Tuesday Fulham Stuff (19/02/13)...

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Sir Bobby was an inspiration: Hodgson praises friend Robson on the day the former England boss would have been 80

On the day that would have been Sir Bobby Robson's 80th birthday, England manager Roy Hodgson has reiterated how much of an 'inspiration' the late Sir Bobby was in his own career.

Hodgson has revealed he is humbled to follow in Sir Bobby's footsteps, who managed England from 1982 to 1990, and hailed the work of Sir Bobby's widow, Lady Elsie, and his family in raising money in the battle against the disease that took him in 2009. 

Hodgson told the FA's official website: 'I'm sure I have said many times before but it is important to keep saying it and always to remember, that Bob was an inspiration to me as a football coach.


An inspiration: England manager Roy Hodgson said his friend Sir Bobby Robson was a big influence on his career in football management

'And more than that, when I became fortunate enough to know him, he was an inspiration as a man.

'His career in football, as his life in the outside world, was filled with dignity and humility, which he showed to everyone he encountered and he was truly someone about whom a bad word could never be said.

'Despite his grace and sound qualities he did not lack for passion or drive in his pursuits, and football lost a legend when he passed away.


Fondly remembered: Sir Bobby Robson was widely respected in the game and would have celebrated his 80th birthday today


Humbled: Roy Hodgson says he is privileged to follow in the footsteps of Sir Bobby Robson as England manager

'I am entirely humbled to be able to walk the same footsteps he trod over two decades ago as England manager. I remember those times, particularly Italia 90 which was as close as our country has come to repeating the triumph of 1966.

'I also remember his work in other countries, he was successful in Portugal, Spain and Holland and that is something that stuck with me. I spent a lot of my career in football abroad and he was someone I could relate to in that sense.


Talk of the Toon: Robson became manager of his boyhood club, Newcastle United in 1999

 
Starting out: Sir Bobby Robson began his playing career with Fulham and made his name in management at Ipswich where he won the UEFA Cup


A proud moment: Bobby became Sir Bobby in 2002 when he was knighted at Buckingham Palace with his wife Lady Elsie

'His battles with cancer summoned all the dignity and courage he showed within football, and only further emphasised the great person he was, and we won't forget him,' he added.

'The work that has continued with his foundation is a lasting tribute to him, and a power of good for the world. Lady Elsie, his sons who I saw recently at The FA 150 launch, and everyone associated with the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation are doing tremendous work.'


Three Lions: Gary Lineker, Sir Bobby Robson and Paul Gascoigne at an awards ceremony after the 1990 World Cup


England man: Sir Bobby with England captain Bryan Robson during Italia 90

Tonight at The Sage in Gateshead, 'Sir Bobby Robson – A Celebration' will bring together a star-studded line-up to perform in memory of Sir Bobby, who died of cancer nearly four years ago.

Bobby's widow Lady Elsie said: 'I'm so touched by the enthusiasm there is for this event,' she said. "The way everyone has pitched in to help make this night a success is amazing.


Football in mourning: Terry Venables, Alex Ferguson, Paul Gascoigne and Gary Lineker all attended Sir Bobby Robson's funeral

'We were looking at our list of people to thank in the programme and it struck me that it has both FIFA and a local junior football club on there. Bob would have loved that.

'It's going to be a wonderful night of music, football and comedy and no doubt a lot of very happy memories.'

Tickets for 'Sir Bobby Robson – A Celebration' sold out within hours of their release in October.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2280501/Roy-Hodgson-praises-Sir-Bobby-Robson-day-80th-birthday.html#ixzz2LJiAyNnL
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Meet Sascha and Giorgos

Join us at the Stadium Store on Tuesday afternoon to meet two Fulham heroes!

The wait is almost over! On Tuesday afternoon (19th February), Sascha Riether and Giorgos Karagounis will be at the Stadium Store, meeting fans and signing autographs, so make sure you bring your camera! The boys will be heading down straight after training and are expected to arrive between 2.30pm and 3.30pm.*

We're also holding a Stadium Tour featuring our mascot, Billy the Badger, on the day so why not come and visit us for both events. The tour is running before the signing session at 1pm and places are limited. To avoid disappointment, call 0843 208 1234 (Option 4, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri) email [email protected] for further info, or you can book online today. What's more, tour participants will get priority entry to meet the players first!

Exciting retail offers throughout the week will include personalisation on all Third Shirts purchased at the Stadium Store free of charge.**

If that's not enough, we are also offering an exclusive Half Term meal deal all week at the Cafe at the Cottage! Kids can enjoy Billy's Sett Lunch for just £3.70, which includes a selection of delicious sandwiches and healthy snacks.


*Timings and players in attendance may be subject to change. Check fulhamfc.com, or our official Facebook or Twitter pages for notifications.
**Free personalisation valid on Third Shirts purchased at the Stadium Store 18th-23rd February inclusive.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/february/18/half-term?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol throwns down gauntlet to Cottage ace

Martin Jol is hoping Pajtim Kasami's loan spell with Swiss club Lucerne for the rest of the season will help his career progress.

The 20-year-old midfielder had been set for a temporary move to Italian side Pescara on transfer deadline day last month, but the necessary paperwork wasn't processed in time due to internet problems at his agent Mino Raiola's hotel.

However Cottagers' boss Jol has been able to get him out for some game experience with Lucerne in the emergency loan window. And as Kasami has only made three substitute appearances this season, due largely because Damien Duff and Ashkan Dejagah are ahead of him in the pecking order, Jol is looking for the Switzerland Under-21 international to impress in his homeland's Super League with a view to returning to Craven Cottage and fighting for a first-team spot next season.

Jol said: "Damien Duff and Dejegah play in his position, so there is not a lot of opportunities here.

"Hopefully we can find something for him because he's a good talent."


http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/jol-throwns-down-gauntlet-to-cottage-ace-1548975.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Back On Track

Having now experienced his first taste of action in the white of Fulham, Emmanuel Frimpong is keen for more time on the pitch with his on-loan side.

The combative midfielder played 65 minutes of the goalless draw with Norwich City in our most recent Barclays Premier League outing, and the 21-year-old was relatively pleased with how his debut went.

"I think it went well," he told the official website. "Before I came to Fulham I had hardly played any football – the last time I played in the Premier League was a year ago because of my injury.

"It was nice to play in the Premier League again and, hopefully, I'll get better with the more games that I play. I want to push on all the way until the end of the season."

Partnering the equally robust Steve Sidwell in the middle of the park at Carrow Road, Frimpong helped keep the opposition out as Fulham recorded an overdue clean sheet, although he was disappointed the Whites were unable to offer more in the final third.

"The clean sheet is a positive that we can take from the game," he said. "But, on the other hand, from an attacking side it was quite disappointing because we didn't create as many chances as we should have created, especially with the players that we've got in the team.

"I think it was just one of those away games where they [Norwich] didn't do much and we didn't do much so we'll have to make sure on Saturday when we play Stoke City that we get back on track again."

Any clash with the Potters throws up its share of battles, and it's an aspect of the game that one would imagine our Ghanaian midfielder savours. He did, however, warn that there is more to Tony Pulis' side than just route one football.

"I relish every game," Emmanuel explained. "Obviously Stoke is going to be physical with a lot of direct balls into their strikers, but they've also got quality in their side.

"They've got players who can play football as well, so that's a good mix to have."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/february/18/back-on-track?

[WhiteJC]

Under-18s Welcome Reading

Fulham's Under-18s will look to continue their fine recent form when they host their Reading counterparts at Motspur Park on Tuesday (1pm).

The Whites have won both games in Phase 2 of their Barclays Academy Premier League Elite Group, defeating Southampton 5-1 and Everton 2-1.

Last time out against the Toffees, goals from Liam Donnelly and Moussa Dembele (pictured) earned the Whites victory at Finch Farm.

Donnelly put the Whites ahead shortly after half-time with a free-kick, before Dembele doubled Fulham's lead from the spot after Patrick Roberts had been chopped down in the box.

George Waring pulled one back for Everton with 15 minutes to go but Steve Wigley's side held on for the three points.

Reading have played three times in Phase 2, losing to Everton and Manchester United and drawing with Southampton.

*Please note that only Season Ticket Holders are allowed entry to Under-18s league matches.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/february/18/u18s-welcome-reading?

[WhiteJC]

 
Frimpong 'relishing every game' of Fulham loan spell

The on-loan Arsenal midfielder made his debut during the recent 0-0 draw with Norwich at Carrow Road and is keen to feature prominently until the end of the season

Fulham midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong says he is determined to make the most of every game before returning to parent club Arsenal at the end of the season.

The 21-year-old made his Cottagers debut as he featured for just over an hour as Martin Jol's side held Norwich to a 0-0 draw at Carrow Road earlier this month.

And he is now keen to get as much playing time as possible with the west London side before his loan spell expires.

"I relish every game," Frimpong told the club's official website. "The last time I played in the Premier League was a year ago because of my injury.

"Hopefully, I'll get better with the more games that I play. I want to push on all the way until the end of the season."

The Ghana-born battler also expressed disappointment with his side's attacking performance against the Canaries, and called for improvement when they take on Stoke.

"From an attacking side it was quite disappointing because we didn't create as many chances as we should have created," he stated.

"We'll have to make sure on Saturday when we play Stoke City that we get back on track.

"Obviously Stoke is going to be physical with a lot of direct balls into their strikers, but they've also got quality in their side."



http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2013/02/18/3761482/-?

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Watch Out For The Returnee
   
Stoke are going to be a tough proposition for Fulham at the weekend anyway, however a player returning from injury for Stoke might be especially keen to impress.

Marc Wilson is in line to make his Stoke return against Fulham this weekend after a long-term injury lay off with a broken leg.

Assuming the Irish international does return for Fulham's visitors to Craven Cottage this weekend he'll definitely be one to be wary of, however it could work in Fulham's advantage as Wilson will be a little ring rusty and his eagerness to prove a point could work against him, as occasionally can be the case with people "trying too hard".

Whatever Stoke do or don't do this weekend, and who plays, a Fulham win would be a very big one!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=309722#ixzz2LJkmxRmN

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Jol Looking Forward To Davies Return
   
Simon Davies, remember him? With just seven appearances in the past two season it would be easy to understand if you didn't.

After 18-months of injury nightmare the midfielder is on his way back into the Fulham first-team with Martin Jol, as he told The Fulham Chronicle, pleased he's back: 'I can't remember him playing it was so long ago.

'He's been injured all the time, came back played in the reserves and got injured again.

'It's very pleasing that he's back because I wanted to involve him.'

Davies' return is good news and if the 33-year-old can stay injury-free he will offer Fulham something over the remaining months of the season.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=309723#ixzz2LJkvP813

[WhiteJC]

 
Arsenal On Sale Now

The Whites welcome Arsenal to Craven Cottage on Saturday 20th April (3pm) and tickets are now available to buy.

Last season's encounter in SW6 will live long in the memory for Fulham fans, with two goals in the last five minutes seeing the Whites to a 2-1 victory.

The two sides also played out an enthralling 3-3 draw at the Emirates Stadium in November, with Mark Schwarzer making a 95th-minute save from Mikel Arteta's penalty in a game that had everything.

Tickets for our April encounter are now on sale to Season Ticket Holders, with tickets due to go on sale to Members on Tuesday 26th February.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/february/19/arsenal-on-sale-now?

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Shea on course for Fulham

Brek Shea is in the thoughts of Tony Pulis ahead of the Fulham game after impressing in Monday's behind-closed-doors friendly.

The American international put in another assured display as Stoke defeated Scunthorpe 3-1 and coach Mark O'Connor says he will be in contention for the trip to Craven Cottage this weekend.

"It was nice for Brek to play another game," O'Connor revealed. "He's getting to know his team-mates and developing that understanding the more they play together.

"He comes into our thinking for Fulham. He is in the mind of the manager."

Stoke have also been boosted by the news Marc Wilson completed another hour at left-back and could also figure against the Cottagers this weekend if he suffers no reaction.

There was scare when Cameron Jerome picked up a knock and had to go off after just 27 minutes but O'Connor says it is nothing serious.

"It was just precautionary after he took a bit of a knock. He will be fine," he revealed.


http://www.clubcall.com/stoke-city/shea-on-course-for-fulham-1549118.html?

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Plaudits for Fulham on ground access

Fulham have been praised by the Level Playing Field campaign on modifications to Craven Cottage.

Despite Craven Cottage being one of the oldest stadiums in English football, which houses two Grade II listed buildings, the club has managed to identify and roll out a LPF Access Audit, which has allowed better access to areas of the ground for disabled supporters.

The club have been able to make inventive modifications to improve accessibility and provide a better service for disabled supporters, and have released a short video that demonstrates the facilities and services available to disabled supporters at Craven Cottage.

The four minute clip details how two fans in particular arrive at and get around the stadium, and can be viewed here.

A club spokesperson said: "We feel that this is a great example that improving accessibility at stadiums does not have to be a long and costly exercise, and that even the oldest stadiums can easily be modified.

"The club has reacted positively to the LPF Access Audit that was carried out and has started to take positive steps towards making Craven Cottage more accessible and providing an inclusive matchday experience for all supporters."


http://www.kickitout.org/news.php/news_id/5771?

[WhiteJC]

 
Memory Lane

From the past or present, we catch up with a different Fulham personality. This week, it's our former left-back Franck Queudrue.

Franck Queudrue spent just one season at Fulham – but it was an eventful campaign.

The defender joined the Whites in July 2006 in what was seen as something as a coup for the Club at the time. The left-back slot had been occupied by Wayne Bridge for the second half of the 2005/06 season, but was up for grabs after the on-loan England man returned to Chelsea.

With only one recognised left-back in the senior squad in Niclas Jensen, the Whites were in need of reinforcements. And Chris Coleman plumped for Queudrue, signing the Frenchman from Middlesbrough on a four-year deal.

He made his debut in a 5-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford and scored a memorable last-minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Charlton Athletic.

But, a seven-game winless run saw Coleman dismissed in April. And it's fair to say that Queudrue and Coleman's successor, Caretaker Manager Lawrie Sanchez, didn't exactly see eye to eye.

When Sanchez got the job on a full-time basis, the writing was on the wall for Queudrue, who made 31 appearances in all competitions during his year with the Whites.

"In my final season at Middlesbrough, I thought I maybe needed a change," Queudrue told the official website. "Chris Coleman and Steve Kean called me and the feeling between us all was good. It was an easy decision.

"But there was a problem when Chris was replaced and it became difficult. It wasn't personal but I didn't agree with the style that Lawrie Sanchez wanted to play and I decided to tell him this. So that was it for me really!

"Instead of not playing, I decided to look for another challenge somewhere else and the move to Birmingham City came through."

It had all began for Queudrue at RC Lens where, after working his way through the youth ranks, he made his first-team debut as a second-half substitute against Montpellier in October 1999.

"It was a good feeling," he said. "It's like the hard work had finally paid off. It was a dream come true. At first you play football just to enjoy the game and when that becomes your job it's fantastic. You earn money from playing football which is a great feeling.

"When I made my debut, Lens were in a bit of trouble and the coach decided to play some of the younger players. I didn't start, I came on as a sub in the second half with 15 minutes to go when we were winning 1-0 and we held on for the victory. So it was a great first game. From there I started playing more constantly in the team."

After just two years with Lens, Queudrue's stock continued to rise; interest from abroad materialised and he joined Boro, initially on loan in 2001, with the deal becoming permanent a year later.

It could all have been quite different, though, had a proposed switch to Blackburn Rovers gone ahead.

"First of all I had a trial at Blackburn," stated Queudrue. "At the time, Sam Allardyce - Big Sam - was the manager. They decided they wanted to sign me but my agent was asking a bit too much and the deal fell through. I went back to France but a couple of weeks later I was offered the chance of a trial at Middlesbrough.

"I was there for four days and I still remember it like it was yesterday. Steve McClaren was the manager at the time but because he was assistant to Sven Goran Eriksson's England side, he wasn't there. The first one to meet me was the coach Steve Harrison, who we called Big H.

"When Steve McClaren came back from international duty, he watched me on the Monday and the Tuesday and said 'okay, we'll do it.' I went back to France on the Tuesday and came back on Thursday morning to sign the contract and played on the Saturday. Our first game was against Charlton away and we drew 0-0.

"It wasn't a hard decision for me to come to England but it was maybe tough for my wife as she was pregnant. People say Middlesbrough isn't the prettiest of places but the people are so warm and friendly. The club, in and around the place, you can feel the warmth and I still have friends there. It was like a family and it was a great place to go. We had a good chairman in Steve Gibson and I'd always wanted to play in England so it was an easy decision."

Queudrue would go on to help Boro win the League Cup in 2004 – the club's first-ever trophy – and was also part of the side that reached the UEFA Cup Final in 2006.

"It was a successful time - I had a great five years there," he mused. "The club had won nothing in 128 years so to win the Carling Cup Final was a proud moment. It was my first trophy as a player as well and it was great to be a part of a real piece of history for the club."

After 188 appearances in the red and white of Boro, Queudrue headed south for Fulham, before a three-year stint at Birmingham.

Birmingham and Queudrue were relegated in his first season at St Andrew's, but he bounced back from a well-publicised spat with City co-owner David Sullivan to lead the Blues back to the top flight.

"It was a good experience at Birmingham, I had three good years there," said Queudrue, who spent a brief spell on loan at Colchester United before returning to where it had all began in October 2010 with Lens.

Two years later he is still strutting his stuff with Paris-based Red Star in France's third division.

And, at the age of 34, he is beginning to think about what he'll do when he finally hangs up his boots, with a move into management something Queudrue is aiming for.

"I'm not finished as a player yet; I'm at Red Star and I'm enjoying it," he stated. "But when I do retire, I want to stay in football. I plan to take my coaching badges at the end of this season or the next.

"I would go wherever a job was. I would rather be a manager than a coach as then you've got no-one else to blame. You can't find any excuses if you don't succeed."

With that sort of mentality, coupled with his fearless desire on the field, you wouldn't bet against Queudrue becoming a success in the dugout.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/february/17/memory-lane?

[WhiteJC]

 
The Tony Gale Column

We've had a bit of a break since our last game and there isn't a great deal we can say about the goalless draw at Norwich City. The main positive, however, was that we kept our first clean sheet in 15 games.

It's a little bit worrying that we didn't create many chances again. Martin Jol will have to keep working at that as it's becoming a bit of a problem. At the start of the season, we were scoring plenty of goals but it seems to have dried up of late. There's obviously a reason for that and it can't all be attributed to a lack of confidence. It also comes down to our style of play which seems to have got much slower.

They have to play quicker as otherwise it takes too long to build an attack and it becomes too easy for the opposition to defend against it. We really just need to make a conscious effort to play quicker – across the back and in midfield – and just make our passing a bit zippier and get people in behind.

This weekend we take on Stoke City at the Cottage for a live-on-Sky clash. It's one of those awkward 12.45pm kick-offs. The commentators like games that start at that time as they can get away early, but it's not conducive to the fans, particularly the ones coming down from Stoke.

It's a big game. Stoke are just above us in the table, but they'll have no problems in staying up. Tony Pulis has developed a style of play which sometimes gets criticised, but I think that's a little bit unfair. They're better than people think and when they do get the ball down and play in the last third then they've got a lot of creativity about them. They're so difficult to play against for all the obvious reasons – the set-pieces, the corners, the free-kicks, the long-throws – but what I think has developed in the years since Tony has been in the Premier League is they mix it up a bit. He knows that the direct style won't work all the time as it becomes a little easy to play against, so gradually he's brought in a better class of player and they've improved because of it. They're now an established Premier League side, much like Fulham.

As a former defender, to deal with the aerial threat from the likes of Peter Crouch and Kenwyne Jones, I wouldn't get too pre-occupied with all this blocking off. If you're in an area where you're under the flight of the ball, you've got to head it. Too many defenders now are looking for a way out because they're lacking heading ability and they try and stop a player by not even looking at the ball and blocking them off. In a game against Stoke, you've got to man up and make sure you head that ball and close them down in the wide areas as they create plenty of chances from crossing positions.

I think it will be a draw. It will be difficult for Fulham, but if they can get a win, it will be an excellent three points. Stoke are better at home than they are away but they're still a difficult nut to crack.

The weekend afterwards, we head up to Sunderland. We all remember the game against them earlier in the season when Brede Hangeland got sent off for a two-footed tackle and we ended up losing 3-1. Looking back, that's when the wheels started coming off a bit for us. If we'd won that game, we'd have been propelled into a really good position. But we lost and since then it's gone a little bit downhill. It will be a tough game up at their place as their form has got better and ours has got worse.

On Sunday, it will be 20 years since the death of the great Bobby Moore. What can I say that hasn't been said before about the man? I feel lucky that I played with Bobby and also followed in his footsteps at Fulham, West Ham United, and on the radio at Capital Gold. I didn't know Bobby that well but he always had time to speak to me and would always give me a call and have a chat, which made me feel very honoured. Quite simply, he's footballing royalty.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/february/19/the-tony-gale-column?

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Win VIP Fulham v Stoke City tickets!

Two pairs of VIP tickets to Saturday's Craven Cottage clash up for grabs plus FREE £10 BET for every reader

Fancy seeing the Whites play for free? Well you can thanks to Bet Butler – official betting partner of Fulham FC – who are giving away 2 pairs of VIP hospitality tickets for lucky Chronicle readers to see Fulham v Stoke City at 3pm on Saturday 23rd February.

Even better, Bet Butler is offering a free £10 bet for every Chronicle reader who signs up and deposits by Sunday 24th February.  Simply visit www.betbutler.com, register and then call customer services on 0333 900 6888 or email [email protected]. Quote the code SAV10 and the free bet will be credited within 24 hours.

You don't book a flight, buy a car or get insurance without shopping around for the best price, so why should betting be any different? Bet Butler is the UK's leading betting brokerage, guaranteeing the best odds from over 60 different bookmakers across the world, letting you compare the entire market and place your bets through one easy-to-use account.

To be in with a chance to win a pair of tickets to see Fulham v Stoke City, answer the following question:

Which former Fulham player went to Stoke on loan in 2009?
a) Clint Dempsey        b) Stephen Kelly          c) Emmanuel Frimpong

Email your answer along with your name and daytime contact number to [email protected]

Closing date for entries is 5pm on Thursday.

Normal competition rules apply. Strictly over-18s only. Please bet responsibly – www.gambleaware.co.uk



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2013/02/19/82029-32838632/?#ixzz2LMHkddWh