The 'Graveyard shift posting from the US" Rambling from across the pond

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

The future + other stuff.
My disjointed (and alcoholic) thoughts on our current situation

Magrath's team selection:
I thing he has been a revelation.
Previous managers must have been training them on watching Sponge Bob videos whilst consuming vast quantities of egg and chips and spotted dick with custard. Washed down with Coke (the official dirnk of the NFL (I think)
The level of fitness (except Mitroglo- I maintain it's not his fault) is phenomenal.

He switches it around, which I appreciate is difficult for the players
but for 25 - 45 minutes today we were as good as them.
There is no way we're ever going to compete technically and ability wise with the likes of them, they are fantastic, they buzz around, interchanging passes and you feel that at any time they are capable of delivering the 'the vipers poison'
Youngsters
I know he  "inherited them" but Tunnicliffe and Cole were soon shipped out which I know has been a development factor with the youngster. (Burn, Trotta and Woodrow)

Trotta (another goal today), Arthurworrey, Grimmer, Cole (Who wasn't even on the bench today for MK Dons) Tunniclffe, Bagna, Williams, Christensen, Roberts + I'm sure a few I've missed out.
+ the younger 1st team players:  Kvist, Kasami, (the enigma that is) Kaca,
Holtby (who I'm sure Spurs will want back) Richardson (isn't that old) Dejagah,
Karagounis (in spirit) :0)

As disappointing as it is (from my point of view with no TV coverage) perhaps it won't be a bad thing if we go down. (which I still believe we won't)
Perhaps with all of our academy players we can replicate the "Southampton system" (who have been a revelation this season)

People also worry about the size of gates decreasing.  
Cast your minds back to the promotion year when gates were excellent.
We've sold out (or nearly) this season when we've played crap.
It seems to me that our away support has increased (I toured the Uk in the Adams era (and beyond) when away support was a few hundred and stray hitchhikers.
This would reflect on a 'winning Fulham' if we do go down, in so far as we would compete for promotion immediately and gates would be up to the Tigana years.

Romney Marsh, (Rodney's brother) + the Aussie Cricketer
All of the B'sh*t rumours of moving to the East of London
Fulham's fan base is here (although we effectively compete with Chelsea, QPR, Brentford, AFC Wimbledon) if I still lived in England I wouldn't move to New Gate.
If we played at Romney Marsh we would be competing with 100 other teams each week with no showers or changing rooms. What would Rooney, Suarez et al, think of that and where would the 200 Man Utd coaches park ?

"OK chaps this is as close as we can get to the pitch, ours is the 19th on the right. You need to get you kit on in the bus and try not to get too muddy as you won't get a shower until we get back to Manchester.
When you get to the pitch, you'll need to put the nets on and Wayne and Robin, can you put the corner flags out ?

Why move to the East End, to the land of West Ham, Charlton, Orient, Millwall, Palace (ish) Gillingham (ish) Look what happened to MK Dons and the gates that Coventry get in Northampton (From 15,000 to 2,000)

Britain has a long history of support for one team.
You won't get a Rangers supporter changing to Celtic (Unless he's a protestant who's wife has a large dowery)
ManU to ManC, Everton to Liddypool, Fulham to Chelsea or QPR, Bristol City/Rovers !
.
I live in Virginia and everyone for hundreds of miles around supports The Redskins (except Baltimore fans) the merchandising rights alone must be worth millions
Trying to attract a new football crowd within the expanded sound of Bow Bells ain't gonna work.
Forget NFL ground sharing.
They get 80,000+ per year at Wembley mainly for 2 reasons
1/. There is a hard core in the UK who will go to one maybe 2 games per year because of the novelty
2/. There is a hard core in the UK who will go to one maybe 2 games per year because of the novelty.

WE ARE A RUGBY NATION (be it league or Union). The expansion of rugby around the world, in the last 10 years has been phenomenal.  Egg chasers should not wear helmets or shoulders pads and most certainly not be allowed to pass the egg forwards and then stop for five minutes and stand around whilst Ford, McDonalds (the official sponsor of NFL)  Budweiser (or someone) the official sponsor of the NFL; Coca Cola (the official sponsor of the NFL) Fat f*ck*ers food (the official sponsor of Obesity,  javascript:void(0) yep you've got it

CLICKBATS:  Surrey Supporters (I am on) won't change to Middx
Northants/Leics  Kent/Sussex  Worcs/Warwicks etc

I was at the first Fulham RL game against Rochdale Hornets at CC (it was odd as sh*t) and what ever happened to them.

We don't play or support: Baseball (rounders) Basketball (netball for men) or Ice hockey (not very well supported in the UK)
At the moment over here there is a tournament called "March Madness" which is a college basketball tournament It's HUGE) In the UK we don't give a monkey's about College/Uni competitions except the Boat Race  :0)

I don't believe Khan is stupid, he must know that franchising or 'sport transference" here won't work

Turning CC into flats, forget it, there's a piece of wasteland behind the Hammy End that nobody's tried to develop, and don't forget the NIMBY's battle, it ain't gonna happen

Waffle, alcohol. waffle

I appreciate this is a bit 'spell checked' and disjointed.

Roger (a 50 years passionate supporter) who's a bit tipsy.
No replies to this doesn't necessarily mean I won't do it again  :0)

[Deanothefulhamfan]

Nice drunken post Roger haha.....

I agree with you regarding the Fulham issues, I was really against Magath after the first few games, and being a big RM fan, but he is really warming to me, and the fact he is playing the youngsters give me more hope.

If we go down, which I am almost certain we will, then we will have a very young side, and I fully expect us to play some brilliant attacking football in the championship.

[Irelands_number1]

Agree totally about Magath, his team selection today was inventive! Pardew said last week he wouldn't have a clue what out team was until 2 and that Carver would have to make some tactical calls. So I like that teams are going to be guessing the rest of the season.

In terms of the youngsters and relegation/promotion, I dont FEAR relegation that much (I dread it but dont fear it) as I think were in good shape to go back up, we've no debt, solid (financial) backing, proof - 13mil just thrown for Mitroglu! and what is one of if not the best youth set ups in the country with the best man possible running it. So I think, especially if Magath and some key players stayed, that we'd have a great shot at getting straight back up.

Agree, could never leave Fulham it would be an absolute disgrace and I hope it wouldn't be allowed to happen.But a London NFL team would most definitely reach near capacity every week! Just think how many Americans live in London!

[ChesterTheTabby]

Roger- you are the man. I agree with your inebriated post...because, well, so am I! We will not go down, we will survive!

[Neil D]

and where would the 200 Man Utd coaches park ?

It's probably only two or three now - especially with the trip up from Surrey suddenly becoming a little too arduous.

[Fulham1959]

Great post, Roger  -  both thoughtful and funny.

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

Thanks guys.
This is me sober.
We were getting to the point where we had more coaches that Man Utd.

In the days of backhanders (which I'm sure still goes on in the UK) but is frowned upon over here.
You can't even give people a photocopy of Abramovich's bank statement for fear of bribery.
Let's see what happens to that account once further sanctions are place on Putin's cronies. 
I hope it doesn't affect the bankrolling of Chelsea Football Club whose ground is to be found in FULHAM on the FULHAM ROAD A SHORT WALK FROM FULHAM PALACE ROAD TUBE.
I digress.  Backhanders. We could have lobbed the coach drivers a pony to take the red coaches to near to CC and break down.
"This is Craven Cottage. Didn't George Best play here, and Andy Cole and Eric Nevland and Tunnicliffe and Cole"
"They did, didn't we rob them of Louis Saha and pay a kings ransom for Smalling"
Well, perhaps we should go and see what all of the fuss is about"
"Quaint little ground, would make nice flats in Salford"
"Ticketperson, 52 tickets please for the home supporters end"
"Do you know who we all are ?"
Yes, now f*** off back to Surrey, Hampshire, Kent or wherever you come from"
"Who are Fulham playing today"..........................?

I leave you to fill in the blank if anyone can be bothered, which is unlikely.

Off to watch the New Thomas the Tank Engine Movie

Cheers from Virginia
Fulham 2 Everton 1

[YankeeJim]

Roger, quite entertaining. Hope you were sober when I mentioned NBC Sports and their feeds. I believe Hatter Don followed up on with directions. I didn't bother because the site will walk you through it.  Keep up the drunken posts.   :beer:

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

Thanks, yep I did managed to sort it out. 
I'm useless at that sort of thing and had no idea what my password/Log in was.
But the usual "have you forgotten them" message came up and pointed me in the right direction.
A great free new resource.
It's sure going to beat watching a stream from Turkmachistan, with commentary in
Russian, broadcast from a TV station in Qatar who have paid someone at Sky Sports to patch a cable into the right socket to beam up to a satellite above Buenos Aires (when the earth is in the right position)
But still somehow you get Gary Lineker, Robbie Savage and
Mark F***ingLawrenson spouting on about how many coaches go to Old Trafford every week. Lots of them get there and realize that the Red Devils are away at Southampton or Crystal Palace.   It's seems like every 2 weeks Oldhams gates double ?
Sober nonsense over.

Thanks to both of you for guiding me onto the NBC path.
I don't suppose you can point me where to find the channel that plays 24 hour
Ludo competitions.

Cheers chaps

Roger, quite entertaining. Hope you were sober when I mentioned NBC Sports and their feeds. I believe Hatter Don followed up on with directions. I didn't bother because the site will walk you through it.  Keep up the drunken posts.   :beer: