Fulham Club Information

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About Fulham Football Club

Fulham Football Club is an English football team based in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they celebrated their 125th anniversary in 2004, and they are in the top tier of English football, the FA Premier League. Fulham are the oldest professional football team in London, usually considered to have been founded in 1879 (though Cray Wanderers F.C. are the oldest team in London still in existence).

They spent much time in the old First Division through the 1960s, but are yet to gain any major honours. In 1975, as a Second Division team, they contested the FA Cup final for the only time in their history, losing 2-0 to West Ham United. Fulham qualified for the UEFA Cup in 2002 by winning the Intertoto Cup, beating Bologna 5-3 in the final over two legs. In the UEFA Cup, they won through two rounds before being defeated by Hertha Berlin. In the mid-1990s they had a brief spell in the former Fourth Division, but they recovered spectacularly by the early 2000s.

They currently play at Craven Cottage, their famous home since 1896, a riverside ground on the banks of the River Thames in Fulham, having spent two years at Loftus Road while Craven Cottage was undergoing renovations to bring it up to Premier League standards. The club's training ground is located near Motspur Park (and was where Chariots of Fire among others was filmed), where Fulham's Academy is also situated, including a mini-stadium where the reserves play. The Fulham Ladies' team also played the majority of their games here prior to being dissolved in the summer of 2006.

Fulham's Rivalries

Chelsea FC are another Premier League football team, also based in Fulham; this creates a clear rivalry between the two clubs (known as the 'West London Derby'). Fulham fans have incorporated this rivalry into several of their football chants, such a parody of the Chelsea's 'blue flag' song. It is interesting to note that Chelsea owe their existence to Fulham: by turning down an invitation of the owners of Stamford Bridge because of the recent completion of the Johnny Haynes Stand in 1905, Chelsea were established to play in Fulham's place. Fulham also have strong rivalries with the two other West London clubs QPR (with which they share a borough) and Brentford, although these rivalries have not been exercised for several years because of these two teams being in different divisions to Fulham.

Fulham have lesser rivalries with other London clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham, Arsenal, Charlton Athletic, and Crystal Palace, all of which Fulham have played regularly during recent seasons.

Outside of London, Gillingham are still considered rivals to Fulham despite the two clubs having played in different divisions for the past eight years. Fulham and Gillingham have been involved in several high-tempered matches in the lower leagues. The unfortunate death of a Fulham fan outside Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium in 1998 has only served to intensify the bad relationship between the clubs' fans.

On 19 March 2006, Fulham recorded their first victory over Chelsea in nearly 27 years, with a goal from Luís Boa Morte. In a very heated and controversial game, Didier Drogba had a goal disallowed for a hand ball, and Chelsea's William Gallas was sent off for a late challenge on Heidar Helguson, which led to a melee between the two sets of players. A pitch invasion by both sets of fans following the final whistle led to some skirmishes and arrests and resulted in an FA probe. A roller-coaster of a game in December 2006 (during which Moritz Volz scored the 15,000th goal in Premier League history) ended 2-2.

Fulham Grounds and Stadiums

Between the years 1879 and when Fulham had a ground to call their own in 1896, they played at a number of stadiums, only some of which were recorded and this should not be regarded as a full or complete list[citation needed]. Only QPR has played at more more home stadiums. Some of the early grounds listed below are likely to have been park/parkland which has now been developed on. Even when the club purchased Craven Cottage and the surrounding land in 1894, they had to wait two years before they could play a game there.