...blimey, I now feel old, Kenny Achampong is 45 years old today, that evening game when he made his debut, scored a goal, a few days later then scored two and we all thought we had a wonderkid! So much potential never reached. Nevertheless, thank you for the days and Happy Birthday Pongo...
(http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/MainNews/NewsPages/General/CultHeroes/Achampong.jpg)
Achampong would be our greatest ever player. He would play for England one day. If we could keep hold of him he would delight us for years. People would rememeber him in the same breath as Marsh and Best and all the greats.
Oh well, just a few more things I was wrong about. But he was a player worth going to see for a short time. A player whose true potential was never realised.
Happy Birthday to a player who could have been great.
I'm going back here but didn't he have a row with Ray Lewington once and walk off during a match at home?
Good skilful player but worst headerer(is that even a word?) of a ball I've ever seen, happy birthday kenny
I once rode to a game on the District Line with Kenny. He was very approachable, affable and happy to talk. But he was fabulously indiscrete. This was on the day that Jimmy Hill took over the club and we played Chesterfield (Happy Days Are Here Again). He told me hown he wanted to go and play in the indoor league in the US and that he didn't like or rate Ray Lewington. Fair enough if that's how he felt but he really shouldn't have been sharing these thoughts with a 19 year old fan he's just met on a tube train.
But just looking at him as a player. It's a shame he didn't emerge a couple of years earlier so he could have been part of the MacDonald side. He was a hugely talented player who had the misfortune to emerge into a side that was already being asset stripped my Ernie Clay.
Football is full of "wht ifs" and Kenny is a classic example.
Quote from: CULTUREVULTURE on June 26, 2011, 06:56:14 PM
I once rode to a game on the District Line with Kenny. He was very approachable, affable and happy to talk. But he was fabulously indiscrete. This was on the day that Jimmy Hill took over the club and we played Chesterfield (Happy Days Are Here Again). He told me hown he wanted to go and play in the indoor league in the US and that he didn't like or rate Ray Lewington. Fair enough if that's how he felt but he really shouldn't have been sharing these thoughts with a 19 year old fan he's just met on a tube train.
But just looking at him as a player. It's a shame he didn't emerge a couple of years earlier so he could have been part of the MacDonald side. He was a hugely talented player who had the misfortune to emerge into a side that was already being asset stripped my Ernie Clay.
Football is full of "wht ifs" and Kenny is a classic example.
I saw him outside of Walsalls old ground in a gaame he didn't play in. When we asked why he let rip about Jimmy Hill. Sure i read something not long ago he lives in North London (Holloway rd) but cant remember what he's up to
To be fair he probably wasn't all that, but just had a bit of skill in a very poor side so stood out a bit. Perhaps a bit of the Collins John about him?
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on June 26, 2011, 07:10:31 PM
Quote from: CULTUREVULTURE on June 26, 2011, 06:56:14 PM
I once rode to a game on the District Line with Kenny. He was very approachable, affable and happy to talk. But he was fabulously indiscrete. This was on the day that Jimmy Hill took over the club and we played Chesterfield (Happy Days Are Here Again). He told me hown he wanted to go and play in the indoor league in the US and that he didn't like or rate Ray Lewington. Fair enough if that's how he felt but he really shouldn't have been sharing these thoughts with a 19 year old fan he's just met on a tube train.
But just looking at him as a player. It's a shame he didn't emerge a couple of years earlier so he could have been part of the MacDonald side. He was a hugely talented player who had the misfortune to emerge into a side that was already being asset stripped my Ernie Clay.
Football is full of "wht ifs" and Kenny is a classic example.
I saw him outside of Walsalls old ground in a gaame he didn't play in. When we asked why he let rip about Jimmy Hill. Sure i read something not long ago he lives in North London (Holloway rd) but cant remember what he's up to
To be fair he probably wasn't all that, but just had a bit of skill in a very poor side so stood out a bit. Perhaps a bit of the Collins John about him?
Spot on. A classic case of youthful naiveity. But we'll never know how he would have developed in a better side where there wasn't a huge pressure/expectation on his shoulders.
Bored people on here enough times I know but my abiding memory of the real King Kenny was the nonchelant little back heel that set up our second goal at Ninian Park way back yonder.........Chelsea had smashed up the ground the week before and Fulham inflicted further pain with a 2-0 victory........might wear my 'Kenny Achampong Kilburns finest ever Fulham player t shirt on Thursday by way of celebration for the great mans birthday.
Wonder wear he is now.
We are the whites
Over 46 and a half now.
What a player.
coyw
awwwwww Kenny kenny... Kenny Kenny kenny kenny ACH am PONG....
You know mate
coyw
Thought he was class..so talented...
(http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/6841/ucopy2.jpg)
I remember he had this unique type of shuffle with both feet he used to get past players from an almost standing start, normally on the touchline before getting a cross in.
Made his debut against, i think,Oxford, then played a blinder the next Saturday against,i think, Carlisle.
I loved him, but ended up as 'what a waste of talent', I don't know what went wrong but he should have been one of the best ever.
Quote from: Lighthouse on June 26, 2011, 01:17:59 PM
Achampong would be our greatest ever player. He would play for England one day. If we could keep hold of him he would delight us for years. People would rememeber him in the same breath as Marsh and Best and all the greats.
Oh well, just a few more things I was wrong about. But he was a player worth going to see for a short time. A player whose true potential was never realised.
Happy Birthday to a player who could have been great.
I too saw Achampong in that light and it remains a mystery to me to this day why he never made the grade, he had so much talent.
Surely there must have been some neglect by our management/coaching staff in not controlling such a promising young player.
Happy Birthday Kenny.
From what I have been told and has been documented he became disinfranchised (you know what i mean) with the tactics of the management at the club....went to a fans forum at walton casuals recently where ray lew was one of the speakers with that jonathan pearce and TG and was gonna ask RL his opinion of our King Kenny but people were far more interested in hearing about how Roy would perform as our national manager.
Add to the above the general thuggery at the time when kenny was plying his trade as they say meant that players as gifted as him were not allowed to flourish...might wear my 100% kilburns finest ffc player in recognition of the great man tomorrow.
the umbro shirt in the pic...does it get much better?
stupid question
coyw
According to Dembele's wikepedia thingimyjig our current 1st team Manager reckons Moussa (the glider...oh how beautiful was he) is the best player he (MJ) has ever seen.....(of course i am aware of the different levels fofers) but imagine what he would have made of pongo?
coyw
Nice article about him in the match day programme yesterday...his lad is training at Fulham.....apparently he's more talented than the real King Kenny...the boy must be good.
coyw
You beat me to it.
Quote from: mr-ska on October 25, 2012, 08:29:26 PM
awwwwww Kenny kenny... Kenny Kenny kenny kenny ACH am PONG....
Pure.
coyw
Corey Browne also looked very promising.
Quote from: SP on March 29, 2013, 11:14:20 PM
Corey Browne also looked very promising.
For sure SP...crime..bury? and non league...wrong era again.
coyw
Mauge not brown in last post..schoolboy error!
Just turned 47 now...happy belated birthday to the real king kenny
coyw
Bit on the official about the man...extract from a programme last season.
Hope Miracle kicks on.
coyw
Feeling for one of Kenny's old teams and their fans tonight...always liked the O's and was looking forward to the trip next season.
Real shame
coyw
Quote from: Travers Barney on May 25, 2014, 10:44:16 PM
Feeling for one of Kenny's old teams and their fans tonight...always liked the O's and was looking forward to the trip next season.
Real shame
coyw
Still couldn't believe the stat that was mentioned on the radio about them not reaching the top two divisions in 32 years.
What a wonderful name for a player..Kenny Achampong..
Kenny was hugely naturally talented. Derry Quigley used to rave about his ability - BUT he never managed to harness that fabulous ball control, speed, trickery and eye for a goal into a team ethic. He wouldn't track back or tackle and this in a team struggling in the lower divisions was hardly ideal and not at all to the liking of Ray Lew. Of course he later went to Charlton, was given the chance to play in the top division, albeit in a poor team and signally failed to impress.Their supporters fanzine at the time was fairly scathing about him and did not rate him at all.
He burst on the scene like a shooting star, burned brightly for a very brief period and then fell back to earth just as quickly. Still at least he'll still be remembered when the likes of Ronnie Mauge, Leo Donnelan, Udo Onwere and Martin Fearney are little more than a bad memory.
I think I remember his first game or maybe his second, when in the early minutes of the game, he took the ball into the corner flag down by the cottage, then jinked and tricked his way along the byline past two bamboozled defenders and created a chance out of absoloutely nothing. I was standing just in front of the green pole and was in a state of confusion and bemusement, I thought Leroy had turned into George Best.
Kenny was class, a real talent, there was an audible buzz when he got the ball, even back in those dark days of lower division relegation battles. I think he had a great game against Chelsea in the cup replay, he won a penalty when he jinked past a defender and was far too quick to get fouled, then waited for the defender to recover then jinked past him again and, this time, made sure he was fouled. We missed the penalty, of course, but what happy memories.
Quote from: andyk on May 26, 2014, 05:13:53 PM
I think I remember his first game or maybe his second, when in the early minutes of the game, he took the ball into the corner flag down by the cottage, then jinked and tricked his way along the byline past two bamboozled defenders and created a chance out of absoloutely nothing. I was standing just in front of the green pole and was in a state of confusion and bemusement, I thought Leroy had turned into George Best.
Kenny was class, a real talent, there was an audible buzz when he got the ball, even back in those dark days of lower division relegation battles. I think he had a great game against Chelsea in the cup replay, he won a penalty when he jinked past a defender and was far too quick to get fouled, then waited for the defender to recover then jinked past him again and, this time, made sure he was fouled. We missed the penalty, of course, but what happy memories.
Still feel ill about that night at the Cottage....the injustice still lingers.
coyw
Yes could have been a true legend here but hey sometimes it doesn't happen. Gave a few of us who were there a bit of pleasure during the dark days
Only a month to go and the great man will be 50...wonder how his son is developing as a player.
coyw
Wow... Some people do dust off some great threads!!
049:gif
http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/july/06/cult-hero
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk
Happy belated 50th to Kilburn's finest Fulham player albeit for too short a time.
I swear I see this thread about every two weeks....
Kenny was class, a real talent, there was an audible buzz when he got the ball, even back in those dark days of lower division relegation battles. I think he had a great game against Chelsea in the cup replay, he won a penalty when he jinked past a defender and was far too quick to get fouled, then waited for the defender to recover then jinked past him again and, this time, made sure he was fouled. We missed the penalty, of course, but what happy memories.....Andy K...my archive of this replicates yours.... the most unfair Fulham defeat in my supporting years..still not sure I am still over the injustice of it.
'The joy of Kenny' sounds like a 1970's book......anyway discussed his merits in that rather barren bar in Burtons ground the other night and was comforted that other affecianado's of London's oldest club seemingly held him in the same high esteem...coyw
Missed the opportunity to mark the Fulham Maverick's birthday a few days back....51 now Kenny...the memory of that Ninian Park back heel never fades
Oh Kenny Kenny
coyw
Happy Birthday Kenny.............. thanks for the memories
049:gif
Rui Fonte tried a few back-heels tonight but sadly not up to the great man's pedigree.
Perhaps the club should consider appointing a specialist back heel coach.
Kenny Kenny Kenny Achampong would be a shoe in
coysw
Missed the King of Kilburn's fifty second birthday.
Unforgivable.
COYW
Were all getting older. Kenny's birthday26th June is the same day as mine. I'm a bit older and certainly never had an ounce of his skill
Just looking back on this thread and some names from the past appear that were very common at. The time. History.......
Wonder who Miracle Achampong is playing for these days as his dad approaches his 53rd year on the planet?
Oh Kenny Kenny
COYW
To be honest I thought he might be older than that.
63 this year. Scary.
Not sure what happened with Miracle. He'd be 15 or 16 now?
53 Burt....sorry to be so pedantic...hope your well.....seems years ago since we had that Motspur Park Tour and a sharpener in the Beatty.
coyw
No sharpeners in the Earl Beatty these days Burt...no sharpeners anywhere....wore the King Kenny T shirt for a little jog around Motspur Park the other day....bit tighter these days...
Hope Kenny and that Miracle are doing just fine.
COYSW
Wiki has he to be 54 on 26th June.
MHR King Kenny
Two days to go before the great man hits the 'Britvic 55'...just in case I forget I will be raising a glass this evening to the mercurial maverick...the real King Kenny.
Barney....Hows it going bud?
Fulham still occupy a good proportion of my daily thoughts Blingo...been a long while since we had that that beer in what was the Kings Arms...give me a shout when you next venture these shores and I will fill your tankard up.
Coyw
I thought he must be older than that before realising the age of the initial post.lol
What a talent that went to waste.
'king Kenny' was the headline in one paper.
what a talent
What a waste
I thought he was probably the most gifted player I saw in fulham shirt when he could be bothered to turn it on.
but you need to apply yourself.. all the greatest players were the hardest workers and best trainers... even Best when sober trained harder than the others, but it was the 'when sober' bit that did for him.
I wish I wiuld have had half of kenny's talent.
Blingo...of course I meant the Kings Head not the Kings Arms my friend.
coyw
Late again.....56 three days ago....our lot will be raising a toast to the real King Kenny in Portugal in a little less than three weeks time.
Nine claps and then 'Fulham'....still the best chant.
he was one of the best p-layers I have ever seen and it is a great shame for him and us he wasted his ability.
At the time they said the team had a few players that didn't train well and he felt he was good enough not to bother that much and was late for/missed train taining way too often and became a disruptive element as a result.
His career was effectively a very thoird rate one for a man with such ability but for the times when he turned it on.,... I am grateful i saw what he could and should have been.
Missed King Kennys birthday again by 5 days...wherever you are thanks for the all the too short lived memories....coyw
Obviously had talent but playing even in the third tier requires discipline. And he obviously didn't have it. My claim to fame is that my Birthday is also 26th June and unlike Kenny I had no talent, no speed and nobody would have paid to watch me. I'm 71 now so time moves on
The natural talent that Kenny showed in those early Fulham games was truly amazing and it it now difficult to understand why he didn't reach the absolute top in football.
OK the Fulham team at the time was poor and he didn't hit it off with our coaches and chairman but surely he should have been spotted by big clubs and had the benefit of top coaching.
