{"id":192912,"date":"2025-10-06T10:23:21","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T10:23:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/192912\/"},"modified":"2025-10-06T10:23:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T10:23:21","slug":"fulham-fcs-riverside-stand-was-built-with-non-soccer-business-front-of-mind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/192912\/","title":{"rendered":"Fulham FC\u2019s Riverside Stand was built with non-soccer business front of mind"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fulham FC\u2019s several-months-old Riverside Stand is connected to a historic soccer stadium, Craven Cottage, making it, technically, a sports development project. But during years of project planning meetings, as a rule, Fulham\u2019s match day-focused executives were allowed into only the final 10 minutes of each discussion about the stand. <\/p>\n

From the beginning of the project, the roughly $134.5 million, six-story Riverside Stand\u2019s business pro forma and aesthetic were designed with a hotel in mind, not a sports stadium. <\/p>\n

Sure, a four-star hotel could land 20 to 25 large events each year (Fulham FC soccer matches in this analogy), but the hotel\u2019s core business would be built around the rest of the year\u2019s incremental bookings, not the two dozen biggies. Why should the Riverside Stand be any different?<\/p>\n

\u201cNinety percent of the meeting was how we would use the space in everyday mode, because that\u2019s 340 days a year,\u201d said Glen Sutton, director of Fulham Pier, which constitutes the stand, jutting out the backside of the stadium and over the River Thames, and its West London surroundings. \u201cAnd right at the end of the meeting, we\u2019d go, \u2018Right, now, match day. We\u2019ve just talked about creating this great members\u2019 club, this great hotel, this great restaurant space, this great food hall \u2014 what are we going to do on match day with that space?\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

\"\"An aerial view of Craven Cottage shows the stadium\u2019s West London location. Populous <\/p>\n

Populous Global Director and Senior Principal Declan Sharkey first met with Fulham FC and Craven Cottage owner Shahid Khan and club CEO Alistair Mackintosh in 2017. Everyone involved immediately understood that the location, on the banks of one of the world\u2019s most historically important waterways, was unusually phenomenal. Inspired by the picturesque setting and Khan\u2019s hotel ownership experiences, ideas pinged around the room during that first meeting. Could the stand be a members\u2019 club, with a Michelin-starred restaurant and a high-end hotel, but then become part of the stadium on match days?<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the answer,\u201d said Sharkey, \u201cwas immediately \u2018yes.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

The project began in 2019 and was delayed first by the COVID pandemic and again by contractor Buckingham Group Contracting going bust. The stand opened in May for the final two matches of the 2024-25 Premier League season. The resulting structure, a handsomely disguised workhorse, contains a food hall, restaurant, conference and performance spaces, members\u2019 club and a top-floor hotel and spa. <\/p>\n

The new stand increased Craven Cottage\u2019s capacity by 3,000 seats to 28,800 and raised its premium seating percentage from 1.5% to 10%, providing Fulham with a significant commercial revenue boost. The building sits above a new 200-plus-meter public walkway along a section of the Thames that\u2019s been closed off for at least a century, creating a valuable neighborhood asset that ensures footfall to Fulham Pier and its businesses every day of the week. <\/p>\n

This season will be the Riverside\u2019s first fully functional, and the timing couldn\u2019t be better as the Premier League\u2019s profit and sustainability rules (PSR<\/a>) crack down on clubs\u2019 rampant spending on player transfers that defined much of English soccer\u2019s 21st century. Similar to American college sports programs, Premier League clubs need to generate more revenue, with real estate proving one effective way to do so. But Fulham\u2019s Riverside Stand has taken the prioritization of stadium non-match-day business to a new level. <\/p>\n

\u201cLoads of venues out there are trying to figure out how to get more usage, more hours, more days out of their sports and entertainment venues. But most wouldn\u2019t be brave enough to put it at the bottom of the agenda of every design meeting,\u201d said Sutton. \u201cThat flicked everything on its head and that, for me, is the fundamental change that gives you what we have now, versus what other stadiums sometimes end up with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand at Fulham Pier \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand (Populous) \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand A view taken from a drone camera of Craven Cottage in Fulham, London. Picture date: Thursday April 10, 2025. (Photo by Jonathan Brady\/PA Images via Getty Images) (Jonathan Brady – PA Images\/Populous) \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 20: An aerial view of Craven Cottage and the River Thames prior to the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Chelsea FC at Craven Cottage on April 20, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse\/Getty Images) (Ryan Pierse\/Populous) \"\"Section render of the Riverside Stand A cutaway of the Riverside Stand, showing how it hangs over the River Thames. (Populous) \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand (Pierre Sheard\/Populous) \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 27: A general view (GV) of Craven Cottage during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Fulham and Bristol City at Craven Cottage on August 27, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson\/Offside\/Offside via Getty Images) (Charlotte Wilson\/Offside\/Populous) \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand (Pierre Sheard\/Populous) \"TheFulham FC’s Riverside Stand The Riverside Stand at Craven Cottage faces the River Thames in London. (Populous) \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 16: Riverside walkway and Riverside stand during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Luton Town at Craven Cottage on September 16, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens\/Getty Images) (Steve Bardens\/Populous) \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 16: <> during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Luton Town at Craven Cottage on September 16, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Christopher Lee\/Getty Images) (Christopher Lee\/Populous) \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand at Fulham Pier (james parsons\/Fulham FC) \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand at Fulham Pier (james parsons) \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand at Fulham Pier \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand at Fulham Pier \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand at Fulham Pier \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand at Fulham Pier \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand at Fulham Pier \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand at Fulham Pier \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand at Fulham Pier \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand at Fulham Pier \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 22: A general view of the stadium during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Crystal Palace FC at Craven Cottage on February 22, 2025 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Sebastian Frej\/MB Media\/Getty Images) (Sebastian Frej\/MB Media\/Populous) \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 16: <> during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Luton Town at Craven Cottage on September 16, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Christopher Lee\/Getty Images) (Christopher Lee\/Populous) \"\"Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand at Fulham Pier (james parsons) Riverfront<\/p>\n

Serious conversations about the Riverside Stand concept were underway within a few years of Khan buying the club in 2013<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Planning approvals were complicated because the stand would sit on the river. The six-story structure (one level is below grade) partly cantilevers over the water atop pilings, creating its curved architecture and helping maximize the minimal available space between the playing field and the river. Visually and physically connecting Riverside Stand visitors to the river was critical.<\/p>\n

\"\"The high-end space was designed with a hotel in mind. Fulham FC\u2019s Premier League matches were secondary considerations in the process. Populous <\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t want to drop a spaceship on the site,\u201d Sharkey said. \u201cIn many respects, it grew out of the site. But the history and heritage were big drivers.\u201d <\/p>\n

Craven Cottage is flanked on either side by large public parks, and enveloped by affluent and densely developed neighborhoods. The riverfront between the Hammersmith and Putney bridges was entirely walkable but for one stretch: the stadium. Before it opened in 1896, the area was part of the Bishop\u2019s Palace, private church property.<\/p>\n

Almost immediately after Fulham FC opened the gates to Fulham Pier\u2019s riverwalk in May, a jogger cruised past. He had headphones on and, according to Sutton, didn\u2019t hesitate or seek permission to run through the new walkway. He just did.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike it\u2019d been open forever,\u201d Sutton said. \u201cAnd a minute later, a lady came through with a buggy, and then someone else walking a dog, and it gave me great hope that the public was just going to adopt this as their own super quickly. Just take possession of it.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"\"Terrace seating allows visitors to dine al fresco. Populous <\/p>\n

The riverwalk is closed to the public on match days but otherwise open roughly 340 days annually. The club sets up DJs and public art commissions on the riverwalk to activate the space, and nearly 4,000 people were on-site to watch the most recent Oxford-Cambridge boat race, which passes Fulham Pier. Thousands more have run past the stand, following the first jogger\u2019s lead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think we knew what to expect,\u201d Sutton said. \u201cIt was just one of those moments that was special for us, but sort of insignificant to him on his run, and he\u2019ll never know how important it was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Build to the specification<\/p>\n

A sizable chunk of the Premier League is studying its stadium situation<\/a>. The Riverside Stand offers one alternative solution to building an entirely new venue, \u201cthe idea that you can develop a single stand and create a real catalyst and destination,\u201d said Sharkey, who is working on a similar project for Wrexham. <\/p>\n

The Riverside is a vertical village of sorts. The layers are increasingly exclusive the higher they are, peaking at the top-floor hotel and spa. Views are oriented toward the river, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows at every level of the Thames-facing side. <\/p>\n

\"\"Floor-to-ceiling windows brighten the Lighthouse Social bar and restaurant area. Populous <\/p>\n

Fulham FC self-developed the hospitality intellectual property \u2014 the Riverside Market (food hall), the Orange Box (theater\/entertainment space), Lighthouse Social (members\u2019 club), Brasserie Constance (restaurant), and the Fulham Pier Hotel \u2014 with expert help. Former SoHo House CMO Jamie Caring advised on Lighthouse Social, while Brasserie Constance was co-developed with Michelin-starred chef Adam Byatt, who is head of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts. Health and wellness maven Inge Theron<\/a> designed the hotel spa.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not all posh, though. The on-site daily activity<\/a> ranges from a meeting point for running clubs to pilates classes to comedy shows, private events and TED Talks. Layer on top the ever-present activity at the riverwalk level, including commercially at the Riverside Market\u2019s 10 food outlets, and it\u2019s a busy place.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got to start with that principal use right from the beginning,\u201d said Sutton. \u201cI think we\u2019re going to see more of this, because the fundamentals of construction costs both in the U.K. and in the U.S. is totally different in the two decades. It\u2019s so much more expensive now.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"\"The Brasserie features cuisine from a Michelin-star chef. Populous <\/p>\n

Fulham hired three interior designers, Stuart Forbes Associates<\/a>, Dion & Arles, and L\u00e1zaro Rosa-Viol\u00e1n <\/a>from London, Paris and Barcelona, for the restaurant, hotel, members\u2019 club and event spaces. Dion & Arles<\/a> designers had never watched a football match before, Sutton said. But, in collaboration with Stuart Forbes, they produced a Lighthouse Social that\u2019s super maximalist, containing 300 unique pieces of art and doused in bold and bright colors. Using one interior designer would have been easier and cheaper, but the resulting spaces look nothing like each other, or anything found in a stadium. <\/p>\n

What\u2019s absent from the Riverside Stand is Fulham\u2019s club colors or crest. There is only one permanent club logo in the building, and even it is in a very obscure location \u2014 the underside of a glass bridge that the chairman uses to access his seats in the stadium-side of the stand. Digital screens easily convert the stand into Fulham FC\u2019s space on match days. The Orange Box \u2014 designed by theater experts with retractable seating and state-of-the art production tech \u2014 is used as a sports bar when Fulham plays.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you stood in there on a match day, you\u2019d have very little inkling that actually what you\u2019re sitting in is a fully designed and specified theater performance space,\u201d Sutton said. \u201cIt\u2019s much easier to build to this specification and then dilute when you don\u2019t need all of that, than the other way around.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"\"The view of Fulham Pier from Fulham FC\u2019s Riverside Stand. Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand at Fulham Pier Generation<\/p>\n

The financial impact of Fulham\u2019s Riverside Stand project won\u2019t be publicly evident for another two years, until the club\u2019s 2026 annual report filing with the U.K.\u2019s Companies House. Only 400 of Craven Cottage\u2019s roughly 25,000 seats before the addition were premium, but that number is now 3,000 out of roughly 29,000, improving ticket yield significantly without having to raise prices on every seat in the stadium. For decades, English soccer clubs\u2019 easiest source of new revenue has been raising prices on their most loyal fans. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis development allows us to uncouple that relationship a bit, and lets us start generating revenues,\u201d said Sutton. \u201cWe may even be generating revenues, which we love to think about, from rival fans, who happen to be spending the afternoon there eating lunch. They\u2019ll be indirectly funding the first team, whether they like it or not. When I see people on-site and they\u2019re having lunch in the restaurant, and they say, \u2018We\u2019re Chelsea fans,\u2019 I say, \u2018You\u2019re even more welcome!\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

Fulham Pier, which includes the Riverside Stand, sits under the Fulham FC umbrella and the revenue it generates counts toward the club\u2019s PSR situation, unlike most American sports real estate developments, which are established as independent businesses to remain beyond the reach of collective-bargaining agreements. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis building that we\u2019ve built, about 50% and 60% of the revenues from this development are generated on non-match days,\u201d said Sutton. \u201cIt\u2019s a significant boost to club finances.\u201d<\/p>\n

Owing to Khan\u2019s ownership, Sutton has spent lots of time with executives from the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have commenced a $1.4 billion renovation of EverBank Stadium<\/a>. They took a keen interest in the Riverside Stand project, Sutton said, adding, \u201cI\u2019d be surprised if some of the learnings here don\u2019t seep into that development there, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riverside Stand will boost Fulham\u2019s match-day revenue<\/p>\n

Fulham FC generated roughly $24.7 million in match-day revenue during the 2023-24 season at Craven Cottage (with its pre-Riverside Stand 25,700 capacity). See below how that compared to other similarly sized and successful Premier League clubs, as well as some of the English top flight\u2019s giants.<\/p>\n

Club \/ capacity \/ match-day revenue \/ USD equivalent<\/p>\n

Similarly sized clubs<\/p>\n

Fulham (25,700): \u00a318.39M; $24.7M<\/p>\n

Crystal Palace (25,486): \u00a313.81M; $18.5<\/p>\n

Nottingham Forest (30,455): \u00a314.41M; 19.4M<\/p>\n

Brighton & Hove Albion (31,800): \u00a327.72M; $37.2M <\/p>\n

Wolverhampton Wanderers (32,050): \u00a316.19M; $21.7M<\/p>\n

Brentford (17,250): \u00a311.34M; $15.2M <\/p>\n

Bournemouth (11,329): \u00a36.53M; $8.8M<\/p>\n

Compared to much wealthier Premier League clubs: <\/p>\n

Manchester United (74,197): \u00a3139.1M; $186.9M<\/p>\n

Tottenham Hotspur (62,850): \u00a3105.8M; $142.1M<\/p>\n

Liverpool (61,276): \u00a3101.7M; $136.6M<\/p>\n

Arsenal (60,704): \u00a393.8M; $126M<\/p>\n

Chelsea (40,044): \u00a376.4M; $102.6M<\/p>\n

Manchester City (53,400): \u00a375.6M; $101.5M<\/p>\n

Newcastle United (52,264): \u00a350.1M; $67.3M<\/p>\n

Source: Companies House filings<\/p>\n

Note: Currency conversions as of Sept. 29, 2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fulham FC\u2019s several-months-old Riverside Stand is connected to a historic soccer stadium, Craven Cottage, making it, technically, a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":192913,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":[49,48,96102,14854,14803,39932,561,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-192912","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-soccer","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-fulham-fc","11":"tag-populous","12":"tag-portfolio","13":"tag-print","14":"tag-soccer","15":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=192912"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192912\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/192913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=192912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=192912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=192912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}