THANK GOD IT'S OVER

[garyclashcityrocker]

I've been a Fulham fan for all of my 55 years. There have been more lows than highs in that time, but like most of us -  I like to think I have realistic expectations when it comes to the whites.

I don't expect big things. But I do want to be entertained. I go to the Cottage for fun, but when it stops being fun - it becomes extremely hard work.

I've been a STH for 40 odd years and have only ever missed games - ( a handful ) - due to sickness or the occasional family event. This season though I stopped going after the Rotherham game. Although we won, all the endeavour came from the opposition and I came away far from convinced that our fight against the slippery decline towards the danger zone was starting. I was right!

I wasn't enjoying it, so I just stopped putting myself through it. I felt that I was putting in more effort to get there than the team were giving on the pitch, so I just took a breather.

Over the years I've watched some pretty dire Fulham sides. Seen us get beaten and drop through the divisions, but those teams always gave me - the supporter 100% effort, and I and other supporter's reciprocated. We were in it together. I don't feel like that at the moment.

For the first time ever I've thought about not renewing my ST - no doubt I will. The optimism of a new season always blinds us to the reality. But I will make this the final season if I don't see the level of commitment made by our support matched by those at the club.

The only reason we didn't go down this year is due to the ineptitude of those three teams below us. I won't go Saturday to say 'farewell' for the summer against Bolton. They don't deserve my applause. Not the Players. Not those running (I use the term loosely) the club. The only ones that deserve those 'long hard season' plaudits, is us - the supporter's - the blood that runs through the heart of this football club.

So I applaud all of you, who've had the gumption to stick through the second half of the season.

:Haynes The Maestro:

Let's hope that next season is better. It may well be the last for some of us.

[hovewhite]

I've been a Fulham fan for all of my 55 years. There have been more lows than highs in that time, but like most of us -  I like to think I have realistic expectations when it comes to the whites.

I don't expect big things. But I do want to be entertained. I go to the Cottage for fun, but when it stops being fun - it becomes extremely hard work.

I've been a STH for 40 odd years and have only ever missed games - ( a handful ) - due to sickness or the occasional family event. This season though I stopped going after the Rotherham game. Although we won, all the endeavour came from the opposition and I came away far from convinced that our fight against the slippery decline towards the danger zone was starting. I was right!

I wasn't enjoying it, so I just stopped putting myself through it. I felt that I was putting in more effort to get there than the team were giving on the pitch, so I just took a breather.

Over the years I've watched some pretty dire Fulham sides. Seen us get beaten and drop through the divisions, but those teams always gave me - the supporter 100% effort, and I and other supporter's reciprocated. We were in it together. I don't feel like that at the moment.

For the first time ever I've thought about not renewing my ST - no doubt I will. The optimism of a new season always blinds us to the reality. But I will make this the final season if I don't see the level of commitment made by our support matched by those at the club.

The only reason we didn't go down this year is due to the ineptitude of those three teams below us. I won't go Saturday to say 'farewell' for the summer against Bolton. They don't deserve my applause. Not the Players. Not those running (I use the term loosely) the club. The only ones that deserve those 'long hard season' plaudits, is us - the supporter's - the blood that runs through the heart of this football club.

So I applaud all of you, who've had the gumption to stick through the second half of the season.

:Haynes The Maestro:

Let's hope that next season is better. It may well be the last for some of us.

great post,i went to brentford and was disgusted with the attitude shown on the pitch and i am considering not renewing for next  season as attitude wise this is the most awful fulham team i have ever watched having started watching them in the early 70s!DISGUSTED WITH THEM!

[Dodger53]

I know i could not bring myself to clap them on to the pitch on Saturday and not sure a 5-0 would excite me. I am at a crossroads and cannot quite bring myself to end my family 4 generations of support. I enjoy the pre match beer, the half time pie but not the miserable 2 hour trip home. Still at the crossroads! Just found out it's a 12:30 kick off so no pre match beer may well have made the decision for me.

[grandad]

If money were no object I would give my eye teeth ( if I had them) to fly back for every game from here in Spain. It was the hardest wrench to give up my ST when I retired to here. Had to come over mainly for the wife´s health but also could not have the standard of living I have now if I had remained in the UK.

[alfie]

I perfectly understand supporters reactions but personally I will continue going through the bad and not just the good, to me that is what being a supporter is all about, but hey that is just me, everyone has their own feelings so this is not a criticism of anyone whatsoever.

[Andy S]

I commend you Gary and Yes you are right in everything you have written. I cannot ever remember getting as many hammerings from average teams and for me it is all the fault of coaches who do not understand the game. The players are not that bad but they never look that good and you have to ask why.

[The Rock]

If I were promised promotion and found myself looking at relegation I'd feel the same... Or just hate which is what I feel. I really think our 3-4 best players could walk into a prem side and the rest are rubbish. Khan and the club the whole thing is like a funeral, except we get 1 more year on life support.

[benfathers45]

I perfectly understand supporters reactions but personally I will continue going through the bad and not just the good, to me that is what being a supporter is all about, but hey that is just me, everyone has their own feelings so this is not a criticism of anyone whatsoever.

Yes I agree, being a Fulham supporter I feel is a unique experience, and it was amazing to see the passion for Fulham that resides in my own country, so they have my full support!

[Delboy]

Like a great many of the faithful I travelled to Brighton and Brentford recently. The effort shown by our lack lustered players does not match the effort and money spent by our diligent hard core supporters who travel up and down the country and deserve much more. I doubt the players give the result little more than a cursory thought after they get changed but we feel it week in week out. I sincerely hope by now SJ knows who will shed blood next season and who will be shown the door, the quicker the better, and recruit new talent who will wear the colours with pride. COYW.

[jarv]

I understand all the comments on here. Sometimes, you reach a point where enough is enough. I never had a season ticket because I always used to play on Saturdays but would watch Fulham at every opportunity. Many years ago, my game was called off, due to pitch condition. I said to my mate, Fulham at Brentford, lets go. (I think it was div 3). We stood in the rain for 45 minutes, the football was dire, the score 0-0. I then said, the standard is no better that what we play. We were surrounded by foul mouthed idiots (not Fulham of course) so my next comment was...why are we here? My mate said he didn't know, I said lets go. We left at half time.

As I said I did not go very often but enough was enough...if that is the best they can do I wont be back for a while. I had better things to do with my time. Of course, time heals and I did return to see quite a number of games before leaving for USA to live.

I applaud all of you for going to games and providing me with Fulham news on here, I feel your pain. Lets hope they can sort it out this summer. It seems like all of you know what the problem is, the question is...why not the Fulham heirarchy. Seriously, what is wrong with them? Probably need more than a post card for answers to that one.

[Reznor]

Like a great many of the faithful I travelled to Brighton and Brentford recently. The effort shown by our lack lustered players does not match the effort and money spent by our diligent hard core supporters who travel up and down the country and deserve much more. I doubt the players give the result little more than a cursory thought after they get changed but we feel it week in week out. I sincerely hope by now SJ knows who will shed blood next season and who will be shown the door, the quicker the better, and recruit new talent who will wear the colours with pride. COYW.

Your last sentence basically holds the key as to where this club is headed. If SJ is allowed to recruit the players he wants then things could improve but if Tony Khan and Rigg do the recruiting using the awful analytical process that Tony Khan so loves then expect a lot more pain and SJ to probably walk. I think the answer to this lay in the fact we recruited a 'Head Coach' and not a 'Manager'. Extremely frustrating times indeed. It was so much easier supporting the poor Fulham sides of the past as the club was skint. Now we are poor(in footballing terms) purely down to ignorance and incompetence. Excellent original post garyclashcityrocker. I imagine many feel the same.

[Logicalman]

I understand all the comments on here. Sometimes, you reach a point where enough is enough. I never had a season ticket because I always used to play on Saturdays but would watch Fulham at every opportunity. Many years ago, my game was called off, due to pitch condition. I said to my mate, Fulham at Brentford, lets go. (I think it was div 3). We stood in the rain for 45 minutes, the football was dire, the score 0-0. I then said, the standard is no better that what we play. We were surrounded by foul mouthed idiots (not Fulham of course) so my next comment was...why are we here? My mate said he didn't know, I said lets go. We left at half time.

As I said I did not go very often but enough was enough...if that is the best they can do I wont be back for a while. I had better things to do with my time. Of course, time heals and I did return to see quite a number of games before leaving for USA to live.

I applaud all of you for going to games and providing me with Fulham news on here, I feel your pain. Lets hope they can sort it out this summer. It seems like all of you know what the problem is, the question is...why not the Fulham heirarchy. Seriously, what is wrong with them? Probably need more than a post card for answers to that one.

Good Post. The last sentence sums up what I believe. I was a regular attendee before my move overseas like most ex-pats were I feel, and seeing my club fall so hard is still difficult to take in, even from a distance. But what the hell, no matter which Div we are in, when SWMBO and I come over for our regular trips, it will still be the Cottage that we visit, without fail, each time. That will never change.

[Lighthouse]

Like those monster movies when the monster lies dead and you think it is all over. Then suddenly he comes back to life. Like the last three seasons. We keep thinking it's all over. But that Fulham monster may rise again. Sadly there is nothing to suggest it wont.  :dft007:

[garyclashcityrocker]

The funny thing is, I don't even feel angry anymore. The underlying feeling is one of apathy. Things have not been right since Hodgson / Hughes period's.

The team that Hodgson created is a real case in point, and draws some comparisons with the current Leicester team. We had a group of good (not exceptional) hard working players, who cared and played for each other and the supporters and wider club. They played too their strengths and first and foremost gave everything. Endeavour....for me that's what it is all about.

That team was broken up by Jol a season to early. The changes should have been phased and gradual rather than wholesale. Since then a catalogue of errors as misplaced appointments.

Still...we'll see what happens next. The jury is still out on Jokanovic and I think we missed a trick with Warburton when he first resigned at Brentford, but fingers cross. Players wise? A massive clearout for me. Burns & Woodrow keepers for their heart and commitment alone. Woodrow is much better than some on here believe and he will come good given the opportunity. There something about Fredericks, but I'm not sure about his best position. Betts on his day is a solid keeper. After that I struggle. Cairney, McCormack et al, are all gifted players - but are they Fulham - I think not.

Perhaps it's time to give youth a proper chance, Hyndman, Liam Donnelly and change our recruitment policy so that we assess a players suitability. ethos, motives as well as ability. The experiment of buying every other clubs player of the season - Cairney, Stearman, Pringle (who always worked hard), Ream - just didn't work.

Madl looks the part. I always thought Husband (back on loan at Huddersfield) felt like one of us. Rohan Ince too. Liam Bridcutt (Leeds) Lansbury (Forest) Lewis Baker (Gronigen: on loan from Chelsea) all feel like Fulham to me. We need team players who want to play for the shirt - not headline signings just here for the wages, or looking at us as a stepping stone.

There are more Horsfield's, Clark's, Finnan's and Dembele's (the real one) - the club just needs to undertake due-diligence and not just recruit players, any old one will do - but Fulham players. The silly thing is you all know what I mean, how come those that run our football club, who are supposedly better informed don't.

It's very, very sad. COYW's

[garyclashcityrocker]

Lighthouse, I hope your right. I'm not negative. Like fashion it all comes around again. I just find it frustrating that we care and some (most) at the club don't.

I realise too, that to majority of players it's a job. For all the kiss the badge posturing - it's what they do for a living and if someone offers you 30-bob an hour more you switch. But these blokes know in there hearts what it means to us. They've been fans before becoming a player. Surely they owe it to us, the people who pay there wages to do their best and justify that pay packet, let alone play for some professional pride.

We can argue that they've not been coached, managed and directed well enough, which is also true. But endeavour, heart and desire that comes from within.

Football like life is not all good. There is no constant state of nirvana. Life is an undulating road with many peaks and troughs. The secret is to enjoy the peaks as much as you can in the knowledge that a dip will come further down the road.

But much of this deep trough we find ourselves in - has been of the clubs own making and compounded and extended by bad decision making.

I'm a Fulham Supporter. Always will be regardless. But there does come a point where you think that we give everything and get very little back in return. They know we care and they play us accordingly. E.g Mr Khan's promise in close season investment, build a team for promotion. Surely not dissimilar to this time last season when it was ST renewal time.

To give him his due, we did spend. Just on the wrong people.

I really do hope your right and that this has just been an extended glitch. But like you I think that every season.

Here's hoping!

[Berserker]

Well I'll get my season tickets and if it's poo again next season I won't go to all the matches. Waste of money not going to all available matches I know but at least I'll keep my sanity

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[clarkey]

Two STH saying au revoir for the time being. It is like not going to Fulham now because the character has been drained away. Some of the posts here are so accurate and so sad...we have never minded being a losing team due to other teams winning, or us just being off form, but now we are a losing team because of ourselves. Any single one of the names above me on this board could run the club better...and maybe should be.

It is the lack of heart that is the issue.We have never been so inept and so lacking in simple nouse in my memory.

Time for basic change, and aim for a small improvement we are still sliding downwards right now.