THE GROUND
Craven Cottage
Stevenage Road
London
SW6 6HH
Apart from a two-year spell at Loftus Road, the home of Queens Park Rangers, when ground improvements were underway, Fulham have played at Craven Cottage since 1896.
The aforementioned redevelopment means the ground is now a 25,700 all-seater stadium.
The two ends of the ground, the Hammersmith End and Putney End, were seated during that period to add to The Riverside Stand, which backs on the River Thames and the Johnny Haynes Stand, a Grade II* listed building.
The Cottage Pavilion sits in one corner between he Johnny Haynes and Stand and the Putney End.
Away supporters are housed in a section of the Putney, behind one of the goals, and there is also a neutral section, as well as home supporters, in the other half of that stand.
The usual away allocation is around 3,000.
THE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
It is approximately six miles by road from Griffin Park to Craven Cottage.
The route is very simple, taking the A4 to the Hammersmith flyover and then joining Fulham Palace Road.
Turn on to Finlay Street and then Stevenage Road to reach the ground.
Parking around the ground is restricted to meters that can only be used for one hour – supporters driving are advised to park away from the stadium.
The nearest station is Putney Bridge, which is on the London Underground District Line and is less than a mile away.
Hammersmith London Underground station, on the Piccadilly, District, Circle and Hammersmith and City lines, is around 20 minutes away on foot.
Putney station is just over a mile from the ground.
Train travellers can get trains to Putney directly from Brentford, Richmond, Twickenham, Clapham Junction and London Waterloo.
Fulham Place Road is also served by many London Buses.
The Supporters’ Association will be running coaches to every game this season – details of times and prices will be announced in due course.
THE FIXTURES
Brentford will play Fulham at home on Saturday November 22
The Bees then travel to Craven Cottage on Good Friday, April 3.
THE RECENT HISTORY
Fulham ended a 13-year stay in the Premier League with relegation at the end of the 2013/14 season.
The Cottagers had established themselves in the top tier over the past decade, regularly finishing in the top ten and even reaching a Europa League Final.
But it all came crashing down last year.
Fulham had been a club on the up for many years.
Although they had a few years in the top flight in the 1950s and 60s Fulham were largely known as a lower division club and by 1996 were struggling to avoid relegation from the Football League.
But after promotion from the fourth tier in 1997 they were bought by Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed and surged through the divisions, reaching the top flight in 2001.
Although close to relegation in 2006 and, particularly, 2007, Fulham’s fall from grace was unexpected after five successive top-12 finishes, albeit Al-Fayed had sold up after the end of the 2012/13 season
They won just three of their first 14 games, taking ten points from them and were always in relegation trouble.
Manager Martin Jol left in early December and replacement René Muelensteen only lasted until mid-February.
The Cottagers were bottom when Felix Magath took over and although they picked up three wins in a month just before Easter, their fate was sealed when they were thrashed at Stoke City on the day Brentford collected a trophy to mark promotion from League One.
THE MANAGER
Felix Magath has been in charge at Fulham since mid-February, when he became their third manager during a turbulent 2013/14 season.
Magath is one of the most experienced managers in European football, having worked in Germany’s Bundesliga for most of the past 20 years.
During his playing days the 60-year-old won 60 caps for West Germany and was in the squad that won the 1980 European Championships and finished as runners-up in the 1982 and 1986 World Cups.
He also won a European Cup when at Hamburger SV.
During a long managerial career he returned to Hamburg as boss and also managed Bayern Munich to two Bundesliga titles.
Other clubs on his CV include Vfl Wolfsburg, FC Shalke 04 and VfB Stuttgart.
THE TOP SCORER
Steve Sidwell finished the 2013/14 as Fulham’s top scorer.
The central midfield player netted eight goals in all competitions, seven in his 38 Premier League games.
The 31-year-old spent three years at Fulham after a career that had seen him play in the top flight for Reading, Chelsea and Aston Villa.
He started out at Arsenal and had a loan spell at Brentford during the 2001/02 season.
Sidwell left Fulham to join Stoke on a free transfer at the end of the season.
THE KEY MEN
Fulham had problems at both ends of the pitch last season but they were more obvious in defence.
The Cottagers scored 40 goals last season, only five clubs scored fewer, but he 85 they conceded was the worst in the division by some way.
There have been changes in the close season with Sidwell’s departure added to those of Lewis Holtby – who returned to Tottenham Hotspur after playing 13 games on loan and Damien Duff, who played 15 Premier League games last season.
Midfield players Giorgos Karagounis, who played 14 games, and Mahamadou Diarra as well as defender John Arne Riise, who made 20 appearances, also left Craven Cottage this summer.
Defenders John Heitinga, who played 14 Premier League games after joining on a short term deal from Everton, and Sascha Reither, who played 31 games, and Brede Hangeland, who made more than 200 Premier League appearances for Fulham, were also among those leaving.
Philippe Senderos and Dimitar Berbatov, who both left on loan last year, have also departed.
Those remaining at Craven Cottage include former England midfield player Scott Parker and goalkeepers Maarten Steklenburg and David Stockdale.
Fulham have experience in the shape of Colombian striker Hugo Rodallega, Kieran Richardson, another former England man, Iranian international Ashkan Dejagah, who scored five Premier League goal last term, and Venezuelan defender Fernando Amorebieta.
Swiss international Pajtim Kasami and Sweden’s Alexander Kačaniklić are also present for the promotion push and Costa Rica international Bryan Ruiz will return from a loan spell at PSV Eindhoven.
Fulham have added defender Shaun Hutchinson, from Motherwell, Australian striker Adam Taggart, Tim Hoogland, from Shalke, and Swiss defender Kay Voser to yheir squad for their assault on The Championship.
THE FIRST MEETING
September 19 1898, Southern League Division Two – Fulham 1 Brentford 4
Brentford line-up: Pennington; Lugg, Lewis; Mayhew, Edney, Mattocks; Dailley, Ward, Booth, Richardson, Knapman
Brentford goal scorers: Edney, Booth (2), Knapman
Brentford’s firs away match after election to the Southern League ended in a comprehensive win.
THE LAST MEETING
April11 1998, Nationwide League Division Two – Brentford 0 Fulham 2
Brentford line-up: Dearden; Hutchings, Bates, Cullip, Hogg (sub Canham), Watson; Cockerill (sub Bryan), Aspinall; Rapley, Taylor (sub McGhee), Scott
Brentford’s battle to avoid relegation was hit as Fulham won at Griffin Park
THE MEMORABLE DAY
April 26 1992, Barclays League Division Three – Brentford 4 Fulham 0
Brentford line-up: Benstead; Statham, Millen, Evans, Hughton; Smillie, Ratcliffe, Kruszyński, Gayle; Holdsworth, Blissett
Subs (not used): Bates, Manuel
Brentford goal scorers: Holdsworth, Gayle, Blissett, Ratcliffe
Brentford scored four first half goals in a Sunday morning thrashing of Fulham to put themselves on the brink of promotion.
THE ODDS
Sky Bet is offering 10/1 on Fulham winning The Championship next season, making them fourth favourites.
Those who back The Cottagers can get ¼ of the odds if they finish in the top three.
Every bet you make with Sky Bet benefits Brentford FC – click here to see the Championship market.