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| Roundel on the south bound platform, 13th May 2017 |
Congratulations to Chelsea Football Club for winning the Premier League yesterday. So today I went to Fulham Broadway and visit the home of the champions of England. Football is a huge passion of mine, and I am a massive fan of Chelsea. For me, part of going to watch Chelsea play home and away is exploring more of the country's railway, so my hobbies of football and railways go hand in hand. The nearest London Underground station to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's home stadium, is Fulham Broadway. Opening as Walham Green in 1880, this station has had an interesting history.
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| The station building that served Fulham Broadway from 1905 to 2003, 13th May 2017 |
When the Metropolitan District Railway extended from West Brompton to Putney Bridge in 1880, stations opened at Fulham Broadway, Parsons Green and then Putney Bridge. When Chelsea Football Club were founded in 1905, a new station building was designed by Harry W Ford and opened to accommodate the crowds. A third entrance was opened in 2003 inside the Fulham Broadway shopping centre. You can still see the station building that served the station for 98 years a short walk west along Fulham Road. The station was renamed to Fulham Broadway in March 1952.
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| Match day entrance/exit, 13th May 2017 |
I cannot do a blog post on Fulham Broadway without mentioning Stamford Bridge. On match days, the usual entrance/exit is closed and fans have to use the entrance and exit to the north of each platform. With over 41,000 fans at Stamford Bridge, if you are watching a match it might be advisable to walk to Earl's Court and beat the crowds. Fulham Broadway is perhaps the station I have used the most in my life, as I have visit the station well over one hundred times.
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| Stamford Bridge, 13th May 2017 |
Stamford Bridge has had a long history. Not only has the stadium hosted football matches, but hosted other sports such as greyhound racing, baseball, cricket, American football, speedway and rugby union. The Bridge has also hosted three FA cup finals and one UEFA Women's Champions League final. There are plans for the stadium to be completely redeveloped in the near future as Chelsea aim to have a new 60,000 seater stadium.
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| Heritage sign at Fulham Broadway, 13th May 2017 |
Fulham Broadway is not the most exciting station on the network, I admit, but there are still some nice features to look out for the next time you visit the station. The heritage signs at the station adds some style to a station that seems to be split in half. The northern end of the station is quite modern with grey walls, however, the southern end of the station retains a classic feel, and I hope that there are no plans to make this part of the station look like the northern end. Seeing the old station building too is also a must if you visit Fulham Broadway.
Fulham Broadway is a busy station, with 10.7 million annual users. The next time you find yourself at the station have a look out for some of things I have mentioned in this post.
More photos
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| Station entrance in Fulham Broadway Shopping Centre, 13th May 2017 |
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| Fulham Broadway, 13th May 2017 |
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