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Fulham have been sounded out about their interest in sharing a new stadium with west London rivals QPR, The Sweeper can reveal.
But Fulham have told Rangers they would only consider the possibility of leaving Craven Cottage if their ground expansion plans are rejected by Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council.
Rangers have been openly scouring west London for a new site since Tony Fernandes’ takeover last August and one possibility that has been tentatively explored is linking up with Fulham to build a bespoke ground.
The Sweeper understands that the approach, believed to have been made last autumn, received a lukewarm response because of Fulham’s plans to expand the club’s home since 1896.
A planning application to develop the Riverside Stand and increase Craven Cottage’s capacity to 30,000 from 25,700 was submitted to the council earlier this month. Fulham, who were tenants at Loftus Road between 2002 and 2004 while the Cottage was developed, will only reconsider the possibility of a ground share if the proposal is rejected by the council.
QPR’s first choice is to buy a parcel of land that belongs to the BBC at White City, which is next to the vast Westfield shopping development and adjacent to the A40.
However, the cost of building a 30,000-capacity stadium from scratch in an area where land and construction costs are so expensive is proving prohibitive and the plan to go it alone at the site has been put on ice.
