Friday Fulham Stuff (22/06/12)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Murphy - No Smoke Without Fire

Will Danny Murphy be a Fulham player next season?

I, currently, seriously have my doubts.

Despite talk of Danny being offered a one-year deal at Craven Cottage, the dark clouds are gathering with the plethora of rumours that continue to link him with a short move across West London to Queens Park Rangers.

The insinuation being that Mark Hughes wants to take his former skipper to Loftus Road to stead a ship that diced, perilously, with relegation last season.

We suspect that if the terms are better than those offered by Fulham then Danny will leave.

What are your thoughts?

Will Danny be wearing our shirt next season or will he have joined Bobby Zamora and Andrew Johnson as Fulham old-boys at Loftus Road?



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=285269#ixzz1yVQnDsOR

[WhiteJC]

 
Foundation Lottery Update

The final Fulham FC Foundation Lottery jackpot of £1,000 was won by a member who wishes to stay anonymous. The beneficiary has since kindly returned the money to the Foundation as a donation.

The Foundation would once again like to that all those who took part in this fundraising venture.



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2012/June/FoundationLotteryUpdate.aspx?#ixzz1yVR598Ej

[WhiteJC]

 
Reading look to gazump Fulham again by signing Huddersfield hotshot Rhodes

Reading, who have beaten Fulham to sign Pavel Pogrebnyak, also hope to pip them for Huddersfield striker Jordan Rhodes by offering Sean Morrison as a makeweight.

Reading are also looking at keeper Amine Lecomte at Lekhwiya of Qatar.


Target: Rhodes


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2162865/Reading-look-gazump-Fulham-signing-Huddersfield-hotshot-Rhodes.html#ixzz1yVRJnGP0

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham make moves to bring former Blackburn striker Vastic back from Bayern Munich

Fulham have made an enquiry about Bayern Munich forward Toni Vastic, 19, who joined Bayern from Blackburn last summer.

The Austrian impressed in his performances for Rovers' reserves and Fulham want to bring him back to the British Isles.

The Cottagers are short on striking options with Russian Pavel Pogrebnyak - who impressed on loan from Stuttgart in the latter half of last season - set to sign for Premier League new boys Reading.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2162922/Fulham-make-moves-bring-Blackburn-striker-Vastic-Bayern-Munich.html#ixzz1yVRcvu5H

[WhiteJC]

 
Striker set to sign

Reading look to have won the race to sign Pavel Pogrebnyak after reports claimed the striker has already passed a medical.

The Royals have been leading the chase to sign the Russian striker and they now look to have beaten off competition from the likes of West Ham and Fulham to land the player.

Pogrebnyak is reported to have agreed a four-year deal worth in the region of £65,000 a week and after he passed a medical international clearance is just needed before the deal can be rubber stamped.

Such a deal would make the 28-year-old the highest paid player in Reading's history and shows that the club means business as they head in to the new Premier League season.

Now Pogrebnyak is in the bag reports claim that Reading will now turn their attentions to Jordan Rhodes and will again go head-to-head with Fulham for the Huddersfield striker.



http://www.clubcall.com/reading/striker-set-to-sign-14-1440005.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Arsenal, Chelsea, Rangers and Fulham legends come out of retirement to play for Wembley

Transfer news: Ray Parlour, Martin Keown, Graeme Le Saux and Brian McBride will turn out for Wembley in the FA Cup

Arsenal legends Ray Parlour, Martin Keown have signed up to play for Wembley FC in their FA Cup campaign.

The north London side have also brought in Chelsea legend Graeme Le Saux and Fulham favourite Brian McBride.

Parlour said: "I've always believed grassroots football is essential to the lifeblood of the game.

"So I jumped at the chance."

The signings have come about from a sponsorship deal with Budweiser, who also sponsor the FA Cup.

Wembley FC manager Ian Bates said: "The opportunity to learn from ex-professionals like Parlour and Seaman - who have been there and done it - will give us the best chance possible to go further than we ever have done in next season's FA Cup.

"A year ago we were playing in front of an empty grandstand and the clubhouse was falling down. Now the investment means great times are waiting for Wembley FC and we can't wait to kick off our FA Cup campaign."

Former Argentina international Claudio Caniggia has also joined the club, while David Seaman has been hired as goalkeeping coach with former England manager Terry Venables as technical advisor.



http://www.london24.com/sport/arsenal/arsenal_chelsea_rangers_and_fulham_legends_come_out_of_retirement_to_play_for_wembley_1_1417983?

[WhiteJC]

 
Blaszczykowski not for sale
Dortmund confident midfielder will not follow Kagawa to England


Jakub Blaszczykowski: Has been linked with a move to the Premier League

Borussia Dortmund insist they are under no pressure to sell Poland captain Jakub Blaszczykowski.

The 26-year-old, who played in all three games of his co-host country's unsuccessful Euro 2012 campaign, has in the past been linked with Liverpool.
Other Premier League clubs are also reported to be watching Blaszczykowski after he enhanced his reputation with a wonderful goal in Poland's 1-1 draw with Russia.

But German Double winners Dortmund are confident their 2007 signing from Wisla Krakow will not follow Manchester United new-boy Shinji Kagawa to England.

Dortmund executive Hans-Joachim Watzke told Ruhr Nachrichten newspaper: "Kuba (Blaszczykowski) has now been with us for five years.

"He likes being at this club and is aware what he can expect from a club like us. I am very optimistic he will stay on.

"It's totally different from Shinji Kagawa. He was able to fulfil his childhood dream with that move to Manchester United.

"We are actually in a situation that rules out selling players because of financial circumstances."



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11881/7830613/Blaszczykowski-not-for-sale

[WhiteJC]

 
My Fulham Story

We went to visit some of the contributors to the My Fulham Story section on our Facebook page to hear more about our fans' relationships with the Club they love. First up is 88-year-old John Bird.

John's Fulham Story

My father took me down to Fulham when I was five, so I've had 83 years supporting the Club.

My earliest Fulham memory is when I was 9 and we won the Third Division South Championship in 1932. I can't remember much about it but while they presented this giant trophy, me and some pals were kicking a tennis ball around the Hammersmith End.

I was born one street from Craven Cottage. When I got married, we moved two streets away. Then when we needed a bigger house for the children we moved eight streets away and that's where I live now.

I go to all the away games and my daughter and her husband come with me to home matches and sometimes away games. I took my daughter to her first game when she was five. Her husband was already a Fulham fan when they met, so we didn't need to convert him.

We haven't got any matchday rituals but my daughter comes over to mine and we go out and walk the dog and get the matchday programme. Then we come home and if it's a 3 o'clock kick off, I leave home about 10 past two. I walk down the road and then I sit at the bus shelter. I don't walk so fast these days so my daughter drives her car and picks me up there and takes me to the ground. 10 minutes after the match is finished I'm back home with my feet up.

One or two great matches spring to mind such as the last game of the 1948/49 season when we won the Second Division Championship; we beat West Ham 2-0. I also vividly remember the 49,000-plus crowd, our biggest ever, against Millwall. I was there, standing on the railings by the Cottage. That was 1938.

The cup game against Newcastle when we lost 5-4 in the 1950s is another one. We were three nil down and then we made a big comeback; Jimmy Hill was playing, and Trevor Chamberlain got his hat-trick, but it wasn't enough. Lots of Fulham fans remember that one.

I love that it is such a friendly, homely club. Everybody seems to know everyone else. I know all the staff, always have done. It's always been the same and never changed. We all thought it would as we climbed up the leagues, but it never has. It's stayed the same. It wouldn't be the same to support a team like Manchester United.

I've got to say my favourite Fulham player was Johnny Haynes. I saw him from the very first, to the very last. I had a chat with him just before he died, at Bedford Jezzard's funeral.

My season ticket just says that I'm an avid supporter. I love football and I love Fulham more than anything else. My mum used to take a stone hot water bottle wrapped in newspaper to the ground, where we stood on the railings. There wasn't concrete, just earth – mud when it was raining – so we used to take a pile of newspapers to stand on in the mud.

Hopefully in 2012/2013 we'll go forward and upward - especially if we can get planning permission for our new stand. Mohamed Al Fayed has been a godsend. He's in it because he's a supporter. He lived in those flats right next to the ground. He's marvellous.



You can share your Fulham story on our official Facebook page, www.facebook.com/MyFulhamStory.



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2012/June/MyFulhamStoryJohn.aspx#ixzz1yVTiZAXT

[WhiteJC]

 
Fresh striker battle on cards for Jol

Fulham face a fresh fight with Reading for the services of Huddersfield striker Jordan Rhodes after missing out on Pavel Pogrebnyak.

Cottagers boss Martin Jol has reportedly made a failed £3.5million offer to try and sign Rhodes, who fired in 40 goals to help propel the Yorkshire outfit into the Championship via the League One play-offs this past season.

And, while it was thought that the Dutch tactician would return with a fresh bid in the transfer window, it now appears that Royals boss Brian McDermott is also set to make an offer for Rhodes.

If Reading secure the services of the Terriers hot-shot, it will be a double blow for Jol's transfer plans as the Premier League new boys look to have won the race to sign Pogrebnyak, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Fulham where he was offered a deal to sign permanently.

The 28-year-old is reported to have agreed a four-year deal worth in the region of £65,000 a week and, after he passed a medical at the Madejski Stadium, international clearance is just needed before the deal can be rubber stamped.



http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/fresh-striker-battle-on-cards-for-jol-1440029.html?

[Lighthouse]

MARTIN Jol will give David Stockdale the chance to establish himself as Fulham's number one keeper next season.

The 26-year-old has spent most of his time at Craven Cottage stuck behind Mark Schwarzer, making just 23 appearances since his switch from Darlington in 2008.


Stockdale was shipped out on loan to Championship outfit Ipswich last season, only to be recalled after an injury to Schwarzer.

However, the Australian was restored to the starting XI once he returned to fitness, despite Stockdale's good form.

But Whites boss Jol is willing to give both keepers the chance to stake their claim in pre-season.

The Dutchman told the Chronicle: "David Stockdale came in after Mark's injury and did well. He did well before I came to this club so we will see in pre-season.


"But there's a little advantage for Mark because he's the number one here and was always the number one at any other club as well.

"It won't be easy for David to get this spot but he's got all the talent. He's not 18 so hopefully he can stay fit."



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2012/06/22/keeper-handed-fulham-chance-64767-31234898/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#ixzz1yVr0uaWf

[WhiteJC]

 
Summer Cottage Tours

Go exploring this summer by visiting London's original Football Club. Our 19th century ground, Craven Cottage, is a unique stadium positioned on the scenic bank of the River Thames and was partly designed by famous architect Archibald Leitch.

Home of Fulham Football Club, Craven Cottage is the perfect place to start exploring London's rich sporting history and should be on every football enthusiast's list.

The Cottage Tour will take you past the Michael Jackson statue, along the riverside and into Chairman Mohamed Al Fayed's box. Accompanied by our enthusiastic tour guides, a visit to the Cottage would be a perfect summer day out for the entire family.

This unmissable experience, at London's original Football Club, is just £8 for adults, £5 for juniors and free for under 5s.

For more info visit www.fulhamfc.com/cottagetours.

Book now



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2012/June/SummerCottageTours.aspx?#ixzz1yVsPXqRq

[WhiteJC]

 
Stockdale to get his chance - Jol



Martin Jol has promised David Stockdale that he will be given a fair chance to fight Mark Schwarzer for Fulham's number one jersey.


The Cottagers chief continued the trend of keeping Australian international veteran, Schwarzer, as the first choice goalkeeper at Craven Cottage during his first season at the helm.

But, after sending 26-year-old Stockdale out on loan to Championship side Ipswich, Jol was impressed with his performances when he was recalled to the Londoners due to Schwarzer's mid-season injury absence.

It is likely that Stockdale, who has made 23 appearances for Fulham since joining from Darlington in 2008, will start the season as cover for Schwarzer, but Jol insists he will be given an opportunity to take the number one spot.

Jol told the Chronicle: "David Stockdale came in after Mark's injury and did well. He did well before I came to this club so we will see in pre-season. "

But there's a little advantage for Mark because he's the number one here and was always the number one at any other club as well.

"It won't be easy for David to get this spot but he's got all the talent. He's not 18 so hopefully he can stay fit."



http://www.setanta.com/ie/Articles/2012/06/22/Keeper-to-get-his-chance---Jol/gnid-145747/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Aston Villa, Fulham, Sunderland and West Brom target set to complete move to Reading

Transfer news: Pavel Pogrebnyak has turned down the advances of Fulham to sign for the Royals

Pavel Pogrebnyak, who has been linked with Aston Villa, Fulham, Sunderland and West Brom, is set to complete a move to Premier League newcomers, Reading.

The 28-year-old spent the second half of last season at Fulham, scoring six goals in 12 games and Martin Jol was keen to sign the Russia international.

"Things have progressed well and we are hoping to have an agreement finalised soon," Hammond toldgetreading.

"Pavel is a good player and both myself and the manager (Brian McDermott ) have had some good discussions with him.

"We are hopeful that we will have the deal finalised soon once he is granted a work permit, which we don't envisage he will have any problems getting."



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/aston_villa_fulham_sunderland_and_west_brom_target_set_to_complete_move_to_reading_1_1418819?

[WhiteJC]

 
Bryan Ruiz - News on his recovery and a big season ahead

After the joy of an excellent away win at Bolton, the win was tainted with the news that Bryan Ruiz had broken his metatarsal in the 2nd half, just as he was really starting to make his mark in a white shirt.

It had been a tough debut for Ruiz last season against the physicality of Blackburn and he was substituted after 45 minutes and then didn't start a game again for some time. Although frustrating that our big summer player wasn't starting, in hindsight it was the right thing to do to prepare him for the faster pace and strength he would face in the English game.

Up until the injury, there were voices of discontent about him being a lightweight and not built for the premier league and that people expected more from him. Before his injury, he scored 2 goals and created 3 assists in his 26 games and he'd actually covered more ground than other players during some of those games. It was hard for him during that time as he had to contend playing in a new country, in a tough league and in a new position on the right wing.

I think next season though, we will see a player who has adjusted to all the physical demands of the league, the faster pace and I hope he will be played in a more central, advanced position where he can postively effect our play. With the muted sales of Dempsey and possibly Demebele, I think Ruiz can take the step up to be a big influence on our play next season. You don't score goals like the below without talent:-

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2012/June/GoalOfTheSeason.aspx

This week, Ruiz was interviewed by Costa Rican news and below is him speaking about his injury and his thanks that Fulham sent Dave Musgrove to assist in his rehabilitation:-

Bryan Ruiz

Ruiz also had this to say about the new season at Fulham:-

"My goal for this season is to succeed and do great things in England as I did in Belgium and Holland and I've now had my year to adapt"

Well, here's hoping you succeed Bryan because if you do, I think us Fulham fans are in for a great season ahead.



http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2012/6/22/3109931/bryan-ruiz-news-on-his-recovery-and-a-big-season-ahead?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham star: I've adapted to English football, now I will make my mark

Bryan Ruiz is determined to impress at Craven Cottage

Fulham star Bryan Ruiz believes he has had his learning curve in England and intends to make his mark on the Premier League next season.

The Costa Rican made 27 league appearances for the Whites after making the £10million move from Twente in August 2011.

"My goal for this season is to succeed and do great things in England as I did in Belgium and Holland and I've now had my year to adapt," Ruiz said.

The 26-year-old was sidelined at the end of last season with a broken foot but believes he has made a full recovery.

"I am feeling really good," he added. "Everything is very well."


http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/fulham_star_i_ve_adapted_to_english_football_now_i_will_make_my_mark_1_1418943?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham chase former Blackburn Rovers striker Toni Vastic

Martin Jol is chasing 19 year-old Bayern Munich forward Toni Vastic in an attempt to continue his imposition of a younger, fresher looking roster of players.

At this early stage, the Daily Mail are suggesting that Jol has merely made an enquiry as to the player's availability but should Munich grant permission to approach the player, Vastic could well make his way back to the British Isles where he once impressed at Blackburn Rovers.

While in Lancashire, Vastic never made his mark on the first team but his performances at reserve level interested Bayern Munich enough to approach him last summer. The German club are thought to be open to offers, however, with Vastic not quite fulfilling the potential that was expected of him.

At just 19, though, the forward, who has performed admirably at youth level for Austria, still has ample opportunity to improve and Craven Cottage, currently a barren wasteland on the striker front, could be the perfect place for him.



http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2012/6/22/3110005/fulham-chase-former-blackburn-rovers-striker-toni-vastic-bayern-munich-martin-jol?

[WhiteJC]

 
End of Season Sale

Make sure you take full advantage of the last days of the End of Season Sale by checking our online store now.

Fulham Souvenirs have up to 70% off their original price and Kappa items have up to 75% off so now is the perfect time to get great Fulham gear at incredible prices.

We've even reduced the 2011/12 Home Shirt to just £14.99 to help you tick this one off your essential Fulham merchandise list.

Check out all our sale items online today but remember that the End of Season Sale won't last much longer.

Don't forget that all Season Ticket Holders receive an extra discount of 10% on top of any offer.

Buy now



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2012/June/EndofSeasonSale.aspx?#ixzz1yWk7TDir