Fulham
Fulham: a historic West London area on the Thames, home to two Premier League clubs.
Fulham is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, with which it shares the area known as West Brompton. Over the Thames, Fulham faces Wandsworth, Putney, the London Wetland Centre in Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
- Rivalry Type
- West London Derby
- First Recorded Meeting
- Late 19th Century
- Primary Stadia
- White Hart Lane / Craven Cottage
- Historical Context
- London Football Rivals
Lore & Background
First recorded by name in 691, Fulham was an extensive Anglo-Saxon estate, the Manor of Fulham, and then a parish. Its domain stretched from modern-day Chiswick in the west to Chelsea in the southeast; and from Harlesden in the northwest to Kensal Green in the northeast. It originally included today's Hammersmith. Between 1900 and 1965, it was demarcated as the Metropolitan Borough of Fulham, before its merger with the Metropolitan Borough of Hammersmith to create the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The district is split between the western and south-western postal areas.
In Their Own Story
The fog hung low over Craven Cottage, muffling the roar of the crowd as the two sides emerged from the tunnel. For the Spurs veteran, the journey here was short, just across West London, yet it felt like crossing into enemy territory. The air smelled of damp grass and roasting chestnuts, a familiar scent that always preceded these local battles. As the referee blew the whistle, the initial caution vanished, replaced by the raw instinct of a derby. Every tackle near the touchline drew a collective gasp from the stands, a reminder that in this corner of London, there is no room for error.
Reader's Guide
Two Premier League football clubs, Fulham and Chelsea, play in Fulham. Two other notable sporting clubs are the Hurlingham Club, known for polo, and the Queen's tennis club, known for its annual pre-Wimbledon tennis tournament. In the 1800s, Lillie Bridge Grounds hosted the first meetings of the Amateur Athletic Association of England, the second FA Cup Final, and the first amateur boxing matches. The Lillie Bridge area was the home ground of the Middlesex County Cricket Club, before it moved to Marylebone.
Did You Know?
- The word Fulham originates from Old English, with Fulla being a personal name, and hamm meaning land hemmed in by water or marsh.
- Fulham is spelt Fuleham in the 1066 Domesday Book.
- Approximately 5,000 years ago Neolithic people were living by the riverside and in other parts of the area.
- Excavations have revealed Roman settlements during the third and fourth centuries AD.
- The Manor of Fulham was granted to Bishop Erkenwald about the year 691 for himself and his successors as Bishop of London.
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