Thursday Fulham Stuff - 16/10/25...

[WhiteJC]

Arsenal news: Mikel Arteta discovers £52m transfer cost as dropped star offers Fulham boost
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side sit atop the Premier League as they prepare to face Fulham after stars return from the international break

Arsenal will have the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League as their visit to Fulham nears. A single point currently separates the Gunners and second-place Liverpool.

Mikel Arteta's side have mustered an impressive 16 points from seven games to begin this top-flight campaign but face a stern task when they take a trip to Craven Cottage on Saturday evening.

Title rivals Liverpool face Manchester United on Sunday so Arsenal could extend their lead at the top with victory over Marco Silva's men. The Gunners boast the best defence in the league, having conceded just three goals all season, but reports suggest Arteta could be eyeing a £52million Germany star to add depth at the back.

Mirror Football brings you all the latest news from the Emirates, including an international break boost and an Arsenal icon's Premier League title prediction.

Arsenal interested in Nathaniel Brown
The Gunners' backline is officially the best in the top flight but that hasn't stopped them from being linked with a prodigious young left-back.

At present, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori mainly play the position and both Jurrien Timber and Piero Hincapie can fill in. But according to German outlet BILD, Arsenal are interested in 22-year-old Nathaniel Brown.

Brown currently plays for Eintracht Frankfurt and has been somewhat of a revelation this term. Born to an American father and a German mother, he received his first senior Germany call-up this month and made his debut against Luxembourg last week.

He has been impressing for Frankfurt and it is reported that he could cost upwards of £52m. Both Real Madrid and Manchester City are also supposedly keen on securing his services.

Mikel Arteta handed fitness boost
Arsenal boss Arteta saw both Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes join up with Brazil last week and he would have been pleased to see the latter dropped for their clash against Japan on Tuesday afternoon.

Having played 90 minutes during a 5-0 victory against South Korea last Friday, Gabriel rode the bench as Brazil lost 3-2 to Japan. Martinelli starred as his national side let a 2-0 lead slip and his club team-mate was rested completely.

Arteta's side are just days away from a crucial match against Fulham and the Spanish boss will probably be grateful Carlo Ancelotti dropped the 27-year-old.

The north London side have suffered from a string of first-team injuries, with captain Martin Odegaard the latest to be sidelined. It is expected that he will be out until mid-November and so the fitness of a star like Gabriel is paramount.

Patrick Vieira delivers title verdict
Club legend Patrick Vieira won three Premier League titles during his time with Arsenal. His former club are well in the title race this year and the Frenchman thinks they have the quality to claim the crown.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the Arsenal legend admitted: "I don't know if it's a good year or not because the Premier League is really competitive.

"But I think Arteta made a really strong statement by bringing those players in in the summer. On the field, so far, they're doing really good games.

"I believe that Arsenal is a part of those few teams that can win the Premier League. I think you will have to count on Arsenal to be competitive and to be there to fight until the end because the players they managed to bring in will put the quality of the team on a different level."



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-arteta-brown-gabriel-vieira-36067591

[WhiteJC]

Fulham player picks up injury with national side – Set for London evaluation
Samuel Chukwueze arrived at Fulham from AC Milan on loan with an option to buy on summer deadline day. Marco Silva has so far used the winger as a substitute, limiting him to 63 minutes from three matches.

Nigeria manager Éric Chelle included the 23-year-old in his squad for the international fixtures in September and October.

On Tuesday, the Fulham player started in Nigeria's 4-0 World Cup qualifier win over Benin. He starred by registering two assists in 45 minutes and was withdrawn after the break.

Samuel Chukwueze arrived at Fulham from AC Milan on loan with an option to buy on summer deadline day. Marco Silva has so far used the winger as a substitute, limiting him to 63 minutes from three matches.

Nigeria manager Éric Chelle included the 23-year-old in his squad for the international fixtures in September and October.

On Tuesday, the Fulham player started in Nigeria's 4-0 World Cup qualifier win over Benin. He starred by registering two assists in 45 minutes and was withdrawn after the break.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-player-picks-up-injury-with-national-side-set-for-london-evaluation/

[WhiteJC]

25/26 Fulham FC Women Shirts Now Available

The Club is pleased to announce that our 2025/26 Fulham FC Women's team shirts are now available to purchase.

Following a brilliant start to the season which sees the team unbeaten in the league, a limited run of the team's three adidas shirts can be purchased for the first time exclusively from the Club's online store and retail kiosk at Motspur Park.

The three shirts – Home, Away and Third – all feature All Elite Wrestling branding on the front and come embellished with the official Women's National League competition logo on the right sleeve. The back of shirts also feature our family partner, Royal Caribbean, located at the base of the jersey.

The official 25/26 Fulham FC Women shirts are available to buy now in a limited run of both Women's and Men's sizes, so be sure to secure your shirt today and cheer on the team at Motspur Park!




https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/october/15/2526-fulham-fc-womens-shirts-now-available/

[WhiteJC]

How the next four weeks could define Fulham's season
Dan Cooke looks at Fulham's next five games and why they might be an opportunity to finally kickstart our campaign.

I was chatting with some mates over the weekend and the topic of Fulham came up. They asked me how I felt about our start to the season and you could tell that they had no idea what my answer would be, because no one on the outside knows anything about us.

The only word I could think of that described my feelings was "whelmed". We are pretty much bang on where I expected us to be and at no point, so far, have we over or under delivered. I don't have the giddy excitement that comes with a new season, nor do I have a horrible feeling of impending doom.

I am simply whelmed.

Ultimately, I'd rather feel like this than be a West Ham fan, so it's not a bad thing, however I do think it really plays into this growing narrative of "Fulham are dull". I haven't listened to a single Guardian Football Weekly podcast since Barry Glendenning called us boring at the start of last season and outright refused to talk about us because of it, but I'm starting to see his point.

Pretty much every team in the league has an interesting underlying narrative to their season; Bournemouth have their unrelenting rise under Iraola; Wolves are experiencing armageddon; Nottingham Forest are mental - there are interesting stories everywhere. We have continuity and stability, which is great, but they aren't the features of a Hollywood blockbuster. I think it's led to a sterile air around SW6, where even we as fans are struggling to find interesting things to say about our beloved club.

However, this stretch of five games before the next international break in November could change that.

Take on the big boys
It's a brutal return from the international break for the Whites, hosting top-of-the-table Arsenal before a long journey north to Tyneside. We'll be far from favourites in both of those games, but it's worth remembering that we took four points from those same fixtures last season.

Perversely, maybe this tough return is what we need; a spark to ignite our season. Arsenal seem to have improved even further this year and are starting to look like title favourites, but our recent record against them is impressive. There'll be a lot of eyes on this game with it being the late kick-off and it gives us a chance to make a statement. All of the focus will be on Arsenal but I'm going into it with the knowledge that we're good at causing the big boys some headaches and I'm certainly not writing us off.

If we can bloody the nose of either them or Newcastle - or even both - it sets the foundations for a great mini run between the two international breaks. We need to generate a bit of momentum. Marco Silva and the players need to inspire us as fans. Things are too flat at the moment, everyone is just going through the motions, we've got two "free hits" to fix that. (I know, no game should be described as a free hit, but I'm not going to lose my mind if we don't beat Arsenal or Newcastle, so I think it's a fair descriptor.)

Understated cup run
As a consequence of this tepid start to the league, it's easy to forget that we've coasted to the last 16 in the Carabao Cup and really should have serious confidence that we will be in the bucket for the quarter-finals.

This is a real opportunity. Barring a catastrophe in Buckinghamshire, in two weeks time we could be finding out who stands between us and a two-legged semi-final. Of the Premier League teams left in the competition, there's only one that we haven't beaten since being back in the big time, Manchester City, and we've run them close more than once.

When I look at this season, I'm struggling to see another record-breaking league campaign, but based on where we find ourselves already in the cup, there's a concrete possibility that we could do something special. We're eighth favourites to win the League Cup, but four of the teams rated more highly than us play each other in the upcoming round. That means, as long as we behave, we'll likely be sixth favourites with the bookies. At that point, we've got a real puncher's chance.

Four weeks to prove themselves
The upcoming month of football is really going to cement how we all feel about this Fulham team. Right now, Marco and the boys have work to do in order to generate some excitement and the next five games afford them the opportunity to do so.

Exceeding expectations in the next two games would be the ideal way to do that. Failing that, a professional performance at Wycombe and a winnable quarter-final tie will lift spirits. It really doesn't bear thinking about how we'll all feel if we fail at that too, so I'm going to choose to not discuss it.

It's both hyperbolic and cliched, but these next five games really could define our season and I'm personally hopeful that the atmosphere around the club will be a lot more upbeat when we take yet another break in mid-November.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/how-the-next-four-weeks-could-define

[WhiteJC]

Games for the weekend 18/10...
We welcome Arsenal to the Cottage for a 5:30 kick off

Games against Arsenal are always ones I look forward to as my Dad was a 'gooner' and the first game he took me to was Fulham v Arsenal, at the Cottage, January 1966 which Fulham won 1-0, much to Dads annoyance Fulham hooked me!

So after two 3-1 defeats, having taken the lead in both games, we get to face the team sitting on top of the table, so no pressure.
The injury list is growing Muniz, Tete and now Lukic, hopefully Raul will be available otherwise it could be an even more difficult game.
Chukwuez only played the first half of the Nigeria v Benin game, where he assisted two goals however he received a knock and was substituted at halftime.

Our record, for the previous 8 games, against Arsenal is reasonable, considering respective table positions and squad depth, as we always give a reasonable account of ourselves, however only 1 win, 4 losses and 3 draws doesn't reflect how well we play.

I'm going to assume that Raul will be available and that Marco will go for a back 5, so my team would be...



COYW's

Games of Interest
Saturday 18/10
Burnley v Leeds
Palace v Bournemouth
Forest v Chelsea
West Ham v Brentford
Fulham v Arsenal

Monday 20/10
West Ham v Brentford
come on over to the forum and join in the conversation...
https://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=36.0



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=3292

[WhiteJC]

Seven players guaranteed to miss Arsenal clash against Fulham as new injury worry revealed
The Premier League returns this weekend with Arsenal set for a trip to Fulham and up to nine players could be unavailable through injury

Arsenal and Fulham are both dealing with injury concerns heading into their Premier League clash at Craven Cottage this weekend. Domestic football has taken taken a backseat for the last 10 days because of the October international break which has new concerns over some key players emerge.

Prior to the two-week pause from Premier League action, Arsenal and Fulham both lost key players to injury in the first half of their respective games against West Ham United and Bournemouth.

Sasa Lukic pulled up clutching his groin after clearing a corner in Fulham's defeat on Friday evening which saw him replaced by Tom Cairney, while Martin Odegaard picked up a knee issue 18 hours later in the Gunners' win over West Ham. Both midfielders are expected to miss the next few weeks at least.

Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke are also targeting November returns from knee issues with the latter likely hoping to feature in the North London Derby. Piero Hincapie has played just five minutes since joining the club with a groin complaint keeping him out for the last five games, though Arteta has hinted he could be back this weekend.

Earlier this month, the Arsenal boss admitted: "We've been trying everything as fast as possible, but this game [vs West Ham] came too fast, and now we have an international break. Hopefully, after that."

Gabriel Jesus is Arsenal's only other long-term absentee as he continues rehab from an ACL surgery underwent back in January. 12 months on from that, Jesus could potentially depart Emirates Stadium, assuming he has fully recovered.

Fulham are also set to be without some attacking options with a fresh worry emerging for Silva over the international break. According to All Nigeria Soccer, there are concerns that Samuel Chukwueze picked up a knock in Nigeria's 4-0 World Cup qualifier win over Benin.

The 26-year-old is yet to start for his new club since joining on a season-long loan from AC Milan, but he has been making noticeable impacts from the bench. Doubt has also remained over Raul Jimenez after a hip injury forced him off against Aston Villa last month.



https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/news/seven-players-guaranteed-miss-arsenal-32680049

[WhiteJC]

Four Fulham fixtures televised
Four Fulham fixtures in December have been selected for live television coverage on Sky Sports.

Please note new dates and/or kick-off times as follows:

    Fulham v Manchester City – Tuesday 2nd December (7.30pm)
    Fulham v Crystal Palace – Sunday 7th December (4.30pm)
    Burnley v Fulham – Saturday 13th December (5.30pm)
    Fulham v Nottingham Forest – Monday 22nd December (8pm)



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/october/15/fulham-fixtures-selected-for-television/

[WhiteJC]

Women's Match Preview: Fulham (H)
City Women are back on home turf this Sunday, as Fulham make the journey to TQ12 in the first round of the Women's National League Cup.

The Grecian's comfortably topped their group, amassing nine points in three games with wins over Portishead town, Southampton Academy and Abingdon United. Despite consecutive league defeats, Abbie Britton's side will be looking to put things right on Sunday and progress to the round of 16.

Similarly to last weekend's league meeting with Real Bedford, City are yet to have a meeting with Fulham Women in their current form. The London side currently sit top of the London & South East Regional Women's League, winning all six of their games. A second-place finish in their group, winning two of their three games, was enough for them to qualify for the first round of the WNL Cup.

City Women Home ticket prices 2025/26
Tickets are still available for this match, and you can secure the best price through buying in advance. You can find more ticket details about this game by clicking here!

Match Tickets 25/26	Advance Price	Matchday Price
Adult	£6	£8
Concession (65+, Students, Blue Light Card)	£5	£7
Under-18	£4	£6

Buy Tickets
Tickets can be purchased online via your ticketing account here, or in person at St James Park or by calling 01392 411 243.

Supporter Travel
CAR: The County Ground is located along Coach Road in Newton Abbot, TQ12 1EJ. You can access the stadium via car, but please note there is only a small car park on site. Decoy Country Park car park (TQ12 1DP) is just a short walk away, and offers parking all day on Sunday for just £2 with plenty of space.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: You can also get here by public transport! The Number 2 Bus from Exeter to Newton Abbot terminates at Newton Abbot Bus Station (19 minutes walk). Or, you can get the train to Newton Abbot station (11 minute walk).

Key Matchday Info


The Kit
The Grecians will be back in their iconic red & white City stripes on Sunday, you can purchase the 2025/26 home shirt by clicking here.



Match Day Programme
A physical programme featuring match information, manager's notes, opposition guide and more is available on Sunday for just £1! You can pick one up at the admission gate.



Bow Jackson's Dip a Day!
City captain Bow Jackson is currently taking on the Dip a Day in October Challenge to help end sewage pollution.

Surfers Against Sewage are a charity of water lovers campaigning to protect the ocean and all it makes possible, by taking action on the ground that triggers change from the top. For the challenge, Bow is plunging into cold water every day throughout October.

You can donate to Bow's campaign by clicking here.

How to follow
There will be no live stream of this match, so the best place to catch all the action live is at The County Ground! While nothing beats live football, if you can't make it on Sunday, there will be live coverage on our Twitter/X and Facebook pages, and we will have reaction from Abbie Britton and a player after the match.



https://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/FulhamWPreviewH

[WhiteJC]

Arsenal 9.5/10 star hands Mikel Arteta serious team selection dilemma for Fulham - opinion
The Gunners make the short trip to Craven Cottage this weekend with plenty of competition for the midfield roles.

Arsenal must navigate this weekend's tricky return to Craven Cottage without the services of captain Martin Odegaard but the playmaker's injury blow has opened up a new conundrum for manager Mikel Arteta.

The 26-year-old picked up a knee injury in the 2-0 win over West Ham before the international break and tests showed medial collateral ligament damage. Odegaard is expected to be out of action until after the next international break in November.

The captain's absence for matches against Fulham, Atletico Madrid, Crystal Palace, Burnley, Sunderland, Slavia Prague and Brighton leaves a hole that needs filling. The answer appeared to be obvious with £67.5 million man Eberechi Eze waiting in the wings.

Eberechi Eze tipped to excel in Martin Odegaard absence
The England international has had to be patient since making the move to the Emirates Stadium but could now show his prowess in an influential central role. Speaking on Sky Sports this week, former Premier League striker Charlie Austin said: "In the bigger picture, they have Eberechi Eze in the team. He's someone who can now go stamp authority in the middle, in that no. 10 position and unlock the door similar to what Martin Odegaard does.

"Now there's an ideal replacement. Eze is going to go into the middle and doesn't want to drift out to the left. It can be all about him and him making sliding door moments, putting the balls through to Viktor Gyokres, out wide to Saka. This is what's going to happen and it's what Arsenal have brought him in for - not a replacement for Odegaard, the ideal situation they are playing together - but if one isn't fit they have a perfect replacement.

"For me, I see it that he [Eze] is going to be the one that can take them to the next level. I think the signing that they made for him coming in is a phenomenal bit of business and now he can go and play in the middle, it's going to be a perfect signing for them."

Mikel Arteta handed fresh Arsenal selection dilemma
However, Arteta has been handed a fresh dilemma during the international break which may suggest a midfield trio of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Eze is not the best solution. That's thanks to the impressive form of Mikel Merino for Spain.

The former Real Sociedad man played 90 minutes twice for Spain during the break, helping the nation to a 2-0 win over Georgia and a 4-0 win over Bulgaria. In the latter, he bagged a brace and picked up an assist in a head-turning performance.

Mundo Deportivo reported that there was 'no stopping' Merino in the match. Marca gave the player a 9.5/10 rating for his performance, reasoning: "Another Gunner in the starting eleven, a player who is constantly netting goals for Spain. He conceded a few in Spain's many attempts on the opposing goal... but almost always with his right foot.

"The first one that fell on his head, he sent into the sack. He could be said to have "the best head in Europe after Churchill." A mistake by Vutsov gave him the chance to double his tally, but he chose to be generous with Samu. As we said before the break, he's one of the best headers in Europe; there are few at his level, as he demonstrated in the move that made it 2-0, staying in the air and hammering the ball home to frustrate Vutsov."

Merino may have 180 minutes in his legs over the break but, with other players potentially losing momentum over the two weeks, he is a midfielder who would start the match in fine form if placed in the starting XI.

The Spaniard also scored the vital equaliser for Arsenal in the comeback against Newcastle United at the end of September. Merino is showing up every game at the moment and, as exciting as the prospect of increased Eze game time is, it's perhaps not a foregone conclusion for Arteta.



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/arsenal/arsenal-fulham-team-selection-opinion-5360912

[WhiteJC]

International round-up

🇩🇰 Joachim Andersen (Denmark) - World Cup Qualifiers

It was a highly productive international period for Joachim Andersen, as Denmark won both of their World Cup Qualifiers, racking up nine goals in the process. Andersen was withdrawn at half-time of the 6-0 win over Belarus, with Denmark already four goals to the good at that point. He then scored his first ever international goal – a bullet header at a corner – to put his nation 2-0 up against Greece, a fixture they would go on to win 3-1. The results mean Denmark and Scotland are guaranteed to finish in the top two - both sit on 10 points - with the side who will automatically qualify to be decided next month.

🇳🇬 Calvin Bassey, Samuel Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi (Nigeria) - World Cup Qualifiers

A dramatic late goal proved decisive for Nigeria as they booked their place in the World Cup Play-Offs after beating both Lesotho and Benin. After a 2-1 victory over Lesotho, our Fulham trio knew a hefty victory over group leaders Benin would be needed to keep their destiny in their own hands. A Victor Osimhen hat-trick – the first two of which were brilliantly assisted by Samuel Chukwueze – wasn't even going to be enough to confirm Nigeria's place as one of the four best runners-up in qualifying, but a stoppage time effort from Frank Onyeka edged their goal difference high enough to sneak into the Play-Offs, where they will meet Gabon in November. Calvin Bassey played the full 180 minutes, Alex Iwobi all but two, while Chukwueze came off the bench against Lesotho, before starting and being replaced at half-time against Benin.

🇳🇴 Sander Berge (Norway) - World Cup Qualifier & Friendly

Norway are guaranteed at least a Play-Off spot after defeating Israel 5-0, but as the only side in Group I with a 100 per cent record after six matches, they will be favourites to qualify automatically for the World Cup. Two fixtures remain in November, with the final one against second placed Italy looking very much like a decider. Sander Berge played the full 90 minutes of the rout of Israel, and came off the bench at half-time in a 1-1 friendly draw with New Zealand three days later.

🇧🇪 Timothy Castagne (Belgium) - World Cup Qualifiers

Timothy Castagne enjoyed a productive time away with Belgium. After helping his team to a clean sheet in his 89 minutes of a goalless draw with North Macedonia, he came off the bench to set up the clinching goal for Leandro Trossard in Cardiff, making it 4-2 just after Wales had threatened to get back into the game. That was a result that leaves Group J finely poised, with Belgium on 14 points, North Macedonia 13, and Wales 10.

🇨🇦 Luc De Fougerolles (Canada) - Friendlies

Out-on-loan Luc De Fougerolles was involved in two tightly contested friendlies for Canada, coming off the bench in their 1-0 defeat by Australia, before featuring for the entirety of their 0-0 stalemate with Colombia.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Harry Wilson (Wales) - Friendly & World Cup Qualifier

It was a tough week for Wales. After falling victim to a lightning start from England in a friendly that saw the Three Lions go three up inside 20 minutes, they were beaten 4-2 by Belgium in a lively encounter on home soil. Wilson played 64 minutes before being rested at Wembley, and was involved for the duration in Cardiff four days later. With matches against Liechtenstein and second place North Macedonia to come, Wales will still be optimistic of securing a Play-Off spot at the very least.

Youth level

Josh King made his England Under-21s debut in their 1-0 win over Andorra, a game in which he saw a goal disallowed. At the same level, Luke Harris' Wales were beaten by Belgium before defeating Austria, while Jonah Kusi-Asare's Sweden lost to Italy and Poland. Dino Kaiser and Bosnia Under-19s won 2-1 against Georgia, and Seth Ridgeon captained England Under-18s to a 1-0 victory over France.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/october/15/international-round-up/

[WhiteJC]

he story of how Arsenal and Fulham nearly merged



If the former Fulham and Arsenal chairman Sir Henry Norris had been allowed his way in 1910, London derbies between us and the Cottagers wouldn't be possible.

In the early years of the 20th century, the self-made Norris was a wealthy and influential figure. Born in 1865, he'd accumulated a fortune through the property market, and his company, Allen & Norris, was responsible for transforming Fulham into a bustling, upwardly mobile district of London.

In the process of constructing, renovating and selling hundreds of houses, he'd built a formidable network of contacts in the construction and banking professions. Norris, who was also the Mayor of Fulham, was a keen football fan and anxious to make his mark on a sport still very much in its infancy.

In 1903, he bought out Fulham FC, becoming director and chairman, and under his watchful gaze they made rapid strides, winning the Southern League in 1906 and winning election to the Football League's Second Division a year later.



But Norris had already been involved in a decision which would have far-reaching consequences for football in the capital. Having acquired the Stamford Bridge Athletics Ground, the Mears brothers – Gus and Joe – planned to turn it into the finest stadium in the country. Mears invited Fulham to play their home matches there, but Norris baulked at the proposed annual rent of £1,500 a year – around £250,000 in modern money - and opted to stay at Craven Cottage, their home since 1896. Instead, Gus Mears founded Chelsea FC, who moved in during 1905.

Always keen to spread his influence, Norris cast his eyes towards south-east London and, alongside fellow Fulham director William Hall, acquired shares in the ailing Woolwich Arsenal, who'd just avoided relegation from the top-flight during the 1909/10 campaign.

Labouring in front of average crowds of 11,000 in Plumstead, Woolwich Arsenal were in serious financial peril. Norris wanted to own the club outright and offered to pay off their debts, but in return insisted that second-tier Fulham should merge with the top-flight outfit, and the newly-created Fulham Arsenal played its home matches at Craven Cottage. Norris' plan was blocked by the Football League, who decreed that only they should have final say over which clubs should play in the First Division.



Nevertheless, Norris backed Woolwich Arsenal for three topsy-turvy years before relocating the club north of the Thames to Highbury in 1913, much to the consternation of the neighbouring Tottenham Hotspur and Clapton Orient. Knighted in 1918, Norris was the man responsible for shortening our name to just Arsenal and appointing Herbert Chapman as manager in 1925, but he never experienced the subsequent success after receiving a lifetime ban from football in 1927 after being found guilty of making illegal payments to players.

Despite this, Norris' links to Fulham remained as strong as ever. In the December 1918 General Election, he became the Conservative member for Fulham East. Although he had to relinquish his position as Mayor of Fulham after winning the parliamentary seat, Norris, whose decisions changed the complexion of football in the capital in the early 1900s, still retained shares in the Cottagers until his death in 1934.

Meanwhile Fulham, after several years of playing in the second and third tiers, finally made it to the top-flight in 1949, allowing us to enjoy visiting Craven Cottage throughout the 1950s, 1960s and the Premier League era, rather than playing there as the home team had Norris' vision come to fruition.



https://www.arsenal.com/news/story-how-arsenal-and-fulham-nearly-merged

[WhiteJC]

Mikel Arteta could unleash 'really dangerous' Mikel Merino vs Fulham in the Premier League
Arsenal return to Premier League action against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

The Gunners have had a good start to the top-flight campaign, and they presently have a slender one-point advantage over second-placed Liverpool.

They have the chance to extend the gap with a first away win over Fulham since March 2023.

This would put extra pressure on the Reds, who host Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.

Ahead of the game, manager Mikel Arteta could contemplate starting Mikel Merino after his goalscoring exploits for Spain on World Cup qualifier duty this month.

The 29-year-old has hit a purple scoring patch for La Roja. He scored four goals during the September international break, including a hat-trick in the 6-0 rout of Turkey.

This saw him rewarded with a starting role against Nottingham Forest on his return. Declan Rice was surprisingly left on the bench and came on as a late substitute.

Speaking after the 3-0 win, Arteta said that he wanted to capitalise on Merino's form.

Merino was back among the goals for the European champions this week. He scored a wonderful headed brace against Bulgaria and also won a late stoppage-time penalty.

Based on what happened last month, it won't be a surprise if Merino makes the starting XI this weekend.

The midfielder, who has been described as a 'really dangerous' player in the box by Arteta, could start in the centre of the park along with Martin Zubimendi and Rice.

It may not be well-received by some fans, given that he has been slow with his decision-making. Merino does not have the same space and time as on international duty.

He has evolved into a terrific impact player with his newfound goalscoring trait, but he has not performed at his best from the starting line-up for Arsenal so far this season.

If Merino were to start in midfield on Saturday, we would prefer to see Eberechi Eze slotting in on the left wing ahead of Leandro Trossard, who has been equally inconsistent.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com



https://arsenalnews.co.uk/2025/10/15/mikel-arteta-could-unleash-really-dangerous-mikel-merino-vs-fulham-in-the-premier-league/

[Coastwalker]

25/26 Fulham FC Women Shirts Now Available

The Club is pleased to announce that our 2025/26 Fulham FC Women's team shirts are now available to purchase.

Following a brilliant start to the season which sees the team unbeaten in the league, a limited run of the team's three adidas shirts can be purchased for the first time exclusively from the Club's online store and retail kiosk at Motspur Park.

The three shirts – Home, Away and Third – all feature All Elite Wrestling branding on the front and come embellished with the official Women's National League competition logo on the right sleeve. The back of shirts also feature our family partner, Royal Caribbean, located at the base of the jersey.

The official 25/26 Fulham FC Women shirts are available to buy now in a limited run of both Women's and Men's sizes, so be sure to secure your shirt today and cheer on the team at Motspur Park!




https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/october/15/2526-fulham-fc-womens-shirts-now-available/

Strip looks much better with the black shorts,which the men should have.