Photographer Tracks The Evolution of Fulham's New Stand
Charles Pinder has documented the project over five years
Craven Cottage Riverside Stand. Picture: Charles Pinder
November 25, 2024
A local photographer who has been following the evolution of Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand has published a series of photos charting its development over the last five year.
Charles Pinder, who used to work for the Daily Mirror, used his iPhone to record the sometimes-stuttering progress of the new waterfront landmark during his regular walks between Hammersmith and Putney Bridges.
His original intention was to show the photos to his daughter who was studying architecture at Glasgow university.
He said, "In lockdown I spent every day walking along the towpath, and watched the evolution of the stand.
"In the early months, on matchdays, you could see the ball flying into the air!"
His series of pictures, tells the story of the project with his favourite image being the one of the completed stand reflected in the river shown above.
When all internal work is finished, and every seat occupied, the stand will add 8,000 to the stadium's capacity, taking it to nearly 29,000.
Started in the first Covid lockdown, the project has altered the skyline of a stadium that has been Fulham's home since 1896 and is, "a real game-changer," says club chairman Shahid Khan.
Fulham's Riverside Stand over five years. Picture: Charles Pinder
Fulham blogger, Morgan Phillips, says: "There's now a seamless link between the park and the riverside path."
Where pedestrians once faced a detour around the ground, there's now awaterfront promenade stretching 6-11 meters wide over the river. It's open to all except on match days when it's needed for crowd control.
Meanwhile, the new restaurants in the seven-tier structure are due to open by Christmas.
Fulham fan, Septuagenarian David Heaton, recently experienced the Riverside Stand. He reported, "We arrived rather late at 2.40pm, but access was queue-less and easy. The downstairs area is spacious and upmarket; not like a football ground at all.
"There was a fantastic view of the pitch, the game and – as a bonus – a great view of London, including the top of Stamford Bridge!"
As a six-footer, David found the legroom good, with the plastic seats much easier than the tiny wooden seats of yesteryear in the Grade ll listed Johnny Haynes Stand.
The lower tier of the Riverside opened in 2022, although season tickets start at £2,500, compared to £600 in other parts of the ground.
Value Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |