Who are the real football hooligans?

I was saddened to read about the 'overzealous policing' towards Bolton supporters in yesterdays UEFA Cup match.

English fans do have a bad reputation in Europe but it is principally historic rather than contemporary. It seems to me thats its the 'old bill' who are now the ones that deserve the poor reputation.

Look at the photos from last night and then remember the scenes from Roma when Man Utd were there?

Even the British Police described last nights policing as 'heavy handed' which is interesting as its rare the Police every criticise another force.

Bolton are complaining to UEFA about last nights events, I doubt anything will happen as UEFA seem to treat anything English with contempt. Attitudes must start to change and here is hoping that Phil Gartside the Bolton Chairman can rock the boat a little bit at the Swiss HQ of UEFA.

Easter weekend - feast of football!

I am working abroad at the moment so really missing my fix of live football.

I was back to watch Cambridge City FC play FA Cup heroes Havant and Waterlooville, Havant won 2-1 but it should really have been a draw.

I then booked some flights to come back on Good Friday so I could make the annual trip to Southend United, it's the only sad thing about getting promoted (if we do of course) is missing the trip to Roots Hall.

A week or so later the club announce they are bringing the fixture forward to 1pm on Good Friday!! Talk about gutted. I was told at first that it was the Police who had asked for the but it later transpired that the Swansea City Manager Roberto Martinez had asked for the move in order to give the Swans more time to prepare for Bristol Rovers on the Monday. From a footballing perspective I can understand this but the fixtures came out eight months ago so this could have been arranged long ago.

So I have to 'shell out' for another hotel night and another day off work, still if Martinez brings the title back to Swansea then I wont complain.

Actually it does mean that I can now watch the following:

Southend v Swansea and then on the next day:

Cambridge City v Maidenhead then on Bank holiday Monday I can watch

Bromley v Cambridge City and the Swans Bristol Rovers game is on the telly Monday evening. So I can 'od' on football that weekend!

Hotels near Fulham FC, Hotels near Craven Cottage.

Hotels near Fulham FC, Hotels near Craven Cottage.

Of course another firm favourite for travelling football fans who want to stay over is London. We take a lot of bookings for London hotels which is no real surprise.

Today we take a look at hotels near Fulham FC

Search for hotels near Fulham FC

Craven Cottage is home to Fulham Football Club, Fulham are the oldest professional football club in the capital city. Not a lot of people know that. They play in the Premier League but are facing a tough fight to stay there this season. (07-08)

There are plenty of hotels near Fulham FC. The closest hotel to Fulham that works with footballhotels is London Putney Bridge Premier Inn. Its about 1km from Craven Cottage and starts from £79

If you are looking for cheap hotels near Fulham FC then we recommend The Beaver Hotel, stop laughing. They actually do a lot of bookings with both Chelsea and Fulham fans who just want a clean bed for the night. Their rates start from £32. Not bad at all.

We usually talk about classy hotels as well but to be honest this is Chelsea/Fulham country you are spoilt for choice.

Have you stayed in a Hotel near Fulham FC? Got any recommendations then let us know.

Most football fans have done the Tower of London and Leicester Square and very often want to do something local. Of course, Fulham is home to the famous or should that be infamous Kings Road, with its glamourous shops and former drinking holes of the late George Best. In fact shopping in Fulham provides a nice change from the usual selection of standard high street names.

From antiques to Harley Davidson, this is a place for individuals who prefer independent shops.

Of course Chelsea FC is up the road, most die hard Fulham fans wouldnt bother going there but if your team is playing at Craven Cottage then why not pop up and see if you can get a tour of Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea Harbour is also nearby. This grand development offers a marina, hotel, restaurant and the impressive glass domes of the Chelsea Design Centre.

It is a secluded part of London, yet less than 3 miles from Big Ben. You can stroll along the river promenade for great views across to Battersea or spend a sunny afternoon with a cool drink on the terrace of Aquasia, overlooking the marina.
Dont forget to visit Imperial Wharf, with its restaurants, bars and leisure facilities.

Hotels near Southend United FC, Roots Hall.

Hotels near Southend United FC

The Essex seaside town of Southend is also a favourite for football fans who like to stay overnight and make an evening of a fixture. Although its only an hour or so away from London, footballhotels takes many reservations on its hotels near Southend United page.

Southend has more than just football to offer though. The Essex town is a regional centre with a cosmopolitan atmosphere, offering something for everyone in its vast array of entertainments, venues and events. Southend is well known for its sea-side attractions, especially its famous pier. Southend has some cracking pubs most of which are fine with away supporters. The Golden Hind has been a firm favourite of ours for years.

Southend is well served by roads, with two junctions off the London-Orbital motorway, the M25. Southend is very easy to travel to there are two train stations, Southend Central which is located next to the high street and Southen Victoria which is located near a museum. Prittlewell is the station that is most nearest to Roots Hall.

Southend is most famous for its pleasure pier and beach, and the town has a range of attractions on offer, including the annual illuminations, carnival and airshow, boat trips, the Golden Mile of arcades, the Kursaal bowling alley, a strong lineup of shops on the High Street, plus an assortment of restaurants, bars, cafes and night clubs.

Southend is a watersports enthusiast's paradise and its sparkling waters are a hive of activity for kite-surfing, windsurfing, personal watercraft, sailing and much more.


Southend is twinned witht the Polish town of Sopot. Sopot is the location of the longest wooden pier in Europe, while Southend is the location of the longest iron pleasure pier in the world.

Southend's pier also featured at the end of British TV comedy classic Minder during the Ray 'not as hard as Terry' Daley years.

There are plenty of hotels near Roots Hall

Footballhotels.co.uk works with nearly 30 hotels in the Southend area so if you are looking for hotels close to Southend United or indeed cheap hotels near Southend United then this is the place to look. Remember though you pay at the hotel not upfront which doesnt hurt the wallet so much! Any tips, comments, queries then get in touch.


Hotels near Southend United FC

Nominate Your Favourite Fanzine

We at footballtravelblog are happy to give a plug to the Football Fanzine Awards

Here you can vote for your favourite online or offline fanzine. If there is one you read and appreciate why not give them your vote, go on you know it makes it sense.

Hotels Near Swansea City FC

In this post we look at hotels near Liberty Stadium Swansea

Many fans stay overnight when they go to the game. There are of course many reasons for this. So we thought we would profile a few of the destinations that are popular for fans to stay at.

In this post we will look at hotels near Swansea City FC.

Swansea has a lot to offer football fans. The 20,000 seater Liberty Stadium opened for its first international match on the 17th August 2005, it hosted the Wales v Slovenia game. Many fans and in particular 'groundhoppers' have been looking to get to Swansea to see the new ground. Some also venture down to the old Vetch Field, the former home of Swansea City FC as its not been knocked down yet.

Footballhotels lists 13 hotels near Swansea City that can be booked online. They include:

Ramada Swansea
The Grand Hotel
The Dragon Hotel
The Village Hotel and Leisure Club, Swansea
Ibis Swansea
Shoreline Hotel
The White House Hotel
Express By Holiday Inn Swansea
Singleton Hotel
The Mirador
The Dolphin Hotel
Leonardo's Guest House

Football fans have a choice between luxury hotels near Swansea City Fc or cheap hotels near Swansea City FC.

If you want to stay near the ground then the closest hotel is The Ramada Swansea. The ground is a little way out of the town though but if that doesnt appeal then The Ramada is good. Though the cab fare into town shouldn't set you back more than a tenner and at least you have somewhere to park the car.

The hotel with the best guest rating is the Mirador with 4.7 out of 5. The Mirador is a cheap cab ride away from the town centre and the nightlife. Its walkable if you are familiar with the area.

If you are looking for a bit of class and have a motor then we recommend the Fairyhill on the Gower Peninsular, pricey but ideal if you want luxury. The Gower was one of the UK's first areas of outstanding natural beauty, so you can combine football with a great walk on of the many beaches on offer.

If you are on a budget then there are cheap hotels in Swansea too - check out Leonardo's Guest House, they have single rooms from 30 quid. Its a family run B&B and they even have wireless internet available from five pounds a day.

Hotels and Guest Houses Near Swansea City FC

We are collating reviews of all hotels so if you have stayed at a hotel near Swansea then please do let us know what you thought.

Coventry City Kenilworth Supporters Club Interview

We have been chatting recently with Harry, a devoted Coventry City fan who runs the Coventry City Kenilworth Supporters Club.

1. Can you tell us about your site? Whats' it all about?

CCFC Kenilworth Supporters was started as as a means to get Coventry fans from Kenilworth and Warwickshire to the Ricoh for home games. The Ricoh Arena has next to no parking, and to get to it from Kenilworth you had to take to buses. After a while we soon knew that more than a coach club was needed, so we set up a Supporters club.

The Web site followed and now after 3 seasons we are about to have taken 5,000 fans to the Ricoh. The Web site is about getting CCFC, Football, and local issues across. I try to bring them all together.

2. What was the inspiration behind it?
Thats easy I love Coventry City and Football, to think I am helping in any way helping my football club and local football thats all the inspiration I need

3. Whats the worst away trip you have ever been on?

I enjoy all my away games I get to I always make a day of it and take it as it comes.

4. How many Grounds have you been to yourself?

62, when I was younger the was a group of us who if we did not have a game, we would throw a dart a the fixture list on Friday night and thats where we would go.

5. Whats your favourite away ground?

Tottenham We have had some good days and results we don't get up there much these days

6. Whats your worst away ground?

I think all grounds have something about them, but if I have to chose it has to be the Crisp Bowl at the wrong end of the M69

7. How do you normally get to away games?

We have run the odd away coach, but I nomally go by car

8. Have you ever made it an overnight stay?

Yes over the years I have, I have had some good nights out Blacpool and Newcastle have been the best.

9. How about matches abroad, have you ever been to any grounds that have really impressed or depressed you?

No but it is a dream of mine to see Coventry in Europe

10. Are you prone to a pie at half time? Whats your favourite half time nosh? What ground for you has the best bit of scran?

I go balti pie, but nomally before the game not at half time, they let us out at half time for a fag.

I went to Woking Feb 1997 when we played them in the FA Cup and had a chilli burger, (well it was that nice by the end of the game I had eaten 4) never been beaten

11. Other than your site, what other football sites do you visit?

I am always looking for new football sites but I do like IFAN AND NEWSNOW

12. And do you read any blogs regularly?

Yes I like the ones where supporters from all clubs get on them a bit like this one

13. What about outside of football? What sites do you visit daily?

You Tube the is some crazy stuff on that and ebay but I don't know if that counts as I am nomally after football bits

14. Coventry City have had a tough time of late, are you safe now?

We have a new deadline in April to get the 90% shares needed for the takeover to go on but they are up to the late 80% so it is going to happen, now I think they need to see the season out and look to the summer and next season, Don't get wrong we could make the play-offs but we need to focas on the pitch now I think with the take-over, the team has gone down up to now. But as we say next season will be different.

15. What do you like and dislike about your own ground?

Its a new ground and has alot going for it so the is alot to like, but I dislike the fact we don't own it alot of money not going into the club

16. Do you have any travel tips for football supporters coming to Coventry City's Ricoh Arena?

Go by coach they get moved out first the cars have to wait and the parking is poor and costly.