Tuesday Fulham Stuff (10/06/14)...

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Steve Sidwell: Stoke City sign former Fulham midfielder

Stoke City have signed midfielder Steve Sidwell on a free transfer following his release by relegated Fulham.

The 31-year-old, Fulham's top scorer in 2013-14, will join the Potters on a two-year deal on 1 July.

"Steve was much in demand and we are delighted to have won the race to secure his signature," said Stoke chief executive Tony Scholes.

The former Chelsea player is the club's second signing of the summer following the capture of Phil Bardsley.

They are "hopeful" of landing ex-Manchester United striker Mame Biram Diouf from Hannover 96 as Mark Hughes seeks to strengthen a squad that achieved the club's record Premier League points tally last season.

Hughes signed Sidwell, who has made more than 180 appearances in the Premier League, while working as Fulham manager in 2011.

The former Arsenal trainee played in all 38 of the Cottagers' top-flight fixtures in 2013-14, scoring seven goals.

"Like Phil Bardsley, Steve brings great experience to our squad and I'm sure he will prove to be an excellent addition to our squad," said Scholes.

Sidwell, who has also played for Reading and Aston Villa, wrote on Twitter  he was "saddened" his time at Craven Cottage had ended.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27769534

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Former Chipstead midfielder Steve Sidwell joins Stoke City

Steve Sidwell regularly returns to Chipstead Football Club

Chipstead Football Club's most famous son, Steve Sidwell will remain in the Premier League after joining Stoke City on a two-year deal.

The 31-year-old midfielder, who started his career at High Road, was released by relegated Fulham at the end of the season.

The former Arsenal player's brother Lee also played for Chipstead as well as Lingfield and Whyteleafe.

"Steve was much in demand and we are delighted to have won the race to secure his signature," said Stoke chief executive Tony Scholes.



Read more: http://www.surreymirror.co.uk/Chipstead-midfielder-Steve-Sidwell-joins-Stoke/story-21208208-detail/story.html?#ixzz34ASQUxmh
Read more at http://www.surreymirror.co.uk/Chipstead-midfielder-Steve-Sidwell-joins-Stoke/story-21208208-detail/story.html?#Do2rEMvYDxW38bjC.99

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Pre-season for the U-18s

Young Dons will face Fulham next month

AFC Wimbledon Under-18s has seven matches scheduled for their pre-season campaign with a tough challenge against FA Youth Cup finalists Fulham as the pick of the bunch.

After starting their preparations for 2014/15 with a match against an AFC Wimbledon supporters' team, it promises to get much tougher for the young Dons as they face a Fulham side that were only narrowly beaten 7-6 on aggregate by Chelsea in last season's final.

Former AFC Wimbledon youth teamer Patrick Roberts, who played in that match and is highly-rated at Craven Cottage, could be in opposition. The Under-18s also have a match against the well-renowned Boreham Wood youth set-up with Dons hero Luke Garrard currently Academy Director at the Hertfordshire club.

The AFC Wimbledon Under-18s squad for next season will consist of 11 second years, including the likes of Ryan Sweeney (pictured), Dan Agyei,  Billy Frost and Egli Kaja, a quartet who all played in the London Senior Cup Final win against Metropolitan Police.

Nine first year scholars will also be in the squad and AFC Wimbledon Academy Head of Coaching Mark Robinson has offered Ian Smith and Dylan Bahad opportunities to stake their claims in pre-season after they impressed for Michael Hamilton's college academy side.

The full list of pre-season fixtures for AFC Wimbledon Under-18s is as follows:

28 June- AFC Wimbledon supporters' team (11.30 am kick-off at Tooting & Mitcham FC)

4 July -Pro Football Academies UK(12 noon at Brunel University)

8 July- AFC Hornchurch (12 noon at Tooting and Mitcham FC)

14 July- FAB Academy (11.30 am at Bisham Abbey)

19 July  -Fulham FC (11.00 am at Fulham FC training ground)

23 July- Boreham Wood (1.00 pm at Meadow Park)

28 July- AFC Wimbledon v MB Academy (12.30pm at Tooting and Mitcham FC).


Read more at http://www.afcwimbledon.co.uk/news/article/under-18s-pre-season-1627500.aspx#SgkeqJKomJYwb4VL.99

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Lou Macari: Why Steve Sidwell deal is great news for Stoke City

STOKE boss Mark Hughes has done yet more early-season transfer business by signing Steve Sidwell on a free transfer from Fulham.

Sidwell falls into a similar category as Hughes's other early-season recruit Phil Bardsley. Both are reliable, experienced and know what the Premier League is all about.

Throw in ex-Hanover striker Mame Diouf, who will also complete his move to Stoke shortly, and Hughes is clearly ahead of the game in building his squad for next season.

It's not always easy to get the targets you want, but as a manager I would much sooner have my squad in place early in the summer rather than have to wait well into pre-season.

It might be that Sidwell has been brought in as a replacement for an existing midfielder - after all Steven Nzonzi handed in a transfer request last month.

If that is the case then Hughes will be delighted to get his man in early and not be scrambling around for a player if Nzonzi, or any other midfielder, is sold on.

Hughes is not only getting a reliable performer, he's getting a player he knows and trusts having also signed Sidwell when he was manager at Fulham.

Mind you, signing players is a team effort these days and I am sure Tony Scholes will have been heavily involved in negotiating the Bardsley, Diouf and Sidwell deals.

I have to say it wasn't such a complicated business when I was Stoke manager a couple of decades ago.

I did the transfer negotiations myself, but they were very straightforward because nearly everyone in the squad was on wages which were within £50 of each other.

That made contract talks pretty simple - this is what we could pay and if you didn't like it, well good luck elsewhere.

Deals always had to be approved by the board anyway, but these days negotiations are no longer part of the job description of the manager.

I'm sure Scholes is delighted to get these negotiations sorted so rapidly, and I'm also sure there has been more to it than haggling over £50.



Read more: http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Lou-Macari-Steve-Sidwell-deal-great-news-Stoke/story-21208320-detail/story.html?#ixzz34ATEbywQ
Read more at http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Lou-Macari-Steve-Sidwell-deal-great-news-Stoke/story-21208320-detail/story.html?#IrfoRlsCsw6MpGe0.99

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Steve Sidwell signs for Stoke City after being released by Fulham
• Midfielder 'was much in demand' say Stoke
• Sidwell follows Sunderland's Phil Bardsley to Stoke

Steve Sidwell has signed a two-year deal with Stoke City after being released by Fulham.

Sidwell started his career with Arsenal and played with different clubs before joining Chelsea in 2007. He spent one season at Stamford Bridge, then moved to Aston Villa before switching to Fulham in 2011.

He scored seven goals for Fulham last season as they were relegated to the Championship.

The Stoke chief executive, Tony Scholes, said: "Steve was much in demand following his release by Fulham and we are delighted to have won the race to secure his signature."

Sidwell is Stoke's second signing of the close season following Phil Bardsley's arrival from Sunderland.


http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/09/steve-sidwell-signs-stoke-city-fulham?