Wednesday Fulham Stuff (04/10/17)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Tottenham Hotspur should've moved for Ryan Sessegnon back in June

The reported Tottenham Hotspur target is now worth £50 million seemingly.

According to The Sun, Fulham have slapped a £50 million asking price on highly-rated defender Ryan Sessegnon in a development which might make Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy wince.

Football London reported back in June that the 17-year-old had "his heart set" on joining Tottenham.

This was when Fulham, according to The Independent, were only asking for £15 million, but Sessegnon has since signed a three-year contract extension after Spurs seemingly did not make their move.

Fast forward a few months and The Sun is reporting that the Lilywhites - who have long been interested - are ready to make a bid for the teenager but is it possible that Levy's apparent summer snub will have caused him to re-consider his preference?

Unfortunately for the North Londoners, they don't have this one all to themselves.

Sessegnon certainly appears to be the real deal and ESPN reported that Manchester United were also interested. Tottenham may be the place to be if you're a young player but it would take an awful lot of courage to turn down the Red Devils.

In any case, if Fulham are serious about their £50 million valuation then Levy should kick himself for not anticipating a huge increase in his price-tag and not make a move when £15 million was the valuation. It was never going to get lower.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/10/02/tottenham-hotspur-shouldve-moved-for-ryan-sessegnon-back-in-june/

[WhiteJC]

 
An Evening With Brian McBride

Join us at Craven Cottage on Friday 13th October for an evening with former Fulham Captain, Brian McBride.

During a four-and-a-half year spell with the Whites, the all-American hero scored 40 goals in 153 appearances and, as a popular player down on the banks of the Thames, Brian would go on to win successive FFC Player of the Season awards in 2006 and 2007.

Leading the line by example with courage and a knack for scoring crucial goals, McBride captained the Whites in the 2007/08 season (his last for Fulham), where he thrived on the responsibility set and played a vital role in our battle back from the brink at the end of that campaign.

An American National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee, following his departure from Fulham in 2008 the former US Men's National Team Captain was honoured with the renaming of a Hospitality lounge at Craven Cottage. Following a recent refurbishment we are delighted to confirm Brian himself will re-open the self-named bar on Friday 13th October.

Supporters are invited to join us as Brian returns to the ground where he remains a fan favourite, with an evening starting from 7pm providing the opportunity for the Whites faithful to get up close and personal, as well as put their own questions to the man himself, at this intimate on-stage interview.

Brian will be at the ground from 7-9pm, so fans wishing to meet him are encouraged to arrive early.

Tickets are priced at just £20 per person and can be purchased today online at fulhamfc.com/tickets. All tickets come with a free drink and burger on arrival.

An Evening with Brian McBride

    Complimentary bottle of beer, house wine or soft drink on arrival
    Burger included on arrival with the trimmings
    Informal seating, opportunity to ask questions and meet Brian
    Cash bar facility throughout the evening
    Price: £20 per person (inc. VAT)

Buy online at fulhamfc.com/tickets, by phone on 0208 336 7555 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) or email [email protected]




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/october/03/brian-mcbride

[WhiteJC]

 
International Call-Ups

Details of the Fulham players who have received call-ups from their respective countries ahead of the upcoming international period. Sheyi Ojo has withdrawn from the England Under-21 squad following his injury sustained against QPR.

Senior squad

Stefan Johansen (Norway) – World Cup Qualifiers

Mattias Kait (Estonia) – World Cup Qualifiers

Tomas Kalas (Czech Republic) – World Cup Qualifiers

Neeskens Kebano (Congo) – World Cup Qualifier

Oliver Norwood (Northern Ireland) – World Cup Qualifiers

Tim Ream (United States) – World Cup Qualifiers
Under-21s

Aron Davies (Wales) – European Qualifier

Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson (Iceland) – European Qualifiers
Under-20s

Tayo Edun (England) – Friendlies
Under-19s

Mikolaj Kwietniewski (Poland) – European Qualifiers
Under-17s

Steven Sessegnon (England) – World Cup



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/october/03/international-call-ups

[WhiteJC]

 
Transfer talk: Fulham linked to international defender

Watford's former Manchester United man could reunite with Jovanovic


Target?Craig Cathcart (Image: Mike Hewitt/GettyImages)

Fulham could make a January move for Watford centre back Craig Cathcart, if reports are to be believed.

The Northern Ireland international defender was part of the Hornets side which won promotion to the Premier League under Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic two years ago.

The 28 year old recently signed a new four-year deal at Vicarage Road, but was left out of Watford's 25-man Premier League squad.

This, however, is largely due to a knee injury which has restricted him to just 19 minutes' action this season, and will see him sidelined until at least Christmas.

Former Manchester United defender Cathcart has made just shy of 100 appearances for Watford since signing on a free transfer from Blackpool in the summer of 2014.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/transfer-talk-fulham-linked-international-13708638

[WhiteJC]

 
McCormack admits Villa disaster; points to Leeds, Fulham honours

Ross McCormack has conceded his time at Aston Villa was a disaster – but the forward insists he can rebuild his career with Melbourne City.

The Scotland striker has moved Down Under on loan, having not featured in a league game for Villa since January.

The £12million signing from Fulham admits, however, he has plenty to prove and that his time in the Midlands hasn't exactly gone to plan.

"It's been a disaster. There's no two ways about it," McCormack said. "I scored four goals and played something like 25 games. If you look at the five years before that I was averaging over 50 games a season and probably over 20 goals.

"I think most players have a dip in their careers, hopefully that was mine."

McCormack is aware his reputation will need some repair work following his falling out with Bruce in January.

The Villa boss infamously revealed the Scotland international had been unable to report for training due to the electric gates to his home being stuck. "I'm not a silly little boy now, I know there's a bit to prove," McCormack said in quotes reported by the Express & Starr.

"And I know what people will be thinking, because I've read it on my social media, that 'his attitude isn't great'."

However, McCormack points to his time at Leeds and Fulham as evidence that he's not a bad egg.

"I was club captain at Leeds, club captain at Fulham. If you've got a bad attitude you're not getting those honours.

"So my message is that I'm here to do things right. I'm not the kind of guy who wants to basically collect money and do nothing."



http://www.teamtalk.com/news/mccormack-admits-to-villa-disaster-points-to-leeds-fulham-honours

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham are enjoying their joint best start to a league campaign in a decade

The Whites are enjoying their joint best start to a league season in a decade, coupled only with the 2009/10 season where they picked up the same amount of points

Fulham are having their joint best start to a league season in a decade.

The Cottagers have picked up 17 points from their first 11 games this season - it's their joint highest points total from as many league games in a decade.

The 2009/10 season was the other campaign where they also picked up as many points from their first 11 games, although the Cottagers were in the Premier League that season, ending it as beaten finalists in the Europa League under Roy Hodgson.

Season: Points from first 10 league games

2017/18: 17

2016/17: 14

2015/16: 13

2014/15: 7

2013/14: 10

2012/13: 16

2011/12: 10

2010/11: 13

2009/10: 17

2008/09: 11

2007/08: 9

Fulham are one of just three sides in the Championship this season who are enjoying their best starts.

Sheffield United have picked up 21 points from their opening 11 games - their joint best start over the last 10 seasons - while Ipswich have picked up 18 points from their first 10 games which is also their joint best start.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-enjoying-joint-best-start-13710165

[WhiteJC]

 
Villa v Fulham: Five reasons not to miss our next home fixture

Be here as we face Fulham in the Sky Bet Championship later this month – there's plenty of reasons to attend!

It is the only opportunity to see Steve Bruce's side in action at Villa Park during a mouth-watering October that also includes trips to Wolves and Birmingham City.

And after achieving our biggest home attendance of the season against Bolton Wanderers last time out, we want another bumper crowd to help roar the team to victory against the Cottagers.

Here's five reasons to get your tickets and be at the Fulham clash...

1) Best in the league!
No side has picked up more points in the last six games, making us the form team in the Championship.

We've taken 14 from a possible 18, conceded just once and scored 10 times – the former two are division-high statistics.

It's ideal form for the big month ahead!

2) Bargain buy
Tickets for the Fulham game are priced at just £20 to £33 for adults and £15 to £20 for concessions.

U21s can attend for between £10 to £17 and U16s from £5 to £10.Family packages are available at £45 to £55 (two adults and two U16s).

Tickets are on general sale.

To buy, visit us in person, call 0333 323 1874 or buy from our online ticket office.

3) Be #PartOfThePride
No team in the Championship has had more fans descend on its turnstiles than Villa this season – our accumulative attendance of 176,833 is the best in the division, and more than 13,000 higher than the next best team.

You can now be a part of it, courtesy of our official fan memberships which went on sale this week, allowing all of our supporters to come together and become #PartOfThePride.

Two new membership packages – Claret Membership and Cub Membership – are now available, and each one has its own range of benefits.

4) Promotion favourites
Along with ourselves, Fulham were tipped as one of the frontrunners for promotion this season.

The Cottagers endured a frustrating start to the campaign, but have recently put a run of results together to begin climbing the table.

And with three quarters of the season still left to play, there's every chance we'll both be up there come May – making this a highly-important fixture on the calendar.

5) Table implications
We're now just a single point outside the Championship play-off places and only four off the automatic positions.

Depending on our result against Wolves – and others elsewhere next weekend – we could be in contention at the top come the Fulham match.

Make sure you buy your seat from our online ticket office.



https://www.avfc.co.uk/News/2017/10/03/villa-v-fulham-be-here-for-cottagers-clash

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham FC project over for Heatherwick Studio as Populous take the reins on Riverside Stand

Plans to redevelop the Riverside Stand have been in the pipeline for years, with the club wishing to increase the stadium's capacity by 4,300 seats / John Walton/EMPICS Sport

Our home ground will blend history and the contemporary like no stadium in this land or beyond
– Shahid Khan, Fulham FC chair

Fulham FC have appointed global sports architects Populous to lead the redesign of the Riverside Stand at the club's London home, Craven Cottage.

In his programme notes for the Championship match against Hull City on 13 September, Fulham FC chairman Shahid Khan pledged that the project will "transcend the customary standards of football grandstands" by including riverside pubs and restaurants, event facilities, green spaces and public access to a river walk along the Thames.

London design firm Heatherwick Studio previously developed a broad concept for the Riverside Stand and its surrounding area as part of a business case study, but CLADglobal understands their involvement in the project is now over, with Populous responding to a new brief.

In April 2016, Khan had claimed that Heatherwick Studio founder Thomas Heatherwick would "bring to life what the project, the neighbourhood and the Fulham community deserve".

By appointing Populous, Khan is reuniting with a firm he has worked with closely before. In May this year the practice completed a stadium extension for US National Football League (NFL) franchise the Jacksonville Jaguars – a team Khan also owns.

In his notes for the Hull City game Khan did not acknowledge a change in strategy, but said he has been "deliberate in reviewing concepts, interviewing designers and studying the economics of what will turn out to be a signature project for an entire community", so as to avoid "making a mistake that wouldn't serve our club, the neighbourhood and all of London both immediately and for generations".

He added that, as reimagined by Populous, Craven Cottage "will blend history and the contemporary like no stadium in the land or beyond".

Plans to redevelop the Riverside Stand have been in the pipeline for years, with the club aiming to increase the stadium's capacity by 4,300 seats, taking its capacity to 30,000.

The club previously stated that any design of the new stand should mirror the bend in the Thames; reduce the impact of floodlighting on the river; be sympathetic in scale to the adjoining stands and trees to the south; and take advantage of the riverside location.

It appears the project is now accelerating, with pre-application documents submitted to Fulham and Hammersmith Council last week and a formal planning application to local authorities scheduled to take place later this year. A preliminary design sketch has also been released.

Two public exhibitions showcasing Populous' plans will take place at the Cafe at the Cottage between 2pm and 8pm on 12 October and between 9am and 1pm on 14 October, prior to the club's match against Preston North End.

Populous have designed a number of London's major football grounds, including Wembley Stadium, in collaboration with Foster + Partners; Arsenal's Emirates Stadium; West Ham United's London Stadium; and Tottenham Hotspur's forthcoming new-look White Hart Lane.

The practice also completed the new Warners Stand at Lord's Cricket Ground in May this year.

It appears that the project is now accelerating, with pre-application documents submitted to Fulham and Hammersmith Council / Simon Cooper/EMPICS Sport


Populous' design plans will go on public display in October, as part of a public consultation process / Populous

http://www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/news/Fulham-FC-/334364

[WhiteJC]

 
Should Leeds rival Fulham for Craig Cathcart's signature in January?

Reports claim the Watford defender is wanted by Fulham, but he could be ideal for Leeds United instead.

After going six league games without conceding, Leeds United have since shipped nine goals in four.

Recent upheaval hasn't helped; their three recognised centre-backs - Pontus Jansson, Liam Cooper and Matthew Pennington - all absent at some stage.

But is the centre of Leeds' defence an area they should look to address during the January transfer window, whether the trio stay fit - and free of suspension - or not?

If the right player becomes available, it's something they would certainly be wise to consider, especially with most of their rivals carrying at least four centre-backs who are Championship-ready.

And they may be in luck if so, according to a report in the Mirror this week, which claimed that Fulham are considering a move for Watford's Craig Cathcart when the transfer window reopens.

Cathcart, who is not said to feature in the long-term plans of Hornets boss Marco Silva, could be the ideal candidate to shore up Thomas Christiansen's 'soft' back line.

The Northern Ireland international has played 81 times at Premier League level, and knows how to get out of the Championship having been promoted with Watford three seasons ago.

And while his manager then, Slavisa Jokanovic, may be in charge of Fulham now, the lure of Leeds United should not be underestimated if the Whites do decide to engage in battle with the team from west London.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/10/03/should-leeds-rival-fulham-for-craig-cathcarts-signature-in-janua/

[WhiteJC]

 
Button: Lads Dug In

David Button believes Fulham showed their gritty side when necessary at Loftus Road on Friday night.

It was backs to the wall in stoppage time as Queens Park Rangers looked to salvage something from the match, particularly after Conor Washington had halved the deficit in the second of nine added minutes.

But some resolute defending throughout the side meant the Whites saw the game out, and it was a result that Button believes was fully deserved.

"We were playing well so we felt quite comfortable going into stoppage time," he told fulhamfc.com. "It was a bit nervy when they scored but we dug in and were well worth the three points, I think.

"It's important to have that side to your game. Everyone knows what we can do on the ball and the way we play, so it's important to show the other side of it at times and I thought we did that well.

"I'm sure we'll be tested like that again later in the season so hopefully we can draw on that experience.

"We can take that forward, that mentality, and use it in the coming games. It was expected when they threw everyone forwards, but the lads stood up to it which was pleasing."

At 2-1, QPR's most dangerous player Luke Freeman found himself in on goal only to be denied by the sizeable Button – a save which effectively earned Fulham two extra points.

"It was important," the goalkeeper admitted. "The timing of it as well made it more pleasing, but other than that the lads dug in and didn't really give me too much to do. It was a good game from everyone.

"It was obviously a big win, an important three points for us, and against your local rivals makes it all the sweeter, so it was a good night for everyone."

Washington's consolation was a minor blip for Fulham, and although his side have been in good form of late, Button is craving another clean sheet.

"It is a bit frustrating to be honest," he stated. "There have been a lot of games this year where we've conceded one, especially late on, so it's frustrating that we didn't get the clean sheet but, particularly on Friday, the most important thing was that we just held on for the win."




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/october/04/david-button-lads-dug-in