Plans to put a Craven Cottage museum on the site of Fulham’s historic home after it has been redevelopment for luxury flats have been branded ‘crass and insulting’ by the leading supporters group.
Property developer Fulham River Projects – who have agreed a £50m deal with Fulham Football Club – suggest that a museum could ‘celebrate’ the former football ground, which will be demolished to make way for eight blocks of flats, which will be marketed under the Harrods brand owned by Cottagers chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed.
Fulham River Projects have already paid a £15m deposit to the club and they hope that work can start on the luxury accommodation by the autumn of 2005. The Guardian have uncovered communications between Harrods Estates and Fulham River Projects will designates the high-end retail store ‘will act as managing agents for the residential flats/houses and . . . any commercial area which the development may comprise including the possibility of a . . . museum on the site.’
Fulham are seeking alternative sites to play at after a bid for the Dairy Crest land at Wood Lane, near to where the Whites currently ground share with Queens Park Rangers, fell through last year. That setback meant Fulham missed a deadline of 31 December 2002 to submit a planning application.
The Guardian also reports that Fulham River Projects is a private company established just thirteen days before the deal to build flats on the Cottage was struck.
Tom Greatrex of Back to the Cottage said:
“To write off Craven Cottage as a relic from the past is a crass and insulting gesture. Fulham fans have repeatedly been told we will be returning to a redeveloped stadium on the Craven Cottage site. That is what we were promised and that is what we want to see happen.”
