Lewington To Quit Fulham

[White Noise]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3270/england-national-team/2012/05/16/3104682/lewington-poised-to-quit-fulham-join-england-full-time-in


Lewington poised to quit Fulham & join England full-time in four-year deal



Hodgson has invited his former Craven Cottage No.2 to join his backroom staff on a permanent contract and an agreement is expected to be reached in the near future


16 May 2012 07:18:00



EXCLUSIVE


By Wayne Veysey ¦ Chief Correspondent

Ray Lewington is poised to quit Fulham and become the third permanent member of England's coaching team on a four-year contract, Goal.com can reveal.

The Football Association announced on May 4 that Lewington had been appointed Roy Hodgson's No.2 for Euro 2012 on a short-term contract.

Sources have told Goal.com that new England manager Hodgson has told the FA he now wants Lewington to join him on a full-time basis and a deal running until 2016 is expected to be offered in the near future.

The governing body revealed on Monday that Gary Neville had signed a four-year contract to be part of Hodgson's coaching team, although the former Manchester United player will continue his punditry duties with Sky Sports.

The FA have treaded more carefully in the case of Lewington because of the sensibilities involved in him still being employed by a Premier League club.

The respected Fulham head of coaching, who was Hodgson's No.2 during his three-year spell as manager at Craven Cottage, initially agreed to work with England for this summer, with a view to extending it to England's World Cup campaign if successful. It was agreed that the FA would pay his Fulham salary and a compensation sum for his services.

Goal.com has learned that further talks have taken place in recent days about Lewington permanently leaving Fulham, who he re-joined in 2005 after spells as manager at Watford and Brentford.

Hodgson wants his right-hand man to have the same length contract as himself and Neville, and sources expect the FA to come to an arrangement with Fulham shortly for Lewington to come on board.

[bigalffc]

If true I wish him the very best. It will be a great loss to FFC, a man who stuck with it, stepping in between Managers but I feel he has fallen down the pecking order with Jol. Still a Fulham legend and maybe he will come back again. Good luck Ray Lew  065.gif

[valdeingruo]

Would have liked to see him stay but can understand the move, lets hope for success for Mr Lewington.

[SG]

If true I wish him the very best. It will be a great loss to FFC, a man who stuck with it, stepping in between Managers but I feel he has fallen down the pecking order with Jol. Still a Fulham legend and maybe he will come back again. Good luck Ray Lew  065.gif

I agree good luck to him but in reality Jol restored him to a position of some influence and importance after the Taffia had departed. It was Hughes who relegated him to the position of assistant tea boy. Another reason to dislike Mr Ambition.

[Blingo]

Bet Shady is happy lol ;p

[b+w geezer]

This does square with the Hodgson quote when G.Neville was appointed, which was to the effect that he looked forward to working with him "and with Ray Lewington over the next four years."

It has looked odd having Ray as "Head of Coaching" at FFC while someone else (Lindeman?) is "Head Coach." In practice, he has been reserve-team coach for the past half season and it's looked like a barely dressed-up move away from the hot action and towards the peripherary of things. The first team doesn't appear to have suffered for it, but at the same time Ray deserves better and good luck to him for having found it.

[AlFayedsChequebook]

This does square with the Hodgson quote when G.Neville was appointed, which was to the effect that he looked forward to working with him "and with Ray Lewington over the next four years."

It has looked odd having Ray as "Head of Coaching" at FFC while someone else (Lindeman?) is "Head Coach." In practice, he has been reserve-team coach for the past half season and it's looked like a barely dressed-up move away from the hot action and towards the peripherary of things. The first team doesn't appear to have suffered for it, but at the same time Ray deserves better and good luck to him for having found it.

Lewington is obviously a 'fulham man' but I always wondered what his impact on the club has been over the last few years.

His managerial record is far from sparkling and, as you say, he seemed to be close to the rumblings of discontent from the dressing room.

I wonder if this will be a loss at all.

[EricB]

By Ray going, this may open a part time position for Danny to stay for another year and move in to. If that is a direction he wants,  once he  gives up playing

[MJG]

This does square with the Hodgson quote when G.Neville was appointed, which was to the effect that he looked forward to working with him "and with Ray Lewington over the next four years."

It has looked odd having Ray as "Head of Coaching" at FFC while someone else (Lindeman?) is "Head Coach." In practice, he has been reserve-team coach for the past half season and it's looked like a barely dressed-up move away from the hot action and towards the peripherary of things. The first team doesn't appear to have suffered for it, but at the same time Ray deserves better and good luck to him for having found it.

Lewington is obviously a 'fulham man' but I always wondered what his impact on the club has been over the last few years.

His managerial record is far from sparkling and, as you say, he seemed to be close to the rumblings of discontent from the dressing room.

I wonder if this will be a loss at all.

a man who has been at the club on and off for something like 30 years and leaves will be a loss.
No matter what you think of his abilities as a manager he is seen as a damn good coach within the game.
He has always had fulham at heart and was here at some of the darkest hours.
Once he leaves its the final break from the old fulham(a good thing some may say).

[Jack Fulham]

That's a shame, Ray has been a great servant to the club. I suppose Roy will want him watching England players rather than coaching at Fulham.

[BalDrick]

This does square with the Hodgson quote when G.Neville was appointed, which was to the effect that he looked forward to working with him "and with Ray Lewington over the next four years."

It has looked odd having Ray as "Head of Coaching" at FFC while someone else (Lindeman?) is "Head Coach." In practice, he has been reserve-team coach for the past half season and it's looked like a barely dressed-up move away from the hot action and towards the peripherary of things. The first team doesn't appear to have suffered for it, but at the same time Ray deserves better and good luck to him for having found it.

In the dark days of, oh almost 3 months ago, there was a school of thought that Jol and Ray didn't get on. No idea if there was any truth to it, though I do remember reading posters whose opinion I trusted saying it was the case. Ray will still be a Fulham man long after the Jol period has ended (not in anyway hastening his departure I hasten to add but he won't be here forever), and with 4 years' experience at the England level. So, as they said in the brilliant Twenty Twelve most of the time, 'absolutely, so that's all good'. Indeed, 'Yep, I'm fine with that' also works. (Helps if you saw the series I'm on about.)

[MasterHaynes]

This is a great opportunity to secure Danny for next 4-5 years on a player coach role. He is effectively the first team coach every game, barking orders, cajoling, reprimanding and encouraging players around the pitch. I think it would be a great fit and if Kit were also to leave to join Coleman in the future then we would have a new coach ready made who would command immediate respect from any development and academy player.

Time moves on and although Ray has been a great servant he could not go on forever and the promotion to England would be a just reward for him, his departure looks like it couldn't be better timed with Danny's current contract renewal negotiations. Hope the management at Fulham take the opportunity that has been presented to them.

[ron]

Fulham without Lewington? What next?.... "The Sky at Night" without Patrick Moore?

[Holders]

I wish him well, he's been a good and loyal servant taking whatever was given to/thrown at him. I hope if ever he needs a return ticket the door'll be open to him. It can only reflect well on Fulham to have our former managerial team at the top table.

[Abbotsbury White]

If Ray does go I too wish him the best of luck,he seems to have been around forever (I know he has left and come back but somehow always seems to be there at times of crisis)there was a link posted today of a 1983 match V Carlisle in those highlights it shows him getting stuck in,getting a knock and carrying on ,no dramas just someone who gave 100% to FFC and that is the way he should be remembered even if his abilities could be doubted he always gave it his best shot and thats all you can ask really.

[mrska]

Bye .

[Gozorich]

I used to live near Ray and our sons played for the same youth teams. He wasn't particularly well known then but was an ordinary guy supporting his son. Over the years he used to get the team and their parents tickets for CC. I suppose it wasn't difficult then as we were absolute garbage.

The last time I saw him was in a local pub a few hours just after the great escape Portsmoutb game. He was alone with his wife and my son and I got talking to him. The pleasure, pride and humility that he showed that night underlined his status as a FFC icon.

Lovely man, lovely family. I hope he takes the England job as he wasn't shown the respect in which we the fans hold him by the powers that be at CC even under Hodgson, apart, surprisingly MAF, but then MAF is a believer in loyalty.

Good luck Ray and thanks.  :wine:

[HatterDon]

Has anybody ever enhanced his CV by being an England assistant? You know that Roy's tenure won't last beyond the next World Cup [win or lose, he's going to be close to 70], and what happens to RayLew after?

I'm afraid he'll not get a gig as good as he has here right now. Still, best of luck to the guy.

[White Noise]

My big question though is who will be caretaker manager now when Jol gets the bullet? 086.gif

Raymondo is 55 now so I hope a 4 year contract with England, whether paid up mid-term or not, will enable him to retire in the comfort a fomer England assistant manager deserves.

[Jack Fulham]

My big question though is who will be caretaker manager now when Jol gets the bullet? 086.gif

Raymondo is 55 now so I hope a 4 year contract with England, whether paid up mid-term or not, will enable him to retire in the comfort a fomer England assistant manager deserves.

Billy Mckinlay or Kit Symons?

Both here before Jol so you'd assume if Jol went, they would stay.