Wednesday Fulham Stuff(29/05/13)...

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Hull sign George Boyd but David Stockdale deal is in doubt

Hull today made their first signing since winning promotion to the Premier League, turning George Boyd's loan into a permanent two-year deal.

The Scotland striker joined from Peterborough in February and was available on a free after his contract expired at the end of the season.

Boyd claimed four goals in five games in March to win the Championship player of the month award but did not score again as Hull stuttered in the run-in.

Hull boss Steve Bruce is understood to have a transfer budget of up to £15million, with a goalkeeper the next priority. Another loanee, Fulham's David Stockdale, ended the season as the club's No1 but Bruce is believed to be unwilling to meet the London club's £3m valuation.



http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/hull-sign-george-boyd-but-david-stockdale-deal-is-in-doubt-8634730.html

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Amalfitano lined up for Fulham loan


Dennis Grombkowski

The Frenchman is struggling for form with Marseille and would like to join his brother, Romain, in England

Martin Jol is looking to bring 28 year-old midfielder Morgan Amalfitano in on loan, according to the Daily Mail.

The French international is held in high regard across the channel but, even so, has struggled to adapt to life at Marseille, whom he joined from Lorient in 2011.

His younger brother, Romain, already plies his trade in the Premier League with Francophiles Newcastle United and Morgan is keen to test himself in England.

Predominantly a right winger, Amalfitano can also play behind the striker or in central midfield.

Marseille would be happy to sanction a transfer but are thought to be less willing to let the midfielder go temporarily. Fulham are thinking differently, though, and would rather take the lesser risk and bring the Frenchman in for a season, with the option to sign him up permanently.

Versatility is one of Amalfitano's biggest assets, but he is also a good passer of the ball and can provide the creativity that has been so lacking in the Fulham squad of late.

But whether a deal is likely to happen is an entirely different matter. L'Equipe have linked us with the Marseille player recently too, but a right winger is by no means a necessity at Craven Cottage. Ashkan Dejagah is currently filling that hole and doesn't look like letting his first team spot go with ease.



http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/summer-transfer-rumours/2013/5/28/4372558/morgan-amalfitano-fulham-loan-newcastle?

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Early Bird Extension

The Early Bird Deadline for 2013/14 Season Tickets has now been extended until 5pm on Friday 31st May.
So there's still time for you to secure your 2013/14 Season Ticket from just £399 adults (£21 per game) and £95 juniors (£5 per game).

If you haven't purchased already, be sure to buy before prices rise on Friday and save £50 on the adult price!

Your 2013/14 Season Ticket will include all 19 Barclays Premier League home games, as well as a host of benefits such as priority access to additional tickets, first option on away and cup tickets, and a 10 per cent discount on Fulham products. Read the full list of benefits here.

Season Tickets for Under-16s are £95, whilst Under-8s are just £49 in the Family Zone.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/may/28/early-bird-extension?

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Dolan And Burn Happy With Glovers Loan Experience

Two of Yeovil Town's recent loan players have given out hints that they would be happy to return to South Somerset if the opportunity arose. Fulham defender Dan Burn had a rather successful 41 game spell at Huish Park that ended with him picking up the club's Young Player of the Season award, and then scoring the club's second goal in the League One Play-Off Final at Wembley Stadium nine days ago.

He has been talking to the Fulham Chronicle this week about his hopes for next season, a month after his boss Martin Jol hinted that he would be looking to loan out the 20 year old again for the 2013-14 season. Burn told the paper that his first priority would be to try to get into his parent club's first team but that if that wasn't possible then he would be willing to go out on loan, with Yeovil Town strongly on his mind as a possibility:

"I want to play for Fulham. I didn't sign there just to sit in the U21s. I've been out on loan and felt I've done myself justice. I'll speak to Fulham and go back in pre-season and see what they have planned. If I'm not going to play I would rather go out and get some games. I loved my time at Yeovil and feel part of the club. If I get a chance to come back I couldn't turn it down."

Middlesbrough midfielder Matt Dolan had a slightly frustrating two loan spells at the club, showing signs of what he was capable of in matches like the away game at Notts County on Easter Monday, but in the end having to sit on the sidelines as hamstring, ankle and knee injuries caused him problems. Eventually coming onto the pitch for the final couple of minutes at Wembley Stadium to gain an appearance in the Play-Off Final.

Burn and Dolan spent the second half of the 2012-13 season sharing the same accommodation, and despite not playing as much football as he'd like to have, the Hartlepool-born player said he still learned a lot about the environment of being involved in first team football:

"I've learned about playing with a match atmosphere, competing for three points, how much it means and how much it affects you when you know your family and crowd are watching. We got about 4,000 at our home games and the travelling fans were always really good. I know Gary Gill (Boro scout) was at a couple of our games and when I scored against Notts County, Jamie Clapham (Boro Under-21s coach) text me to say 'well done'. The coaches at Yeovil have also given me some good feedback."

Dolan added that he had been a bit frustrated that his injury record had made for a slightly stuttering time at the club, but having made ten appearances for the Glovers he gave the thumbs up to the overall experience:

"The manager, Gary Johnson, has been great with me. I haven't played as many games as I'd have liked because I've had a micro-fracture in my knee, but every time I was fit, I played. It's been class - I've loved it. If I can't break in to the first team here I'd like to go on loan again and get 30 or 40 games. I just want to play football."



http://www.ciderspace.co.uk/ASP/news/news.asp?NewsItemId=19636

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Player to watch next season: Ashkan Dejagah at Fulham
The ex-Wolfsburg man's partnership with Sascha Reither had looked very promising before his injury



With a youth system that has produced less top class talent than The Voice in recent years and a multi-millionaire owner who looks like Scrooge McDuck in comparison to the new breed of Premier League "angel" investors, reasons for excitement regarding the 2013/14 season are thin on the ground at Craven Cottage.

Fulham's under-18s team have given fans cause to believe that the long term future could be bright after winning the under-18 Premier League, but few of the senior playing staff have really whet the fans' appetite for next term with their performances in the last campaign.

The venerable Dimitar Berbatov's thrilling cameos – whilst compelling – are hardly the stuff that dreams of a better future were built on, whilst formerly-monolithic centre-half Brede Hangeland looked to have lost a modicum of his elan and Bryan Ruiz again flattered to decieve.

However the return from injury of Iranian-German winger Ashkan Dejagah will offer hope of a more creative and organised feel to Fulham's right flank during the next campaign.

Dejagah took some time get up to speed after arriving from Wolfsburg in the summer, having been dealing with an injury when he arrived in south west London.

There was a sense that he was improving with every game in a white shirt and his partnership with ex-Wolfsburg teammate Sascha Reither – illustrated by the link-up play which led to Dimitar Berbatov's winner in Fulham's 1-0 victory at White Hart Lane – was looking one to cherish until injury intervened to end his season.

Reither himself had rivalled Steven Sidwell as the Cottagers player of the season in 2013/14.

Many Fulham fans retrospectively trace the point where their season went awry to the 38th minute of that April Fools' Day match against QPR and the Cottagers gained just four points from their eight subsequent games.

The Cottagers are currently tied sixth favourite for relegation next season at 6/1, with only Stoke, Norwich and Southampton shorter-priced alternatives amongst teams that spent last term in the top flight.



http://news.ladbrokes.com/en-gb/football/premier-league/player-to-watch-next-season-ashkan-dejagah-at-fulham_156928.html

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Ful steam ahead: Crystal Palace chief thinks Cottagers and WBA set best example for Eagles

Co-owner Steve Browett thinks the Selhurst Park club can build on their potential in the top flight

Crystal Palace co-owner Steve Browett thinks there is no reason why the Eagles can't survive in the Premier League.

Finance talk dominated football ahead of yesterday's '£120million game', and with the phenomenal increase in revenue, Browett thinks Palace have the potential to establish themselves in the top flight.

"The theory is that we're mid-table income-wise in the Championship but we'd also be kind of mid-table in the Premier League," he told The Daily Mirror.

"We're a £13million-income club and we reckon getting promoted to the Premier League will make us an £83million-income side.

"We're certainly a bigger club than Wigan were, for example.

"We'll never be an Arsenal or a Manchester United but we have potential."

Browett is keen for the SE25 outfit to follow the lead of clubs like Fulham and West Bromwich Albion in order to survive and to consolidate their place as Premier League regulars.

"Fulham are now seen as a big, Premier League club and we totally have the potential to do what Fulham have done.

"West Brom are an example. They are a great way to run a club, they don't pay more than a certain amount for players and they don't pay above a certain wage - whoever it is."

Rebuilding plans are already afoot both in terms of renovating Selhurst Park stadium, and adding to the threadbare coaching staff under Ian Holloway.

When Dougie Freedman left the club for Bolton Wanderers in October he took with him assistant manager Lennie Lawrence, coaches Jamie Fullarton and Curtis Fleming and a host of other technical staff including chief scout David Sclanders.

"We suffered when Dougie [Freedman] left, because it wasn't just Dougie.

"He's just come and took our analyst. Last week. He's still trying to nick staff."

"He tried to take the tea lady!" smiled Browett.



Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/steve-browett-crystal-palace-chief-1917599?#ixzz2UgpCxPCq
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Fulham closing in on loan deal for Marseille star Morgan Amalfitano

FULHAM are close to finalising a year-long loan for Marseille midfielder Morgan Amalfitano.


Marseille's Morgan Amalfitano is close to completing a loan switch to Fulham this summer

Amalfitano - whose younger brother Romain plays for Newcastle - could switch to Fulham next season after failing to settle at Marseille.

The 28-year-old moved to the Southern French outfit in 2011 after spells at Sedan and Lorient, earning his one international cap for France last February.

Cottagers manager Martin Jol wants to add to his squad this summer but will have to do so on a shoestring budget, and a loan move for Amalfitano fits the bill.

Fulham scouted the Nice-born player two years ago but it is thought he is now ready to make the move to England.



http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/403450/Fulham-closing-in-on-loan-deal-for-Marseille-star-Morgan-Amalfitano?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+daily-express-football-news+%28Daily+Express+%3A%3A+Football+Feed%29