Tuesday Fulham Stuff (27/09/11)...

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Football League begin cup sponsor search as Carling decide not to renew deal

The Football League will begin the search for a new sponsor for the Carling Cup after failing to reach an agreement with their current partners.

Molson Coors have sponsored the competition for 14 years will continue to do so until the end of this season.

But the Football League must find a new sponsor at a time when the competition is far from a priority for many Premier League clubs.

Football League Chairman, Greg Clarke said: 'This is the first time in 14 years that this sponsorship has been available in the marketplace and we look forward to offering potential sponsors the rare opportunity to put their brand on one of domestic football's major competitions.

'The growth in popularity of English football on the world stage, which has led to the League Cup being broadcast in more than 150 countries, means that this is also a sponsorship with global appeal.'

Clarke added: 'Molson Coors have been outstanding partners and have played an important part in helping us restore the competition's status and public appeal.  We are hugely grateful for the support they have given us.'

Chris McDonough, Marketing Director, Molson Coors (UK & Ireland) added: 'Carling's sponsorship of the League Cup has been extremely successful and helped to reinforce its status as the UK's best-selling lager and one of the leading supporters of football in this country.

'We continue to be very proud of our work with The Football League in transforming the perception of the competition amongst football fans and despite the contract being up for renewal in 2012 we are continuing to discuss the future of the competition with The Football League.

'But for the time being, we will focus on making this season's competition as memorable as previous seasons and Saturday's fourth round draw has thrown up some intriguing ties, led by Aldershot Town at home to Manchester United.'




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2042358/Football-League-need-new-League-Cup-sponsor-Carling-out.html#ixzz1Z9ZQwQmE

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Reaping the Rewards

Fulham's U18 Academy team have made a scintillating start to the 2011/12 campaign, taking 12 points from a possible 15 in their opening five League matches and Academy Manager Kit Symons is delighted to see his Team's hard work paying off.

The Club's Academy has the resources at hand to examine every player's performance in detail after a game and Symons is using the technology at hand to reinforce his message about a positive physical and mental attitude on the pitch.

"We get our GPS results after the games and our results; the heart rate, distance run and high intensity work is very, very good," said Symons. "I'm showing the players each week that there's a massive link between the amount of work they put in and the results - there's no coincidence.

"The game where we ran the least and made the least high intensity sprints was the Barnsley game which we lost. We created chances and played OK but there is a definite link. The games that we've won since; the work rate has been excellent.

"You've got to work hard but also work hard with your brain as well – there's got to be thought behind your work. You've got to time and select your runs, so when you go, you're really positive and make things happen.

"It's early days and we've got a long way to go – but we've got a really good group of lads who want to learn and work hard."

Whilst Fulham are certainly not shy offensively, having netted 19 times in their five games to date, Symons has been set on arresting the early defensive weaknesses his Team showed in the early season. On recent form, having only conceded twice in three games, Fulham's U18 are learning fast under the former Fulham favourite.

"It's a completely different group of players this season," Symons explained. "I always felt that we would score a lot of goals but the way we looked early on, I thought we were going to concede a lot of goals. We lost our last pre-season game 4-0 to Charlton, the game before that was 2-2 away to Bristol City so we were shipping goals.

"As a team we were conceding goals, but we worked on that as a team. It's easy to look at the back four at the goalkeeper but there's a much bigger picture than that. I'm hugely into the thinking that you score goals with eleven players and you concede with eleven players.

"Everyone plays their part and generally everyone can do a bit better. Of course you sometimes get the odd individual mistake that you can't warrant for – but as a rule it's about a team ethic whether you're attack or defending."




Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/September/SymonsReview.aspx?#ixzz1Z9ZnaBih

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Retiring Hughes to lead Northern Ireland into final two international matches

Northern Ireland are back to full-strength for their Euro 2012 qualifiers against Estonia and Italy, with captain Aaron Hughes set to lead the squad for the final time before retirement.

Hughes announced at the weekend that he would call time on his international career after the last two matches of the current qualifying campaign and, if a recent knee problem allows, will hope to skipper the side for one last time at Windsor Park when Estonia visit on October 7, followed by the trip to Pescara to face Italy four days later.


Bowing out: Aaron Hughes (right) is set to quit international football

His dream of qualifying for a first major tournament is in tatters after the side lost back-to-back matches against Serbia and then Estonia last time out but Northern Ireland will be desperate to avenge their humiliating 4-1 defeat in Tallinn and improve their current position of fifth in Group C.

Manager Nigel Worthington, whose own future is in doubt when his current deal expires at the end of the campaign, has a much-improved squad to choose from this time.

First-choice striker Kyle Lafferty and winger Paddy McCourt, who has not played since scoring two stunning goals against the Faroe Islands, are both in the 23-man squad having been sent home from Belfast last month with calf injuries.


BacK: Rangers' Kyle Lafferty returns to the Northern Ireland squad

Derby forward Jamie Ward was also forced to withdraw with a hamstring strain but is back in action for the Rams and returns to the international fold.

Elsewhere the Evans brothers, Jonny and Corry, are in the squad.

Both players picked up second yellow cards of the campaign against Serbia and missed the visit to Estonia, while Jonny was a doubt after missing Manchester United's game against Stoke at the weekend.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2042423/Aaron-Hughes-lead-Northern-Ireland-Estonia-Italy.html#ixzz1ZA8WzCin

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Ask The Experts

A regular feature in the official Fulham FC magazine Fultime, Ask the Experts gives supporters the chance to quiz those in the know at your favourite club about anything you so wish.

From historical facts, nutritional or training tips, or membership enquiries, through to how the kit man keeps our shirts so white, or how to get a job at FFC, ask us anything you'd like to know and we'll find the best person to answer you, in print, in a forthcoming issue of themagazine.

So please send your queries on Fulham, football, fitness, or frankly anything, to [email protected], and look out for future editions of every Fulham fan's favourite tri-annual publication.



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/September/AskTheExperts.aspx?#ixzz1ZA8szoOF

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Competition: Win a Savile Rogue cashmere football scarf in Fulham colours

Craven Cottage Newsround has teamed up with Savile Rogue to give you the chance to win one of the world's finest cashmere football scarves in Fulham colours.

Savile Rogue scarves give a nod to football terraces of yesteryear, shunning in-your-face logos and cheap nylon in favour of a traditional bar design and the comfort, quality and warmth of top grade wool.

It's the sort of scarf you would be happy to wear even when you're not at the match.

To get your hands on a Fulham cashmere scarf simply drop me an email at the email address on the right.  Please include  your name and address and add the word "scarf" as the email's subject. Inside the email just tell me your favourite ever Fulham goal. I'll select the winner next week. (NB – I won't use your emails for anything beyond this competition, won't pass them on to anyone, won't email you trying to flog books even!).

Even if you're not lucky enough to win, you can use the discount code CRAVEN anytime between now and 23 October to get £5 off any scarf.

You can follow Savile Rogue on Twitter or Facebook






http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/competition-win-a-savile-rogue-cashmere-football-scarf-in-fulham-colours/?

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Mesca Swaps Chelsea For Fulham

The keener youth and reserve team followers amongst you may have noticed that Portuguese midfielder Mesca (Buomesca Tué Na Bangna) has been absent from Chelsea's junior selections so far this season.

Having featured at Crawley Town in pre-season, the 18 year-old has not been seen nor heard of since. It has emerged that the injury-troubled second-year scholar has signed professional terms with Fulham and is now their player.

Mesca, who was named in the Portuguese Under-19 squad for the upcoming Limoges Tournament which England – featuring Jamal Blackman and Nathaniel Chalobah – will take part in, is confirmed as a Fulham player on their official website and has agreed an initial one-year deal with the possibility of an extension.

It brings an end to an unfortunate time with the Blues for the youngster, who initially arrived as a sixteen year-old but suffered a serious knee injury shortly after joining. He was officially announced as a second-year scholar last summer and appeared fleetingly at Under-18 level in 2010-11, but suffered further ailments as well as some apparent off-field personal issues.

Perhaps a fresh start at a club which is increasingly on the up in Fulham will see Mesca flourish. Everyone at TheChels.net wishes him the best for the future.



http://thechels.net/2011/09/mesca-swaps-chelsea-for-fulham/?

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Fulham Was A Wake Up Call

Shane Long believes that the first half against Fulham was a wake up call for the Baggies, although there were plenty of positives to take from our second 45 showing.

Speaking to wba.co.uk Long admitted that although we were awful in the first 45 he believes we were unlucky to not take all 3 points by the end of the game.

'The first half was a bit of a wake up call for us, but we were unlucky not to get the three points in the end. Fulham are a good side, and we weren't at the office at all. The gaffer said a few words and got us going. In the second half we gave it a good shot and they were on the backfoot. If we play like that the rest of the season I think we will go far.'




Read more: http://www.wba.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=257014#ixzz1ZABSscMn

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Quality Will Shine

Fulham and US international star Clint Dempsey is confident Fulham can claim maximum points this week against Odense BK and Queens Park Rangers.

Fulham will fly to Denmark on Wednesday morning ahead of their UEFA Europa League Group match against Odense BK before returning to SW6 for a West London derby against QPR on Sunday afternoon (KO 3pm).

Fulham's hectic schedule comes after a tough encounter away to West Brom last weekend but Dempsey was pleased with his team's performance that saw Fulham return to London with a share of the spoils.

"I think it probably was a fair result last weekend," Dempsey told fulhamfc.com. "We were disappointed that we didn't take more from the game but at the same time there were positives to be taken.

"The Hawthorns is a difficult place to visit and a ground where we haven't taken too much over the years. In the first-half we were very strong and it was a shame that we didn't make the most of the chances that we created.

"But in fairness, they [West Brom] had opportunities too, especially in the second half, and I'm sure they might feel like they should have taken something as well. So all in all a draw was fair, although in this game you always want to win – but I suppose it's better to a gain a point rather than lose one."

Fulham manager Martin Jol was forced to change his starting eleven last weekend when Bobby Zamora and Andrew Johnson fell ill before the game. Whilst Dempsey admits the late changes were far from ideal, he is more than confident that Fulham have the strength in depth to cope.

"We had a few players miss the West Brom game at the weekend through illness but as far as I know we're all good now," said Dempsey.

"It was difficult because we worked all week in the belief that we would line up in a certain way, but then when we lost a few at the last moment things suddenly changed. But it's just something that you have to react to, and a reason to why we have a big squad."

Dempsey and company will be hoping to gain some European momentum in Denmark on Thursday night and press on with a successful group stage campaign. However the Fulham midfielder is far from underestimating Odense BK, who are sure to serve up a stern test on home soil.

"We're taking things in our stride as we have done in the past," Dempsey explained. "Of course we want to advance from the Group Stage and three points will be the target on Thursday night.

"We want to go as far as we can in the competition and having drawn our opening group game we're looking at putting things on track with a victory. It's a good chance for us, and although we know that it will be a difficult game, we have shown that we are capable of getting the results we need and a win on Thursday would put us in a strong position."

Fulham's European match comes ahead of Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash against QPR that will see the two teams compete since the 2000/01 season. Dempsey is desperate to secure a first win of the season this weekend and needs no introduction to the importance of a West London derby.

"I don't think our points total or league standing reflect how we have played so far," said Dempsey. "We have played some very good football at times, but unfortunately we haven't had much to show from it.

"So now it's all about getting points and scoring more goals. We need to get some momentum going and as a result hopefully we can then start putting some wins together. We'll be fine though, because there is a lot of quality in this squad."

"It would be a good time to put down that first win especially as this is a game that everyone is looking forward too, said the US star.

"Fans always want to do well in these derby games and with it being the first between the two clubs in a little while there's even more interest as a result.

"To be honest, it doesn't matter who that first win comes against as long as it happens at some point. QPR have started the season well and will be looking to come to Craven Cottage in the hope of adding to that. But we're confident that we can get the result that we need."

Fulham host QPR at the Cottage on Sunday (KO 3pm) in what will be the first competitive match between the two teams since the 2000/01 season. Tickets are now on General Sale. 



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/September/DempseyWeekAhead.aspx#ixzz1ZAQHMe31