Saturday Fulham Stuff - 02/08/25...

[WhiteJC]

Palhinha poised for Spurs switch
Tottenham are poised to pinch Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich on loan with a £25.95m option to buy, according to Peter Rutzler and pretty much everyone else.

I'm not sure Joao has consulted with Sean Davis, Steed Malbranque, Clint Dempsey, Louis Saha and company on how the Cottage compares with the stroll from Seven Sisters station, somehow.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2025/07/palhinha-poised-for-spurs-switch/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham 'tracking Dibling'
Fulham are 'tracking' Southampton's winger Tyler Dibling, according to the Times' Paul Joyce, after Everton their opening £27m move turned down.

The Toffees, who have experienced a summer of frustration in the transfer market after failing to sign Kenny Tete on a free transfer, are mulling over whether to submit a second offer worth £35m for the nineteen year-old. The Exeter-born England under-21 international, talked about as a £100m talent in the early weeks of last season, has two years left on his current St. Mary's contract.

Dibling, who has scored four goals and added three assists in 43 first-team appearances for the Saints since making his senior debut at Gillingham in the League Cup in August 2023. Joyce's piece says Aston Villa, West Ham United and the Whites are the top flight teams waiting to see whether the Toffees stump up Southampton's supposed £40m valuation for the 2024 Pinatar Super Cup MVP.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2025/07/fulham-tracking-dibling/

[WhiteJC]

2025/26 Home Kit now on sale
Following last week's launch, our 2025/26 adidas Home Kit is now available to purchase online and instore.

This season's adidas strip is bespoke to Fulham FC, with the design featuring an emblem of the iconic Craven Cottage balcony ironwork woven throughout the fabric.

The all-white kit, with black piping through the shirt & shorts, offers a clean and contemporary look.

All replica kits are available to purchase in dedicated women's fits and junior sizes.

Secure yours today online or instore.

SHOP NOW

All items are subject to availability.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/august/01/2025-26-home-kit-now-on-sale/

[WhiteJC]

How David Lloyd and TOOFIF paved the way for Fulham fan media
Drew Heatley looks at the men and women who helped shape Fulham FC. First up, TOOFIF editor David Lloyd.



Football clubs don't much like independent fan outlets. But it's grimly reassuring that this isn't a 'modern football' problem, despite the manufactured nature of club comms today.

When David Lloyd, alongside fellow FFC fan David Preston, launched independent fan magazine 'There's Only One F In Fulham' in 1988, it didn't please then-chairman Jimmy Hill.

"I admire your enthusiasm [...] but selfishly wonder whether the time and trouble might be spent on cold-blooded mercenary ways of keeping Fulham Football Club alive", our robust-chinned leader wrote to the pair.



But undeterred, Lloyd (Preston ducked out after half-a-dozen issues - "he wanted a life, effectively!") went on to create a lynchpin of Fulham fan culture. For 30 years, TOOFIF was the original independent voice of Fulham fans.

"You've got to remember that this was in the dark ages!" Lloyd tells me with a laugh. "We didn't have the internet; we didn't have the immediacy of news, sports, news, or whatever we've got blasted at us today.

"There were a few fanzines making their mark - like The City Gent from Bradford and one or two others. We were trying to do something like Private Eye, where we would be serious when we needed to be, but effectively take the mickey out of haircuts and silly clothes and habits of footballers and just have a laugh. But we didn't know what was just around the corner..."

Not long after TOOFIF's first issue, the future of Craven Cottage hung in the balance - not for the first time, and sadly not for the last.

The club was involved in a long-running tug of war with property developers Cabra Estates, who owned the ground after former chairman Ernie Clay sold it in the mid-eighties. The local council tried to wrestle it back via a compulsory purchase order (CPO), but on the eve of the public inquiry to determine the Cottage's fate, Fulham's board had agreed to leave in exchange for a few million quid (they claimed they couldn't afford to lose the CPO inquiry, so took the cash to preserve the club's future).

A quirk in the deal meant the club couldn't talk about the process via their official channels, leaving TOOFIF as a vital resource for fans wondering what on earth was happening.

"As an independent publication, we were the conduit to the fans," Lloyd recalls. "And so suddenly this rather jokey publication became very, very serious. But we were able to relay to the fans as best as we could exactly what was going on.

"But I want to stress there were so many Fulham fans during that time who - officially or otherwise, for example on the supporters' club committee - did so much. And I did my bit."

The future of the Cottage was eventually secured, of course, thanks to fan mobilisation and the Fulham 2000 initiative, and TOOFIF continued to provide a voice for the Fulham Faithful. In a game of opinions, Lloyd maintains that perspective was key when creating an engaging publication.

"I kept my powder dry; this wasn't a policy as such, but I tried to keep my editorials personal, yet informed and professional. Either way, people would come around and tell me if they agreed - or otherwise - in blunt terms, as football fans do!"



Throughout the nineties, TOOFIF was a central thread in the fabric of Fulham fandom. From toiling in the doldrums at the foot of the Football League to the most magical of seasons under Micky Adams and our rise to the Premier League, the fanzine offered an authentic and light-hearted view of the club we love, and provided a voice for supporters in an era when there weren't many ways to have yours heard.

Growing up, a core matchday memory would be standing outside the turnstiles to the Hammersmith End before a game as my Dad - like so many other Fulham fans - approached David Lloyd to chat about all things Fulham as he stood there with boxes upon boxes of TOOFIF, selling them to punters on their way into the ground.

"It certainly became ritualistic," he remembers. "At first, you could park right outside the ground. But gradually, as the parking became more and more difficult, you'd be parking a mile away and have to trolley these things in.

"And then you'd be subject to the elements. Some oldies might remember the League Cup game with Liverpool when we had about 13,000 - our biggest crowd for years. Well, I printed extra issues. I thought, because I was losing money hand over fist, I might make some money back, But I had to pulp the whole lot because we had continuous rain and water got in through the boxes! I probably lost about £1,500 just on that night alone. I'm not complaining – it goes with the territory! TOOFIF hasn't made me rich. What it has done is given me loads of friendships."

Lloyd now enjoys the Whites purely as a fan, having released the fantastic 30 years of TOOFIF collection in 2018. That perspective that served him so well in his editorials is evident when assessing the current state of affairs.

"Of course, nowadays the club has changed. Last season really showed it with the record points total; you could argue that we could or should have done a wee bit better, points wise, because we threw so many away, but it's a million miles away from what Fulham Football Club has been.

"We had Paul Johnson and his wonderful 'We can dream' cartoons – goodness me, some of those weren't far short of what we've managed to achieve! Yes, we've had hiccups along the way, but by golly we've had some fun."



A fan's relationship with their football club is a complex one, as David can attest to. But as long as there's some fun along the way, you can't go far wrong.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/how-david-lloyd-and-toofif-paved

[WhiteJC]

Div 1 Champs 25 years on: August

To commemorate the 25 year anniversary of Fulham's 2000/01 title winning season, at the start of every month we will look back on how Jean Tigana's side fared this time quarter of a century ago.

August

The exciting appointment of 1984 Balon d'Or runner-up Jean Tigana as Manager meant optimism was high heading into the 2000/01 campaign, following a disappointing ninth place finish the previous season. Crewe Alexandra were first up at the Cottage, and this is what Tigana had to say in his first ever programme notes...

Good afternoon and welcome to the first game of the new season. Football managers in France do not write notes in their team's programme, so this is a new experience for me.

I have been in charge of the team for a month and a half now, and I feel very happy that I made the choice to come to Fulham. The players have good spirit and are listening and learning each day and we are all making good progress together. I am enjoying life in England, however so far I haven't seen much outside of Fulham Football Club as we have been working so hard in the build-up to the new season.

We have brought in some new players this summer and I would like to welcome them all to Fulham. The three younger players, Louis Saha, Luis Boa Morte and Fabrice Fernandes, all need to work hard and progress, however they are all players with a lot of quality. John Collins is a player I know very well from my time at Monaco. He is an excellent professional with plenty of valuable experience, which is so important for the younger players in the squad who he will influence. As most of you will know, during the summer Chris Coleman signed a new long-term contract that will keep him here at Fulham for another four years. Chris is a good player and a good Captain, so it is important for the Club that his future is here. I would also like to congratulate Simon Morgan. His testimonial match against Tottenham was a good evening, and was very much deserved.

I have been very happy with the pre-season matches. We have started to play the style of football that I want Fulham to play. However these games have only been friendlies, and the real test starts today.

I firmly believe that the supporters must be behind us as we aim to obtain our objective of Premier League football – through the good times and the bad times. This is a very important part of the campaign. Finally, I would like to welcome Crewe Alexandra and wish them a successful season – except against us!

It took Fulham a while to break Crewe down on a gloriously sunny afternoon in SW6, but Barry Hayles' introduction on the hour mark saw him break the deadlock four minutes later, before Saha marked his debut with a first time finish to make the game safe.

The Whites were heavy favourites for that fixture, but our next outing was a Friday night televised tie against the much-fancied Birmingham City at St Andrew's. A stern test, but one which was passed with flying colours as we built on John Collins' opener inside the first minute with another Saha goal and a quickly-taken Sean Davis free-kick to give us a 3-1 lead at half-time – and that was the way the game ended.

It was a real statement from Tigana's men, and a performance that drew plaudits from his counterpart at Blues, Trevor Francis: "We were made to look very ordinary by a side brimming with confidence.

"I am now beginning my fifth season as Birmingham's manager and that Fulham team is the best away side I've seen play at St Andrew's.

"They have some excellent players and have quality throughout the side. The likes of Collins, Coleman and Clark are three players who should be playing in the Premiership."

A second-string Fulham losing 1-0 to Northampton Town in the League Cup was the only blip of the month, but that would be rectified in the return leg in September.

Back to Division One matters, and Fulham made sure we were the only side with a 100 per cent record in the league by seeing off Stockport County and Norwich City in the space of three days over the Bank Holiday.

A lively start at the Cottage against Stockport had us at 1-1 with under five minutes played when Kevin Cooper cancelled out Hayles' opener, and that was the way it stayed until a pivotal few seconds around the hour mark. Just moments after Collins had restored our lead with a beautiful free-kick, Tony Dinning was shown a straight red card for something he said to the referee, and with that the game was Fulham's.

Hayles and Luis Boa Morte added some padding to the scoreline, with County's afternoon getting even worse when Mike Flynn was also sent off – this time for a second bookable offence – at the death.

Two days later and the Whites were off to Norfolk where we were made to work much harder for our points, which eventually arrived in the 88th minute when Davis' cute reverse ball found Boa Morte, who sidefooted home to snatch a 1-0 win.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/august/01/div-1-champs-25-years-on-august/

[WhiteJC]

Wilson 'not close yet' to new Fulham deal but talks are ongoing
Harry Wilson says he is "not close yet" to signing a new contract but talks are ongoing and he insists he is happy at Fulham.

The club this summer took up an option to extend Wilson's contract to the end of the season.

Discussions have since been held about a longer-term deal for the Wales international.

"There's definitely talks about that. I love it here and since I've come here I've felt very at home and playing in the Premier League," Wilson told West London Sport's new Fulham podcast.

"I would say there are talks about it happening. We're not close yet but let's see what happens in the next few months and see if we can get something agreed."

Wilson scored six goals for Marco Silva's side last season, half of which came against west London rivals Brentford.

He scored the winner against the Bees in May, having netted twice in stoppage time to clinch a dramatic victory against them at Craven Cottage earlier in the season.

It helped establish Wilson as a firm favourite among fans.

The one-year extension ensured Fulham kept Wilson, 28, at the club – and gave him clarity in a World Cup year.

"I wanted to know when it (the contract extension) was coming, towards the end of the season," he said.

"It's an important year for me this year. I didn't want to be going into a World Cup year, which I'm hoping to get to with Wales, not knowing what was coming. So I was glad to get that sorted.

"So I know that I can get my head down and work. Because I really, really enjoy it here.

"Playing at the highest level is something I wanted to do and now we're there and we've kind of established the club there again.

"I didn't want my time to come to an end without the contract getting extended."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-star-not-close-to-new-contract-but-talks-are-ongoing

[WhiteJC]

McAvoy returns to Wealdstone on permanent deal
Connor McAvoy has joined Wealdstone on a permanent deal.

The 23-year-old Chertsey-born defender, who was released by Fulham this summer, has previously had two loan spells with the Stones.

McAvoy has represented Scotland at a number of age levels, including Under-21, and played north of the border during time on loan at Partick and Ayr.

He ended last season on loan at Wealdstone, having also been there for much of the 2021-22 campaign.

"I'm delighted. This club has become a second home to me in the last couple of years," McAvoy said after completing his move.

"I know the club really well and having the option to come here permanently was one I couldn't turn down,

"The fans have supported me really well in both of my spells here and have helped me try to return to the level I know I can play at."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/defender-joins-wealdstone-after-leaving-fulham

[WhiteJC]

25/26 Season Tickets Sold Out
The Club is delighted to announce that 25/26 Season Tickets have now sold out, with record sales achieved for the forthcoming season. Thank you for your fantastic support!

The only way to now secure your place at Craven Cottage for the 2025/26 Premier League campaign is by purchasing seasonal hospitality in The Riverside.

With all lounges now open, experience some of the best hospitality experiences football has to offer; the kind you just won't find anywhere else.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/august/01/25-26-season-tickets-sold-out/

[WhiteJC]

Chukwueze agent meeting Fulham, Besiktas and Fenerbahce
The agents representing Milan forward Samuel Chukwueze are reportedly in Istanbul for Besiktas and Fenerbahce meetings, while Fulham are also pursuing him.

The Nigeria international was a big investment from Villarreal in the summer of 2023, costing €21.1m plus up to a further €7m in add-ons.

However, he never really made his mark with the Rossoneri jersey, contributing eight goals and six assists in 69 competitive games over two seasons.

Chukwueze can leave Milan at the right conditions
New coach Max Allegri doesn't seem particularly eager to keep hold of him either, but the sticking point is that Milan want a permanent sale, whereas the offer from Besiktas was a loan with option to buy.

According to Calciomercato.com, his agent is currently in Istanbul for meetings with both Besiktas and Fenerbahce to discuss potential terms.

The same source also notes that Premier League side Fulham are advancing in the ranking for Chukwueze and are preparing a proposal of their own.

New coach Max Allegri doesn't seem particularly eager to keep hold of him either, but the sticking point is that Milan want a permanent sale, whereas the offer from Besiktas was a loan with option to buy.

According to Calciomercato.com, his agent is currently in Istanbul for meetings with both Besiktas and Fenerbahce to discuss potential terms.

The same source also notes that Premier League side Fulham are advancing in the ranking for Chukwueze and are preparing a proposal of their own.



https://football-italia.net/chukwueze-agent-fulham-besiktas-fenerbahce/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham open talks with Arsenal 28yo's camp
Fulham have reportedly opened talks with Oleksandr Zinchenko's camp over a potential summer transfer, with the Gunners willing to accept around £15m for the player.

Ben Jacobs reports for GiveMeSport that Fulham have entered into talks with Oleksandr Zinchenko's camp over a potential move across London.

The two parties have reportedly been holding conversations since early June, and Fulham are now considering making a formal bid. Jacobs adds that AC Milan are also interested in Zinchenko.

For Arsenal's part, the Gunners are open to offers and value Zinchenko at around £15m.

Though the situation is ongoing, Jacobs also reports that a left-back signing will only become a priority for Fulham if Antonee Robinson leaves. If Robinson stays, the club will likely focus their budget on other positions.

That said, Zinchenko is more than capable of playing in midfield, as he does for Ukraine. So Fulham deciding not to sign a left-back might not necessarily mean they completely close the door on adding Zinchenko to their ranks.

There have been some links between Zinchenko and Fulham throughout the summer, though the Milan reports have been played down in the past.

For the time being, Zinchenko continues to feature for Arsenal in pre-season, and unless something changes he's set for one more year in north London before his contract expires in 2026.



https://dailycannon.com/2025/08/fulham-zinchenko-talks/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham likeliest destination for Milan's Samuel Chukwueze
Serie A side Milan are interested in selling Samuel Chukwueze and Fulham are the likeliest destination despite interest from Turkey.

Calciomercato's Daniele Longo has reported that one of the winger's agents is in Istanbul to speak to either Besiktas or Fenerbahce.

Besiktas had made contact for the Nigerian in January and Fener have held discussions with his entourage more recently, even though an offer is yet to be presented.

Chukwueze would like to stay at AC Milan and convince Allegri, but the club is open to hearing offers . The most likely option is Fulham , with intermediaries working to find the right financial terms.

The London club were close to signing the winger in January but had run out of time, having made a siginificant offer which was acceptable to Milan at that point.

Chukwueze has failed to impress so far at the San Siro and has only shown glimpses of his quality.



https://www.getfootballnewsitaly.com/2025/fulham-likeliest-destination-for-milans-samuel-chukwueze/

[iansthailand]

How David Lloyd and TOOFIF paved the way for Fulham fan media
Drew Heatley looks at the men and women who helped shape Fulham FC. First up, TOOFIF editor David Lloyd.



Football clubs don't much like independent fan outlets. But it's grimly reassuring that this isn't a 'modern football' problem, despite the manufactured nature of club comms today.

When David Lloyd, alongside fellow FFC fan David Preston, launched independent fan magazine 'There's Only One F In Fulham' in 1988, it didn't please then-chairman Jimmy Hill.

"I admire your enthusiasm [...] but selfishly wonder whether the time and trouble might be spent on cold-blooded mercenary ways of keeping Fulham Football Club alive", our robust-chinned leader wrote to the pair.



But undeterred, Lloyd (Preston ducked out after half-a-dozen issues - "he wanted a life, effectively!") went on to create a lynchpin of Fulham fan culture. For 30 years, TOOFIF was the original independent voice of Fulham fans.

"You've got to remember that this was in the dark ages!" Lloyd tells me with a laugh. "We didn't have the internet; we didn't have the immediacy of news, sports, news, or whatever we've got blasted at us today.

"There were a few fanzines making their mark - like The City Gent from Bradford and one or two others. We were trying to do something like Private Eye, where we would be serious when we needed to be, but effectively take the mickey out of haircuts and silly clothes and habits of footballers and just have a laugh. But we didn't know what was just around the corner..."

Not long after TOOFIF's first issue, the future of Craven Cottage hung in the balance - not for the first time, and sadly not for the last.

The club was involved in a long-running tug of war with property developers Cabra Estates, who owned the ground after former chairman Ernie Clay sold it in the mid-eighties. The local council tried to wrestle it back via a compulsory purchase order (CPO), but on the eve of the public inquiry to determine the Cottage's fate, Fulham's board had agreed to leave in exchange for a few million quid (they claimed they couldn't afford to lose the CPO inquiry, so took the cash to preserve the club's future).

A quirk in the deal meant the club couldn't talk about the process via their official channels, leaving TOOFIF as a vital resource for fans wondering what on earth was happening.

"As an independent publication, we were the conduit to the fans," Lloyd recalls. "And so suddenly this rather jokey publication became very, very serious. But we were able to relay to the fans as best as we could exactly what was going on.

"But I want to stress there were so many Fulham fans during that time who - officially or otherwise, for example on the supporters' club committee - did so much. And I did my bit."

The future of the Cottage was eventually secured, of course, thanks to fan mobilisation and the Fulham 2000 initiative, and TOOFIF continued to provide a voice for the Fulham Faithful. In a game of opinions, Lloyd maintains that perspective was key when creating an engaging publication.

"I kept my powder dry; this wasn't a policy as such, but I tried to keep my editorials personal, yet informed and professional. Either way, people would come around and tell me if they agreed - or otherwise - in blunt terms, as football fans do!"



Throughout the nineties, TOOFIF was a central thread in the fabric of Fulham fandom. From toiling in the doldrums at the foot of the Football League to the most magical of seasons under Micky Adams and our rise to the Premier League, the fanzine offered an authentic and light-hearted view of the club we love, and provided a voice for supporters in an era when there weren't many ways to have yours heard.

Growing up, a core matchday memory would be standing outside the turnstiles to the Hammersmith End before a game as my Dad - like so many other Fulham fans - approached David Lloyd to chat about all things Fulham as he stood there with boxes upon boxes of TOOFIF, selling them to punters on their way into the ground.

"It certainly became ritualistic," he remembers. "At first, you could park right outside the ground. But gradually, as the parking became more and more difficult, you'd be parking a mile away and have to trolley these things in.

"And then you'd be subject to the elements. Some oldies might remember the League Cup game with Liverpool when we had about 13,000 - our biggest crowd for years. Well, I printed extra issues. I thought, because I was losing money hand over fist, I might make some money back, But I had to pulp the whole lot because we had continuous rain and water got in through the boxes! I probably lost about £1,500 just on that night alone. I'm not complaining – it goes with the territory! TOOFIF hasn't made me rich. What it has done is given me loads of friendships."

Lloyd now enjoys the Whites purely as a fan, having released the fantastic 30 years of TOOFIF collection in 2018. That perspective that served him so well in his editorials is evident when assessing the current state of affairs.

"Of course, nowadays the club has changed. Last season really showed it with the record points total; you could argue that we could or should have done a wee bit better, points wise, because we threw so many away, but it's a million miles away from what Fulham Football Club has been.

"We had Paul Johnson and his wonderful 'We can dream' cartoons – goodness me, some of those weren't far short of what we've managed to achieve! Yes, we've had hiccups along the way, but by golly we've had some fun."



A fan's relationship with their football club is a complex one, as David can attest to. But as long as there's some fun along the way, you can't go far wrong.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/how-david-lloyd-and-toofif-paved

Top man David Lloyd but where's his hair gone? Is it in the same place as mine?

[hovewhite]

Toofif mis it and David was brilliant,stood opposite the Riverside flogging it for him for a good few seasons.it was great fun doing it for the publication.

[Andy S]

It was great for its time. I always read them cover to cover

[hovewhite]

Andy David put so much time ,effort in and always positive happy a great bloke .   

[spikey norman]

It was great for its time. I always read them cover to cover

Same here.
Picked up my first copy at an away game with Brighton (the one when the Traveller plus a few others walked from Craven Cottage to the Goldstone)
I often contributed with articles and 'cuttings'

[bog]

I am fortunate to know David well. I really miss that fanzine. A chance offered for fans to sound off. I took many chances!!


As an aside this was featured on the TV quiz, Only Connect.