sport news Fulham's crowd 'ferries' spark anger with campaigners as they disrupt the river ... trends now
Fulham Football Club have been urged to abandon plans to build a pier on the Thames that could cause major disruption to the route of the The Boat Race.
The Premier League’s club proposal to offer a boat service to its reconstructed Riverside Stand would hurt thousands of river-users from sailing clubs, youth clubs and schools, campaigners have said.
Ahead of Sunday's historic Boat Race on a route that passes Fulham’s stadium Craven Cottage, the head of the sport’s ruling body said the club’s plan could inflict serious damage on the sport.
Mark Davies, chair of British Rowing, said the arrival of passenger ferries docking and turning at the ground would make it very difficult for anyone to sail on the Thames.
‘That stretch of water will become pretty well unusable,' he said. 'I’m not sure people understand just how many people use that course, from all over the country. Ignore the Boat Race, for a moment. These are clubs from all over the country. All sorts of people, all sorts of ages, schools up to veterans. And they’re all using that as their main rowing course.
Sunday's Boat Race takes the crews past Fulham Football Club's Craven Cottage stadium
Fulham want to ferry fans across the River Thames to increase capacity, angering campaigners
‘Major events take place, but it’s also the major training venue. It’s [like] Wembley and St George’s Park.
‘Imagine if somebody said, “Let’s put an Underground station on the Nursery Ground at Lord’s, so that we can improve transport links for the sake of a commercial organisation.” There’s no chance that anybody would accept it.’
The Mail on Sunday understands that Fulham is pressing ahead with plans
