Sunday Fulham Stuff (04/08/13)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Villa stand firm over £6million asking price for Darren Bent

Bent is surplus to requirements at Villa but, with two years left on his contract and a prolific scoring record, the claret and blues are believed to be holding out for at least £6 million

Villa are prepared to patiently stand firm over their asking price for Fulham target Darren Bent – even if it means paying him but not playing him for a while longer.

Bent is surplus to requirements at Villa but, with two years left on his contract and a prolific scoring record, the claret and blues are believed to be holding out for at least £6million.

Fulham had a bid which fell short of that valuation rejected earlier this week but, contrary to reports, have not returned with an increased offer for the 29-year-old. The Cottagers are still keen on striking a deal for Villa's £24m record signing and are the only club currently in for the forward after Newcastle withdrew their interest.

Instead, the Magpies have reportedly had a bid accepted for Lyon striker Bafetimbi Gomis and apparently want to still take Loic Remy on loan from Queens Park Rangers.

Ideally, Villa would want to have Bent's hefty wages off the payroll as soon as possible but, despite him training away from Paul Lambert's squad, they will not be held to ransom.

It is understood they are also keen to avoid giving Bent a pay-off to compensate the England international if, as expected, he joins a new club for reduced personal terms.

Meanwhile, Villa fly to Ireland today without Bent and the other out-of-favour players, for tomorrow's penultimate friendly against Shamrock Rovers in Dublin.

Jores Okore and Aleksandar Tonev are believed to have come through training without aggravating their respective hamstring and thigh injuries yesterday and will join the travelling squad if they emerge unscathed from today's session.

Another new signing, Antonio Luna, has hailed Lambert's winning mentality, positive approach and tendency to encourage players during training and matches.

"He is so animated," said Luna.

"He congratulates us all the time on the training field. He is always clapping what we do, saying 'well-done'.

"He supports us and encourages us. He is the sort of manager who puts his arm around you. He is always saying 'good, good, that's it'.

"He is a winner, too. We have a young team and we all want to grow and to improve every day under him.

''Paul Lambert is a winner and the team has a winning mentality because of him. We have learned from him.

"Training is very intense and great fun.''



http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-stand-firm-over-5477123?

[WhiteJC]

 
Tottenham: Clint Dempsey signs for Seattle Sounders



Clint Dempsey has left Tottenham to join Seattle Sounders in his native United States.

Spurs agreed a fee  with Major League Soccer for the striker on Saturday.

Dempsey, 30, only joined Andre Villas-Boas's side last summer in a £6m move from Fulham and is believed to have departed for a similar price.

Spurs have agreed a deal to sign striker Roberto Soldado from Valencia, which is likely to have restricted Dempsey's first-team chances.

He played 43 times for the White Hart Lane club, scoring 12 goals.

"I am very excited about coming back to the MLS and thrilled to be joining Sounders," said Dempsey.

"Having recently played in Seattle with the national team, I experienced the incredible atmosphere and the passion from the supporters first-hand. It's going to be an honour to represent the fans in Seattle."

Sounders majority owner Joe Roth added: "This is a historic day for Sounders FC and our fans.

"Clint is a world-class soccer player who can take this club to a higher level. We have been consistent in our message to the fans that we will spare no expense to win trophies."

Dempsey, who has 99 caps, left New England Revolution in his homeland to join Fulham in January 2007.

He scored 50 goals in 184 league appearances for the Cottagers before Spurs beat Liverpool and Aston Villa to his signature.

The Sounders went into the weekend's games seventh in the Western Conference of the MLS and have former Fulham players Marcus Hahnemann and Eddie Johnson in their squad.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23559127?

[WhiteJC]

 
Accommodating Bryan
by barryhaylesgoalmachine

Transfer talk at Fulham has been around the need for creativity in centre midfield, lack of quality at left back and that with an injury to Dimitar Berbatov we could really struggle for goals this season.

The need for another goal scorer seems greater than that of prioritising the illusive "Dembele replacement". Our current midfield is average at best but nothing that would get us relegated especially given another forward to work with. On the other hand we could have all the creation in the world in midfield but if you don't have anyone on the end of it then it will be a long season.

The only alternative natural striker in the squad is young Italian Marcello Trotta while Hugo Rodallega and Bryan Ruiz tend to fall into the "Not quite a Striker Not quite a Midfielder" bracket. Jol has already expressed his desire to see Rodallega contribute more, setting him a challenge of 10 goals next term which to most Fulham fans seems more far-fetched than the prospect of Ruiz delivering on the glimpses of brilliance he has showed so infrequently since his arrival.

There is no doubt that fans have been willing to show patience with the Costa Rican. We understand that his abilities aren't easy to accommodate and there were signs of improvement following a rather fragile first season in English football. He scored 5 and contributed 7 assists last term compared to just 2 goals and 3 assists the year before. His willingness to shoot has improved as well having been a major criticism previously. In 2011/12 Bryan registered just 24 shots in 27 games where as in 2012-13 he hit 53 in 29.

By no means am I saying that 5 goals and 7 assists should equate to a good season for a player with his potential (And price tag) though, if anything it shows that he is not a natural choice to play alongside Berbatov as a second striker. There are certainly similarities between the 2 in their style of style of play but in terms of goal scoring that is where the comparison ends.

Bryan seemed to deal with the physical aspect of the Premier League better last year as well although still gets caught in possession enough to suggest he is not a viable option in a central midfield role alongside Sidwell or Boateng were we to play 4-4-2.

Our exploits in the transfer market in the coming weeks will be dictated more than anything by where Jol sees Ruiz playing. A change in squad number from 11 to 10 suggests that he may continue with him in behind Berbatov and buy a new central midfielder for further creativity.

As much as we could acquire another striker, any game time will be limited to playing second fiddle to Berbatov who will continue to occupy the one forward role. Given he only has 1 year left on his contract we may well wait until next summer before seeking a replacement for the Bulgarian.




http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=354

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham: Oxford United sign Ryan Williams on six-month loan



Oxford United have signed Fulham winger Ryan Williams on loan until January.

The 19-year-old, who joined Fulham from Portsmouth in 2012 after making six appearances, started United's friendly with Coventry last Saturday.

Williams played all three of Australia's games at this summer's Under-20 World Cup.

"I'm delighted with the recruitment we've done this summer and now Ryan has come in I think we're done," manager Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Oxford.

"He'll come into a squad with a lot of new players that have gelled really well."

Williams has not played competitively since moving to the Cottagers 18 months ago, failing to make an appearance during a four-month loan spell with League Two champions Gillingham last season.

He becomes the ninth new arrival at the Kassam this summer and was immediately named on the bench for the game against Portsmouth on Saturday.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23490706?

[WhiteJC]

 
U21s/U18s Tested



Fulham's Under-21 and Under-18 sides were both given stern tests on Saturday afternoon against Dartford and Nottingham Forest, respectively.

There was a strong side selected by Kit Symons for the U21s' clash with the Darts, with Marcello Trotta, Kerim Frei and Chris David all handed opportunities to impress the watching Martin Jol.

And Trotta did just that as his decent pre-season form continued when he opened the scoring in Kent. The Italian striker beat the offside trap just before the half hour mark before confidently finishing beyond the 'keeper.

The Whites had former Dartford loanee Marcus Bettinelli to thank for keeping them in front when he made a fine fingertip save shortly after, but there was nothing he could do about Lee Noble's effort from the edge of the area on the stroke of half-time.

No further goal action came in the second half, as the U21s were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against the impressive Conference side.

In the earlier kick-off at Motspur Park, Steve Wigley's U18 side edged past a well organised Forest outfit courtesy of Moussa Dembele's early goal.

Giant centre-back Cameron Burgess connected with an inswinging corner in the 10th minute and, following something of a goalmouth scramble, Dembele was on hand to poke home from close range.

The Whites enjoyed plenty of possession throughout the match but came up against a disciplined defence who did well to nullify Fulham's considerable attacking threat.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/august/03/u21su18s-tested?

[WhiteJC]

 
Darren Bent transfer hell continues after Fulham fail to meet Aston Villa's valuation

And interest from Newcastle has ended after Bafetimbi Gomis moved to St James's Park earlier this week, leaving the 29-year-old unwanted

Darren Bent fears he faces another season ­frozen out in Aston Villa's reserves if nobody meets the club's £6million ­asking price.

Newcastle have scrapped their bid to take the former England ­striker on the cheap after signing Lyon striker Bafetimbi Gomis for £8m .

And Fulham's ­attempt to give the 29-year-old a fresh start is stumbling after their ­opening offer fell way short of Villa owner ­Randy Lerner's valuation.

Lerner is ­determined to ­recover at least a quarter of the club record £24million he spent to buy Bent two years ago, and is willing to go on funding his £65,000 a week wages if his ­valuation isn't met.

Bent has been told that he won't play again at the club and has been ­training with a group of outcasts that also includes Stephen Ireland and Shay Given.

But Villa consider he is too much of a financial asset to cut their price any further – and their stance is that his wages already form part of their budget so if they have to go on paying them they will.

A Villa source said: "The way the team is set up under our manager ­[Paul Lambert] Darren doesn't fit into the plans.

"But he is proven to be ­capable of scoring for a Premier League team and that means he is an asset.

"The best solution for everybody is if another club reaches a fair ­agreement, but for that to happen somebody has to make a sensible offer and so far that hasn't ­happened."

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew confirmed his ­interest in signing Bent , and new ­Director of Football Joe Kinnear was briefed to try to negotiate a deal.

But they never got as far as actually making an ­offer, and are now switching their focus on QPR striker Loic Remy.

That leaves Bent, ­desperate for regular first team football to revive his career, fearing he could be left in limbo for another season.



Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/aston-villa-darren-bent-transfer-2120290#ixzz2azccbjRG
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[WhiteJC]

 
Real Betis Preview



The first friendly match at Craven Cottage ahead of the 2013/14 Barclays Premier League season sees Fulham take on Spanish side Real Betis on Monday evening (8pm).

With a gruelling training camp in Austria under their belts, the Whites return to match action looking to seek a positive result following our disappointing 1-0 defeat by Werder Bremen last Sunday.

Still not got your tickets for the match? Betis tickets are priced at just £10 for adults and £5 for children when bought in advance.

Martin Jol has almost a full squad to choose from for the visit of the Spaniards, with Alexander Kačaniklić the only absentee following his hamstring strain picked up in Bremen.

Monday's game will likely be the first opportunity for most Fulham fans to get a glimpse of new signings Fernando Amorebieta, Derek Boateng and Maarten Stekelenburg. Boateng, of course, has already sampled the Cottage atmosphere when he played the UEFA Europa League Play-Off match two years ago for his previous side Dnipro.

Boateng faced Betis twice during his time in Spain with Getafe, winning once and losing once, while La Liga veteran Amorebieta faced them no fewer than eight times. The centre-back was victorious twice, but found himself on the losing side on eight occasions.


The opposition
One of the oldest clubs in Spain, Betis may have only taken home the La Liga title once, but they have featured in the country's Premier division for 48 of the 82 years since its inception. Additionally, they boast the fact that the King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, is an honorary member of the club.

After a two year absence from La Liga, Betis won promotion in 2011 after pipping Rayo Vallecano to the Segunda Division title. Since then, they've gradually gone about re-establishing themselves as a top flight force, building on a 13th place finish in the 2011/12 campaign, with an impressive final standing of seventh in the most recent campaign.

The club are currently enjoying a productive pre-season tour of England ahead of their season opener at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid on 17th August, having already defeated Huddersfield Town, Bolton Wanderers and Wolverhampton Wanderers during their time in the UK. However, they lost 3-0 to a Wayne Rooney-led Manchester United on Saturday in a behind-closed-doors friendly.

With a reputation for attractive football, Monday's clash promises to be an intriguing battle between two well-organised teams, as Fulham prepare to face Spanish opposition for the first time since our agonising 2-1 extra-time defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Europa League Final in 2010.



The Manager
Jose 'Pepe' Mel arrived at Betis in 2010 and made an instant impact, leading his new team to the Segunda Division title. After a season of consolidation back in the top flight, he managed to lead Betis to a Europa League spot the following campaign. Highlights from last season included a November victory over Real Madrid and coming back from three goals down to draw with their neighbours and arch rivals Sevilla.

The successful campaign saw Mel handed a contract extension as Betis look to improve further still on their recent progress. The summer saw him bring in a vast influx of new faces to freshen up his playing squad, with 11 signings made so far in the close season.

Betis are the ninth side that Mel has managed, and he also spent an enjoyable four years at the club in his playing days, when he scored 50 goals in 112 appearances. As a youngster, he spent time on the books of Real Madrid before taking in spells at Castellon, Granada, Benidorm and Getafe.

Already thinking about the first La Liga game against Real Madrid, he said this week: "Real Madrid used to drop to the second third last year but we don't know what to expect from them this season. They may apply an early pressure so we have to feel comfortable playing out from the back and in tight areas."


Players to watch
Ruben Castro

Last season's top scorer for his club in La Liga with an impressive haul of 18 goals, Castro (pictured below) is an important component in the way Betis play and they will likely rely on him heavily once again in the 2013/14 campaign. About to embark on his fourth campaign with Betis, he was something of a journeyman striker before his move from Deportivo La Coruna. At Deportivo he struggled for first team action and went on loan to five teams during his six years there. A sore hamstring hindered his training preparations this week, but he is hopeful of returning to play.

Jorge Molina

Another source of goals in the Betis armoury, Molina has enjoyed an excellent goal-to-game ratio during his career, albeit many of these coming outside of La Liga with Benidorm, Poli Ejido and Elche. He was 29 by the time he made his top flight debut with Betis, managing six goals during 2011/12, before more than doubling that figure during last season's prosperous campaign.

Alvaro Vadillo

The young winger has shone in the recent UEFA Under-19 European Championships with Spain, despite losing in the semi-finals. He has cut short his holidays in order to train with the first team in pre-season and will be looking to make a big impression after a cruciate ligament injury hindered his progress back in 2011 when he was just 16 years old. Certainly one for the future, Vadillo will hope to get a chance to impress.



Magic Numbers

7 – Betis' final league position last season

13 – The number of goals scored by Jorge Molina in the 2012/13 season

77 – The amount of points won by Betis during their excellent 1996/97 La Liga campaign which saw them finish fourth

244 – The number of league appearances made by Betis stalwart Antonio Prats during the goalkeeper's nine years at the club

56,500 – The capacity of the club's Estadio Benito Villamarin



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/august/04/real-betis-preview?

[WhiteJC]

 
A Guide to Fulham's Homegrown Talent 2013-14
by CHRIS GILBERTSON on AUGUST 4, 2013

Following interviews with manager Martin Jol on the official website, and owner Shahid Khan on CottageTalk on Friday, I am now increasingly confident that the final month of the transfer window will be prosperous for Fulham Football Club.

With the first team in need of several star additions to the starting line up, the near two months of transfer inactivity has given an opportunity for several of Fulham's young players and academy graduates to shine in pre-season and possibly earn a place in the first team squad for the coming season.

So with no new signings to profile, here are a few of the Fulham youngsters that everyone should know going into the 2013 – 2014 Barclays Premier League season.

Buomesca Tue Na Bangna ("Mesca")

20-year-old Guinea-Bissau born Portuguese youth international winger Mesca is the most exciting of a crop of young players about to break into the first team squad. Having been released from Chelsea's academy as an 18 year old, Mesca joined Fulham in August 2011 and has been on a fast climb ever since. A starring member of the victorious 2012 Premier Academy league Champions Under-18 side, he was promptly promoted to first team camp last pre-season where a goal in a 4-0 win over Nice proved a memorable highlight. Unfortunately a knee injury prevented him from making his much anticipated competitive first team debut last season, but with the incumbent Alex Kacaniklic currently injured, Mesca is slated to potentially open the season starting on the left. A fast, creative left winger, Mesca could soon be a shining crown jewel to have come from within our system.


Mesca


Jack Grimmer

19 year old Scotland youth international Grimmer is another currently enjoying first team training as our second choice right back. He joined the Whites back in January 2012 having already made his professional debut with Aberdeen aged just 16. A versatile defender who can play centre half, right back or in midfield, Grimmer is a vocal leader on the pitch. His Scottish twang was noticeably audible from the stands as Fulham's outstanding player in the 2012 Premier Academy League Final. Having led the Under-19s to Dallas Cup glory and made the bench for the FA Cup game at Blackpool last term, Grimmer will hopefully make the first team squad on a more regular basis as back up to Sascha Reither this season. Full international honours should also be in the offing in the not so distant future.





Chris David

Much talked about Dutch midfielder Chris David joined the Whites last January following a somewhat protracted move from Bryan Ruiz's old club FC Twente in the Netherlands. The 20 year old was supposedly the brightest spark in Twente's youth set up and hopes are sky high for him to develop into a top class attacking midfielder. Trips to both Costa Rica and Austria with the first team show how highly he is rated by Martin Jol, though he will likely start the season playing for Kit Symonds' Under-21 side. With a few impressive cameos in pre-season and a few more once the season starts, don't be surprised to see Chris David in the first team fringes come the second half of the season.


Mesca, Tankovic and David on preseason tour


Marcello Trotta

One of the better known players to have come out of the Academy in recent seasons, Italian striker Trotta deserves to be given his chance at senior level this season. Successful loan spells at Wycombe in 2012 and Brentford in 2013 have proven 20-year-old Trotta is capable of scoring goals in senior football. Questions about his attitude prevailed after his taken-against-orders missed penalty cost Brentford promotion to the Championship, but the confidence shown, and humility learnt, will hopefully blend together to help Marcello develop into the top class striker many, including myself, believe he can become. Martin Jol has spoken of his desire to strengthen up front, so chances might be limited, but he is currently the most natural born poacher in the entire squad.


Trotta scoring against Chelsea last season


Muamer Tankovic

Whether we see 18-year-old Swede Tankovic in the first team this season is unknown, with a full year of development squad football and a possible loan spell more likely. A versatile forward player, Muamer arrived at Fulham as a 16 year old from IFK Norrkoping in 2011, and has shone for the Under-18s in a Number 10 role and up front. A starring member of last May's second successive Barclays Premier League Under-18 championship winning side, Tankovic's physical development is such that he could be ready for senior football sooner rather than later. A loan to the Championship like Alex Kacaniklic's to Watford in 2012 would probably be the best move all round.

Lasse Vigen Chrisensen

Similarly to Tankovic, 18-year-old Danish central midfielder Christensen is unlikely to force his way into the first team just yet. He did however, feature in the opening fixture in Costa Rica, showing hopes are high for the former FC Midtylland player who arrived at Fulham in January 2012. The club website cites him as "bold and creative in possession" and he shone as a cultured deep lying central playmaker when I saw him last. A year learning his craft from the likes of Giorgos Karagounis in first team training could have Christensen first team ready next summer, if not sooner.


Christensen and Tankovic training with the first team in Costa Rica


The Under 18s / Under 21s

Besides those profiled above, there are numerous other players lighting up the Under 21s and Under 18s who could well see first team action in the future, its just unlikely to be this coming season. There are other, good players I wont have mentioned below, but the entire Fulham youth set up is prospering and will hopefully supply players to the first team for years to come.

Goalkeeper

Neil Etheridge is the star pupil in the goalkeeping ranks. The Philippines international has been capped a staggering 40 times for his country aged just 23. Having recently signed a new contract, Martin Jol has stated Etheridge has the potential to be a future Fulham Number 1 and spent the majority of last season as back up to now departed Mark Schwarzer. Hopefully Neil is given a loan spell in the Championship or an overseas top flight this season to get some regular match practice under his belt. Highly rated Marcus Bettinelli travelled with the first team to Austria, while Jesse Joronen, Max Oberschmidtn Magnus Norman and Marek Rodak are all highly rated within the system. Slovakian Rodak in particular starring for the Under 18s towards the latter part of last term.

Defence

Centrally, two players stand out for me. 17-year-old Northern Irishman Liam Donnelly showed the maturity, calmness and positional sense of countryman and fellow centre half Aaron Hughes in the winning Under 18 team back in May. His central defensive partner that day was that statuesque Stephen Arthurworry whose size alone should guarantee a decent professional future, an adept passing range akin to that of first team skipper Brede Hangeland will likely ensure it. Mention must go as well to on loan Dan Burn. Having scored the goal that got Yeovil promoted from League 1 in May, 21 year old Burn will spend the entirety of this campaign playing under Lee Clarke at Birmingham City in the Championship. With both Hughes and Philippe Senderos having contracts that expire in 2014, don't be surprised to see Burn playing games alongside Amorebieta or Hangeland in a year's time. Sierra Leone born Irish youth international Noe Baba and Scotland's Cameron Burgess are also highly rated.

Midfield

18-year-old Frenchman Ange-Freddy Plumain signed from RC Lens last month amid somewhat of a cloud of confusion after the French club released a statement saying they thought he was still under contract to them. Regardless, Plumain is an exciting prospect who can play on the wing or up front and stated he chose Fulham as the club best suited to further his development, and will expect to play a full season in the Under 21s despite having featured 22 times for Lens' first team last term. German midfielder Ronny Minkwitz saw his development slow down in the last 12 months after previously captaining the Under 18s and will have a make or brake 2013/14. The same can be said of Australian winger Ryan Williams who starts the season on loan at Oxford United and home grown prospect Charles Banya who made a Premier League substitutes bench at Stoke last November. The two gems at Under 18 level are 17 year olds Emerson Hyndman and Patrick Roberts. American playmaker Hyndman still has some physical development to go but his reading of the game and distribution skill show sizable natural talent. Winger Roberts is fast making a name for himself on both the domestic and international stages, and is included in the latest England Under 17 squad. Finally, a word on Josh Pritchard who is currently halfway through the season at Tromso in Norway's top flight where he is playing regularly in an under publicised loan spell.

Forwards

Anyone who saw the Under 18s tear Reading apart in May will be well aware of the following two players. Englishman Cauley Woodrow and Frenchman Moussa Dembele will both have successful senior careers unless they waylay their development with a false career move. Woodrow is, and I hate to use this phrase, a typical English centre forward; think a young Teddy Sheringham with long blonde hair. Equally adept at playing the hard yards with his back to goal as he is poaching in front of it, with the right development and appropriate loan spells, Woodrow could, and should, one day successfully wear the white of the Fulham first team. Frenchman Dembele on the other hand is a natural headline maker. His quite brilliant hat-trick in the Academy final was as good as any forward his age (then 16) could have scored. Having turned 17 and signed professional papers, there is a real chance that in Dembele, we have a player who could one day be worth the £15m his namesake was sold to Tottenham for. Thankfully, with a professional contract bearing his name, that development will be at Fulham. Former MK Dons youngster George Williams will get his chance to lead the Under 18s this term, while Dino Islamovic is another Swede looking to impress in the Under 21s.


Hat-trick hero Dembele back in May


Last Word

This coming season is a big one for several recent academy and development squad products. The case of the missing Kerim Frei must be answered after injury halted the development of our "next Messi" (as some were calling him after some stellar early performances) and time is ripe for him to show his face again. Midfielder Pajtim Kasami impressed on loan at Luzern last spring and has been one of the stars of pre-season. Defender Matthew Briggs must be hoping he gets his chance at left back and will fight John Arne Riise all season for the spot, though many, myself included, feel he has the ability and skill set to one day progress further up the pitch.

COYWs



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/08/a-guide-to-fulhams-homegrown-talent-2013-14/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Reports: QPR want Morel, Chelsea eye Brazilian prospect and Fulham keen on Dann

QPR are interested in signing Jérémy Morel from Marseille for £2m, according to the Sunday People.

Left-back Morel, 29, has a year of his contract left to run and is apparently keen to finish his career in England.

The same paper suggest that Fulham are ready to make a move for Blackburn defender Scott Dann and that Burnley are considering Brentford's Clayton Donaldson as a possible replacement for Charlie Austin, who recently joined QPR.

Meanwhile, the Mail on Sunday say Chelsea are preparing to offer Manchester United around £40m for Wayne Rooney.

The People say the Blues have slapped a £45m price tag on David Luiz to ward off interest from Barcelona.

And Chelsea are one of the Premier League clubs tracking 17-year-old Santos prospect Victor Andrade, according to the Sunday Mirror.



http://www.westlondonsport.com/paper-talk/reports-qpr-want-morel-chelsea-eye-brazilian-prospect-and-fulham-keen-on-dann

[WhiteJC]

 
Memory Lane

From the past or present, each week we talk to a different Fulham personality. This Sunday, in the first of an exclusive two-parter, David Hamilton discusses his early involvement with the Club, before looking at some of our highs and lows from yesteryear.



There are few better people to talk Fulham with than our Match Announcer David Hamilton, having been a fan for the better part of 65 years and spending almost two decades in the Club's employ.

Born David Pilditch before adopting Hamilton – his mother's maiden name – when he embarked on a career in radio, his reason for supporting the Whites, like so many others before and after him, is geographical. As a youngster he grew up less than a mile from Craven Cottage and it was a chance encounter with a certain legend that cemented his decision to follow his local team.

"My mother lived, funnily enough, in Ranelagh Gardens, almost next door to Hurlingham Gardens," he told the official website. "It's literally a stone's throw from Putney Bridge.

"I used to kick a ball around Bishop's Park with a pal of mine and one day we saw Bobby Robson walking through in a very smart blazer and flannels, and I said to my pal 'that's Bobby Robson, he plays for Fulham.'

"Until then I thought footballers went round all the time in shorts! I didn't know they dressed like ordinary people. In those days they used to train at the Cottage, then walk through the park and probably have a drink at the Eight Bells near Putney Bridge station.

"So that's how I became a supporter in the first place, and the first match I went to see was against Liverpool in the old First Division, which is like the Premier League now. There were big crowds in those days and almost everybody was standing.

"There was only one stand were people sat and that was what is now the Johnny Haynes Stand – then it was called the Stevenage Road Stand – but that was not all sitting either, there was an enclosure at the front where people stood."

He continued: "The crowds were anything up to about 45,000, so for the first game I went to, I stood behind the goal at the Putney End. That was the first bit you came to when you walked through the park – if I'd lived in Hammersmith then I'd have gone to the other end. There was no segregation in those days – you sat where you liked – so I stood behind the goal.

"Sometimes we did stand on the Riverside, which was completely open to the river, and I remember the Boat Race was sometimes on the same day as a Fulham game and the crowd on that side of the river used to turn around, with their backs to the football, to watch the boats go past!

"I used to think it was so bizarre that there was a football match going on, and people were not watching the game because there was something else going on that was apparently more exciting."



Fast-forward several years and having forged a successful media career both on television and radio, Diddy – as he is affectionately known having been given the nickname by comedian Ken Dodd in the 1960s – was delighted to see his beloved Fulham reach the FA Cup Final in 1975.

Like any supporter, reaching the Cup Final meant the world to him, and it's a period of Fulham's history that he remembers vividly.

"1975 was obviously tremendously exciting and I went to a lot of the games on the cup run," he recalled. "I went to the two Semi-Finals, because there was a replay, I went to the Quarter-Final at Carlisle. By that time I think we were pretty convinced that we were going to be at Wembley.

"We won the Quarter-Final at Carlisle, Les Barrett scored the winning goal, and then we had our Semi-Final at Hillsborough, which we drew, then we went to Maine Road which was Manchester City's ground, and John Mitchell scored with virtually the last kick of the game in extra-time to send us to Wembley. It was amazing – it really was an exciting time."

Not long after that magnificent cup run, though, things became turbulent in SW6. The arrivals of George Best and Rodney Marsh made Fulham a very fashionable football club but, in the background, there was unrest after Chairman Tommy Trinder – along with the rest of the board – resigned.

Yorkshire businessman Ernie Clay eventually took over at the Cottage, but his reign does not sit well with Fulham fans who recall his time at the helm.

"I was a Director at the Club in the late 70s, in the time that George Best was there, and they were good times. But then I resigned," Diddy explained. "The main reason being that I didn't trust the Chairman Ernie Clay.

"Another Director and I were convinced that he was trying to make money out of the Club and, two or three years later, it all came out that he bought the freehold of the ground from the church commissioners for £900,000, and sold it for £9m to developers.

"The developers who bought it, their plan was to merge Fulham with Queens Park Rangers to play at Loftus Road and to develop Craven Cottage with some flats, rather like the ones next to it on the other side. Those flats next door, then, were worth about £200,000 which now is probably about £2m. So they would have built an awful lot of flats which would have brought in an awful lot of money and we wouldn't have seen football anymore at Craven Cottage. So that was why I resigned."



Even the thought of Fulham Park Rangers prompts disdain at the possibility, let alone the concept of Craven Cottage being no more – and it's our famous old ground which Hamilton believes embodies what the Club is all about.

"From where I am in the Fourth Official's dugout, you look across and see the Cottage there, the old listed [Johnny Haynes] stand there, and you know that it's unique in football," he said.

"So many clubs now have left where they were and are in these modern stadiums that are bigger, but with no character. Derby County's Baseball Ground was a great one as it had this huge marble bath. I played in a charity match there and players used to get into a great big bath together.

"When they shot the film about Brian Clough – the Damned United – the ground had gone, of course, so they used Chesterfield's ground, which was an old ground, for the crowd scenes to try and recreate the Baseball Ground. So there aren't many left like Craven Cottage."

Having been so intricately entwined with the happenings at Fulham for more than half a century, David has unsurprisingly formed close bonds with plenty of individuals who hold legendary status down by the riverbank.

Many of our former greats still have ties to the Club in terms of hosting lounges on matchdays, and Diddy admitted his pleasure at the calibre of Fulham stars that have retained their links with the Whites.



"Les Strong and Gordon Davies are brilliant in the lounges," he admitted. "They're brilliant with the public and they're great characters and we're very lucky that we have the legends that we have.

"There's Les, Gordon, Alan Mullery, George Cohen, who I work with because I do a Q&A in his lounge, and the other one is Freddy Callaghan. Freddy's a very good friend of mine – in fact we went on holiday recently with our wives in Majorca.

"Freddy, by the way, is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. He was a terrific player; a very, very hard full-back who was called the Tank – that was his nickname. A nicer man you won't meet, but they're all nice. All of the legends are great.

"I met Les when he was playing and he became a very good pal of mine. He went over to Anguilla when he stopped playing to coach their national team and a friend of ours, who's also a Fulham supporter, got married over there and I went over to be his best man.

"Les fixed us all up with accommodation and everything. So when I got married, seeing as my mate had such a brilliant wedding on a desert island off the coast of Anguilla, I thought that it was really the perfect place to get married, so I did the same.

"There was nothing on that desert island except for a dozen palm trees and a bar. But what else do you need?!"

Read the second part of Diddy's exclusive interview next Sunday, where he discusses how he first became Fulham's Match Announcer, Mohamed Al Fayed's time as Fulham owner, and our infamous UEFA Europa League campaign.

Also, you could meet Diddy and help him out in the coming season as one of his assistants! He's looking for a male and a female to work alongside him – click here to find out more.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/august/04/memory-lane

[jarv]

What are Villa playing at?  They want Bent's wages gone, Lambert doesn't want him, Newcastle don't want him but Villa refuse to drop the price. I mean, if you put your house on the market and nobody is interested, don't you drop the price?
Fulham should go back to 4 mill, take it or leave it.

[grandad]

What are Villa playing at?  They want Bent's wages gone, Lambert doesn't want him, Newcastle don't want him but Villa refuse to drop the price. I mean, if you put your house on the market and nobody is interested, don't you drop the price?
Fulham should go back to 4 mill, take it or leave it.

I think this one will go down to the wire on deadline day. If there are no other alternatives 6 mil is about right by todays inflated valuations.

[Markffc123]

What are Villa playing at?  They want Bent's wages gone, Lambert doesn't want him, Newcastle don't want him but Villa refuse to drop the price. I mean, if you put your house on the market and nobody is interested, don't you drop the price?
Fulham should go back to 4 mill, take it or leave it.

Newcastle now want him-Joe kinnear has been on SSN today saying bents wages etc have been agreed as he spent 2-3 hours with the agent its just a matter of a fee to be agreed with villa

[WhiteJC]

 
Is Darren Bent good enough for Newcastle?

NEWCASTLE United and Fulham are said to be battling it out for the signature of Aston Villa's outcast striker Darren Bent.

Bent only featured 16 times for Villa in the Premier League last season as he found himself playingsecond fiddle to Christian Benteke and his two-and-a-half-year spell at Villa Park now looks to be coming to an end.

The England international cost Aston Villa £24 million when he moved from Sunderland in January 2011 but he could now be available for around £6 million and surely his capture would be a great bit of business for any club?

Since his Premier League debut back in 2001 for Ipswich Town, Bent has scored over 100 league goals and has consistently been amongst the top scorers in the league over a number of seasons.

He has previously worked with both managers who are front-runners to sign him having played for Newcastle boss Alan Pardew at Charlton and current Fulham boss Martin Jol was his manager, briefly, at Tottenham.

Bent is still regarded as one of the top English strikers still active and he has been the highest English scorer in the Premier League twice in the last seven seasons when he scored 18 times for Charlton in the 2005-2006 season and 17 for Aston Villa and Sunderland in 2010-2011.

But in a World Cup year he, obviously, needs to be playing more regularly than he managed last season and a fit and, in form, Darren Bent would be a big boost for England and boss Roy Hodgson as they chase World Cup glory in Brazil next summer.

Still only 29, he should now be in the peak of his career so should any club be able to pick him up in the next couple of weeks especially at the price mentioned then it would benefit the club, Bent, himself, as well as the national team so everyone would be a winner...




http://threeandin.com/?p=24325

[WhiteJC]

 
FULHAM CLOSING IN ON DEAL FOR QPR PLAYMAKER ADEL TAARABT

Adel Taarabt has the reputation of being rather lazy, so it is reasonably logical that when he does leave QPR he wouldn't be bothered to journey far. If the bookmakers are correct then the Moroccan won't even leave West London, with the odds slashed on him signing for Fulham.

In fairness, it is a transfer that makes a great deal of sense. QPR could do with the money and have rather moved on from the time at which they relied on the playmaker for all their creativity. Furthermore, Fulham are crying out for some degree of panache and flair in a side in which Chris Baird played in midfield last season and the player himself has stagnated somewhat at Loftus Road.

Fulham fans will evidently be reasonably concerned about Taarabt's attitude, but a fresh start may well do him the world of good. Having him supplying crosses to Dimitar Berbatov is rather agreeable, should both be in the mood.

Both SkyBet and Bet Victor, the only two bookmakers to offer a price on Taarabt's next club, both now price Fulham up at 1/10 to sign the midfielder, which does rather indicate that a move could be imminent.



http://www.offthepost.info/blog/2013/08/fulham-closing-in-on-deal-for-qpr-playmaker-adel-taarabt/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+offthepost%2FTLAa+%28Off+The+Post%29