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including reopening the riverside walk opposite Putney and continuing investment in Bishops Park

Fulham Football Club has today announced a stadium development package that includes the re-opening of the riverside walk, plans to increase its capacity by providing an additional 4,000 seats, and financial support to assist the Council's continuing improvement of neighbouring Bishops Park.

The plans, if approved by the Council, include extensive refurbishment to the Riverside Stand of the Club’s historic Craven Cottage home, and will commence at the end of the current season.

The Club’s proposed refurbishment programme would guarantee a range of planning benefits; funding contribution of £1m towards the enhancement of Bishops Park as planned by the Bishops Park Stakeholders Group; the opening up of a new Riverwalk to allow pedestrians to walk the length of the Thames from Putney to Hammersmith Bridge unimpeded by the football ground, and full restoration of the “listed” turnstiles.

Existing Executive Boxes will be removed from the Riverside Stand to facilitate the addition of further seats and a substantial programme of works to fully enhance the corporate facilities, within the current footprint of the stand, will be undertaken. This will include the replacement of windows on the first floor with a fully glazed projection that would echo the curve of the river edge, enhancing the internal aperture, and the external aesthetics of the stand and views across the river.

Executive boxes will be added to the Johnny Haynes Stand which, with the help of English Heritage, will be sympathetically designed to ensure compatibility with the historic architectural pedigree of the Stand.

Planning permission for a restaurant in the Hammersmith End of the ground with panoramic views of the river has already been granted, and it is the intention to complete both projects concurrently.

Mohamed Al Fayed, Chairman of Fulham Football Club said:

‘Craven Cottage is synonymous with Fulham F.C and it is vital that the Club is given every opportunity to develop the facilities available, to enable it to remain at its home. I am confident that an increased capacity and further improvements to the facilities can help us reach and maintain our business objectives.’

October 4, 2007