FOOTBALL | ALYSON RUDD

Fulham’s state-of-the-art stand with a pool — what is not to love?

Alyson Rudd visited the jazzy structure that sits on Thames with the panache of a luxury cruise ship. Her only gripe is that you can’t watch a match while bobbing about on an inflatable unicorn
The rooftop swimming pool makes the new stand at Craven Cottage the swankiest in the world
The rooftop swimming pool makes the new stand at Craven Cottage the swankiest in the world
FULHAM FC

Away fans at Craven Cottage have been known to sing: “Where’s your butler gone?” They may now consider adding quips about personal shoppers and Michelin stars because Fulham have released details of just how darned posh a visit to their stadium will be by the end of the year.

“See inside a new world-class match-day experience,” we are told before a virtual tour of “The Riverside”, which west Londoners can see whenever they stroll between Barnes and Putney. The new stand, costing about £120 million, sits on the Thames with the panache of a luxury cruise ship. It is a quite stunning piece of architecture, not least because it forms part of one of the more quaint football stadiums. You have the Cottage, which is