London West
Brentford Community Stadium. Home of Brentford FC
Craven Cottage. Home of Fulham FC
Loftus Road. Home of Queen's Park Rangers
Hampton Court Palace
Wembley Stadium
Syon House
Things to Do:
Hampton Court Palace:
The medieval manor house was taken over by Thomas Wolsey in 1515 who started work converting same to a Palace. In 1529, Henry VIII took over the building as his own and George III abandoned the building leaving it for Victoria to open the gardens and apartments to the public. The attraction, which includes the world famous maze, is open until 4.30pm in winter and the admission price for adults is just under £20 and just under £10 for children. There are four shops and four cafes to enjoy.
There is a train from Waterloo to Hampton Court Station and buses run from Kingston town centre. There is limited parking in the vicinity. For travel information visit Transport for London web site. For ticket information about the Palace check out the official web site or call 0844 482 7799.
Syon House and Park:
The property started out as an Abbey but after the dissolution of the monasteries was taken over by the Duke of Somerset. The corpse of Henry VIII was rested at Syon on its way from London to Windsor for burial. The House and Park was then later inherited by the 1st Duke of Northumberland and has remained in that family’s hands ever since.
Visitors have much to see including the Great Hall, Long Gallery, Red Drawing Room and Inner Courtyard.
The estate lies between the River Thames and A315 in Brentford and satnav is TW7 6AZ which takes you to the entrance at Park Road, Isleworth.
The nearest underground stations are Gunnersbury on the District Line, Ealing Broadway on the Central Line and Boston Manor on the Piccadilly Line. From these stations buses 237, 267, E2 or E8 need to be taken to be dropped off in vicinity of property. Tickets are £12 for adults and £5 for children.
Due to mixed opening days contact 020 8560 0882 for full visitor information.
Wembley Stadium:
This is the premier football stadium in England and is home to the English football team. The majority of international matches, FA Cup semi-finals and final, League Cup, Charity Shield and League play off finals are played here. Tours lasting 75 minutes can be taken and cost £19 for adults and £11 for children, plus some concessions, can be bought by calling 0800 169 9933.
The best way to get to the stadium is by public transport. You can take the underground to Wembley Park Station using Jubilee and Metropolitan Lines and to Wembley Central Station using the Bakerloo Line. Alternatively mainline operator Chiltern Railways run from Marylebone Station, in central London, to Wembley Stadium Station.
Local buses 18, 83, 92 and 224 serve the stadium. The Transport for London web site should be consulted for all public travel information.
Road travel should be avoided but information can be found on the Stadium’s official web site.
Shopping:
Whilst all the Borough’s in West London have good shopping centres the biggest and most popular is Westfield in Shepherds Bush, located in Hammersmith and Fulham, which contains John Lewis and House of Fraser department stores...
CLUBS
BRENTFORD
Introduction:
The football club is located in the London Borough of Hounslow, which is an outer London Borough with a small boundary adjacent to the north bank of the River Thames. The current population is 254,900.
Transport in the Borough:
Buses:
Currently there are just over 45 bus routes that operate within or through the Borough, plus two night buses from central London. Local areas connected are Kingston, Twickenham, Shepherd’s Bush, Staines, Southall and Heathrow Airport. Check out TfL for details.
Underground:
Hounslow Central, Hounslow East, Hounslow West and Osterley are all served by the Piccadilly Line which runs from Cockfosters to Heathrow/Uxbridge. The district of Hatton which lies in both Hounslow and Hillingdon Boroughs is served by Hatton Cross tube station, also on the Piccadilly Line. Check out TfL for information.
Road:
The main roads in Hounslow generally run east to west. At the north side the M4 from west London passes through to Heathrow Airport, Reading, Bristol and South Wales. Just south of the M4 the A4 runs from Brentford to Heathrow, Reading, Bath and Bristol.
At Cranford, just east of Heathrow, the A4 road splits forming the Great South West Road which leads to Staines and M25 (junction 13).
On the very south boundary of Hounslow the A316 from Richmond turns into the M3, which leads to Guildford, Winchester and Southampton.
Railway:
South West Trains stations in the Borough are Brentford, Syon Lane, Isleworth and Hounslow, which is a commuter loop line, lying on the Waterloo to Windsor route.. Kew Bridge Station, with trains from London Waterloo lies next to the stadium.,
Air:
Heathrow Airport lies on the western boundary of Hounslow and is accessed by Underground, Bus or taxi.
Gatwick can be reached by using the M25/M23 motorways.
Taxis:
Seven taxi firms operate within the Borough and local area.
Stadium: Brentford Community Stadium. Lionel Road. Brentford
Founded: 1889
Joined League: 1920
Chairman: Greg Dyke
Manager: Thomas Frank
Current League: Premier League
Phone Number: 0845 3456 442
Email: enquiries@brentfordfc.co.uk
Brief History:
Formed in 1889 in the Oxford and Cambridge Pub near Kew Bridge, the club played in local cup competitions until joining the Southern League and turning professional in 1899. They moved into their new home, Griffin Park, in 1904. After promotions and relegations in this League the club was elected into the Third Division of the Football League in 1920.
The club had a good Cup run in 1927, then in season 1929/30 they created a 21 win home record. In 1932/33 the Bees won the Division 3 South title and two seasons later the Second Division winner’s trophy was theirs. The first season in the top flight saw them reach the dizzy height of 5th in front of average gates of 25,000. Remaining in the top flight until WW2, post war was not so kind, with relegation in 1946/47. Then seven years later it was back to Division 3 South. It got worse with relegation to Division 4 in 1962 but they bounced straight back the following season, when they scored 98 goals.
From this point the club’s fortunes did not change much. The club generally bounced between the bottom two divisions with the odd appearance in the second tier and a few minor cup successes.
In 2006 the Bees became the first London club to be owned by the fans. Slowly, things improved as they climbed the Leagues resulting in the club being promoted to the Championship in 2014 and reaching the Premiership play offs in 2015. Currently there are plans prepared for a new stadium within the Brentford area and the club is still playing in the Championship. .
Match Day:
Tickets:
Away fans should contact their own clubs for information.
Tickets for home fans are on a Grade basis dependent on membership or not. Club should be contacted for full details.
Transport:
Buses:
Locally routes travel to Hammersmith, Hounslow, Twickenham, Richmond, White City, Shepherd’s Bush and Isleworth to Kew Bridge Station. Route numbers are 110, 237 and 267. Check out “Transport for London” website for timetables etc.
Rail:
South Western trains run trains to Kew Bridge Station from Waterloo, Weybridge and Woking.
For routes and other connections contact National Rail..
Car:
Car Parking is limited and expensive. Do research before using your car.
If travelling from the North of England the best route would be by the M1, taking the M25 South until the M4 junction. Then travel eastward along the M$ until Junction 2, where the stadium lies next to Kew Bridge Station.
Similarly from the Midlands take the M40 and turn south at M25 and continue along the M$ as above.
From the west use the M4 or A4, again through to Junction 2.
From other parts use the M25 to the M4 junction and continue along to Junction 2 as above.
From Central London, join the A4 in Piccadilly and drive to the Brentford/Kew Bridge area.
Taxi:
Travel by taxi is expensive, especially if travelling from Heathrow Airport, which is just 8 miles away.
Stadium:
From 1904 Griffin Park was Brentford’s home.
In 2020 the club moved to their new home adjacent to Kew Bridge Station. The Brentford Community Stadium.
The stadium consists of four stands, North, South, East and West.
The South Stand houses Premium seats, dug outs and media
Away fans will occupy a part of the East Stand, The North Stand is for families and noisy home fans in West Stand.
There are eating and drinking areas within the stadium.. Away fans who are visiting via Central London could find pubs etc. before travelling to the match.
Facilities in the form of dedicated seating and toilets is provided for disabled spectators.
Stadium tours are being considered for the future.
FULHAM
Introduction:
The football club is based in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham which is an inner London Borough and lies on the north bank of the River Thames. The current population is 182,400.
Transport in the Borough:
Stadium: Craven Cottage. Stevenage Road. London. SW6 6HH
Founded: 1879
Joined League: 1907
Chairman: Shahid Khan
Manager: Marco Silva
Current League: Premier League
Phone Number: 0843 208 1222
Email: enquiries@fulhamfc.com
Fans Forum: www.friendsoffulham.com
Brief History:-
Starting out as Fulham St. Andrew’s Church in 1879 the club changed its name to Fulham in 1889 and moved into Craven Cottage in 1896.
After turning professional in 1898 and then joining the Southern League, the club was promoted to the Football League in 1907.
They reached the FA Cup semi finals in their first League season. The club passed through the First World War and Second World War in the Second Division and then got promoted to the top level in 1950. Relegation in 1952 and promotion again in 1959 then saw a nine year run at the top. Yet another relegation in 1970 was followed by an FA Cup final against fellow London club, West Ham United, in 1975. Although it ended in defeat the close result of 1-2 was a good moment for the team, captained by Alan Mullery. Sadly, instead of the next move being promotion the club were relegated to the third level and continued to swing between Level 2 and Level 3 for a number of seasons. The next move was worse when the club dropped to the bottom flight and were lying 91st out of 92 clubs, in March 1996.
After Al Fayed took over the club in 1997, the team, remarkably, got to the Premier League in 2001. The first season saw a respectable 13th followed by a place in the Intoto Cup, which they won and then a crack at the UEFA Cup, when they got to the third round. In 2002 the club ground shared with QPR whilst Craven Cottage was turned into an all seater stadium and they returned in 2004, their 125th birthday year. These were now halcyon days as the club achieved a ninth place in the Premier League and then a seventh place in 2009 which led to a place in the UEFA Europa League. To everyone’s amazement they beat Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus, Vil Wolfsburg and Hamburger SV before being beaten by Atletico Madrid in the final.
After a couple more decent years in the top flight the club plummeted to relegation in 2014.
However, on May 26th 1918, Fulham beat Aston Villa 1-0 at Wembley to go back to the Premier League. The Premier League sojoirn sadly only lasted the one season.
Match Day:
Tickets:
Away fans should consult their own clubs regarding tickets.
For information about tickets the following methods can be used:-
Telephone 0843 208 1234, Club web site, or by visiting ticket office at Craven Cottage, which is open Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm.
Transport:
Bus:
One bus route, the 424, actually reaches Craven Cottage. This bus runs from Putney Heath, via Putney, Wandsworth Bridge (north) and Fulham Broadway to the ground.
Underground:
The nearest station is Putney Bridge on the District Line which is a 10-20 minute walk to the ground. This line connects to Paddington and Victoria Stations direct and King’s Cross, Euston and Liverpool Street with changes. Two other stations on the District Line, Fulham Broadway and Parson’s Green are each 20-40 minutes’ walk away.
Hammersmith which lies on the District/Circle and Hammersmith & City lines is also a 20-40 minute walk.
Rail:
The nearest mainline station is Putney on the south side of the Thames.
Although a 17-35 minute walk, you do pass convenient shops and ATMs. The station is served by South West Trains from Waterloo and Clapham Junction.
You can take bus 424 from Putney.
Car:
There is no parking provision at the ground or surrounding streets.
Stadium:
After a number of different grounds, Fulham settled into Craven Cottage in 1896, a stadium in an enviable position right next to the River Thames. The Hammersmith End, the north side of the ground, is the traditional stand for the vocal home fans. The Putney End, to the south side of the stadium is where away and neutral fans are housed. This is where the electronic scoreboard is hung and in the corner, by the river, is the only tree that sits in an English League football ground. The Riverside Stand lies next to the river and houses the wealthier fans in executive boxes. In, or near, the stand are a restaurant and two cafes. Finally, the Johnny Haynes Stand is Grade II listed and is the oldest stand in the Football League. The stand was designed by the incomparable Archibald Leitch and houses the ticket office and the club shop. Family enclosures are placed at each end of the stand.
The famous Cottage Pavilion was built to accommodate the changing rooms.
Refreshment outlets for away fans are reasonably priced with a good range of food and drink. Outside of the ground are the usual burger vans, and pubs are a ten minute, or so, walk away.
Plans are afoot to redevelop the ground.
QUEEN’S PARK RANGERS
Introduction:
The football club is based in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham which is an inner London Borough and lies on the north bank of the River Thames. The current population is 182,400.
Transport in the Borough:
see Chelsea above for Borough transport.
Stadium: Loftus Road. South Africa Road. London. W12 7PJ
Founded: 1882
Joined League: 1920
Chairman: Tony Fernandes
Manager: Marti Cifuentes
League: Championship
Phone Number: 020 8743 0262
Email: see official web site
Brief History:
Formed in 1882 as St. Judes they merged with Christ Church Rangers in 1886 and because of the area many of them lived in, Queen’s Park, They thus became Queen’s Park Rangers.
The club played at multi grounds in West London playing in various Leagues and Cups and entered the FA Cup in season 1894/95. The club turned professional in 1898 and joined the Southern League the following year. Further seasons with yet more ground moving saw the club win the Southern League title in 1908 which entitled them to compete in the first ever Charity Shield. This match was against Manchester United, which QPR lost 0-4 in a replay after an initial 1-1 draw.
In 1920 the club joined the Football League in Division 3. The club remained in this League up to the Second World War but on the way they changed their strip to blue and white hoops in 1926/7 and moved to Loftus Road in 1933/4. Post war, after a couple of good FA Cup campaigns, they won promotion to Division 2 in 1948. After four years they were back in Division 3 South where they spent the next fifteen years. After signing Rodney Marsh promotion was gained back to Division 2 in 1967, which was followed by promotion to top flight in 1968. Sadly after taking 48 years to achieve this, they were relegated after one season.
Then in 1973 they were promoted back to the top flight. In April 1977 a record attendance of 35,353 was achieved and in 1976 the club finished second in the top flight. This saw the club qualify for the UEFA Cup and they managed to reach the quarter finals.
From this point on the club yo-yoed between the two top tiers. This successful period in the club’s history also saw Loftus Road transformed into a four stand all seater stadium. In 1992, by finishing 11th in Division One, the team became inaugural members of the Premier League. Yet more promotions and relegations, including a short spell in the third tier again. The roller coaster continued with promotion in 2012, relegation in 2013, promotion in 2014 and relegation in 2015.
The club is currently playing in the Championship.
Honours:
League Cup Winners
1967.
Match Day
Tickets:
Away fans should check with their own clubs regarding tickets.
The on line ticket office is open 10am to 10pm seven days a week. Alternatively, availability and further information can be obtained by phoning 08444 777 007 or calling at the ticket office at the stadium between 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday or from 9am on Saturdays.
Transport:
Bus:
Route 283 from Barnes to East Acton passes the end of South Africa Road. Alternatively routes 72 (Putney Heath to East Acton), 95 (Southall to Shepherd’s Bush) or 220 (Wandsworth to Willesden Junction) stop at White City Station.
Underground:
A number of stations are within a 5 to 15 minute walk to the stadium:- White City and Shepherd’s Bush on the Central Line and Wood Lane and Shepherd’s Bush Market on the Hammersmith & City Line.
Rail:
Overground trains running from Clapham Junction to Watford Junction stop at Shepherd’s Bush.
Car:
Any parking is on street and special attention to be made to signage. From the north take the M1 onto the A406 until Hanger Lane where you take the A40 to White City.
From the east take the A40(M) Westway to White City. From the south follow A3 to Hammersmith and then take A219 to Shepherd’s Bush then White City (Wood Lane). Use the M4 from the west to Chiswick then follow the A315/A402 to Shepherd’s Bush then onto Wood Lane.
Stadium:
Home to QPR since 1917, the ground was the first to install an artificial pitch which lasted from 1981 to 1988. It is a very compact stadium with a capacity of 18,439 and all stands except Ellerslie Road Stand are two tiered, with the fans being close to the pitch.
The South Africa Road Stand is the biggest and holds the dug outs, changing rooms, offices, shop and executive boxes. The Loft is where the members and season ticket holders sit and it contains “The Blue and White” members bar. It is also the location for the scoreboard. The Ellerslie Road Stand is single tiered, where the noisy home fans congregate, creating the best atmosphere. Finally, the School Road End is where away fans are housed.
Food and drink are available in the ground. If a pre or post match drink is sought then the Shepherd’s Bush area is best for away fans.