Fulham have unveiled lavish plans for their redeveloped Riverside Stand with a host of premium matchday experiences that club chairman Shahid Khan has said will be “unlike anything in football.”
The Riverside Stand was closed off to fans for renovation work in 2019, with the lower tier being opened to the public in 2022. Work on the upper tier is now complete and will be open to supporters from the start of the 2024-25 season.
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“My vision for the New Riverside Stand was to provide our fans, and our neighbourhood, with a destination that would continue to honour our history and tradition at Craven Cottage every day of the year, but especially so on matchdays with a premium experience that will be unlike anything in football, here in London or elsewhere,” Khan said in a statement.
There are seven matchday experiences on offer to fans in the Riverside Stand, with the top three floors comprising of a “Sky Deck” — a rooftop providing views of the London skyline and the Thames, along with “experiential food and drink pop-ups.” Images released by the club also show a swimming pool on “Sky Deck.”
There are two Michelin Star dining experiences available to fans in “The Gourmet” and “The Brasserie”, with the latter offering dual-views of an open-air riverside terrace to one side and views of the pitch from halfway line on the other.
Fulham have said they’ll be able to provide “most intimate football experience” with “The Dugout”, an offering whereby fans will have the chance to sit directly behind the coaching staff and take in the action. They will also have access to a bar enabled with immersive audio-visual technology.
“The Dugout” will be open to the public from the start of next season while the rest of the Riverside experiences are scheduled to open in Dec. 2024.
“Our vision for the New Riverside Stand at Craven Cottage was to create a unique experience that has not been seen before, whether in the context of football or beyond,” Philip Johnson, the lead architect of the New Riverside Stand project, said.
“It’s a privilege to bring this innovative design to life, with amazing spaces set to house incredible experiences for fans and guests and a world-class terrace that will drive the atmosphere in the ground, all set in a unique location on the banks of the Thames.”