A Tale of Two Clubs

Today we made a discovery that showed us the amount of difference that can occur between clubs, even when they are both in the Premier League. First our journey took us to Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea Football Club. As we turned the corner out of the tube station the first thing we noticed was the massive structure in front of us. The size and quality of the building rivaled that of the almost brand new Emirates Stadium we had visited not too long ago. The fan friendly area around the stadium showed that the Bridge is used to tourists’ visits. We then walked into the reception area through great revolving doors and were met by a very friendly Chelsea employee. After we gave him our pitch about the purpose of our visit he gave us ways to contact various personnel in the club. He then asked if we had any questions that we would like to ask him. We asked him about how he specifically had become a Chelsea fan and how a person’s upbringing affected the club they supported. His simple answer was family. After talking briefly we discovered that he had grown up in a divided household, his father a Manchester United supporter and his mother a Chelsea fan. He explained that because of his proximity to the Chelsea ground, he decided to pick Chelsea. We then asked if there was a division that occurred in the family because of this. He said that on match days between Manchester United and Chelsea, his father would not speak to he or his mother and that whichever side lost was literally brought to tears and the winning side would continue the ridicule for weeks to come. Quite simply, he put, “It’s always horrible”. After this pleasant impromptu interview, we bid the Chelsea area farewell and hopped on the tube heading to Fulham. Little did we know how drastically different this adventure would be.

Exiting the station we were, this time, confronted with a small sign reading “Fulham Football Club” and pointing straight into an apartment complex. After a few minutes of confused wandering, we found the Thames Walk and another sign pointing to our goal…over 1000 yards away. As the sun set, very very early as is the norm here, the temperature dropped, and the setting very quickly became suitable for a cheesy horror movie. With crows watching from a cemetery adjacent to the path we trudged on our way, our only company was an eerie man on a bike with a squeaky wheel. We did not think that this was looking promising at all. But soon, we found our goal, Craven Cottage, and it was not the tourist friendly Stamford Bridge. We were greeted with a small old stadium with doors that looked so tiny we wondered if we would able to fit through them. After a quick walk around we discovered the reception area, and were greeted very warmly. Again we presented our case and were gifted the contact information for the Fulham supporters manager. After another successful trip we wandered back down the ominous path back to the tube station.

On this long walk we discussed the vast difference between the two clubs we had visited today. In America, the stadiums for football, basketball, and baseball teams are largely similar. But here, the difference was so great it made an impact on us. Contrary to what you might think, we actually enjoyed Fulham the most. Even with Chelsea’s obviously expensive exterior the Cottage had something that Chelsea could not compete with. Craven Cottage felt safe, cozy, and very welcoming. Standing in front of its gates we could see the history of the club oozing, a feeling we have never felt at a stadium in America. With the new Cowboy’s Stadium being a model, American sports arenas are always trying to be bigger and more expensive. But tiny, old, creepy Craven Cottage granted us the warmest welcome we have had a sporting venue, and it was a very unexpected, but pleasant surprise.