FOREST AWAY: Fulham, Monday 22nd December – Fan Guide
Utrecht was another amazing experience. A lot of work from various groups and individuals went into ensuring it was a safe and enjoyable trip for what I gather was around 3,000 Reds. It was nice to hear that this guide was a much utilised and appreciated tool for many of you. The Utrecht authorities I had communicated with in advance of heading out to Holland had seemed nervous about what was in store – I subsequently learned they had difficulty with Porto fans who had visited the city recently which may have caused their apprehension – but I am sure that they must have been really pleased with the conduct of Forest supporters.
Having advised of some fairly stringent procures to control Forest fans – notably around drinking in Utrecht and the boarding of buses after the game – it was good to see and hear that on the day of the game there was greater flexibility as had been requested. We were able to sample a few bars across the city in the afternoon, and I was glad to hear that there was some relaxation of rules to allow Forest fans to depart the stadium of their own accord and drink freely in Utrecht after the match. That urinal next to the turnstiles is surely one of the most bizarre things I’ve witnessed in a football stadium by the way, although it certainly made a lot of sense!
Hopefully, the fan zone can be something that becomes a more regular sight, not necessarily to house all Forest fans in one place as many will want to explore a new city rather than be confined to one space, but to make all fans welcome and provide a place for those without tickets to watch the game together. There has been a little bit of resistance I’ve noticed about fans travelling without tickets. While there is some understanding of why this might cause a problem, the original comms around Utrecht were particularly harsh on ticketless fans I thought until the fan zone was introduced. As Utrecht demonstrated, it’s surely better to realise that many more than will qualify for tickets will want to live that experience and to try and accommodate that. As I understand it, the Braga allocation is unlikely to meet demand despite the best efforts of NFFC & Notts Police to gain a greater volume of tickets, and so hopefully the great atmosphere of Utrecht can lead to similar considerations for those travelling without tickets to Portugal.
There has been a few other bits of feedback I’ve received and I’ll put these to Forest and Nottinghamshire Police ahead of the Braga game in January, but overall Utrecht was a really good few days which combined nicely with a first win in Europe for thirty years. That this was followed up by an impressive victory over Spurs a few days later has certainly helped improve the outlook on Trentside.
A win at Fulham will do much to haul us further away from trouble and provide some more festive joy.
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A quick word on the recently publicised details for Wrexham in the FA Cup. I fear that there hasn’t been much consideration made to those headed to Fulham as there is a clear clash with the 2pm Priority One sales window. Given that many of those headed to London on a Monday three days before Christmas I’d imagine many of those same supporters will be aiming to make the visit to Wrexham too.
At the time tickets go on sale for this level of membership, many fans will be travelling and unable to log on to secure their tickets. That there isn’t a huge allocation and a ticket won’t be guaranteed this feels like particularly poor timing, although I acknowledge that it will have been harder than usual to find an appropriate date and time due to the upcoming holidays.
This may not seem like a big deal to Forest or other unaffected supporters, but little bits of consideration around this can help a lot and save on a bit of anxiety for fans.
AWAY DAY No.13 – Fulham, Monday 22nd December, 8pm KO
Last Visit: A 2-1 defeat in February of this year. We have been pretty underwhelming in our three visits to Craven Cottage since promotion with three straight losses so hopefully we change that this time.
Memorable Visit: It might not be remembered by many outside of Nottingham but John Terry cut his football teeth in the defence of a pretty average Nottingham Forest team. I can still recall his display at Fulham in April 2000 which helped us earn a 1-1 draw. The away end was a lot different then; a large open terrace behind the goal.
Away End: Although the stand still feels like a temporary structure with its plywood floors and open concourse, it’s been in place for a fair old while now. And I still maintain it’s possibly the best away end in the Premier League, although you may disagree if you get stuck behind one of the hefty columns towards the back of the stand. As usual, Forest fans will be in the left side although as the only entrance / exit is on the other side supporters do mix pretty freely in certain areas below.
Sunglasses / Hat Requirement: 0/10. 8pm in December, we won’t have much glare!
TRAVEL
RAIL: There are plenty of trains from Nottingham into St Pancras, generally taking between 1hr 40mins and 2hrs. Have a look at the options of splitting your return ticket up at Kettering as this can often work out cheaper than buying one overall return, although fares still seem very high at around £70 even doing this. Should you need to you can have a look at going via Grantham too but prices on that line don’t seem to be as good value as they once did for the extra hassle of having to change trains. And I don’t believe there will be a late service to get you back from Grantham.
After the game, the 22:35 will be a hell of an ask to make and I don’t think you’d be able to see the final whistle and make it back to St Pancras in time. That’s unfortunate as the next and final service back to Nottingham is the 23:35 which does not get back until 02:40!
The closest station to Fulham is Putney Bridge on the District Line, a 10–15-minute walk from the away end. I usually find it a bit better than most other London Premier League clubs in that you don’t tend to end up queuing outside; in most instances you’ll be on and off trains without much fuss. It’s around a 45/50-minute journey back up towards Kings Cross / St Pancras so make sure you allow enough time.
ROAD: My preference is always to try and use a north London train / underground stop, but it’s a fair old journey down to Putney Bridge from stations at the top of the map. Still, it does save a lot of hassle driving around and in to West London. The likes of Edgware and Stanmore at Jct 4 of the M1 are usually pretty reliable and further afield you could also look at leaving the car at Luton Parkway which can end up a bit quicker but also more costly.
If heading around trying to pick up a station closer to Fulham, then South Ealing is handily placed or you could carry on further to Wimbledon which is a few stops down from Putney Bridge.
I believe there are a few car parks very close to the ground and some paid street parking should you wish to drive in as close to Craven Cottage as you can, but I’d suggest doing some further research before setting off. As with the City Ground, the proximity to the river can make it a bit of pain getting about.
PUBS
There are plenty of options for drinking and not too many restrictions on where away supporters drink. The Temperance is the main away venue, just across the road from Putney Bridge Station. Even closer is the Eight Bells but this is only a small establishment and does seem to attract a few home fans too. Close by is the Kings Arms which I’ve only been in once and seemed to be a fairly even split of both home and away supporters.
Should you have the time, which isn’t guaranteed on a Monday evening I realise, then I’d recommend a trip across Putney Bridge (the actual bridge over the Thames) and try the Coat & Badge which is a really nice pub. Close by is a Wetherspoons called The Rocket although I’ve never been in.
For the last couple of weekend visits to Craven Cottage, we have ventured further away and enjoyed a pub crawl to the ground from the Black Lion close to Stamford Brook tube station (also on the District Line). Sticking close to the river, you can pick up another 4-5 splendid pubs – including the Old Ship, Blue Anchor and the City Arms – before arriving at Craven Cottage from the opposite site from Putney Bridge Station.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. The away guide will return in 2026 for the trip to Villa Park.
Up the Reds.
Matt