Fulham F.C. is the oldest football club in London.
As the oldest professional football club in all of London, Fulham is awfully modest about this accolade. Considering tawdry ennobling of the other four London clubs who seem to feel the need to exclaim at every opportunity, both team and fans are more the strong, silent types. This is not to say Cottagers aren’t ardent supporters of their boys. No, its just that they would rather focus on playing the sport than building themselves up like every other London team.
A peacekeeper in an arena of fierce cross town rivalries, its worth mentioning that Fulham only has one London rival in Chelsea (but who doesn’t?). And unlike Tottenham, Arsenal and West Ham’s disdain for the “rich kids” club, Fulham’s gripe is the only one with merit: Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium is square in the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Talk about imposing!
Poised firmly in the middle of the rankings thus far, Fulham is likely to have a solid showing in the 2011 season. With absolute support in manager Mark Hughes and ex Harrods CEO Mohammed Al-Fayed, Fulham's squad - helmed by midfielder Danny Murphy - it will be interesting to see how the Cottagers fair as they enter the later half of the season.
Prefer to support London’s least obnoxious club? Why not take in a Fulham home match when next visiting the hotels in Kensington? Set on the grounds once used for hunting by Anne Boelyn and her compatriots, Craven Cottage Stadium is easily accessible to guests of the Kensington hotels via Putney Bridge Station. Easily the most charming stadium in an equally charming part of London, a visit to Craven Cottage is well worth it when next in the capital.
Adrian Fisher is a London-based freelance journalist with a mission to make you a better and happier human being. Drawing attention to the peculiarities of life in the modern age is all part of the package. Check out his other articles for everything you need to know about travel destinations and hotels.
