With far more spare time on my hands than normal, I’ve found myself making the long trip to Fulham far more often than usual of late. The more frequent my trips, the more apparent it becomes that seating choice really can make or break a game for me.
Sitting in row Z of the Riverside Stand against Aston Villa, the only real noise I could make out was that of the Midlanders. To add insult to injury too, the bulk of their chants were aimed at the lacklustre response from us in the Riverside Stand.
However, once you take a seat far closer to the Hammersmith End, the only real noise that becomes apparent is that of the Fulham faithful, and it becomes all the more difficult to make out the songs coming from the away support.
Once you’re in the Hammy End itself, it’s practically impossible to notice the away fans even exist.
So, that has got me thinking; is it all in the design of the Cottage?
Craven Cottage is rather unique for a Premier League ground, possessing four open corners: Four open corners where plenty of sound is lost.
The majority of the noise from the home fans will appear from the Hammy End, with The Riverside Stand being overly family orientated. It would be an interesting experiment to see just how far that noise travels, as I expect it struggles to make it over the half way line.
That is, I must say, to no fault of our own, but, it can be rather embarrassing when mocked by travelling supporters.
Overall though, it must be recognised that we are a ‘Family Club’ and many fans in the Cottage are purely there for a fun day out. Good on them; and good choice, I must add!
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