Friends of Fulham

 
Rolan 'hesitant' over Fulham move
by Dan on July 7, 2017


Bordeaux striker Diego Rolan is 'hesitant' about joining Fulham according to reports from France after the clubs agreed a fee of around €10m for the Uruguayan international.

French sports newspaper L'Equipe claims that the 24 year-old is unconvinced about whether moving to an English Championship outfit is the best move to further his career after five seasons in France. Slavisa Jokanovic has made the Bordeaux striker his main target after missing out on Steve Mounie, who opted to sign for newly-promoted Huddersfield, and the French club have begun the search for a replacement after agreeing a fee with the Cottagers.

Rolan, who can play as a conventional forward or on either wing, scored 10 goals in 33 appearances for Bordeaux last season and has notched up 39 goals in 149 games since signing for Les Girondins after shining in the 2013 South American Youth Championship. Fulham's pursuit of Rolan has been months in the making and included several lengthy negotiations with Bordeaux, who now appear resigned to losing one of their prized assets. Rolan and his agent might be eyeing the potential of a higher-profile destination in England, but they should be reminded of what happened when Fulham last took a promising young forward to the second tier of English football and how Louis Saha's career blossomed as a result.




http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/07/rolan-hesitant-over-fulham-move/

 
Fulham were finalising €10m Diego Rolan deal last night, personal terms an issue

Of all the forwards Fulham have been linked with over the past year, and let's face it there's been many, one which sounded a promising track, and so different from others, was Diego Rolan.

Towards the end of June, around the time a Fulham offer was claimed, Bordeaux president Stéphane Martin confirmed approaches but wouldn't specifically name the London club.

Since then things have crept along, but Friday's edition of L'Equipe explains a significant step forward, and maybe one back too.

First the good news. L'Equipe say Fulham and Bordeaux were last night in the process of finalising a €10m transfer for Rolan.

Now the bad news. Despite getting almost to the point of closure with Bordeaux, Fulham haven't agreed personal terms with Rolan. He's said to be hesitant to join a Championship club.

If that hesitance can be overcome with a nice big salary and promises of the bright lights of the Premier League then Fulham have a reasonable chance.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/france-fulham-finalising-e10m-rolan-deal-last-night-personal-terms-issue/

 
Middlesbrough, Fulham, Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds head the poll. Norwich, Reading and Derby slip down

    The poll I set up a couple of weeks ago is still running and you'll find it below, so you can still vote if you have a mind to. (If you're new to the site and want to see what it's about follow this link.)

    At the time of writing we have had some 3,818 votes cast, with Middlesbrough leading the pack. Sunderland crept up a couple of places and edged Norwich out of the top six by two votes. Given this is a Sunderland fans' site we could be expected to do well so I'm taking that as a vote of confidence in Norwich. I'm a little surprised by Fulham, who have exceeded my expectations, and by Derby and Reading, who haven't done as well as expected and at the moment aren't going to make the cut.

    "What cut?" You may be thinking. Well, read on, and all will be revealed

Do the numbers 85.5 and 72 mean anything to you? Probably not, unless you're some stats-mad saddo or, like me, an old bloke trying all kinds of things to keep his brain working after the copious amounts of alcohol a long, hard and dismal season forced upon him.

72 is the average number of points gained by the seventh-placed club in the Championship over the past four years. 85.5 is the average number of points earned by the third-placed club over the same period. And those two numbers give us an idea of what we need to do to ensure promotion or, if we can't ensure it straight away, to give ourselves a chance via the lottery known as the playoffs.

Basically, 72 points means we have to win at least three times as many games as we did last year just to have a chance of the playoffs (as 14 wins and 32 draws = 74 points). Realistically, if we could get past 20 wins we could manage the remaining points with draws, provided we got enough of them. Losing more than 8 games, however, could scupper our chances – unless we won correspondingly more games. Last season, Fulham and Leeds, 6th and 7th respectively, both had 22 wins. Fulham's 14 draws over Leeds' 9 was the clincher.

Automatic promotion becomes a mathematical possibility with 25-26 wins, again, as long there aren't too many losses – in this situation losing 8 games would leave us on the cusp of promotion while losing more than 8 could cost us dearly. It's likely more wins would actually be needed, however. Reading finished with 26 wins and only 7 draws, well behind Brighton, who had 28 wins and 9 draws.

Doing some sums with those figures gives me my recipe for success – win three times as many games as we lose, with not too many draws.

They do have a bit of leeway, those numbers. There are often points gaps between third and second, and between seventh and sixth. I don't know why but I'm willing to hazard that the club finishing sixth has to fight all of the way (especially when it could fall out of the pack) and not letting up gives them an edge, whereas any third (or even fourth or fifth) placed club which knows they won't make automatic promotion plays it safe so as to conserve players and energy for the post season contest – much as Huddersfield did last season.

Even so, 85.5 and 72 will serve as a starting point for this season's run of McCormick's dodgy numbers.*

To get above 85.5 a club needs to average 1.92 points per game; to get above 72 it's 1.57 points per game. And that gives me a way of tracking our chosen clubs over the course of the season.

I'll be using a graph with the bottom (horizontal) axis showing the number of games played and the left hand side (vertical) axis showing the number of points earned to date, as you can see below:


The two diagonal lines heading upwards from the bottom left corner of the chart are the boundaries between promotion, play-offs and also-rans, calculated from the above averages multiplied by the number of games played.

From time to time I'll plot the position of the six clubs which topped the poll onto the chart. Any sitting above the top line will be in contention for straight promotion. Those between the two lines are in with a chance of the playoffs. Those below this line are going nowhere, apart from three unfortunates, and I'm not doing a third line to follow them – at least not yet.

To date the clubs are: Middlesbrough, Fulham, Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds, plus Sunderland. That might change. The poll will be left open until the season kicks off. It will drift down the home page and be lost to sight before too long but every now and again we'll revive it. Obviously, SAFC will be one of the clubs tracked, wherever they come in the poll.

If you want to see what I and others think of at least some of the clubs in contention you can visit the original poll, or you can have a look at Pete's welcome to the fixture list for his take on what could be some tasty games.



http://salutsunderland.com/2017/07/middlesbrough-fulham-aston-villa-sheffield-wednesday-and-leeds-head-the-poll-norwich-reading-and-derby-slip-down/

 
Fulham are closing in on the signing of Diego Rolan from Bordeaux

Championship side Fulham are closing in on the signing of Uruguayan attacker Diego Rolan from Bordeaux, according to L'Équipe.

Last night, the two clubs in question were close to reaching a fee agreement of around €10m for the forward.

The Championship side have yet to reach an agreement with Rolan, who is hesitating over joining Fulham for the moment.



http://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2017/fulham-are-closing-in-on-the-signing-of-diego-rolan-from-bordeaux/

 
Scott Malone pens heartfelt message to Fulham fans after Huddersfield switch

Scott Malone has written a heartfelt goodbye message to Fulham fans after sealing a transfer to Huddersfield.

The full back impressed for the Whites over the course of the last campaign and helped them reach a play-off spot.

Reading, however, ended Malone and Fulham's dream of Premier League promotion; something the former Millwall man is still gutted about.

He wrote on Twitter: "I would like to thank everybody involved with Fulham Football Club for the great time I had last season.

    Thankyou @FulhamFC pic.twitter.com/4Ok4r6bobP
    — Scott Malone (@ScottyMalone28) July 6, 2017

"I am still devastated we couldn't get the job done and get promoted to the Premier League. The fans really did deserve it for the support you showed the lads all the way through the season.

"I loved my time at the club and I will take some great memories with me.

"All the best for the upcoming season and I hope you go one step better."

The 26-year-old made 36 Championship appearances, scoring six goals last season.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/scott-malone-pens-heartfelt-message-13296218

 
Forest mull move for Button
by Dan on July 7, 2017


Nottingham Forest are considering a summer move for Fulham goalkeeper David Button that could see Mark Warburton reunited with his old number one.

Warburton is understood to have placed his old Brentford goalkeeper at the top of his list of targets as he aims to bring a new custodian to the City Ground. Button has only been at Craven Cottage for a season, having left Griffin Park for Brentford's local rivals last summer, but lost his first-team place to Marcus Bettinelli in April after a series of costly errors threatened to undermine Fulham's Championship play-off push. Button won promotion to the Championship with Brentford in 2013-2014, with Warburton entrusting him as the club's senior goalkeeper.

The 28 year-old is contracted at Craven Cottage until at least 2019 and it remains to be seen whether Fulham would entertain offers for Button, who made 40 first-team appearances last term. There could be significant changes in the goalkeeping department this summer with Slavisa Jokanovic said to be eager to recruit a new keeper and Bettinelli, a graduate of the club's academy, being linked with a potential move to Bristol Cit.




http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/07/forest-mull-move-for-button/

 
Cisse Signs

The Club is delighted to confirm the arrival of Ibrahima Cisse from Belgian outfit Standard Liege for an undisclosed fee.

A 23-year-old defensive midfield player, Cisse has agreed a three-year deal, with Fulham holding an option to extend by a further 12 months.

Born in Liege, Cisse joined his local side's youth team at a young age, and after being on the bench several times during the 2011/12 season, he made his first team debut as a right-back in a league match against Zulte Waregem in July 2012.

In his first two seasons in the senior Standard Liege team, he made 37 appearances for the club, and was still a teenager for the vast majority of those outings.

The latter campaign actually saw Standard finish top of the Belgian Pro League table, but they lost out to Anderlecht in the Championship Play-Off.

His form attracted outside attention, and that summer he joined fellow top flight outfit KV Mechelen, for whom he would appear 47 times across two seasons before returning to his home town club.

Cisse was a regular in the Standard side again last season, making 27 appearances across all competitions. He also found the net in the UEFA Europa League, opening the scoring in a 3-0 win away at Panathinaikos in the Group Stages.

He has also been capped by Belgium at Under-17 to Under-21 level, reaching double figures in caps for the eldest age group.

Speaking from the Club's Motspur Park Training Ground this morning, Cisse said: "I am very happy to be here. It is a great opportunity at Fulham and I am looking forward to showing my qualities and what I can do."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/july/07/cisse-signs

 
Fulham sign Cisse
by Dan on July 7, 2017


Fulham have this afternoon confirmed the signing of former Belgium under 21 international Ibrahima Cisse from Standard Liege.

The defensive midfielder, who can also play at right back, had been a longstanding Fulham target, with the club having had several bids rejected by Standard during the tail end of the January transfer window. The 23 year-old flew to London yesterday to finalise the deal after the two clubs agreed a fee and successfully completed a medical at Motspur Park.

Cisse has signed a three-year contract at Craven Cottage, with Fulham having the option of extending his deal by a further year. The powerful midfielder was considered a hugely promising youth talent in Belgium, starring for his country's age-group sides, but has seen his senior career afflicted by injuries. He impressed for Standard Liege last season in his second spell with the club – making 27 appearances and scoring in the Europa League against Greek side Panathinaikos.

Speaking to Fulham's official website, Cisse – who will provide serious competition to Kevin McDonald for a first team place at the base of Fulham's midfield, said:

    I am very happy to be here. It is a great opportunity at Fulham and I am looking forward to showing my qualities and what I can do.




http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/07/fulham-sign-cisse/

 
Transfer Talk: QPR and Fulham join Sunderland, Hull and Brighton in hunt for PSG prospect Christopher Nkunku

Opportunities for regular first team action appear to be limited, as he competes with Marco Verratti, Thiago Motta, Blaise Matuidi and Adrien Rabiot for a starting position, leading to a loan move appearing the most likely outcome.

Fulham and QPR are thought to have expressed an interest in PSG midfielder Christopher Nkunku.

The 19-year-old made eight league appearances for the French side last season, scoring one goal, and also appeared in the Champions League against Spanish giants Barcelona.

Opportunities for regular first team action appear to be limited, as he competes with Marco Verratti, Thiago Motta, Blaise Matuidi and Adrien Rabiot for a starting position, leading to a loan move appearing the most likely outcome.

The midfielder has been the subject of a loan bid from French side St Etienne, but they face competiion from English sides including Fulham, QPR, Sunderland, Hull City and Brighton also thought to be keen.

According to sources, Nkunku is thought to prefer a move to the Premier League, although a move to the top-flight is questionable due to his lack of first team experience.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/transfer-talk-qpr-fulham-join-13296820

 
Is a Bristol City switch imminent for former Chelsea target Marcus Bettinelli?

Bristol City have been tracking the Fulham goalkeeper and could move closer to his signature during pre-season.

Fulham could have dropped a big hint that their goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli is on his way out of the club this summer.

The goalkeeper was not named in the squad for the Cottagers' first friendly of their pre-season tour of Poland and the Bristol Post report that a move to Bristol City could be on the cards.

Fulham could have dropped a big hint that their goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli is on his way out of the club this summer.

The goalkeeper was not named in the squad for the Cottagers' first friendly of their pre-season tour of Poland and the Bristol Post report that a move to Bristol City could be on the cards.

However, The Robins aren't the only club to have tracked the Camberwell native this summer.

Sky Sports suggested last month that Chelsea were considering Bettinelli as a replacement for Asmir Begovic, who has moved to Bournemouth.

In the end the Blues opted to sign former Manchester City stopper Willy Caballero to be Thibaut Courtois' new number two.

That could leave Lee Johnson in the clear to bring Bettinelli in as competition for Frank Fielding at Ashton Gate.

And with the player telling Get West London that he wants regular playing time following a frustrating campaign, it could be a move he is open to.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/07/07/is-a-bristol-city-switch-imminent-for-former-chelsea-target-marc/

 
Fulham complete the signing of Ibrahima Cisse from Standard Liege on three-year-deal

The defensive midfielder moves for an undisclosed fee after a successful campaign last year with Standard Liege.

Ibrahima Cisse has completed his move to Fulham for an undisclosed fee.

The defensive midfielder, who joins from Standard Liege, has signed a three-year deal, with the option for a fourth.

Cisse was a regular in the Standard side again last season, making 27 appearances across all competitions. He also found the net in the UEFA Europa League, opening the scoring in a 3-0 win away at Panathinaikos in the Group Stages.

He has also been capped by Belgium at Under-17 to Under-21 level, reaching double figures in caps for the eldest age group.

Speaking to the club's official website, Cisse said: "I am very happy to be here. It is a great opportunity at Fulham and I am looking forward to showing my qualities and what I can do."

It's expected to be a busy summer at Craven Cottage as the West London side look to go one better than last season by securing a return to the Premier League.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/fulham-complete-signing-ibrahima-cisse-13296976

 
Nottingham Forest ready to make move for Fulham goalkeeper

Nottingham Forest are prepared to make a move to sign Fulham's David Button according to a report from London News Online.

Towards the end of last season, Forest ended up with academy graduate Jordan Smith as their number one. While he performed well and would have thought he had a good chance of claiming the regular spot for this season, the East Midlands side have decided that they need a new shot stopper for next season and have been looking to find their ideal man. And the latest player they have been looking at has been a regular in this league for a few years now.

The player who may soon be heading to Nottingham Forest is David Button who currently plays for Fulham. He signed for the Cottagers last summer and quickly became their number one and was a key player as the club challenged for a place in the Sky Bet Championship play-offs. But he lost his spot in the first team towards the end of last season, with Marcus Bettinelli being able to take his place in the team. And with Bettinelli being very keen to keep hold of that number one jersey, Button may be stuck on the bench.

And so a move elsewhere might appeal to both him and the club, as they could cash in on a player coming off the back of a solid season. If Fulham do want to keep him it will be tough to sign him as Button's contract lasts until 2019, so there is no need to sell him just yet.



http://the72.co.uk/86751/nottingham-forest-ready-to-make-move-for-fulham-goalkeeper/

 
Ibrahima Cisse: Fulham sign Standard Liege midfielder


Championship side Fulham have signed Standard Liege midfielder Ibrahima Cisse on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Belgian Cisse, who can also play as a right-back, made 27 appearances for Standard last season.

The 23-year-old joined KVV Mechelen in June 2014, before returning to his hometown club ahead of last season.

"I am looking forward to showing my qualities and what I can do," he told the club website.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40532577

 
England U19`s March on in European Championships


Returning to the international scene and in particular the U19 European Championships currently on-going in Georgia, success continues to beckon for the England U19 side.

Participating in Group B, the U19 side maintained their 100% record with a second win.

Matched against the Netherlands, in Tbilisi, the U19`s took the three points on offer with a late goal.

The goal, in the 84th minute, scored by the Nottingham Forest youngster, Ben Brereton, was enough to take England into the semi-finals of the competition.

Once again, Fulham`s Ryan Sessegnon played a prominent part in the action and Ryan came very close to getting on the score-sheet and opening the scoring for England when his shot struck the post.

With the England U20 side having recently won the U20 World Cup and with the U21`s performing admirably in the European Championships, the U19 side are continuing the trend that has seen this summer become something of a special one.

Here at Vital Fulham we`ll continue to report on their progress.




Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=496966#ixzz4mDiWTSHR

 
Warburton seeking reunion with 28-year-old shot-stopper at Forest

Championship outfit Nottingham Forest are considering a summer move for Fulham goalkeeper David Button, according to London News Online.

The 28-year-old only moved to Craven Cottage last year after three impressive seasons at Brentford, in which time he worked under now-Forest boss Mark Warburton, and was indeed part of the team that secured a Championship play-off spot back in 2015.

And the shot-stopper was part of another play-off chase last term under Slavisa Jokanovic at Fulham, with Button playing 40 of their 46 regular season matches, keeping 11 clean sheets and conceding 51 goals in the process, before losing his place between the sticks to Marcus Bettinelli for the last six games, and then their two play-off encounters.

And his apparent position behind the 25-year-old in the Cottagers' pecking order has reportedly attracted interest from fellow second tier side Nottingham Forest.

The Reds needed a 3-0 win on the final day of the season to stave off relegation last term, and having conceded 72 goals in their 46 matches, the second highest of any side in the division, it's clear that former Rangers chief Warburton needs to reinforce the backline this summer.

And reuniting with an experienced Championship goalkeeper in Button, having worked together at Brentford between 2013 and 2015, could be exactly what the Forest chief needs to take his side away from the lower reaches of the division next season.

But whether Fulham would be interested in allowing the 28-year-old to leave this summer very much remains to be seen.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/warburton-seeking-reunion-with-28-year-old-shot-stopper-at-forest/

 
Fee almost agreed for Uruguayan hotshot, but Fulham face battle to get deal done

Championship outfit Fulham face a battle to get a deal done for Bordeaux's Diego Rolan despite almost agreeing a fee for the striker, according to L'Equipe.

The 24-year-old has been at the French side since 2013 after coming up through the ranks at Uruguayan club Defensor Sporting, and he has since gone from strength to strength with the Ligue 1 side.

The Uruguay international has scored 38 goals in 149 games for the club over the past four years, including nine in 29 league appearances last term to help the side to a sixth place finish in the French top-flight, and thus a spot in the third qualifying round of the Europa League.

And his excellent form in front of goal over the last few seasons has attracted interest from Slavisa Jokanovic's Fulham, yet recent reports suggest that any deal for the forward could still go either way.

And that's because the two clubs have reportedly almost agreed a fee for Rolan, yet the man himself has yet to agree personal terms with the Cottagers.

Convincing him to drop to second tier football may be quite the task for Jokanovic and the Fulham hierarchy, but after coming very close to returning to the Premier League last season, they may be able to persuade him of their ambitions of securing top-flight football next term.

Ultimately, this deal very much hangs in the balance, and whether Fulham are indeed able to encourage Rolan to move to Craven Cottage is likely to become clearer in the coming weeks and months.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fee-almost-agreed-for-uruguayan-hotshot-but-fulham-face-battle-to-get-deal-done/

 
Wolfsburg Tickets On Sale

Fulham entertain VfL Wolfsburg in what will be our final pre-season match before the start of the 2017/18 campaign.

Join us at Craven Cottage on Saturday 29th July (3pm) with tickets priced at just £1 for juniors and only £15 for adults.

Hospitality is also available in the Chairman's Club priced at £95 (+VAT) per person, which comes with a fully inclusive drinks package, bowl food to be served pre-match, and Directors' Area seating.

Fulham's previous encounter with Wolfsburg came at the Quarter-Final stage of the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League, as the Whites came away with a famous 3-1 aggregate win over the then German champions.

All tickets are now available for supporters to purchase online, by phone on 0843 208 1234 (opt. 2) or in person from the Fulham Ticket Office.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/july/07/fulham-vs-wolfsburg

 
Ibrahima Cisse completes Fulham move

Fulham have confirmed the arrival of Ibrahima Cisse from Standard Liege for an undisclosed fee.

The 23-year-old midfielder has agreed a three-year deal with Fulham holding an option to extend this by 12 months.

Sky sources indicated earlier this week that the former Belgium U21 international was in London after a deal was agreed between the clubs.

Sky sources reported back in January that Fulham were interested in Cisse and had two bids, the highest being £2.2m, rejected by the Belgian club.

"I am very happy to be here," Cisse said. "It is a great opportunity at Fulham and I am looking forward to showing my qualities and what I can do."

Last season, Cisse was a regular in the Standard side, where he made 27 appearances in all competitions.

For the latter campaign, Standard finished top of the Belgian Pro League table, but they lost out to Anderlecht in the Championship Play-Off.

Cisse has also played for fellow top-flight outfit KV Mechelen, where he made 47 appearances across two seasons before returning to his home town club.



http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/10940506/ibrahima-cisse-completes-fulham-move

 
Friendlies Confirmed

The Club is now in a position to clarify the final plans for our pre-season campaign.

The group will fly out to Graz in Austria on Tuesday 18th July, where they will face West Ham United at the Sportzentrum Graz-Weinzödl (pictured), home to Grazer AK, two days later (Thursday 20th July), kick-off 7pm local time.

They will then take to the skies once more and head to Germany, where SV Darmstadt will host us at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor on Saturday 22nd July (3.30pm local time).



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/july/07/friendlies-confirmed

 
Fulham to take on West Ham United and SV Darmstadt during pre-season visits to Austria and Germany

The two fixtures will take place on Thursday 20th July and Saturday 22nd July in Austria and Germany respectively.

Fulham have confirmed their final plans for their pre-season campaign, announcing three additional friendlies to the schedule.

The team will fly out to Graz in Austria on Tuesday 18th July where they face a clash with Premier League side West Ham United.

The game will take place at the Sportzentrum Graz-Weinzodl, home of Grazer AK on Thursday 20th July.

Kick-off will be 7pm local time.

The West London side will then travel Germany where they will face SV Darmstadt at the Merck-Stadion am Bollenfalltor.

This will take place on Saturday 22nd July (3.30 kick-off local time).




http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-take-west-ham-united-13298117

 
Fulham target William Rémy

Championship side Fulham are targeting Montpellier central defender William Rémy for a possible transfer, according to L'Équipe.

The London side's pursuit of Rémy has been given a boost by news that Johan Djourou will be joining the Ligue 1 side at the beginning of next week.



http://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2017/fulham-target-william-remy/

 
Fulham's apparent 'clear path' to sign 26-year-old defender, new recruit could push player out

After a few months of speculation that Johan Djourou could end up at the London Stadium under the supervision of Slaven Bilic at West Ham, the former Arsenal man has decided to give Ligue 1 a try, signing a three year deal with Montpellier.

However, one London club's loss could be another's gain, as the signing of the 30-year-old could cause a few exits in the south of France, including William Rémy's, wanted by Fulham.

The 26-year-old's season in Ligue 1 last year was one of sporadic appearances, and with one year left on his contract, the versatile defender's time at Montpellier appears to be coming to an end.

L'Equipe on Friday report the Cottagers' interest in Rémy, who had also caught the attention of Huddersfield, yet with the signing of Mathias Jorgensen on Friday, that might not be the case anymore.

This would leave Fulham with an apparent clear path to the Montpellier man, who is unlikely to cost Fulham a lot of money.

Slavisa Jokanovic has already recruited Marcelo Djaló from CD Lugo this year, and going for Rémy as well would suggest he either expects one of the three other centre-backs to leave or wants a lot more depth in his squad for the upcoming campaign to avoid a repeat of last season's playoff exit.

We'll see.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-clear-path-sign-26-year-old-defender-new-recruit-push-player/

 
Gordon Rahere Hoare: the Arsenal player who transferred 23 times.
by Tony Attwood

According to Wikipedia Gordon Rahere Hoare (18 April 1884 – 27 October 1973) was "an English amateur footballer" – and that's all you get.  Which is rather sad given the extraordinary nature of his engagement with the game.

Now if you are a regular reader of this site you might recall that we already have an article on Gordon Hoare, but I am adding this one to add some more detail that I have discovered from a most remarkable site: Football and the First World War.

And as a result of access to that site we can even challenge Wiki's single fact – the players dates.  This is what Football and the First World War has to say...

"Gordon Rahere Hoare (1884-1973) was born in Blackheath, South East London on 18 April 1884 and died in Putney in December 1973. An amateur international, the inside-forward played for three Football League clubs before and immediately after World War One, during which he served overseas with the British Army. In 1912, Hoare was part of the Great Britain team that won the gold medal at the Stockholm Olympic Games."

If you've been following any of this story you'll know that one of the key problems for Woolwich Arsenal and for Henry Norris in his initial engagement with the club was in finding proven goal scorers, and inside forwards who could supply them.  We'd even converted our centre half into a centre forward, and still nothing worked.  Players came in and went out, getting one or two games before moving away.

Hoare was a local south Londoner who had played amateur football with Woolwich Polytechnic and Bromley.   (Woolwich Poly FC is interesting – we seem to have picked up a number of players from there, in the early days.  The Poly was formed in 1892 and lasted until 1970 – and seems to have had a football team for much of its life – although I have not found any sort of history written up.)

Anyway, Gordon Hoare joined Woolwich Arsenal in 1907 and played for the first time against Sheffield Wednesday at the end of the 1907/8 season.    He stayed on the club's books as an amateur and played 11 first team games in the 08/09 season.

But despite the total failure of Arsenal to find a suitable forwards he was not picked throughout the opening part of the 1909/10 season, until this last match in November.   He got his game, but it was too little too late, and he moved to Glossop North End in December 1909.

Now this is rather interesting because Glossop, despite being a little market town in Derbyshire at the time had a second division team which had got to the quarter finals of the FA Cup in 1908–09 where they lost to 1-0 to Bristol City after a replay.

But this is the real twist: the chairman and (inevitably) benefactor in 1909 was Sir Samuel Hill-Wood, who later became chairman of Arsenal and whose descendants ruled the club until the events that led to the takeover by Stan Kroenke.  They were significant in the eventual overthrow of Henry Norris at Arsenal.

I don't have access to playing records for Glossop but somehow and for some reason one year later, almost to the day, Hoare was back in Woolwich Arsenal.   This time he got 14 games and six goals before going back to Glossop in 1912.

In all he had 13 clubs – although this is a bit misleading because two of those were Woolwich Arsenal, and one was Arsenal!

But I suspect that will have meant less than the fact that he played all three matches for England (ie Great Britain) in the 1912 Olympics and so won an Olympic Gold.  He scored two goals in the final against Denmark.

He retired from football in 1920, and died in 1973 at the age of 89.  If any descendant of Gordon Hoare should ever read this and would like to contribute more to the story, I would be honoured to include additional information from such a prime source.  If I have got anything wrong thus far, please accept my apologies – I am more than ready to correct the data.

Here's his Arsenal record from 11v11

Season    Team    Competition    Apps    Goals
1907-08    Arsenal    League Division One    1    
1908-09    Arsenal    FA Cup    2    
1908-09    Arsenal    League Division One    11    5
1909-10    Arsenal    League Division One    1    
1910-11    Arsenal    FA Cup    2    1
1910-11    Arsenal    League Division One    14    6
1911-12    Arsenal    League Division One    3

The Football and the First World War site also tell us that Hoare "won 13 amateur international caps for England. Between December 1914 and April 1915, Hoare turned out for Scottish side Queens Park and would also appear as wartime guest for Fulham and Manchester City during the First World War. In 1919, Hoare returned to Craven Cottage and played a further four league and two FA Cup games for the club, scoring on two occasions."

The link with Fulham of course is tantalising – as Sir Henry Norris, as he was by then, was director of both Fulham and Arsenal until the bust up over the London Victory Cup. 

I can't tell if Hoare went back to Fulham before or after that acrimonious dispute, but if after, it seems curious that Sir Henry would allow any player to go to Fulham at that point, so bad had relations become between the two clubs.

Hoare's military service is outlined by the Football and the First World War site:

"Hoare initially enlisted as a private in the Army Service Corps (ASC) and was posted to the mechanical transport (MT) section. In April 1916, Hoare was reported to have been based at Mottingham, Kent and was subsequently commissioned as a second lieutenant in the ASC on 3 July 1917. By the end of the war, Hoare had been promoted to lieutenant."

And now I want to quote wholesale from the Football and the First World War site, because they have produced a complete analysis of Hoare's progress as a player.  I think this is incredibly valuable because it shows the wandering nature of some amateur players at the time.  Hoare was by no means the only player we have come across to move from club to club so readily but each time we find one, I find it a fascinating reflection on the way football was played at the time.

Season    Club    League Position    FA Cup    Lge Games    Lge Goals    FA Cup Games    FA Cup Goals
1905    Westcombe Park                   
1906    West Norwood                   
1906    Woolwich Polytechnic                   
1906    Bromley                   
1907/08    Woolwich Arsenal    14th (First Division)    R1    1          
1908/09    Woolwich Arsenal    6th (First Division)    R2    11    5    2    
1909/10    Woolwich Arsenal    18th (First Division)    R2    1          
1909/10    Glossop    6th (Second Division)    R1    10    2    1    1
1910/11    Glossop    14th (Second Division)    R1    1          
1910/11    Bromley                   
1910/11    Woolwich Arsenal    10th (First Division)    R2    14    6    2    1
1910/11    Pilgrims                   
1911/12    Woolwich Arsenal    10th (First Division)    R1    3    1       
1911/12    Glossop    18th (Second Division)    R1    11    3       
1912/13    Glossop    18th (Second Division)    R1    25    9    1    
1913/14    Glossop    17th (Second Division)    R2    4    2       
1913    West Norwood                   
1913    Bromley                   
1913/14    Queen's Park    16th (Scottish First Division)                
1913/14    Arsenal    3rd (Second Division)    R1             
1914    Norfleet                   
1914/15    Arsenal    5th (Second Division)    R2             
1914    West Norwood                   
1919/20    Fulham    6th (Second Division)    R1    4       1    1
Summary                      
   Arsenal          44    18    6    2
   Fulham          4       2    2
   Glossop          51    16    2    1
   Queen's Park                   
   Totals          99    34    10    5

That really is a record and a half.




http://www.blog.woolwicharsenal.co.uk/archives/15554

 
New Coventry City signing Jack Grimmer wants 'to give something back' to Sky Blues fans

The defender is Mark Robins' ninth acquisition of the summer and has revealed the manager made him feel "wanted"

Jack Grimmer became a Coventry City player earlier this week after completing a move from Championship club Fulham.

The defender is Mark Robins' ninth acquisition of the summer and has revealed the manager made him feel "wanted."

The 23-year-old is most comfortable at right-back and joined the Sky Blues on a two-year deal.

The attacking full-back made 17 appearances for Fulham and has had a string of loan spells, one at Port Vale and three at Shrewsbury Town where he played 27 games for League One Shrewsbury Town last season.

(http://i3.coventrytelegraph.net/incoming/article13284727.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/JS53801922.jpg)
Leon Clarke of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Jack Grimmer of Fulham

On joining the Sky Blues, Grimmer told the official club website: "As soon as I met the manager and the backroom staff I knew it was a place I wanted to come and play.

"They made me feel wanted.

"I've settled in very actually, sometimes you're never sure how you'll settle but the reception from the fans have been amazing and the players have welcomed me with open arms."

Grimmer began his football career at his hometown club Aberdeen and became the youngest ever player to represent the Dons in a senior fixture at just 16 years, two months and 13 days old - a record he still holds today.

The talented young Scot was snapped up by Fulham in 2012, signing a three-year contract at Craven Cottage.

Following his move to the English capital, Grimmer was farmed out on loan to Port Vale in 2014, making 14 appearances for the Valiants, before returning to Fulham at the end of that season.

(http://i1.coventrytelegraph.net/incoming/article12693089.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/JS113586992.jpg)
Shrewsbury Town's Jack Grimmer and Coventry City's Kwame Thomas battle for the ball

In October 2014, Grimmer moved on loan to Shrewsbury for the first of three spells at New Meadow.

The defender impressed over a seven game spell for the Shrews before being called back to Fulham as injury cover. He made his senior debut for the Cottagers on November 29, against Brighton and Hove Albion, before signing a new two-and-a-half year deal in March.

Grimmer then returned to Shrewsbury on loan in January 2016 until the end of the season, before a third stint with the League One club in August 2016.

(http://i3.coventrytelegraph.net/incoming/article13284722.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/JS113575131.jpg)
Shrewsbury Town's Jack Grimmer and Coventry City's Stuart Beavon

The Scotland U21 international made 58 appearances over three spells with the Shrews, but was not offered a permanent deal by the League One side.

On returning to the club as part of the Checkatrade Trophy group stages in the 2017/18 season, Grimmer said: "That's brilliant, I didn't know that actually.

"That is the way football works to be honest, I've found that out recently so I'm looking forward to that."

On the new season, Grimmer revealed he was hopeful of a successful campaign.

"Everyone is pushing for the same goal," he said.

"I've been part of a promotion season in League Two with Shrewsbury so I want to take that experience and help here at Coventry.

"One of the things that stood out for me was the goals set by the manager and the club as a whole, not just for this season but also in the future.

"It's a club that should never be in the position that it is, but unfortunately that is the situation.

"It is definitely time to give something back to the fans."




http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/transfer-news/coventry-city-jack-grimmer-13298395

 
Transfer news: Fulham eyeing deal for Montpellier defender William Remy

(http://talksport.com/sites/default/files/styles/just_scale/public/field/image/201707/gettyimages-629503932.jpg?itok=Sl1ylQSn)
Fulham want William Remy

Fulham have set their sights on Montpellier defender William Remy.

The Championship club are looking to land a new centre-back this summer and reports in France have suggested that 26-year-old Remy is on their radar.

Montpellier have been reluctant to sell but may be about to change their stance.

They are to set to sign former Arsenal defender Johan Djourou on a free transfer and Remy can go for the right price.

That will come as good news for Fulham as they attempt to negotiate a transfer fee with the Ligue 1 side.



Read more at http://talksport.com/football/transfer-news-fulham-eyeing-deal-montpellier-defender-william-remy-170707245839#awTzH3kpDixdV2e5.99

 
Transfer Talk: Fulham stopper Marcus Bettinelli linked with Bristol City following Chelsea interest

Betinelli, who has been linked with a number of clubs this summer, including Chelsea, looks increasingly likely to leave Craven Cottage, as speculation mounts around his future.

Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli has been linked with a move to Bristol City, according to the Bristol Post.

Betinelli, who has been linked with a number of clubs this summer, including Chelsea, looks increasingly likely to leave Craven Cottage, as speculation mounts around his future.

The stopper has made it clear that he's searching for regular first team football, and speaking to Get West London at the end of the season, Betinelli appeared determined to fight for the number one jersey.

He said: "Its been a long season for me, it hasn't been a great season for me if we're honest.

"I love this club and I've been at this club for a long, long time but I'm going to be turning 25 in the summer and I want to be playing regular football, and this season I haven't done that.

"I've got two more years left and I want to stay here, I love this club and want to play for this club but at the end of the day I need games and if I'm not going to get them that's it, but hopefully I can get them and get this number one shirt."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/transfer-talk-fulham-stopper-marcus-13298701

 
Fulham Defender Stearman Signs

On Thursday, Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder secured his fifth transfer of the summer when Fulham's former England U21 international Richard Stearman was secured.

Stearman, who spent last season on loan at former club Wolves, has been signed on a three year contract with United paying 'a substantial undisclosed fee' for the central defender - he can also play at right back too.

Wilder said Stearman, 29, had been his 'number one target' and was therefore obviously delighted to clinch the signing of the experienced defender, a veteran of over 240 - a little over 200 for Wolves alone - Championship appearances.

He told the Official Website: 'Richard was our number one target throughout the summer and I'm delighted he has signed. We've been on the look out for a central defender who has played extensively in the Championship and who possesses the qualities and characteristics to fit in with our group.'

United weren't the only club in for him but Wilder managed to lure him to Bramall Lane.

'Richard will undoubtedly strengthen us, he's a calm influence in the dressing room and every manager who I have spoken to about him says he has outstanding leadership qualities and will offer 100 per cent commitment, on and off the pitch. He had other opportunities to pursue, but I am delighted we have managed to tempt him to Bramall Lane.'

Stearman follows the previous additions of Ched Evans, Nathan Thomas, Enda Stevens and George Baldock.




Read more: http://www.sheffutd.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=496990#ixzz4mDoeBoEm

 
Hammers to face Fulham in pre-season clash

West Ham have added another date to their pre-season schedule, this time against rather more local opposition.

It has been confirmed that West Ham will face Championship side Fulham in a pre-season run-out on Thursday, 20 July in Graz, Austria.

The match will be played at the Sportzentrum Graz-Weinzödl training complex, which is situated on the banks of the 300 mile-long River Mur.

It is the fifth game the Hammers have scheduled to play in Germany and Austria this summer, with the final match of pre-season - against Manchester City on 4 August - to be played in Reykyavik, Iceland.

West Ham Utd: confirmed pre-season dates

17th July: SK Sturm Graz (a)
20th July: Fulham FC (n)
28th July: Werder Bremen (n)
29th July: Werder Bremen (n)
1st August: Altona 93 (a)
4th August: Manchester City (n)

The last meeting between the two clubs came in the Premier League three years ago, with Fulham recording a 2-1 win at Craven Cottage - just six weeks after the Hammers beat the Cottagers 3-0 at the Boleyn Ground.



Read more at http://www.kumb.com/story.php?id=131404#BFyTT9DQvtsD72qh.99

 
Odds update: Derby and Fulham surprise 8/1 outsiders to sign Max Gradel

The Bournemouth man has been attracting attention from Sunderland, but both Fulham and Derby County are in the race too, according to the bookies.

Popular bookmakers BETVICTOR have listed the Rams and the Cottagers as outsiders in the race to sign Bournemouth winger Max Gradel.

The 29-year-old joined the Cherries in the summer of 2015, but hasn't made much of an impact on the south coast, making just 11 league starts for Eddie Howe's men during that period.

It was reported right here on HITC Sport earlier today that Sunderland are tracking the former Leeds United man, and BETVICTOR list the Black Cats as 2/1 favourites for his signature.

Somewhat surprisingly though, considering the lack of links, the bookies have made Fulham and Derby joint fourth favourites to sign Gradel, listing the pair at 8/1.

The Ivorian still has three years remaining on his current deal at the Vitality Stadium, but it is understood that he is keen to move away from the south coast in an effort to gain more regular first-team football.

And Gradel would certainly offer both the Rams and the Cottagers something different in forward areas, should either of them manage to sneak in and steal the pacey attacker from under Sunderland and Leeds' noses.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/07/07/odds-update-derby-and-fulham-surprise-81-outsiders-to-sign-max-g/

 
Fulham, Hull, QPR, and Sunderland to battle for Ligue 1 midfield sensation

The Championship quartet of Fulham, Hull City, Queens Park Rangers, and Sunderland are expressing an interest in Paris Saint-German starlet Christopher Nkunku, according to Get West London.

The 19-year-old midfielder came up through the youth ranks at the French giants before making his first team debut back in 2015 in a Champions League group stage clash against Shakhtar Donetsk.

And the France youth international has since gone on to add a further 21 appearances for the side, including 16 in all competitions last term as Unai Emery's side came up short in their quest to win a fifth successive Ligue 1 title, finishing eight points behind champions Monaco.

And with Nkunku unlikely to command a regular starting berth at PSG next term, he has reportedly been attracting interest from a whole host of clubs around the continent, not least the Championship quartet of Fulham, Hull, QPR, and Sunderland.

Leonid Slutsky's Hull and Simon Grayson's Sunderland will be looking for an immediate return to the Premier League following relegation last term, and as such will want talent like Nkunku in their ranks to aid in that quest.

Fulham reached the top six last season but fell to Reading in the semi-finals, and will hope to bolster their attacking options ahead of another promotion push, while Ian Holloway's QPR finished just two points clear of the bottom three, and thus need reinforcements to climb the division next time round.

However, with Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne reportedly having made a loan move for the 19-year-old, it very much remains to be seen whether any of the aforementioned Championship quartet can get a deal done for the Frenchman this summer.




https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-hull-qpr-and-sunderland-to-battle-for-ligue-1-midfield-sensation/