Your Fulham Memories

[valdeingruo]

I havent noticed a thread of its sort lately and thought it would be interesting to get a collective of experiences and the like of what its like to support Fulham from all walks of life. It would be kind of cool to make some sort of book or the like if it had enough responses.

Ill get started.

As an overseas fan I havent had the pleasure of visting the Cottage for myself yet and taking in the great match atmosphere. A large reason for this is over the past five years I have been serving it the Marines (US obviously) and havent been lucky to get approved to take overseas leave but I digress. The summer when our great European adventure had begun I was brought aboard a ship, the aircraft on board were flying missions in and around the Red sea, through out the campaign i could catch bits and pieces of video stream, gentleman jim and text updates with our march across Europe. Going to sleep one night knowing we were done that evening, having gone down 3-1 to Juventus, only finding out the next morning how miraculous a result was pulled off. It was one of the happiest days of my life. The evening of the final i had trudged up to my workspace highly doubting that i would even be lucky enough to find it listed. I was wrong, somehow some one in the right place decided it was the game to show for that evening.

It was a surreal experience watching the Final on a small tv, the feed cutting in and out and the feeling of the boat rock with the waves. Eventually those in the space with me started to watch the game as it ebbed and flowed back and forth and while they were not as gutted as i was at the end, Fulham brought together a bunch of homesick, tired Marines in one memorable night. That boat no longer serves in the Navy, the Marines there have since gone elsewhere and I have served another tour overseas, but that night will stick with me for the rest of my life.

What kind of memorable nights have you had Supporting the Mighty Whites?

[jarv]

As a long time suffering supporter, many memories but not always for the right reasons
Reading through when football was football - Fulham, I was at some of the games pictured. Leggat leaving the pitch against Port Vale, recall that because a big lump centre half thumped the ball into the river. Tottenham, 4-3, brilliant game.

Fulham 10, Ipswich 1. Somethiing came up and chose not to go. fp.gif
Rodney marsh first goal when a teenager. (Cardiff I think).
Bobby Moore's performance, perfect 10, against Birmingam at Hillsborough. 1975
The cup final of course. 1975
John Mitchells 4 (out of 6) against Millwall.
George Best.
Many, many games with Haynes playing.
Maurice Cook, could never quite figure out whether he was actually any good or not but a great trier.
Probably many more but need more time.

[mr-ska]

Yeah ill have a think  then post..  so many memories.

[Peabody]

I cant remember to much about my first game Fulham v Luton Town (were you watching HD) I do know we won 2-1 with Ronnie Rooke scoring one but that meant I was a Fulham Supporter.

The first memory is our game against West Ham in 1949 which saw us promoted into the old First Division, we won 2-0 and I can remember being amazed at how such a large crowd could be assembled in one place.

Like Corked Hat, I saw Johnny Haynes first game for us against Southampton on Boxing Day in 1952, we drew 2-2.

Then of course there was the memorable cup game against Newcastle Utd, we lost 5-4 but were gallant losers.

As has been said there was the 10-1 victory in 1963, I was there.

Our first Floodlit game at The Cottage which we won 4-1 against Sheff Wed.

I must be getting a bit boring now so I will just say that I have had the pleasure of watch Fulham right up to now through good and bad, it has certainley a been a pleasure.

[whiteburp]

like a lot of people jon mitchell last minute extra time semi final replay maine rd v birmingham,we went mad ! Funny id like to know the attendance at that 10-1 win ipswich because everyone i knew couldnt get there that day me included  !

[mr-ska]

 My First game was in 1978 a 0-0 draw against Burnley..  i went with an Uncle and we sat in the NEW Riverside stand!!  My 2nd game was a 2 -0 win against Stoke in the same season  Brian Greenaway scoring my first ever Fulham goal!

My third game was a 2-2 draw with Sunderland,Chris Guthrie scoring a beautiful equalising header late on.  I remember it was freezing that day and me and my twin had Black and White bobble hats on and the Standard Black and White scarf. The thing i always remember were the various smells. Obviously people could still smoke, and it was strange to see quite a thick cloud coming out of the Riverside and the Stevenage Road Stands.  Also i remember a man selling Roasted Peanuts, and Hotdogs just outside the ground and an old fella  selling badges. Each trip to Fulham would literally blow my mind...  i was hooked.

I started going regularly in 1982...  about the time Super Mac had put together a brilliant side who played amazing football.  By 1984  i was going Home and away as we sadly slipped down the leagues. I had so many brilliant away days..  down on the South Coast  and  Up North...  Our away support was always strong in those days..

I love our Premiership status, watching Europes top players week in week out.  Sometimes i do miss trips the smaller sides  like Oxford Utd, Bounremouth, Northampton etc...

These days im a season ticket holder and occasionally go away.  I go to football with a really nice crowd  who i mainly met off the Offal  when it was a nice place to be. I used to drink in the Golden Lion  but after about 10 years.. Anne the landlady finally drove us all away. We moved to The Cottage until it was flatterned and now can be found mainly in the Low Country.

[mccscratch]

1 day after St Patrick's Day 2010.... In the US the Thursday during St Patrick's week is always big because it means the start of the NCAA basketball tournament. On this day me and buddies always take off work to watch all the games at our local sports bar all day and night.

I have a sling box so I figured I would just tune in to Fulham/Juve that afternoon on my phone since the bar is just full of Americans who could probably care less about euro football anyway... It was not like we had a shot anyway....So me and about 10 of my mates are watching all the rousing afternoon basketball waiting for an upset and were rewarded early on as Old Dominion took down Notre Dame which was particularly enjoyable as we were sitting near a couple obnoxious golden Domers...

The bar generally has more of a crowd during the lunch hour as guys from all over skip out and take a 2 hour lunch to catch the first games... So at around 2pm several people cleared out and I was able to convince the head bartender to put on the Fulham match on a TV near our big table since nobody objected (there were tons of other TVs with all of the basketball covered)... Just as he turned it on Gera scored to take it to 3-1... I went crazy and all my buddies looked at me like a martian... However... I explained to them the amazing deficit we had just overcome... they all knew Clint Dempsey since he was starting to make a name for himself in America so they all proceeded to pay a bit of attention to the match... after a few close calls and some oohs and ahhs... a few other tables started to pay attention... by this time about 15 guys (with only 4 guys who even cared about football on a regular basis) are paying attention to this little Europa match despite NCAA being on...

Then it happened... that special special moment... it came absolutely out of nowhere and it sent 15 guys into jubilation and the rest of the bar was utterly confused as all the second set of basketball games were in their infant stage so surely no March Madness had happened...

But madness indeed had happened as Clint lofted the ball majestically to the back post..with Craven Cottages black goal netting and from the TV angle it was almost like you could not tell it went in until the ball wrapped around the back corner of the netting and the Juve keeper looked on in horror as the fans rose and went mental... Fulham had just stunningly taken out the Old Lady and I bought a round of shots for my boys and the other guys that begun watching... Those same guys all joined me in May to watch the Europa Final... never would they have ever bothered to join me to watch a stupid soccer game in the middle of a work afternoon but that bit of magic hooked them...

What a moment... my purest Fulham moment...

[cmg]

Too many memories really to do justice to here, but it's amazing how vivid many of them are, even to my addled brain.

When I saw 'memorable Fulham nights' I immediately thought, like Mr P., of that first floodlight match against Sheffield Wednesday. We had waited so long to get them and when we eventually did, because they were then so modern they seemed brighter than anybody else's - knowing Fulham they were probably second-hand tat, but the team's performance that night made them seem bright. It's amazing, today, to think that a side would be allowed to play in the top flight at a ground without lights!

I've written about the Maine Road replay before (Mitch's goal is my no. 1 Fulham memory), but the events after were pretty memorable too, with er...'incidents' occuring all over the half-derelict locality. I put up in a sleazy hotel in Moss Side where I ended  up inventing 'Moss Side champagne' - an adventurous mixture of Newcastle Brown and brandy. The next day I took a bus into central Manchester and was so hungover I asked several bemused Mancunians where Piccadilly Station was until one took pity on me and pointed out I was actually standing in it (well, it loked like a bloody shopping centre to me.)

I'll pick a memory that not many will have shared (there were only about 5,000 there). A perishing cold January day in 1997. We had started the season really well (Div 3, folks) but the pitch was frozen hard (probably off today) and Darlington were the oppo. We smashed them 6-0 and we knew, at last, that the nightmare years were pobably over. Mind you, we also knew that Paul Brooker was going to be a star, but you can't be right every time.
(We won 12 times away from home in the league that season!)

[Burt]

1-0 v Chesterfield, Ivor's gloriously taken goal from what seemed like the corner flag by the Cottage. We went top, and ultimately got promoted that season, I think...

[Jambo]

My first memories are not really great memories at all!!!  Started going as a younster in the late 80's with my cousin, my family are all Fulham fans (parents still live in Munster Rd) but by the time the 80' came round many of them had given up going (they do now!!).  We used to stand in the Enclosure and move to whatever end Fulham were shooting towards, I got my first season ticket in 94 and have been in the Hammy end ever since.  I guess like most the good memories didn't really start until the mid 90's.  The away trip to Mansfield on a Tuesday (i think) seeing us gain the point we needed for promotion was great.  Since then its been up and up, I think for any Fulham fan no matter what age the Great Escape run and the Europa League run will take some beating.  However for me the Tigana season in the Championship was brilliant.  It opened my eyes to how football should be played. 

I must admit when I do look back at those late 80's early 90's games I went to, trust me all is not bad at all, in fact it serves as a reminder of just how far we have come.

[cmg]

My first memories are not really great memories at all!!!  Started going as a younster in the late 80's with my cousin, my family are all Fulham fans (parents still live in Munster Rd) but by the time the 80' came round many of them had given up going (they do now!!).  We used to stand in the Enclosure and move to whatever end Fulham were shooting towards, I got my first season ticket in 94 and have been in the Hammy end ever since.  I guess like most the good memories didn't really start until the mid 90's.  The away trip to Mansfield on a Tuesday (i think) seeing us gain the point we needed for promotion was great.  Since then its been up and up, I think for any Fulham fan no matter what age the Great Escape run and the Europa League run will take some beating.  However for me the Tigana season in the Championship was brilliant.  It opened my eyes to how football should be played. 

I must admit when I do look back at those late 80's early 90's games I went to, trust me all is not bad at all, in fact it serves as a reminder of just how far we have come.

Got to respect someone who started in the Ray Harford years. At least when I started (mid 50s) we were on the way up, in the mid 80s we were going (almost literally) nowhere.

[F(f)CUK]

Fulham is in the blood for our family as my grandfather started going in 1915 and my dad and elder brother were also committed supporters.  As a 6 year old from London's A3 corridor obviously this meant that I supported Stoke City. I was told Gordon Banks was the best keeper in the world and he was my hero.

I was first taken kicking and screaming to a Fulham game in 1974.

It was the FA Cup that was first responsible for stating an allegiance to Fulham. It was then seeing Bobby Moore doing a lap of honour with the world cup that cemented this allegiance. However, the one moment that led to full time affliction for life was the signing of Best and Marsh.

Suddenly my dad, who was a fair weather supporter, wanted to go each week.

The one moment where things changed though was sitting in the Riverside stand at Fulham vs Hereford. I was right in line with Marsh's bending shot from outside the area.

I was hooked and I have been to practically all home matches since.

[valdeingruo]

All of the stories make for great reading.

[gerrys]

One match I never forget was against Everton when Bobby Moss made his home debut.................we went one up around the 70th minute (don't remember who scored) and Everton equalised in the 90th minute when a good part of the crowd had already left..................then, in injury time Bobby Moss (all 5 foot 5 of him) jumped up and headed in the winner.................since then I have never left until I hear the final whistle.

[hongkongfulham]

personally, first time at the cottage, fulham crewe in 2000, was well excited and we won 2 nil amd was in the terrace with my dad :) cant ask for much more. Being overseas always is a little difficult, all the drama and memories happen for me either after midnight or 8 in the morning haha, but the great escape for sure, and watching Europa cup final in a bar in vancouver at breakfast time. Was on TeleLatino but they couldnt play the commentary and i had gotten up early to get a few beers in before so i was in full voice during the game and probably disturbing the other people in there. Hockey playoffs were on so my mate agreed to watch the game with me if i stayed out and watched his habs play later in the day. Pretty surreal being pissed and just losing a final before lunch time but will never forget that day, met some atletico fans later on and we had some banter.

Can't wait a lifetime of memories wherever we are playing!

[hongkongfulham]

Also beating spurs in the cup with Steve Hayward notching? we won 3-1 i think. Got laughed off for supporting fulham growing up in hong kong when everyone else was supporting top 5-6 but i got my gloat in after that result. Also getting the mick taken out of me for only supporting fulham because my last name is fulton as a youngster, did my head in.

[Chrisg3]

Wow I go back a long way, but several games stand out in my memories

Fulham v Blackpool 1961 (Stan Mathews v Jimmy Langley)
Northampton v Fulham (The Earl of Fulham, the real great escape)
Carlisle v Fulham need I say more

There are many more, sadly due to disability I cant go any more, but my heart is pure black and white

[Kell]

Although I have been supporting the whites since 1972, My lasting memory would be going to Hamburg for the final having a great day, Feeling real proud of the boys after the game, Then dashing to the airport to try to get on the 1st charter plane out, As it was we had to wait foor ages as they all were supposed to go one after the other, Getting back to Gatwick around 4.30am, Meeting the wife at a hotel there then flying out to Barbados at 1030. The wife said she did'nt want me to go but I said I would rather miss the flight than miss Fulham in the final

[Senior Supporter]

This is an easy one for me.

To set the scene: I started going to watch Fulham in my teens, around 1949 (yes I'm that old) and was a regular until 1962, when I moved to the south coast, got married, raised a family and worked seven days a week. Although I still always looked for Fulham's results, and any news items, it is true to say that with everything being so negative my interest waned. Then along came MAF/Keegan/the internet and much more television and media cover, and my enthusiasm was rekindled to the extent that both my sons also started to follow the black and whites.

Still all of my knowledge about the players was from photos and the media, until my sons gave me a surprise birthday present of a trip to Loftus Road with them for an evening league match against Spurs (I'm sure a lot of you are now ahead of me), and there were all the players I seemed to know so well actually 'in the flesh'.

I can remember feeling so depressed whilst queueing for half-time pies. Two nil down, this wasn't the way fairy stories were meant to end ..... but then that glorious second half and the amazing climax, and at the end we joined the whole of the Lower Loft in chanting "you're not singing any more" at the Spurs supporters, and the guy behind me was screaming in my ear "I love you Fulham" over and over again.

I've made many trips to the Cottage since then (Everton being the next) and I'm looking forward to a first visit to St Marys for the Saints game, but I cannot imagine anything will match the golden memory of that evening. I guess it doesn't come much more Fulhamish.       

[In the Enclosure]

Lived in Fulham as a kid so my Dad took me there. Moved to Teddington in the 50s so just a few games each  season then Haynes , Langley, Robson, Mullery , Cohen Lovely days out  by the river Bovril ,peanuts and the Half time electronic scoreboard on the Riverside - a first for Fulham I think.

but the big Hero Worship for me began when Allan Clarke arrived just after the 1966 World Cup. I began attending every game home with pals and we were mesmerised by his skill and goalscoring ability - bit like a young Berbatov !

Records show that in those 2 main seasons 66-68 he scored 44 goals in 78 games for us in the top division - a relegation threatened Fulham team. No doubt that one day he would play for England and win top division honours. Heartbroken when he left.

No wonder the main song of the Hammersmith end was Give us a goal give us a goal Allan Clarke -  Alan Clarke !