Saturday Fulham Stuff - 19/08/23...

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Tony Khan Reveals Why He Chose Wembley Stadium For AEW All In 2023
AEW President Tony Khan considered two options for where AEW All In 2023 would take place, and he recently discussed the matter in an interview with Uproxx.

Khan revealed that he chose Wembley Stadium over Craven Cottage for All In 2023 due to the cost factor. He said,

"There's two places I thought about. One is also very dear to my heart, and that's Craven Cottage. Wembley is, for a pro wrestling event, the more economical choice for many reasons. In that, you can have much more capacity for attendance since Wembley is a larger stadium by far, and also, the same wonderful charms of Craven Cottage and all the history of that magnificent venue. (Craven Cottage) poses so many challenges to loading in a pro wrestling event and it would cost millions more to produce the event at Craven Cottage than at Wembley."

You can keep up with all your wrestling news right here on eWrestlingNews.com. Or, you can follow us over on our Twitter and Facebook pages.



https://www.ewrestlingnews.com/news/tony-khan-reveals-why-he-chose-wembley-stadium-for-aew-all-in-2023

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Fulham Fix Returns!

Season Two of Fulham Fix will return next week, with a special double header!
Following a break over the summer, the official podcast of Fulham Football Club is back on Tuesday 22nd August, featuring none other than our legendary former captain Danny Murphy.

Unsurprisingly, Danny's catalogue of anecdotes from his five years at the Club was incredibly vast, so we will be kicking-off Season Two of Fulham Fix with a two-part special, with the second episode arriving on the morning of Thursday 24th August.

We'll be hearing from a host of other famous Fulham faces throughout Season Two, with Felix White and Ivan Berry having already banked interviews with the likes of Slaviša Jokanović, Steve Sidwell, John Paintsil and Keith Allen.

As was the case with Season One, we'll be featuring a number of the current squad on the podcast, too.

Following Danny Murphy's two-parter, Fulham Fix will run fortnightly, with the next episode dropping the morning of Tuesday 5th September.

You can listen wherever you normally get your podcasts - be sure to follow Fulham Fix on your chosen podcast channel to get new episodes downloaded directly to your device!

Alternatively, fans can watch episodes in video format on FFCtv or our YouTube channel.

Season One of Fulham Fix began with a mad rush of speaking to all kinds of Fulham legends, and they were all everything I wanted them to be, and more. Surprisingly, though, it left all sorts of cliff hangers, too... Will we ever find Steed? Is someone going to send in a pet they've named after Zoltan Gera? Will anyone finally go Dirk Lehmann in their dream XI? I'm hoping to tie up all of these epic, deeply cinematic storylines in a season where Fulham look to consolidate on one of their greatest ever campaigns.

To say we had a blast on Season One of Fulham Fix is an understatement. Getting to spend so much time chatting with so many Fulham greats left us permanently giddy. The fact that we get to do it all again with even more Fulham legends? Pinch us please.

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2023/august/18/fulham-fix-returns/

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Rennes Defender On Radar Of Liverpool And Fulham
Fulham and Liverpool are amongst the clubs who are considering a move for Rennes centre-back Arthur Theate this summer.

The 23-year-old defender joined Rennes last summer from Bologna and had a great first season in the top flight of French football.

His performances at Rennes have piqued the interest of several clubs across Europe in the ongoing transfer window.

With less than two weeks left in the summer transfer window, there is still a chance Rennes could lose the Belgian defender this summer.

According to French sports daily L'Equipe (print edition), he is on the shortlist of targets for both Fulham and Liverpool.

Marco Silva is looking at defensive reinforcements before the window closes and Theate is one of the players Fulham are looking at.

Liverpool are also in the market for a left-footed centre-back and the Rennes defender is a player they admire.

For the moment, Rennes have not received an offer for Theate but that could change as the window draws closer to the transfer deadline.



https://insidefutbol.com/2023/08/18/rennes-defender-on-radar-of-liverpool-and-fulham/616144/

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Fulham attacker unlikely to join League One side before the transfer deadline
Exeter City boss Gary Caldwell has admitted it is unlikely that Fulham striker Jay Stansfield will be returning to the club this summer.

Exeter City had the attacker on loan from Craven Cottage last season and he was a hit during his time in Devon.

Stansfield, 20, was given the green light to join the League One club in September and went on to score nine goals in 39 games for them in all competitions.

When asked whether he may be returning for another spell, Caldwell has told DevonLive: "I don't think so. I have spoken to him a few times and we have text back and forth, but I don't think it will happen but we won't use it for any other player."

No Exeter return
Stansfield would have been an ideal addition for Exeter before the end of the transfer window but Fulham will be eager to test him at a higher level now.

The youngster is being linked with a move to the Championship and Football League World claim that Millwall, QPR and Sunderland are all interested in a potential swoop over the next couple of weeks to bolster their respective attacking options.

Stansfield rose up through the academy at Exeter and was a regular at various youth levels for the Devon outfit. He then left when Fulham came calling back in 2019.

He has since made eight first-team appearances for the Whites altogether and has chipped in with a single goal. The former England youth international will be seen as one for the future with Marco Silva's side but for now his pathway into their starting XI is blocked in the top flight due to all the options that they have in his position already.

Therefore, another exit is likely but his next destination is yet to be known with Exeter seemingly out the race.



https://the72.co.uk/2023/08/18/fulham-attacker-unlikely-to-join-league-one-side-before-the-transfer-deadline/

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Fulham linked with Theate deal
Fulham are interested in signing the Stade Rennais centre back Arthur Theate, according to reports from France, but will have to do battle with Liverpool in order to secure the defender's signature.

Theate enjoyed a superb first season in Ligue 1 after moving to Rennes from Bologna for £17m in a deal that made him the most expensive Belgian defender of all time. He overcame the setback of scoring an own goal on his debut to shine at the heart of Les Rennais rearguard that conceded just thirty goals as they finished fourth in the French top flight. Theate, widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the division, earned particular plaudits for making Lionel Messi out of the game as Bruno Génésio's side beat Paris Saint Germain 1-0 in January.

French sports daily L'Equipe links Fulham and Liverpool with a move this morning. Theate, who has won eight senior caps for Belgium, came through the Standard Liege youth system but gained his first taste of senior football after a successful trial at Oostende, where he made a total of 40 appearances and scored five goals before moving to Italy, initially on loan with Bologna.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/08/fulham-linked-with-theate-deal/

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Can Brentford take advantage of chaos at Fulham? Big match preview.
Brentford hit the road / river on Saturday afternoon for our first away day of this Premier League campaign – the 4 mile trip from the Gtech to Craven Cottage. Having finished last season as the best team in West London (don't @ me Chelsea fans, the table doesn't lie), Sunday's draw with Spurs was a game that, perhaps, saw us denied all three points by the machinations of VAR after Kevin Schade was twice interrupted when in full flow. It won't change anything dissecting that further so, instead, all focus must be on beating Fulham. If for no other reason, a bit of payback.

Not so much for last season's late defeat in the corresponding fixture but as much what happened after the game when my king of kits, the jaffa cake away shirt, got snagged against a white van and desecrated. Like trying to rub out Banksy, a masterpiece ruined (although if anyone has a spare L / XL I'd happily take it off your hands).

With the game ahead of us, our latest match preview is now up on line. You can read that, here.

If nothing else, it's worth a look just for one more watch of what is possibly the greatest hit Brentford goal of all time. Certainly, in terms of the time, place and finish. Plus there's the latest on their new stand – stop sniggering, please.

Until then, here's to Saturday afternoon. See you there.



https://nickbruzonslastword.wordpress.com/2023/08/18/can-brentford-take-advantage-of-chaos-at-fulham-big-match-preview/

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'Agent Trotta' on how he cost Brentford promotion
You might not remember when an Italian striker called Marcello Trotta was set to be the next big thing out of Fulham's academy.

Trotta's arrival from Manchester City in September 2009 was a big deal. He scored goals in what was then the Premier League Southern Reserve League and found the net eight times in eight league appearances on loan at Wycombe Wanderers. A brief loan spell at Watford followed before he moved to local rivals Brentford. Uwe Rossler's side were competing for promotion from League One at the time and Trotta made a good early impressive, scoring in a 2-2 FA Cup draw against Chelsea.

The striker will always be remembered, however, for seizing the ball from regular penalty taker Kevin O'Connor in the last minute of Brentford's final game of the season against promotion rivals Doncaster Rovers – which they had to win to secure automatic promotion to the Championship. Not only did Trotta smash the crossbar with the spot-kick, Donny went down the other end to score a winner.

'Agent Trotta' as he was quickly dubbed did return to Griffin Park the following season, scoring thirteen goals as the Bees went up. The forward, now aiming for promotion from Serie C in his homeland with Avellino, has spoken to Sky Sports about his time with the Bees ahead of the derby at Craven Cottage on Saturday. It's well worth a read.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/08/agent-trotta-on-how-he-cost-brentford-promotion/

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Fulham join Leicester, Leeds and Southampton in transfer race
Fulham have joined the race to sign the Manchester City starlet

    Fulham is interested in signing Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Manchester City and are considering making an approach for the promising center back.
    Leeds, Leicester, and Southampton, as well as Nottingham Forest, are also interested in Harwood-Bellis, but they may face competition from Premier League clubs.
    Manchester City values Harwood-Bellis at £15 million, deterring Leeds, Leicester, and Southampton from pursuing a permanent deal. However, Forest may be willing to meet that valuation, putting them in the lead for his signature.

Fulham hold an interest in signing Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Manchester City this summer.

According to Sky Sports' live transfer blog (08.52), the Cottagers are considering an approach for the promising centre back.

This comes amid speculation linking him with a move to the Championship in the last week.

The defender featured for Burnley in their dominant run to the second division title last season, helping Vincent Kompany's side earn promotion to the Premier League.

Harwood-Bellis was a standout figure for the Clarets, earning him a lot of plaudits for his performances in the side.

Who is interested in signing Taylor Harwood-Bellis?
It was initially reported that Leicester City, Leeds United and Southampton are all interested in the defender.

All three of the Championship sides are targeting a loan offer for the 21-year-old, who starred at this level a year ago.

However, the trio of second tier clubs all face competition from the Premier League.

Fulham are eyeing a possible move for the England U21 international, as are Nottingham Forest.

Steve Cooper is keen to add Harwood-Bellis to his defensive options this year as the Reds look to maintain their status in the top flight for another campaign.

The possibility of Premier League football may tempt the player away from a move back to the Championship, but it remains to be seen what Manchester City will decide.

What is Taylor Harwood-Bellis' valuation?
It has been claimed that City hold a valuation worth £15 million for the defender.

This is a figure that has put off Leeds, Leicester and Southampton from making a permanent offer for the player.

However, Forest are considering meeting that valuation, which has put them in the lead in the race to the centre back's signature.

It is unclear whether Fulham would also consider matching that figure, or if Marco Silva's side are targeting a loan move.

Harwood-Bellis is unlikely to break into the Man City first team squad this season, especially after Pep Guardiola added Josko Gvardiol in a £77 million deal from RB Leipzig earlier this summer.

This has seen the Englishman fall even further down the pecking order at the Etihad despite showcasing his potential in an excellent Championship campaign last year.

Game time is likely to be the player's priority in any potential move, which could help sway the move in favour of the Championship trio.

However, both Fulham and Nottingham Forest could also use strengthening in their backline so he should see plenty of minutes should he make the switch to either Premier League side.

Do Leeds, Leicester or Southampton have a chance at signing Taylor Harwood-Bellis?
It is not looking good for any of the Championship sides at this stage.

It may require one of them pushing the boat out on looking for a permanent move at this stage.

However, even if one of them did meet the asking price set by Man City, Harwood-Bellis is still likely to prioritise playing in the Premier League over the second division.

It would be a huge coup for any Championship side to win the race to his signature, but it is now looking increasingly unlikely to happen.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-interested-in-leicester-city-leeds-united-southampton-transfer-target/

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Luciano D'Auria-Henry is a Robin
Cheltenham Town are delighted to announce the signing of wing-back Luciano D'Auria-Henry on a season-long loan from Fulham.

The 20-year-old has been at Craven Cottage since the age of 10, progressing through the academy ranks after being scouted.

Having started out as a winger, Luci now operates as an attacking wing-back, where he has played for Fulham U18's and U21's over the past few seasons.

Luci played 19 times in Premier League 2 for the Cottagers last term, registering three assists in that period.

Whilst the youngster is yet to have made a senior appearance, he was named on the bench for Fulham's Carabao Cup tie against Crawley Town at the beginning of last season.

Luci now arrives at Cheltenham ready to make his first forage into first team football, potentially as quick as tomorrow, in our League One clash with Portsmouth.



Our eighth signing of the Summer will train with his new teammates for the first time today ahead of the trip to Fratton Park.

Speaking after his loan move to the Robins, D'Auria-Henry said:

"I'm buzzing to join the club. I've been waiting for an opportunity like this for a while now, so i'm ready to crack on and help the team.

"I've had a great time with Fulham, it's a great club. But I think it's time for a new challenge in senior football so I can push on and really start my career.

"I can defend, I can attack and I think I can bring a lot to the team going forward."

Welcome to Cheltenham Town Luci!



https://www.ctfc.com/news/2023/august/luciano-dauria-henry-is-a-robin/

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Fulham still keen on Harwood-Bellis
Tucked away in a Sky Sports transfer window update this morning about Monaco maybe improving their offer for Tosin Adarabioyo is the tasty morsel that Fulham remain interested in signing the Manchester City centre back Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

Marco Silva suggested after the signing of Calvin Bassey last month that the Whites 'had completed the centre backs'. This always seemed a bold statement but perhaps the Fulham head coach felt his powers of persuasion that had helped to reintegrate Aleksandar Mitrovic into the first-team squad could work on Tosin as well. The tall, ball-playing centre back seems to still have his heart set on a move to Monaco and is adamant he won't extend his contract at Craven Cottage, which now has less than twelve months to run.

Monaco have so far failed to match Fulham's valuation of their 25 year-old defender, having had bids worth £4.3m and £8.5m rejected. The situation is complicated by the fact that Manchester City hold a sell-on clause and, although Tosin was disappointed to lose his place after Issa Diop and Tim Ream forged a fine partnership at the heart of Silva's defence last term, he remains an able deputy in the top flight – as evidenced by Tottenham's enduring interest in his services. If Monaco do come up with the cash, then the Whites will need to sign a replacement.

That explains the interest, trailed in L'Equipe this morning, in Rennes defender Arthur Theate but also Fulham's long-standing admiration of Harwood-Bellis, who was outstanding on loan at Burnley last term helping the Clarets cruise to the Championship title under Vincent Kompany and lifted the European under-21 Championship trophy with England in Georgia this summer. The Stockport-born centre half would fit Silva's system to a tee and is keen to gain first-team football, having not started a Premier League game for City.

The stumbling block could be the fee, with City rumoured to be wanting around £15m for a player who is also entering the last year of his current contract, but this should be one to watch over the next fortnight.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/08/fulham-still-keen-on-harwood-bellis/

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From Argentina: Fulham open talks to sign player, seen as obvious destination if he moves
It's now time for the Argentine media to back up news of Fulham's interest in Gonzalo Montiel.

Following a couple of reports from the European press about this chase, journalist Hernan Castillo turns up to comment on it.

On Twitter, the report claims that in case Montiel does not stay at Sevilla, then he's going to Fulham.

The Whites are said to be in current negotiations with the La Liga side for the 26-year-old.

It turns out that Fulham haven't been the only Premier League club to chase Montiel this month, as recent reports from Spain had claimed that Unai Emery's Aston Villa had been following him as well.

It's been claimed that Sevilla demand €12m for Montiel's sale, and they were actually not happy that their former director Monchi was trying to take him to Villa Park.

Maybe that situation could end up favouring Fulham in their chase. Now it remains to be seen whether the Whites offer will be good enough to convince the Spanish club. With the Argentine media reporting on it, it seems the subject already reached the player's camp.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/argentina-fulham-open-talks-sign-player-seen-obvious-destination-moves/

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D'Auria-Henry heads to Cheltenham on loan
Young Fulham full-back Luciano D'Auria-Henry has joined League One Cheltenham Town on loan for the remainder of the season.

The 20 year-old, who has been with the Whites for a decade, starred as Steve Wigley's under-21 side made a strong return to the PL2 last term – scoring once and supplying five assists in 21 matches. He played a key part in the under 21s remarkable comeback to beat Wolves 3-2 on Friday night with two assists in the last three minutes that secured a win for the young Whites in Hayden Mullins' first game in charge.

D'Auria-Henry, who was named on the bench by Marco Silva for Fulham's League Cup fixture at Crawley Town last August, could make his senior debut tomorrow at Fratton Park as he has gone straight into Wade Elliott's matchday squad for Cheltenham's trip to Portsmouth. D'Auria told the Robins' official website this morning:

    "I'm buzzing to join the club. I've been waiting for an opportunity like this for a while now, so i'm ready to crack on and help the team. I've had a great time with Fulham, it's a great club. But I think it's time for a new challenge in senior football so I can push on and really start my career. I can defend, I can attack and I think I can bring a lot to the team going forward."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/08/dauria-henry-heads-to-cheltenham-on-loan/

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Fulham v Brentford

TEAM NEWS
Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha, who missed their opening game with a shoulder injury, could return.

Aleksandar Mitrovic, a transfer target for Saudi club Al-Hilal, is out after picking up an ankle injury as a substitute at Everton last week.

Brentford defender Ben Mee will be assessed after missing last week's draw against Tottenham with a calf injury.

But Mathias Jensen, who limped off in that game with a thigh strain, will start against Fulham.

Fellow midfielder Frank Onyeka is also fit again after recovering from a hamstring problem, and could make his first appearance of the new campaign.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
    Fulham have won just one of their last seven league games against Brentford (D2, L4), though that victory did come last season.
    Brentford have lost just two of their past 16 away league fixtures against Fulham (W6, D8), a run stretching back to 1981.
    Both matches last season ended with the home team winning 3-2.
    The last three league meetings (excluding play-off matches) have featured a goal in the 90th minute or later.

Fulham

    Fulham could win their opening two games of a top-flight season for the first time at the 29th attempt.
    They have won their opening league home match in only one of their previous eight Premier League seasons (D3, L4), a 5-0 victory against Norwich City in 2012.
    Only one of Fulham's last seven Premier League clean sheets have come at home.
    Raul Jimenez has failed to score in each of his last 24 Premier League appearances.
    But no player has provided more Premier League assists for Jimenez than the seven contributed by his former Wolves team-mate Adama Traore, who joined Fulham last weekend.

Brentford

    Brentford could fail to win either of their opening two league fixtures for only the second time in the last eight seasons.
    The Bees have drawn 15 Premier League matches since the start of 2022-23, more than any other side.
    Brentford are unbeaten in their last 10 London derby league matches (W5, D5) and could equal their club record of 11, set in 1955.
    Three of their five away wins in last season's Premier League came in London derbies: at West Ham United, Chelsea and Spurs.
    Bryan Mbeumo has been directly involved in 10 goals in 12 league games since the start of April (five goals, five assists).
    None of Yoane Wissa's 15 top-flight goals for Brentford have been the opening goal of the match - he's the highest scorer in Premier League history not to have scored the first goal in a match.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66482708

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Ticket costs: New season, new record high prices in the Premier League

Fulham fans protesting price hikes at Craven Cottage back in 2019 © Alamy

As we get into the 2023-24 season, it's become clear that football fans across the country are coming out of a summer of ticket price hikes. Many clubs have raised their season ticket and matchday prices across the board despite the ongoing cost of living crisis.

With all 2023-24 season prices confirmed in the Premier League we can now see 17 of the 20 clubs have announced a price hike, some in double-digit percentages, despite the continued pressures on household budgets.

That number is six more than the 11 teams who hiked prices for last season. Brentford, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are the only top-flight teams to freeze season ticket prices.

Season ticket prices reach new heights
The most expensive season tickets in the Premier League are to be found in London at Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. At £3,000 Fulham now have the dearest, non-corporate season ticket in the country which are located in its newly-built riverside stand.

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur come in second and third with their highest non-corporate season tickets costing £2,025 and £1,783 respectively.

Additionally – Newcastle United, West Ham United, Manchester United and Manchester City all have some non-corporate season tickets passing the £1,000 mark.

Our Premier League network manager Thomas Concanon said: "We have seen a common trend of prices going up, some into the double digits, which immediately raises concerns.

"There's a cost of living crisis, and football needs to remain affordable. We don't want to price fans out of going to games, especially when football is awash with money from broadcasting and sponsorship."

At Fulham, the issue of ticket prices has been of concern for successive seasons and supporter groups have been pushing back against the club's attempts to continually push the limit on ticket pricing.

Fulham reported the second highest average season ticket price rise of 18%, behind Nottingham Forest's 20%.

Chair of Fulham Supporters' Trust Simon Duke says another year of price hikes could be "the straw that breaks the camel's back" and risks pricing out Craven Cottage's traditional supporter base.

"We understand the club isn't a charity, they're trying to run the business sustainably," he told us. "The ownership has put money in and they want to bring those losses down each season.

"But on the other hand there has to be some balance – by our rough estimates this will bring in an additional £1-1.5m which pales into insignificance when compared to Premier League broadcast and prize money."
This time last year, Fulham came into criticism from its own fans again on pricing – when they announced some of the most expensive matchday ticketing in the country. Category A games came in at £65 and £70 to sit behind the goal at Craven Cottage while prices ranged from £70 to £100 in the Riverside and Johnny Haynes Stands, with the exception of £30 tickets in four areas of the family zone.

These are expected to rise again and Fulham are one of the few clubs who decide matchday pricing on a match-by-match basis.

"This will be forcing people to make some difficult decisions," Simon said. "A lot of members, and supporters generally, can't stretch to these new prices.

"Ultimately pricing people out is not good for the club long term. There's been no acknowledgement from the club that prices are hitting some people very hard."

Matchday pricing
For those who can't afford season tickets or are on a waiting list for one, matchday tickets are often the only way of seeing their team.

Sadly there's little good news here too – for instance, while Tottenham Hotspur may have frozen season tickets, matchday prices have gone up significantly.

Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust (THST), having lobbied the club for a matchday freeze, said: "The club knows this is something THST cannot support and we feel an increase of this magnitude is excessive.

"Our match tickets are already amongst the most expensive in the Premier League and fans should not have to dig further into their pockets when they are already seeing their living standards squeezed by the cost-of-living crisis."

Amid that rise in pricing, Tottenham Hotspur fans plan to demonstrate outside the club this weekend ahead of their first home game of the season.

And there's discontent with matchday pricing on the south coast too where Bournemouth chose to increase matchday ticket prices, having already raised their season ticket and concessionary pricing earlier this year.

"It's difficult to ignore the significant cost increase for our non-season ticket holding supporters," the Cherries Trust said before the season kicked-off.

The Cherries Trust have also pushed back on categorisation of games at Dean Court, arguing as many supporters do, that they turn out every week to see their team not the opposition. With the new categorisation in place, they estimate matchday tickets for all 19 league home games will be 14% costlier than last season.

"While a rise in prices was expected, we find this move disheartening at a time some of our fan base may be struggling with the cost of living."

National Supporters Survey – fans concerned
Concern about the cost of living crisis and the cost of going to the game was highlighted in our 2023 National Supporters Survey.

Of those supporters who said they were attending fewer games, 30.3% cited high ticket prices as a factor for their decision.

Additionally, the rising cost of living has had an impact on how much people spend on attending football, with two in five (40.1%) of respondents saying they were already spending less on football due to the current financial climate. One-fifth (21.7%) of fans said they were attending fewer games because of the cost of living.

Of fans who said they were attending less than in previous seasons, the most commonly cited factors are work/family commitments (30.9%), an inability to obtain tickets (22.8%), and changes in financial circumstances (21.9%).

FSA chair Malcolm Clarke said: "The results of our survey reveal the extent to which football fans, as with many millions of others up and down the country, are feeling the pinch due to the rising cost of living.

"We support any initiative which keeps football affordable and available to all."

In the coming weeks, the FSA will also be looking at the issue of ticket pricing – home and away – in the EFL and beyond.



https://thefsa.org.uk/news/ticket-costs-new-season-new-record-high-prices-in-the-premier-league/

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Luciano D'Auria-Henry: Cheltenham sign Fulham wing-back on season loan

Luciano D'auria-Henry (left) played for Fulham's Under-18s and Under-21 teams

Cheltenham Town have signed wing-back Luciano D'Auria-Henry on a season-long loan from Fulham.

The 20-year-old, who came through the Cottagers' academy, played 19 games in Premier League 2 (U21s) last season.

"I've been waiting for an opportunity like this for a while now, so I'm ready to crack on and help the team," D'Auria-Henry told the club website

.

"I can defend, I can attack and I think I can bring a lot to the team going forward."

D'Auria-Henry is Cheltenham's eighth signing of the summer and he will train with them for the first time on Friday.

He could feature in the Robins' League One match at Portsmouth on Saturday as they aim to claim their first points of the season after three straight league defeats.

"I've had a great time with Fulham, it's a great club," D'Auria-Henry added.

"But I think it's time for a new challenge in senior football so I can push on and really start my career."



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66544667

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Agent trying to force Tottenham defender signing – Going against player's wishes
For a while now, Tosin Adarabioyo has been trying to leave Fulham, with only AS Monaco as his desired destination, but Nice-Matin explain what everything is moving so slowly.

Tottenham have also been reported as interested in the defender, as Ange Postecoglou wants more defenders in his squad.

The fact he had to use the unwanted Davinson Sánchez against Brentford said a lot about the state of the squad depth at Spurs, and there is a feeling that needs to change.

The arrival of Micky van de Ven has helped, but there is more work to be done, and the Fulham player could help with that.

This is part of the reason why the Adarabioyo affair has been dragging, regardless of the fact the 25-year-old doesn't want to stay in London, whether it be at Craven Cottage or Tottenham.

Nice-Matin state that AS Monaco have had an agreement with the player 'for two weeks', but the Ligue 1 side are 'slow to close the deal'.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/agent-trying-force-tottenham-defender-signing-going-players-wishes/

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Fulham: Journalist makes promising Balogun claim
The USA international is a target for Marco Silva.

Fulham have emerged as leading contenders to sign Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun as journalist Simon Jones shares what he knows.

Who will Fulham sign?
Marco Silva has seen free agent Adama Traore, defender Calvin Bassey and striker Raul Jimenez come through the door at Craven Cottage, but as we approach the final stretch of this transfer window, time is running out to make more signings.

Traore put pen to paper on a Fulham deal after leaving Wolves on a Bosman, joining Jimenez in swapping Molineux for west London, while the highly-rated Bassey's £18.2 million move from Ajax arguably comes as the most exciting of their new additions.

Deadline day on September 1 is just around the corner, meaning Fulham boss Silva has just over two weeks to properly reinforce his squad as we begin the new campaign.

The Whites started off brightly, having sealed a 1-0 win away to Everton at Goodison Park last weekend courtesy of a late strike from Bobby De Cordova-Reid.

Silva, speaking to the press around a fortnight ago, was adamant there is still plenty of work for Fulham to do this window as he attempts to strengthen key areas.

"Unfortunately, we need many still. We have some important players injured," Silva said.

"I hope they can come sooner. We have just two full backs, we need a midfielder too and we have just two wingers so we need another two wingers.

"We have completed our central defenders. I needed these players 15 days or 20 days ago, not now."

Fulham appear determined to add more firepower, leading to them chasing deals for Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi as well as Everton forward Demarai Gray.

The west Londoners, according to a new report by The Daily Mail and reporter Jones, now also have Arsenal's in-demand striker Balogun in their sights.

The USA international, who enjoyed a fine scoring campaign on loan at Reims last season, could be sold for the right price as Arsenal demand around £45 million.

Fulham are around £10m short of that asking price as things stand, but in a promising bit of further news, it is believed they're also "currently frontrunners" and in pole position right now.

Silva and co are attempting to upgrade their striking options as their current star Aleksandar Mitrovic.could still make a move to Saudi Arabia.

How good is Folarin Balogun?
The young attacker racked up an exceptional 22 goals in all competitions during his temporary spell in France last term, numbers which may well have turned Fulham's head.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, commenting on Balogun's form this year, also says there are many attractive facets to his game.

"He's a boy that has a really clear idea of what he wants to do with his career. He's really ambitious, really committed and really brave," said Arteta.

"We discussed a lot before he made that move whether it was the right place to go and the other choices he had. He was so convinced. I'm really happy for him because he deserves what he's getting.

"When you look at the numbers and what he is doing, it's just incredible. It's very rare to see that. But he's got something special."



https://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league-fulham-news-folarin-balogun-news-latest/

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Sources: Fulham hit by £120m blow after unexpected twist
Fulham will have spent over £120million on their Craven Cottage expansion by the time it is complete, Football Insider can reveal.

The Cottagers began work on an expansion to the Riverside Stand in 2019, but their stadium project has been hit with unexpected delays.

The Buckingham Group were responsible for handling the stadium project, but the contractors have halted all work on the venue after filing for administration this week.

Fulham responded with an official club statement on Tuesday (15 August) outlining the "delays" to the construction project.

"We have experienced delays in the project from the outset. Many of the principal delay factors include addressing difficult site conditions during the demolition of the old stand," read the statement.

The London club added that certain areas of the stand will open as planned in 2024.

However, the additional seating in the new stand is now not expected to be on sale until the start of the 2024/25 season.

Fulham initially hoped that the stand would be open for the start of the current season, but continuous delays followed by the administration of The Buckingham Group have stalled progress.

The project was initially projected to cost £80million, but rising costs and delays mean that Fulham will have spent over £120million by the time the stand is opened completely.

Club owner Shahid Khan has reassured fans that he will cover any rising costs around the development, and Fulham's financial accounts show that he has lent Fulham £116.5million through new share issues.



https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-fulham-hit-by-120m-blow-after-unexpected-twist/

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Can Fulham sting Brentford in the West London derby?

Jack Stroudley looks ahead to the first London derby of the season.

While it wasn't necessarily a routine victory, Fulham's Premier League campaign got underway in the best way possible last week dispatching Everton 1-0. It certainly wasn't a performance to remember but it could turn out to be three vital points early in the season. Our next three league fixtures consist of Brentford, Arsenal and Manchester City – all very tough opponents.

The first of those come on Saturday as we welcome the Bees for our opener at Craven Cottage. The situation around Mitrovic isn't any clearer and the addition of Traore could stir things up, so how do Fulham make it two wins in a row?

The opposition
Brentford's campaign kicked off at home where they welcomed Tottenham Hotspur with the game ending 2-2. The Bees did suffer two injuries during the game, with both Ben Mee and Mathias Jensen coming off injured. It looks like Mee is going to be fit for Saturday's game but the latter may be out. Brentford have also said goobye to David Raya this week and of course Ivan Toney won't be available for the game.



Looking at Brentford's average positions against Spurs, they sat back quite a bit and only had 30% possession. Despite this, they were clinical in their chances and Mbuemo and Wissa began to show that they can be the main men for this Toney-less Brentford side. Despite this, I don't think we'll see Brentford sit back against Fulham on Saturday.

Coming up against an attacking Ange Postecoglou, Brentford were always going to struggle to maintain possession for large parts of the game. I think Thomas Frank will set the Bees up to press on Saturday to make for a very entertaining fixture.

How do we prepare?
Marco Silva said in his press conference that Palhinha will be involved with in the squad, here's how I'd line-up this weekend.

Three changes for me from the Everton game with Andreas Pereira, Joao Palhinha and Calvin Bassey coming in for Tom Cairney, Sasa Lukuc and Tim Ream. Pereira was crucial in the build-up for Fulham's goal after coming off the bench last week and I feel with him in the side we are a much better team. His ability to press as well as his ability from set-pieces could be crucial on Saturday.

Marco Silva has stated that Joao Palhinha will be in the squad and will also be involved. For me, he has to start, Lukic had a good game against Everton but we are infinitely better with Palhinha in the side. Lukic is going to have a good season and him being able to cover both Palhinha and Reed off the bench is only going to benefit us.

Calvin Bassey was fantastic during Fulham's pre-season fixture against Hoffenheim so to see Tim Ream replace him last weekend was a bit of a shock. It wasn't Ream's finest game with sloppy defending which would've cost us if it wasn't for Bernd Leno. I'd like to see Bassey start instead.

While Willian was poor in the first half and De Cordova-Reid did grab Fulham's winner, I wouldn't necessarily change so quickly here. Willian's ability on the ball is something that Fulham are going to need to break down this Brentford defence and with our options in midfield being light at the moment, having De Cordova-Reid on the bench to come on either on the wing or in midfield feels like a smart thing to do.

Jimenez gets another start for me. Silva stated in his press conference Mitro injured his ankle (again) during the game at Goodison Park. Whether we will see him in a Fulham shirt again is another question but Jimenez will get the nod on Saturday with Vinicius on the bench.



The final verdict
As always, I think this game is going to be entertaining. Both sides absolutely up for it and desperate for bragging rights. Fulham need to perform better than we did last week, if not I think we could be in trouble. That being said, bringing in Pereira, Palhinha and Bassey should add needed quality in both boxes and I think we're going to win... narrowly.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2023-08-18-can-fulham-sting-brentford-in-the-west-london-derby/

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Silva: 'Mitrovic out with ankle injury'
Marco Silva insisted he didn't have any updates on Aleksandar Mitrovic's future during his press conference this afternoon – but confirmed that the Serbian striker will miss Fulham's local derby with Brentford tomorrow after injuring his ankle in the opening day win at Everton.

Feverish speculation from Saudi Arabia suggested that the Fulham number nine would become Al-Hilal's latest big signing from Europe after the Saudi Pro League side revived their interest in the centre forward last week. But Al-Hilal have still failed to meet Fulham's £52m valuation of Mitrovic – having put forward a new proposal believed to be worth up £46m last week – and Silva was coy about the matter when he faced the press at Motspur Park earlier.

The Fulham head coach said:

    "I don't have information [on any new bids submitted for Mitrovic by Al-Hilal]. He's out of the game because he had a problem with his ankle last game."

Silva confirmed that Mitrovic had been doing individual work to regain his fitness after aggravating his ongoing ankle problem shortly after coming on as a substitute at Goodison Park. The Serbian striker started the move that led to Bobby De Cordova-Reid's winner, but was later seen wearing a protective boot as he left the ground and was using crutches at Euston station following the train journey back from Liverpool.

Silva supplied more positive news regarding Portuguese international Joao Palhinha. The defensive midfielder, who topped the Premier League with 147 tackles in his first season in England, missed the opening game of the season having injured his shoulder during Fulham's pre-season tour of America but resumed full training on Monday.

    "Joao Palhinha is going to be involved, he will be in the squad."

The Fulham boss believes his side can take confidence from the win at Everton, but feels his side will need to be much improved to regain local bragging rights against Brentford.

    "To get a win and a clean sheet was a great feeling but we know we have to perform better. Derbies are always special and it will be a special game for our fans. We want to be on the front foot and use the home factor."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/08/silva-mitrovic-out-with-ankle-injury/