Who Are Your Favourite Fulham 'Cult Heroes'?

[White wizard]

Ah Mr Keetch..in his day was a hard man. Now, would comfortably hold the record for Fulham red cards.

Boa, Pantsil, Rufus, Cohen, and many more, all for different reasons. As a club we have been and still are blessed. Pound for pound we still get great entertainment at the institution that is Fulham Football Club.

 

[HatterDon]

Don't know about the rest of the Yanks on here, but I love this thread and threads like it. It's like when I was a kid and listening to my father talking about playing baseball in occupied Japan after WWII. It's so good to learn more and more about the club.

Keep it - and other threads like it - coming folks.

[Burt]

Talking about shocking players, how about John Watson?

Didn't last too long for memory. Must have been back in the late 80s. Certainly not particularly gifted and abled!

[yatewhite]

The likes of Rodney MacAree and Moritz Volz bring a special something to following the club but who have been your favourite Fulham 'Cult Heroes'? If you are in any doubt as to what constitutes a 'Cult Hero' then please see the handy explanation below -

The Essential Ingredients of a ‘Cult Hero’ in football


Date: 2nd March 2011 at 3:30 pm | Written by Matt_G-Freebody


The Cult Hero in football is a romantic and sentimental side to the beautiful game that will never fade away. In today’s game, the cult hero is even more important with the vast amount of money involved with the sport and the multi-media coverage of the top players in the game. So forget Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, even your Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand at least for the time being as I construct the essential ingredients as to what makes a Cult Hero.

When constructing the recent Top TEN Cult Hero article, I had a list of 50 odd players and probably even more if I kept on researching. The fact is, the cult hero is in abundance in the game and this week they should be celebrated because without them, it just wouldn’t be football as we know it! But what makes a cult hero? The standards are pretty high and wide so let’s go through some of the necessary traits…..

The Unsung Hero – The player that does not make the headlines but always gives 110% without fail. He may not get on the score sheet often or be partial to a step over or a Cruyff turn but when he’s out of the team you realise what an important player he is. Ian Holloway summed up this type of player with this funny quote : “It’s all very well having a great pianist playing but it’s no good if you haven’t got anyone to get the piano on the stage in the first place, otherwise the pianist would be standing there with no bloody piano to play.”

The Eccentric – This player is all about personality. Whether it’s the comedy factor of Jimmy Bullard or Gazza, or the crazy hairstyles like Marc Bircham or Taribo West, there is something about them than the average footballer. Or it could be players like Andrei Kanchelskis or Lee Trundle who liked to do some showboating on the pitch, check them out on YouTube for your own entertainment. Also the likes of former USA defender Alexi Lalas fit this bill perfectly.

The Trouble Maker – The pantomime villain that the opposition love to hate but you love him for exactly that. Whether it’s the exuberant tackles or moaning to the referee, it’s always a fiery encounter when they are on the field. Robbie Savage deserves a mention here although he could also fit the eccentric side of things with his flowing blonde hair. Other shouts have to be Vinnie Jones and FFC’s very own Neil Ruddock, without these types of players football wouldn’t have character.

Mr Football Club – Joining the club as a young boy and playing out his whole career at the club. This Cult Hero is in the fans’ hearts forever although he may not have been the best they’ve ever seen, his loyalty is seen as something far greater. Southampton can boast a fair few of these players with the likes of Matthew Le Tissier, Jason Dodd and Francis Benali. Also former Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Steve Bull, these types of cult hero’s are usually involved with the club long after they retire.

The Foreigner – Perhaps more favourable away from the top clubs where players from abroad are in abundance, the foreign signing can become a bit of a cult favourite amongst a section of supporters. I fondly remember the likes of Argentinean left back Gino Padula at QPR who looked a bit out of place playing in the old Division Two but was admired at Loftus Road during his time there. Other shouts have to go to ‘Nobby’ Solano of Newcastle and Richard Sneekes at West Bromwich Albion, let’s not forget Juninho and Emerson at Middlesbrough.

It’s in the Name – Everyone loves a good football chant and some players’ names are just asking for it and in return they become a hit with the fans. It wasn’t that long ago down at QPR where we had Doudou and Shittu playing in the same team, other names include the likes of Uwe Fuchs (Middlesbrough, Millwall) and Joseph Desire-Job. It does not have to be a funny name for a popular chant amongst the terraces, I have a dozen of examples I could use to prove my point but such language would not be appropriate.

So bad, they’re good – In some cases the Cult Hero stems from the player being so bad that they actually have an ironic following by supporters. That striker who never seems to score but always finds a way into the first team, Carl Leaburn anybody? Or it could be the likes of former Arsenal midfielder John Jensen or current Watford defender Lloyd Doyley who score once every solar eclipse but the fans love to shout ‘shoot!’ whenever they get the ball.

One Hit Wonder – Ever heard of Jimmy Glass? He is a Carlisle United legend despite only making 3 appearances for the club on loan. Why? Because the Goalkeeper scored, yes scored, an injury time winner back in 1999 in the last game of the season which kept the Cumbrian side in the Football League.

[yatewhite]

Great piece! FFC have loads of these and i give you a couple of Stans from yesteryear: Stan Brown & Stanley Horne. Tosh has got to be in there, the brief but brilliant stay of Allan Clarke, Morgs, Darren Freeman....How many are we allowed?

[Oakeshott]

WW

Agreed. Over the years there have not been many players who have played regularly for the first team who haven't been popular with supporters. Not many "non triers" that I can think of; most won our respect, and often our affection, for their efforts.

Invidious to name exceptions, so I won't. But one of the reasons we've been more successful under Roy and now Sparky is that we always play with eleven players - and by that I mean eleven real triers. Under Chris, my perception was that sometimes there were eight or nine trying and two or three fairly disinterested.

[finnster01]

WW

Agreed. Over the years there have not been many players who have played regularly for the first team who haven't been popular with supporters. Not many "non triers" that I can think of; most won our respect, and often our affection, for their efforts.

Invidious to name exceptions, so I won't. But one of the reasons we've been more successful under Roy and now Sparky is that we always play with eleven players - and by that I mean eleven real triers. Under Chris, my perception was that sometimes there were eight or nine trying and two or three fairly disinterested.

And where would you put Jari Litmanen then?

[TheDaddy]

WW

Agreed. Over the years there have not been many players who have played regularly for the first team who haven't been popular with supporters. Not many "non triers" that I can think of; most won our respect, and often our affection, for their efforts.

Invidious to name exceptions, so I won't. But one of the reasons we've been more successful under Roy and now Sparky is that we always play with eleven players - and by that I mean eleven real triers. Under Chris, my perception was that sometimes there were eight or nine trying and two or three fairly disinterested.

And where would you put Jari Litmanen then?

In a hospital bed ! Didnt slip off a ladder or something ?  :029:

[Oakeshott]

As I said, invidious to name exceptions.

[MJG]

Andy Thomas....Only 4 games but if we had bought him........

[Sheepskin Junior]

Me personally, having not been alive very long, would put in 5 contributions for my time as a Fulham fan- Moritz Volz, Carlos Bocanegra, Brian McBride, Heidur Helguson and why has no-one said Zat Knight :011:

[Sheepskin Junior]

Shefki Kuqi. The man gave us all hope of one day playing for Fulham  :003:

:Sparkyticus:

[Mr Fulham]

Shefki Kuqi. The man gave us all hope of one day playing for Fulham  :003:

:Sparkyticus:

I think it's a close one between him and Julian Gray.

[Oakeshott]

Sheepskin Junior

Possibly because some of us view Zat as having been pretty average, at best, much of the time and lacking the commitment of the others you mentioned. His sale to Villa for ? £5m was for me a real plus in an otherwise fairly bleak period of Club history.

I have to admit, though, that while Zat passed through Villa without making much impact he has seemed rather better on the odd occasion I've seen him play for Bolton.

[NogoodBoyo]

Dragoman: "A player I liked in the 1980's who was not particularly gifted, a journeyman really, but who always gave 100% for Fulham was JOHN EVANSON."

Oh god, I remember John Evanson as if it were yesterday.  This was in the day of short shorts.  He had a lion's mane on his head and short, fat hairy legs under his ample bottom that prevented normal athletic movement.  Seeing him play next to George Best had to be one of the more embarrassingly imbalanced views of the time.  I believe he was actually with us in the seventies.  Might be wrong.
Nogood "membering the ernie Wise of Fulham, iasit" Boyo

[dgnffc]

Jimmy Dunne

I remember him once chinning Mullery on our own penalty area.

Also once dropped his shorts I think.

[Edwatch_Winston_Malone]

Jeff Eckhardt - was nothing more than a journeyman pro but always made the journey fun...

[MJG]

Jeff Eckhardt - was nothing more than a journeyman pro but always made the journey fun...

I have a photo in my office at home with me handing over a player of the month bottle (which unlike him he did not down in one) in front of the Hammersmith End to Jeff. I always thought he was a good player and he was one of those who gave his all in any position within the team. What about him and Leggy in central midfield..that could have been fun.

[Sheepskin Junior]

Sheepskin Junior

Possibly because some of us view Zat as having been pretty average, at best, much of the time and lacking the commitment of the others you mentioned. His sale to Villa for ? £5m was for me a real plus in an otherwise fairly bleak period of Club history.

I have to admit, though, that while Zat passed through Villa without making much impact he has seemed rather better on the odd occasion I've seen him play for Bolton.

Zat's not the worst I've seen. He, like Paintsil, put in effort but, unlike Paintsil, knew where the opposition's goal was on occasion. And when they came they were good.

[fernstar]

Simon Morgan was definitely my cult hero, Mr Fulham

Udo Onwere a leg - end in his own right, absolutely awful. What about George Georgiou even worse than Udo.

Agree about Clive Walker who I thought was terrific for a couple of seasons for us.

I thought Martin Ferney was alright but just suffered with lots of injuries, could have been a good player apart from that.

Present day I think Danny Murphy is a big player for us.