic spot. In the end, everything worked out for the best.

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I remain of the opinion that Fulham have the best away end in the league. It’s not even a proper structure but the noise it helps to create and the spring in the boards beneath the feet make it a wonderful place to consume football. Be mindful of the columns towards the back which do hinder the view a little.

 

TRAVEL

RAIL: Lots of direct trains, none of them particularly cheap. A SplitSave ticket travelling via Kettering on Tranline.com comes up currently at £66 which seems to be the best price available.

I always advocate a look at going via Grantham or Peterborough too. I can’t see anything much better value from Grantham but if you can travel from Peterborough (either by driving there or getting a connection from Nottingham) and return is £24, although this will be restricted to certain trains. A return fare from Nottingham is about the same price so does offer a decent saving of around £15 compared to the direct trains, but if travelling in a group of 3 or 4 you should be able to save a third off the Nottingham – Peterborough leg which brings the price down further.

The best placed station for Craven Cottage is Putney Bridge, around a 10–15-minute walk to the away end. You’ll need a fair amount of time to get to and from here from the Kings Cross area, perhaps around 40 mins on the District Line.

ROAD: A few potential parking options below which is certainly not exhaustive:

Stanmore: Just off Jc4 of the M1 and usually a good and reliable option. Note that close to Stanmore is Canon Park which is the next stop down on the line but it only has a very small car park.

Edgware: Another stop I’ve used a few times. Close to Stanmore and at the very top of the Northern Line.

Watford: Jct 6 of M1. A long way out of London, but probably a reliable means of leaving your car and having a relatively hassle-free journey in and out.

Cockfosters: Jct 5 or 4 – not used this one before but apparently it has a large car park and is at the very top of the Piccadilly line which will leave a fair old journey down to Craven Cottage but is rather straightforward.

M25 West options: If you are okay with heading around the M25 westbound, stations like Richmond, South Ealing, Wimbledon may offer options a little closer to the stadium.

Luton Airport Parkway: Situated just off Jct 10 of the M1 this option cuts down a fair bit of travelling in the car. Note that this option can work out a bit more expensive as a return is around £13.69, plus a London underground / overground cost and a few quid to park, but be advised that if travelling in groups of 3 or 4 you can get a third off the return price making it around £9 each.

Of course there will be stations further round to the west which can be a good shout, and parking nearer to the ground is a possibility.

PUBS

Plenty of really good options for this one. The main away pubs are both quite close to Putney Bridge – The Temperance and, even closer, the Eight Bells which is pretty small and does get packed quickly. Close by is the Kings Arms which tends to have supporters from both clubs.

Across the bridge (left out of the station) you can wander into Putney where there are some other good options. The Rocket (Wetherspoons) is a regular starting point for many, while we have been regulars at the Coat & Badge over the years which is another which will have Fulham & Forest fans drinking together.

As an alternative, I’d also thoroughly recommend a bit of an alternative approach to the ground which we tried on our visit in 2022/23. We got a tube to Stamford Brook and began at the Black Lion close to the Thames. Sticking close to the river, we began a pub crawl of around 4-5 pubs which included the Old Ship, the Blue Anchor and the City Arms. The final pub was about a ten-minute walk to the ground.

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Thanks for reading. If you are travelling, we’ll see you down there.

Up the Reds.

Matt