The Latin Lions at the Craven Cottage - report

[Archie]

As I imagined, despite of the Cottagers's last minute equalizer, Fulham was a great day out.

>THE DUKE'S HEAD

Before the game we met our friend Frank (with his nephew), Pauline, John, and other English fans at the Duke's Head a pub with a beautiful location on the banks of river Thames, pratically in front of  Craven Cottage. 
Frank is a legend for us Italian fans. Having followed the Villa all over land and see  (and Leicester ) he has an extraordinary notebook  with the best pubs in every place: Vienna, Prague, Newcastele, Fulham, etc. Absolutely better than every pubs' guide.
I added to my signature the words that Frank told me when I put  my glass on the table to go downstairs to greet his companions: "bring the glass, that may be important"! 
We also met a friend of ours that lives in Italy but is a Fulham ticket holder. The atmosphere between the two sets of fans was in general very relaxed.








The pub lies just on the banks of the river.




GOOD OLD CRAVEN COTTAGE

Craven Cottage is always  beautiful, the best  location  for a football ground after Villa Park.
The stadium reveals clearly the imprint of Archibald Leitch the architect of VP.
Both the stadia are at the edge of a park (Aston Park and Bishop Park respectively).
The beautiful red bricks façade of Stevenage road has something in common with the elegant old Trinity Road façade.




The old cottage is the very distinctive element of the Fulham ground, around which it was built. The current cottage has been rebuilt on the same site where there was a royal hunting lodge used by Ann Boleyn.




You arrive at the ground through a walk on the banks of the Thames and across Bishop Park.
The whole experience is great, puts you in a condition of blessed mood that  reminds me of what Poet Wordsworth wrote in his immortal "Lines written few miles above Tintern Abbey":

These forms of beauty have not been to me,
As is a landscape to a blind man's eye:
But oft, in lonely rooms, and mid the din
Of towns and cities, I have owed to them,
In hours of weariness, sensations sweet,
Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart,
And passing even into my purer mind 30
With tranquil restoration:—feelings too
Of unremembered pleasure; such, perhaps,
As may have had no trivial influence
On that best portion of a good man's life;
His little, nameless, unremembered acts
Of kindness and of love. Nor less, I trust,
To them I may have owed another gift,
Of aspect more sublime; that blessed mood,
In which the burthen of the mystery,
In which the heavy and the weary weight 40
Of all this unintelligible world
Is lighten'd:—that serene and blessed mood,
In which the affections gently lead us on,
Until, the breath of this corporeal frame,
And even the motion of our human blood
Almost suspended, we are laid asleep
In body, and become a living soul:
While with an eye made quiet by the power
Of harmony, and the deep power of joy,
We see into the life of things. 


>THE GAME

Although Fulham's late minute equalizer was quite disappointing, I'm very satisfied with the way we played, an attractive passing football with two real wingers on the flanks and a beautiful play maker like Barry Bannan in the middle.
With  a normal forward we'd have won 3-0.
But Mark Albrighton was really super .

http://v7.tinypic.com/player.swf?file=2ij3n2v&s=7


I was quite sure of the win, but when, before the last free kick, I turned my head towards my mate and I saw his face, I understood that they'd score.
And they did  .




But I didn't lose my blessed mood remembering the chant "shoes off / if you love Villa, the highest and most exilarant moment of the day.

http://v7.tinypic.com/player.swf?file=2qjvxj4&s=7


(to be continued)

[eamonn]

Bravo!

Love these Latin Lions reports.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I thought David Baddiel was a Chelsea fan ?

[richard moore]

Great stuff. Had a few drinks in that pub with Frank before the Fulham game last year and very enjoyable it was too, especially on a nice sunny day by the river!

[The Walshmeister]

A great read. Well done the Archmeister.................

[b23]

Yeah good stuff. Good post and photos. Forza Italia !

[Hammer]

Glad you enjoyed your time in my corner of the world, Archie. It's definitely one of the best away trips in the league, if not THE best. Putney and Fulham have a brilliant selection of pubs and bars.

The Duke's Head is a really good pub, real old time feel and a great location, particularly before a match. Not the Duck's Head though as you call it!

[Archie]

Yes, I'have corrected now, I'm a fan of Daffy Duck and so. . .

[frank]

Another great report, Archie, very erudite!

When you wrote "The Duck's Head" you weren't confusing it with the Duce, were you??

[Archie]

Another great report, Archie, very erudite!

When you wrote "The Duck's Head" you weren't confusing it with the Duce, were you??

No way, I have just explained that I'm a fan of Daffy Duck, so I've got the tendency to see a duck's world . . . :-)

[TimTheVillain]

Lovely photos Archie !

UTV

[frank]

Craven Cottage is always  beautiful, the best  location  for a football ground after Villa Park.
The stadium reveals clearly the imprint of Archibald Leitch the architect of VP.
Both the stadia are at the edge of a park (Aston Park and Bishop Park respectively).
The beautiful red bricks façade of Stevenage road has something in common with the elegant old Trinity Road façade.

Archie, I can't remember whether you have Simon Inglis's excellent book about Archibald Leitch's football stadiums, "Engineering Archie". I recommend it highly. Of course, Villa Park is given due prominence, as you would expect from the author of "Villa Park 100 Years"

[Archie]

Archie, I can't remember whether you have Simon Inglis's excellent book about Archibald Leitch's football stadiums, "Engineering Archie". I recommend it highly. Of course, Villa Park is given due prominence, as you would expect from the author of "Villa Park 100 Years"

. . . and from a great Villa fan, if I'm not wrong!
As far his books are regarded, I have only Football grounds of Britain, and it's a really masterwork!
I don't think that VP 100 years can be still available, what do you think?

[ADVILLAFAN]

We were just up from the Duke's Head in the Bricklayer's Arms.

Craven Cottage is probably my favourite away venue now.

[villajk]

Went in there after the game, well after a drink in the Dukes.  Was rather busy with egg-chasing watchers hugging their empty glasses.