In this post I’ll cover my experience attending a Fulham vs. Manchester United game at Craven Cottage. It was my first time going to a Premier League game there. I had been to a Fulham home game before, but they were in the Championship (2nd division) at the time. This was a much more intense and entertaining game experience than my previous one.
- Background
- Teams involved
- How I got tickets
- How I got to the game
- The game
- Leaving the stadium
- Conclusion
Background
I went to this game during my January 2025 trip to London (I also saw Tottenham play in the Europa League during that trip, which they eventually won by defeating Manchester United in the final!).
I had wanted to return to Craven Cottage for a few years so I checked Fulham’s home games and saw that they would play Manchester United while I was in London. I had never seen Manchester United in a competitive match (I saw them play a friendly against the Seattle Sounders many years ago), so that was an additional incentive for me to get tickets.
Teams involved
Fulham F.C. was founded in 1879 and is the oldest professional football club in London. They have played their home games at Craven Cottage since 1896. Craven Cottage is a classic and beautiful stadium. It is right next to the River Thames, which adds to its allure. Another interesting feature is the fact that one of the stadium corners has an actual cottage. It is not the cottage that gave the stadium its name, but it is still a very cool sight.
Manchester United is one of the most famous football clubs in the world. It has a rich history with many titles, including thirteen FA Cups and three Champions League titles. Their home stadium is Old Trafford, also known as the “the theatre of dreams”. Many world-renowned players have played for them, including Ryan Giggs, who played for them from 1990 to 2014! I actually got an autograph from Ryan Giggs when Manchester United played the Seattle Sounders in a friendly (he was an assistant coach at the time). My favorite player, Radamel Falcao, also played for them, though his time there was much shorter (only one season).
How I got tickets
Getting tickets for this game involved a similar process to the other games I’ve attended in England. I checked the game schedule and ticket information for Fulham and added a reminder to my calendar to look for tickets at the beginning of the open sale phase. When that day arrived I quickly logged into my Fulham account and got a ticket in the Hammersmith Stand, behind one of the goals. Once I got the purchase confirmation, I had an option to add the ticket to my digital wallet, which I did. That made the process of entering the stadium really easy the day of the game.
How I got to the game
This game took place on Sunday, January 26th 2025. A few hours before the game I went to a Formula 1 exhibition in East London (by the Custom House tube station). From there, I took the Victoria line to Paddington station. From Paddington, I took the District Line to Putney Bridge station, which is in Fulham and not too far from Craven Cottage. As soon as I walked out of the station I saw people selling scarves for the game and a group of Fulham fans heading to the game.
I followed the group and walked along the River Thames and through Bishop’s park. It had rained during the day so there were many puddles on the path but it was a nice walk by the river. It was very exciting to finally see the stadium lights as I approached Craven Cottage.
I walked around the stadium to check out the surroundings and take in the pre-game ambiance. I also stopped by the team store and it was full of people. I took advantage of the opportunity to buy Fulham’s home jersey.
I then made my way into the stadium, which was very quick (I scanned the ticket from my digital wallet) and found my section in the Hammersmith Stand. I was just a few rows behind the goal and used the time before the game to take pictures of the surroundings.
The game
This was a very entertaining football game, with multiple goal scoring opportunities. Fulham had most of the chances in the first half (I don’t think Manchester United had a clear shot on goal), but they were not able to score. In particular, Alex Iwobi had a good first half and a few shots on goal that were handled well by Onana.
During the half time break Edwin van der Sar was honored by Fulham. He played there from 2001 to 2005.
During the 2nd half, Fulham attacked the goal on my side of the stadium so I had a great view of very good scoring opportunities. It was really fun to jump up with everyone in my section when there were clear scoring opportunities. In the end, it wasn’t Fulham’s night and, though they had many more chances to score, Manchester United won the game with a score of 0-1. The goal came through a long range shot from Lisandro Martinez. The ball hit a Fulham player and took a deflection to keep Leno from making the save. Fulham kept attacking and trying to score after the goal but it never came.
Overall, it was a great experience. It would have been great to see the home team win but I appreciated the fighting attitude from Fulham and the fact that they kept attacking until the final whistle.
Leaving the stadium
I decided to try a different route after the game and walked from Craven Cottage to the Hammersmith tube station. There are also buses you can take from the stadium to that station. Once I got to Hammersmith station, I took the Hammersmith & City line to Euston Square station, which was close to my hotel.
Conclusion
I highly recommend going to a Fulham game. The stadium is beautiful and the energy during the game is palpable. The process of getting to the stadium was very simple and everything was very well organized. Also, from the stadiums I have visited, I am pretty sure Craven Cottage is the oldest and most classic one I have been to. Definitely go to a game there if you have a chance, or at least do a stadium tour (I plan to do that next time I am in London).