'Dirty tricks' claims in Fulham stadium row

In the genteel west London suburbs around Craven Cottage, home to Fulham Football Club, tempers are flaring.

Accusations are flying, and rifts over the proposed £70million extension of the stadium threaten to become a war of David and Goliath proportions - although which side is the little man and which is the giant can at times be difficult to fathom.

Under the controversial extension plan, the actual Craven Cottage - from which the ground takes its name - would be demolished. Although the project was approved by Hammersmith and Fulham's planning department last month, the strength of local opposition may force Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to "call it in" this week, which would mean a public hearing and could take up to a year.

This would be a disaster for the First Division club, which has until August next year to become an all-seater stadium under post-Hillsborough guidelines. Fulham seem certain to win promotion this season to the Premiership under Jean Tigana, but if the club misses the all-seater deadline, its licence will not be renewed. Michael Fiddy, managing director of the club, said: "It would be disastrous for the club's future if we have that kind of delay."

Mudslinging abounds between the two factions. In one corner is the Fulham Alliance, a residents' group set up specifically to challenge the extension proposals, and which says it has the support of between 1,500 and 2,000 local people.

Their objections range from fears of traffic congestion if capacity is expanded from 21,000 to 30,000 as proposed, to claims that interrupted wind flows caused by the height of the proposed stadium would lead to the closure of the nearby Ranelagh Sailing Club.

In the opposing corner is Fulham United, another group of residents who, in their own words, "support the right of our local football club to remain at their historic home of the past 103 years" and obliquely refer to the Alliance as "an affluent and vocal minority" on their website.

The latest row surrounds Mori research into local opinion commissioned by Fulham United. Not surprisingly, both United and the Alliance claim the results support their cause and both claim dirty tricks by the other.