Hotels for Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur

A midweek eight o'clock kick-off under lights, which changes the whole texture of a fixture like this: shorter build-up, a crowd arriving straight from work, and an edge that comes from everyone wanting to be home by midnight. Spurs travel in numbers for the short trip and the away end is rarely quiet.

Fulham were founded in 1879 by worshippers at a Church of England Sunday school in West Kensington, making them London's oldest professional football club. The Cottagers nickname comes from Craven Cottage itself, their home since 1896 — a thatched cottage once standing within the Bishop of London's estate and, before that, said to have been connected to Anne Boleyn's family.

The riverside ground, hemmed in by the Thames on one side and Bishop's Park on the other, remains one of the most distinctive settings in English football, and Fulham's long, unhurried history as a well-run, well-supported London club has outlasted spells in every division of the game.

Fulham's riverside home is one of football's most charming settings, its historic Cottage and listed Johnny Haynes Stand looking out over the Thames by Bishop's Park. Matchday walks along the river through the park are a ritual in themselves, and the village-like streets of Fulham offer pubs and cafés in every direction.

Putney Bridge station on the District line is a short stroll through the park. Staying in Fulham or Putney makes the whole day feel like a riverside outing with a match in the middle.