Craven Cottage has always been a happy hunting ground for AFC Bournemouth, with eight goals scored in the last two visits and a first promotion to the second division secured on the banks of the Thames in 1987.
For Steve Cook, Friday nights in south west London are even more poignant as he looks set to make his second Championship start of the season this evening, after featuring in the weekend’s 2-2 draw with Coventry City.
Live on Sky, they don’t get too much bigger than tonight’s trip to Fulham, which will see the Championship’s top two go head-to-head vying to be top of the tree at the end of gameweek 21.
Speaking of the memories that come with a trip to Craven Cottage, Cook began by discussing the events last time out.
A 3-0 win away from home saw a David Brooks strike sandwiched between two Callum Wilson goals, sealing an all-important three points in the Premier League.
“It was a really good day out,” he began.
“Playing Fulham is always one that you look forward to – Craven Cottage is obviously very historical and in the past we’ve had some really nice results there too.
“That day was one of them in a season that we started the league really well. It was quite a convincing away win as well which was nice. I remember walking off and seeing Aaron Ramsdale in with the away fans!
"It epitomised what we were back then, so it was a really enjoyable game and hopefully we can replicate that this time.”
Despite that win taking the Cherries onto 20 points after just ten top flight games, there’s another outing to south west London which lives long in the memory of the defender.
A 5-1 victory in March 2015 not only took the side a step closer to their first Premier League promotion, a drilled effort from Cook on the edge of the area with 83 minutes gone made headlines alone.
He recalls: “Being in a comfortable lead at the time, I just thought I would hit it. It could’ve ended up in the Thames!
“Luckily for me it ended up right in the top corner and it was a special goal for myself, one that’s right up there in those that I’ve scored for the club.
“Again, what a win that was. It was a result that helped us get promoted to the Premier League.
“Hopefully this Friday will bring us success and if we do go there and win it, it will lead us into a really nice period and it can take us top.
“I’d love another 5-1 win but we’ll definitely take a scrappy 1-0. It should be a great game, a really good atmosphere and one that we’re looking forward to.”
The Cherries go into the game a point behind Fulham in the Championship standings and seven clear of QPR in third.
Despite no win since the 4-0 victory against Swansea City at the start of November, Scott Parker’s side find themselves in a healthy position and Cook believes the game can kickstart another good run of form.
“I think the game has come at a very good time for us, we haven’t won in three and have had a couple of mixed results.
“Hopefully now we can go back on a little run and lay down a bit of a statement going into the Christmas period.
“After the game last weekend, I think the lads were quite down but this is football. You’re going to have times like this and it’s never plain sailing in the Championship – it’s so up and down.
“We’ve had such an incredible start, this is just a little bump in the road but it’s no problem and we’ll hopefully respond on Friday with a good result.”
The 30-year-old will likely be up against a familiar opponent in Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has 21 goals to his name already this season.
But it could well be a battle of the strikers at Craven Cottage this evening, with his counterpart in Dom Solanke on an impressive 16 himself.
“I’ve played against Mitrovic a couple of times over the years.
“Ultimately though, if there’s any comparisons on the night, we’re hoping that Dom has a bigger say than him.
“No doubt it’s going to be a tough game, they’ve got some really good players all across their team but we’re looking to impose our way of playing and the way the manager wants us to play.
“I’m sure the home and away fixture with Fulham would’ve been ones the manager and his staff looked out for straight away.
“The players want to get the win for them, even if we don’t quite know the emotions they’ll be feeling.
“Ultimately, it’s a game of football and we want to win either way but there’s going to be a little bit of an edge to it. We’ll be doing what we can to get the result for the staff.”
It’s not just the manager that Cook wants to do proud, with the Cherries set to be backed by a packed out away end of over 1,600 supporters this evening.
“The away fans are always terrific and they always travel in numbers,” he concluded.
“Hopefully it can be a great weekend for them. Friday night under the lights in London, it doesn’t get too much better.
“I’m sure they’ll bring their loud voices with them and hopefully we can give them a result to go with it.”
