COTTAGERS MOVE TO LOFT

By Paul Holland
June 12 2002

FA Premier League giants Fulham Football Club will play the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool at Loftus Road while Craven Cottage has a face lift.

Fulham's Craven Cottage currently has a capacity of 18,623 but only has 7,023 seats installed. By Premier League rules all Football Clubs in Premier League must be a all-seated stadium within the first five years of being promoted if they wish to stay in the League.

Originally the plan was that Fulham would move to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's 42,500 seated stadium, but Chelsea refused and now Queens Park Rangers have accepted.

The Cottagers will move to Loftus Road (which has a capacity of 19,148) for one season while building work will be carried out on Craven Cottage and making it into a 25,000 all seated stadium.