Friday Fulham Stuff (21/06/13)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham move for Wolves winger

Fulham are keen on Wolves winger Bakary Sako and have opened talks with the player's representatives regarding a £4million move.



Sako seems certain to leave Wolves this summer following their relegation to League One and Fulham have reportedly held preliminary discussions with the club and the player's representatives, although no agreement has yet been reached. Talks are expected to but put on hold until the start of July, but Fulham are thought to be leading the race for the winger's signature. It has been suggested that a fee of £4million will be enough to convince Wolves to sell the 25-year-old Frenchman. Ligue 1 trio Lyon, Marseille and Lille have also been linked with Sako but the former St Etienne man is keen to remain in England.


Read more at: http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/fulham-move-for-wolves-winger-1601097.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Redmond Update
   
Yesterday we ran an article on how Fulham were, reportedly, interested in the Birmingham City player Nathan Redmond.

Today, it appears that the list of suitors willing to pay hard-up Birmingham City £3 million for his services has grown.

Roberto Martinez, now installed in the managerial chair at Goodison Park, wishes to make the England U21 player his first signing, therefore adding the name of Everton to a list that already, supposedly, includes Swansea, Crystal Palace, Norwich and ourselves!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=322454#ixzz2WpkTGmyD

[WhiteJC]

 
Opening Day Statistic
   
With the fixtures for the 2013 / 2014 season now public knowledge, one of the tabloid newspapers has provided us with an interesting fact.

Apparently, when we travel to the Stadium of Light, to face Sunderland in that opening fixture, we go there having not conceded a goal since Caleb Folan netted, for Hull City, against us in 2008.

I wonder if we can keep that record going!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=322455#ixzz2WpkeAbiR

[WhiteJC]

 
Transfer news: Ivory Coast left-back Tiene Siaka has agreed a deal with Montpellier


Tiene Siaka: On his way to Montpellier

Ivory Coast left-back Tiene Siaka has agreed a deal with Montpellier after becoming surplus to requirements at Paris St-Germain.

The 31-year-old is staying in France despite being heavily linked with a move to the Premier League with Fulham.

However, Siaka revealed his frustration that the Cottagers never firmed up their reported interest, as he would have loved to move across the channel.

"I am leaving PSG because they do not want me," he said. "It was a good experience to leave a team who won the league.

"Fulham has been linked with me, but never went in for me which they should have done. I have always wanted to play in the Premier League."

However, he does insist that he is happy to remain in France, and is looking forward to the challenge.

"Montpellier will be fantastic for me," he added. "I will have more opportunities there."


http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11681/8785525?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham target disappointed by Cottagers

Transfer news: Paris Saint-Germain defender Tiene Siaka has been left disappointed by Fulham's failure to act on their reported interest in him.

The Ivory Coast left-back had been strongly linked with the Cottagers after falling out of favour at PSG, but has now agreed to join Ligue 1 rivalsMontpellier.

Siaka is pleased to be leaving PSG but admits he would have loved to move to the Premier League.

"I am leaving PSG because they do not want me," he is quoted as saying by Sky Sports. "It was a good experience to leave a team who won the league.

"Fulham has been linked with me, but never went in for me which they should have done. I have always wanted to play in the Premier League."

He insists, however, that he is looking forward to joining Montpellier.

"Montpellier will be fantastic for me," he added. "I will have more opportunities there."



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/fulham_target_disappointed_by_cottagers_1_2245277

[WhiteJC]

 
Safety First

Ever wondered how Fulham Football Club keeps you safe on a matchday? We catch up with Fulham fan and the Club's Deputy Safety Officer and Health and Safety Manager, Steve White, to find out.

When Fulham fan Steve White first began his working life as a steward at the Club it was because he wanted to watch the games. Now, as the Club's Deputy Safety Officer and Health and Safety Manager, he is on the other side of the fence and is more than aware how much work goes into the preparations for a matchday behind the scenes.

White started going as a fan in 1969 and worked in the Engineering industry before landing a role as a steward as Mohamed Al Fayed's revolution began in 1997. He freely admits that, in the early days, he thought it would be an easy job to do.

"I used to go and watch Fulham and my girls used to come with me," he told the official website. "It was quite cheap in those days to have a Season Ticket and to bring your family, but then they stopped going and it got more expensive so I looked up and thought 'that looks easy, standing there as a steward and watching a game of football,' so that's how I started. I never intended it to be a career, it was meant to be a bit of fun really where I got paid £12 a game as well.

"In those days I wasn't given any training. I had an interview with the Safety Officer at the time and he said 'why do you want to be a steward?' I answered honestly: 'Because I'm a Fulham fan and I want to watch the games.' He said: 'Great answer, you've got the job. There's your jacket, now go stand on the 'vomitry'. And I stood there for three years. I got to know a lot of people who I still know now."

The 'vomitry' is the space where the stewards base themselves by the steps of the stand, but in the old days there was little formality behind the job.

"The duties were basically to make sure that people got to their seats," White added. "I never knew about the safety side of things as there was no training. If there was an evacuation in those days I wouldn't have known what to do! Our briefing in the morning was on K block – about 40 of us – and the Safety Officer at the time would come up and say 'Code Red, Code White, Code Black – you all know those, right? Anything else? No? Have a good day.' It was about five minutes long. If there was anything special happening then he would tell us about it, but it was usually just the same words every game.

"It wasn't until about three years later when they started bringing us in for the training. I did the modules: one through six, which they still do now. Later on the Certificate in Event and Match Day Stewarding (CEM) came out which all stewards had to have. Things have progressed a lot. We've gone from SEMs to NVQ2s for stewards, NVQ3 for supervisors and NVQ4 for Safety Officers (although Safety Officers always had to have advanced qualifications). It's all changed."
In terms of safety at English stadiums, everything changed in the wake of the Taylor Report which followed the 1989 tragedy at Hillsborough. By the Millennium, the majority of English stadia were all-seaters, but Fulham was the final top flight team to comply when we were promoted in 2001. After a ground share with Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road, the Putney and Hammersmith Ends' standing enclosure was removed and all-seater stands put in.

"Things changed so much, although even now I still miss the old terracing," said White. "Going back to when I was a kid in '69, sometimes I couldn't afford to get in so I used to climb over the wall at the back of the Putney End. Now it's funny, because that's what I'm doing as my job now – stopping fans from doing what I used to do. Even though it's all-seater, people don't always comply with the regulations. We do our best at Fulham to try and keep people sitting down, but you can only do so much as once you tell them, they just stand up again. Some teams' fans will sit throughout the game, but others will do what they want."

With a much greater understanding of what it takes to put on a showpiece event at the Cottage than when he first arrived, Steve was made full-time Deputy Safety Officer just after the UEFA Europa League Final of 2010 and is now working under Steve Riley.

"On a Saturday matchday, a lot of the work starts the week before. That sees us putting together the matchday files, risk assessments and safety plans, then we are finishing them off on Monday and Tuesday, but the crucial time is Wednesday, Thursday and Friday," he said. "Wednesday is when we have a pre-match meeting with all departments and gather information from everyone over what's going to be open on the day and what is expected. In the afternoon, we'll meet the Police and local authority to gather intelligence on potential issues.

"We talk to the other clubs and their Safety Officers about any problems that could arise and the Football Safety Officers website has a lot of valuable information. We all put together a matchday report on the game, so there is a wealth of knowledge around before a game begins. All the stewards have to go through an induction before they are allowed to work for the Football Club so they know what to do in any given situation. On a matchday, we make sure everything is set up for a perfect event and do our briefing with the stewards and the supervisors.

"I normally arrive at the ground at 9am, but I head up and make sure everything is ready in the Control Room at 12pm. I'll make sure the fire panels are ready, CCTV is up and running and the PA system is working. Generally, I have to make sure that the staff in the Control Room are briefed and know what to expect if there are any special events."
It's a far cry from the old days of just standing watching the game from the stands, but White wouldn't change his job for the world.

"People say to me that I have the best vantage point in the stadium, but I don't because I don't watch the game! I'm watching the CCTV the whole time and mostly I'll miss the goals when they go in because I will have other things to keep an eye on," he added. "I have to tell the stewards that they are not here to watch the game, they are here to do a job. As a Fulham fan, I spend 80 minutes watching CCTV rather than the game, so I expect them to be doing the same.

"I'd got the job years ago thinking I could just watch the game, but about two or three games in I realised that there was a lot more to it than that. When I do the stewards' training I tell them a story when I was back on the terraces when I just let everyone sit where they wanted. As a result I had about 25 minutes of shifting them into their correct seats when I was getting yelled at and cursed. I never did it again and now I tell them that you have to direct people to their seats right away."

What makes Fulham Football Club different from any other is the family atmosphere and the Neutral Zone, which allows anyone to buy a ticket in the Putney End – something White believes is crucial to the image of the Club.

"Fulham is a very family orientated place. Ever since I was a kid, it has been the same way and nothing has changed," he said. "We are a bigger club now, a bigger business, but it's what I drill into the stewards every game: we are a family club. I don't care how big we get, it will always be like that and people treat you as a part of the Club.

"I think if you are a tourist and you want to go to a football game, you will choose Fulham. You can't get into any of the other clubs as it's all based on loyalty points and memberships, but here we let people come in and watch a game in the Neutral Zone. Speaking to people, they are surprised that you can come to a game and buy a ticket at the Ticket Office. Other clubs can't quite understand how we make it work, but it shows that we care about the community and not just about making money.

"We've done it for seven seasons and the only complaint about it is that people sometimes expect a completely 'neutral' experience when the tickets are bought by the home or away support. As a concept it works fantastically – it's for anybody who wants a ticket and my grandson, who is unfortunately a Chelsea fan, can go there and I know he'll be safe.

"Growing up in the 70s, for a lot of the other clubs it was more about the hooliganism than the football (although it was never like that at the Cottage). To see what it's like now at Fulham where you have no segregation and a mixture of fans from both sides who can get on and watch the game without any problems is fantastic. When I'm briefing the stewards I always like to bring that up and say 'look at what we as a Football Club have done here.'"



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/june/21/safety-first?

[WhiteJC]

 
2013/14 Matchday Hospitality

There's a fantastic variety of Hospitality packages on offer at Fulham, to include anything from a champagne and canapés reception with a Fulham legend, to a premium three course meal with drinks included and your own dedicated Host or Hostess, and there is much more.

Whether you choose a private Executive Suite for you and 10 guests overlooking the hallowed turf, or make your way to the half-way line Director's Area seating, secure your place at all of Fulham's 19 Barclays Premier League fixtures today.

Packages begin from only £1,595. Find out more about Hospitality at Fulham, including the full range of our packages and their corresponding prices, online.

Alternatively, you can get in touch with us directly by calling one of our Hospitality team members on (+44) 020 8336 7555, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, or by emailing us at [email protected].



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/june/21/post-early-bird-seasonal-hospitality?

[WhiteJC]

 
50 Moments That Made Fulham



25. Phil Kelso takes charge – 1909
To this day, Phil Kelso remains Fulham's longest serving Manager, following his 15-year tenure at the Club.

The Scotsman had never played professional football but was appointed Hibernian manager for the 1903/04 season, before making the move to Woolwich Arsenal where he was relatively successful. He guided them to two FA Cup semi-finals during his four years with the Gunners, before returning to Scotland to run a hotel in his hometown of Largs.

However, he was persuaded to return to London by the Fulham Board in 1909 to take over from Harry Bradshaw. Known for his stern approach to management, Kelso instilled a disciplined philosophy in his side, and he held firm views on players smoking and drinking.

He kept Fulham in Division Two throughout his time in SW6, with almost every season seeing us finish in a mid-table position, although the Club peaked with a sixth place finish in 1920. His final season (1923/24) required a 1-0 victory on the final day of the campaign to avoid relegation, though.

Kelso remained in the area following his retirement from the game, becoming landlord of The Grove pub in Hammersmith, and then The Rising Sun on Fulham Road. He died at the age of 64 in February 1935.


24. Fulham's top flight debut – 1949
Fulham won the old Division Two in dramatic fashion on the final day of the 1948/49 season. We capitalised on leaders West Bromwich Albion's defeat by Grimsby Town to take top spot with a 2-0 victory over West Ham United, with the prolific Arthur Rowley notching a brace.

And so we embarked on a First Division campaign for the first time in our history. 41,699 fans turned up at Craven Cottage to watch our opening game of the season – it was a sign of things to come as we secured our highest ever average attendance of 33,030 throughout 1949/50; it's a record which remains intact today.

Wolverhampton Wanderers were the guests on 20th August, although they spoiled the party somewhat with their 2-1 victory. They were a strong outfit, though, and finished the season as runners-up behind Portsmouth, having won the FA Cup the previous year.

A soft long-range shot from Jimmy Mullen handed Wolves the lead on 25 minutes, before Johnny Hancocks doubled their advantage shortly after half-time. Fulham fought their way back into the match, though, with full-back Joe Bacuzzi (pictured) firing in an effort from distance that found the back of the net shortly after. Bacuzzi played almost 300 matches for the Whites but that was only his second goal, although the fact it was our first ever in the top flight meant it was one the defender could cherish.

We remained a Division One team for three seasons, but finished bottom of the league in 1951/52.


23. Micky Adams lifts the spirits – 1996
When Fulham lost 2-1 to Torquay United on 3rd February 1996, we plummeted to 23rd position in the Third Division – that's second bottom in the entire Football League. The only team below us? Torquay.

It was our lowest ebb. Just days before, we'd seen the smallest ever attendance for a first-class game at Craven Cottage when only 2,176 people turned up to see us lose to Scunthorpe United. Something had to be done, so the decision was made that Ian Branfoot would relinquish control of team affairs to player/coach Micky Adams.

It was Adams' first managerial experience, but the 34-year-old was a natural. We were unbeaten in his first five games in charge, drawing against Hartlepool United, Cambridge United and Rochdale, before securing back-to-back victories over Exeter City and Doncaster Rovers. It was form that saw us rise to a much healthier position of 18th.

A further five victories followed before the end of the season as we comfortably avoided relegation. Safety was a huge relief having previously occupied 91st position in the Football League – our lowest ever placing.

Unsurprisingly, Adams was kept as Manager for the 1996/97 season - one which proved to be a monumental campaign in Fulham's history.


22. First silverware – 1887
After initially being known merely as St Andrew's, at the start of the 1886/87 season we became known – for the first time – as Fulham St Andrew's Cricket and Football Club (it would be a few years yet before the simpler Fulham Football Club was adopted).

They enjoyed a highly successful campaign under their new guise, winning 21 of the 22 matches played, whilst they also lifted the West London Association Cup in February 1887 when they beat St Matthew's 2-1 in the Final.

It was the first silverware to be won by the Club, although the first significant trophy came when we won the Division Three South in 1932.


21. Davies breaks Haynes' goal record – 1989
On 11th February 1989, Gordon Davies scored his 159th goal for Fulham in a 5-2 defeat by Wolves at Molineux to take him above the legendary Johnny Haynes at the top of our goal scoring charts.

After signing for the Club for an absolute bargain price of £4,000, he notched his first goal for his new side away to Blackpool in a 2-1 win at the back end of the 1977/78 campaign, before hitting 11 the following season. He found the net 16 times in 1979/80 and 22 times the following year, before a clinical 81/82 campaign saw him score 25 goals as we won promotion from Division Three.

The man was unstoppable now and 52 strikes over the course of the next two (and a bit) seasons caught the eye of local rivals Chelsea who tempted Davies across South-West London. Despite boasting a respectable goal ratio at Stamford Bridge, he was swiftly moved on to Manchester City.

His time in Manchester was brief too, though, and he was back at Fulham 14 games into the 1986/87 campaign. The subsequent term saw him forge a lethal partnership with Leroy Rosenior as the pair notched 37 times between them, before Davies followed that up with 20 goals over the next two seasons – this would have inevitably been a greater number had he not missed 28 matches during the 1989/90 season.

The following campaign was his last for Fulham and he scored seven times before his final match against Rotherham United, leaving him with a career total of 178 goals in 450 games for the Whites – a tally that's unlikely to be beaten any time soon.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/june/21/moments-that-made-ffc

[WhiteJC]

 
Galatasaray President confirms interest in Fulham winger Kerim Frei

Galatasaray President Ünal Aysal has confirmed interest in Fulham winger Kerim Frei.

"We are interested in Kerim Frei," Aysal said speaking to Lig TV.

Galatasaray manager Fatih Terim recently revealed that they have been closely monitoring Kerim.

Terim said, "We have been scouting Frei for over a year and remain interested."

Also Kerim's father Murat Frei was reported by NTVspor as saying Galatasaray have expressed interest in his son.

Fulham however, have been reluctant to let go of their 19-year-old prospect.

Kerim was born in Feldkirch, Austria but raised in Switzerland by his Turkish father and Moroccan mother. Kerim was first spotted by Swiss side Grasshoppers aged 13 and was snapped up by Fulham just three years later.

After rising through the youth ranks the Fulham starlet was given his Premier League debut on 10 December 2011, in an away match against Swansea City aged just 18. Kerim went onto make 36 appearances for the Cottagers that season.

The Turkish international winger spent much of the 2012-13 season out with injury however, has made a full recovery and will play for Turkey in the FIFA U-20 World Cup Turkey 2013.



http://www.turkish-football.com/news_read.php?id=4783

[WhiteJC]

 
Sako Fight
   
Our attempts to lure the Wolves winger Bakary Sako to Craven Cottage could be about to be challenged.

Wit the tabloid press informing us, some time ago, a deal had been set up whereby Fulham Football Club would cough up the sum of £4 million for the player, it now appears there is a rival on the scene.

This morning it is being suggested that the French club Marseille are also interested in signing the 25 year-old.

It could be interesting to see which of us lands their target!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=322502#ixzz2Wr4YngHC

[cmg]

Now THAT'S what you call a Fulham shirt.

[HatterDon]

Opening Day Statistic
   
With the fixtures for the 2013 / 2014 season now public knowledge, one of the tabloid newspapers has provided us with an interesting fact.

Apparently, when we travel to the Stadium of Light, to face Sunderland in that opening fixture, we go there having not conceded a goal since Caleb Folan netted, for Hull City, against us in 2008.

I wonder if we can keep that record going!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=322455#ixzz2WpkeAbiR

Am I the only one who doesn't understand this sentence?

[grandad]

Opening Day Statistic
   
With the fixtures for the 2013 / 2014 season now public knowledge, one of the tabloid newspapers has provided us with an interesting fact.

Apparently, when we travel to the Stadium of Light, to face Sunderland in that opening fixture, we go there having not conceded a goal since Caleb Folan netted, for Hull City, against us in 2008.

I wonder if we can keep that record going!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=322455#ixzz2WpkeAbiR

Am I the only one who doesn't understand this sentence?

I think it means we have not conceded a goal in the opening fixture of any season since 2008 away to Hull. I havn´t verified this but that´s what I think it means.

[Artful Dodger]

Opening Day Statistic

   
With the fixtures for the 2013 / 2014 season now public knowledge, one of the tabloid newspapers has provided us with an interesting fact.

Apparently, when we travel to the Stadium of Light, to face Sunderland in that opening fixture, we go there having not conceded a goal since Caleb Folan netted, for Hull City, against us in 2008.

I wonder if we can keep that record going!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=322455#ixzz2WpkeAbiR

Am I the only one who doesn't understand this sentence?

I think it means we have not conceded a goal in the opening fixture of any season since 2008 away to Hull. I havn´t verified this but that´s what I think it means.

Either Caleb Folan scored for Hull against Fulham whilst we were playing Sunderland in the Stadium of Light in 2008, or we haven't conceded a goal on the opening day since then. Either way, it is probably the grammatically worst sentence seen on this message board (albeit a direct post from another source)!