Monday Fulham Stuff (19/10/15)...

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Johnny Haynes: The Captain

Our Great Fulham Captains feature from the November 2013 edition of Fultime looks at the periods of Johnny Haynes' career where he led his club and country.

There is little to be said about Johnny Haynes that hasn't already been read or heard by Fulham fans; in fact, they are the primary group responsible for waxing so lyrically about the man they call the Maestro.

Having been thrust into the public eye following his dazzling performance for England schoolboys in a live televised match, Haynes rebuffed the advances of North London clubs Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur to sign for the Whites in July 1950 - three months prior to his 16th birthday. Six years, 143 appearances, 47 goals and eight England caps later, he was made Fulham Captain.

Haynes had skippered the side previously, in the absence of Jimmy Hill for the final two matches of the 1955/56 campaign, when he was instrumental in 4-0 and 4-3 victories at Craven Cottage over Doncaster Rovers and Nottingham Forest, respectively. His influence and leadership - despite his tender age (21) - were clearly sufficient to convince Manager Dugald Livingstone that he was worthy of captaining a Fulham side desperate to fulfil ambitions of winning promotion from Division Two.

His reign as skipper did not begin prosperously, however, with the Whites suffering defeat in each of their four opening games of 1956/57 - although our chances were hindered somewhat with Haynes missing for two of those after being clattered throughout our inaugural match of the campaign at home to West Ham United. He had picked up an ankle injury which would plague him irregularly throughout the season - a niggle not helped by unscrupulous opposition defenders targeting his weak spot. Despite this knock, Haynes still racked up 40 appearances for Club and country, but a number of injuries to other players prohibited Fulham from finishing any higher than 11th in the league.

The following campaign was much improved, with Haynes enjoying a summer of rest before captaining his side to a fifth-place finish, in addition to an FA Cup Semi-Final. It was a season tarnished with tragedy though, when a number of Manchester United players were killed in the Munich air disaster in February 1958. Understandably, Haynes was distraught at the horrific accident, with his England teammates Duncan Edwards, Tommy Taylor and Roger Byrne among those who died as a result of the crash.

As fate transpired, it was United - less than two months on from the disaster - who knocked Haynes and Fulham out of the FA Cup. The Semi-Final was played at Villa Park in front of almost 70,000 spectators on 22nd March, with Haynes excelling in a 2-2 draw. In the days before extra-time and penalties, a Replay was required and Fulham were back in London four days later to face United again, this time at Arsenal's Highbury. Haynes was again pulling the strings and thought he'd grabbed an equaliser with Fulham trailing 4-3 as the 90th minute approached, as he controlled the ball on his chest before slamming it into the back of the net. Instead, the referee ruled he had handled it. It was an incorrect decision from the official and it proved costly as Bobby Charlton took advantage of Fulham's incredulous disbelief to break away up the other end and score the decisive goal that took United to Wembley.

By the late 1950s, Haynes was unquestionably the face of Fulham - but the Club was not the only business that he found himself representing, as he quickly became the David Beckham of his time. His status as skipper at Craven Cottage and his importance to the England team - he played every game at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden - meant he was a marketing department's dream. A handsome face no doubt played its part too, mind. The most lucrative of the advertising deals he landed was to become 'the Brylcreem Boy,' with Haynes' face plastered over billboards, buses, newspapers, as well as on London Underground posters and in television commercials. "Frankly, it embarrassed me," the Maestro said of his rocketing fame. "I didn't own a car so travelling around by Underground and bus I was always seeing those pictures of myself. I got plenty of stick from my fellow players, as you can imagine, but yes, my bank manager and me, we laughed all the way." Owing to the maximum wage law still taking effect, Haynes earned 50 per cent more than his annual salary for three days' work with the hair product company.     

The side projects never distracted Haynes from his primary business, though, as he regularly turned down offers to ensure he kept his priorities intact. After returning from the World Cup, he led Fulham to the top flight under the stewardship of new Manager and former teammate Bedford Jezzard, grabbing 26 goals in 34 league matches as the Whites finished second in the division. Haynes grabbed three hat-tricks that season, in addition to a four-goal haul in a 4-2 victory over Lincoln City.

Finally, the 24-year-old had the chance to test himself against the best the country had to offer - indeed, he grabbed a brace in the first home game of the season as Fulham saw off Manchester City in a thrilling 5-2 encounter in South-West London. He ended the 1959/60 season - having missed all of September's matches - with his goal tally once again in double figures as the Whites enjoyed a comfortable first campaign back in Division One. Following a 10th-place finish, Haynes was back on international duty, with a magnificent personal acknowledgement set to be bestowed upon him. After impressing in a 3-3 draw with Yugoslavia - a performance which culminated in Haynes grabbing a late equaliser - England manager Walter Winterbottom informed him that he was set to take over the captaincy.

It was a moment of unequivocal pride for Fulham's golden boy, and he went on to lead his country out no less than 22 times. His finest moment skippering the nation came at Wembley on 15th April 1961, when a decent Scotland side were trounced 9-3. Haynes scored two goals and was involved in the majority of the others as the Scots failed to deal with his laser precision passing and imaginative movement. The victory saw Haynes presented with the British Championship trophy, while the nation's media threw every compliment they could muster his way. It's a day that Johnny savoured and relished long after his career had ended: "I, as captain, collected the trophy from the Queen," he recalled. "Before I knew what was happening, the lads had me up in the air. We were all feeling nine feet tall anyway. You can't ask for a better day than that. That's the moment I live over and over again, the one which makes everything worthwhile. I can tell you there was none prouder than England's captain that day."

Little more than a year later, and having just led Fulham to another ultimately unsuccessful FA Cup Semi-Final, Haynes travelled to Chile as captain of England for the World Cup. The campaign got off to a nightmare start, though, as Hungary claimed a surprise 2-1 victory after marking Haynes out of the game, as their manager exclaimed: "The number 10 takes corners, number 10 takes the throw-ins, number 10 does everything; so what do we do? We put a man tightly on number 10 - goodbye England." A victory over Argentina and draw with Bulgaria sent Haynes and company through to the knock-out stages, but eventual winners Brazil proved too strong and emerged with a 3-1 win.

The England and Fulham skipper, along with manager Winterbottom, was made a scapegoat for the early exit upon their return, but Haynes insisted he did not let the criticism affect him. He was keen to represent England on home soil at the next World Cup, but fate would cruelly rob him of that chance when he was the passenger in a car accident in August 1962. With broken bones in both legs, a cruciate ligament injury to his right knee, and a hairline fracture above his right ankle, Haynes was informed by his orthopaedic specialist that his career was over. He did, of course, recover and play regularly again for Fulham, but was never recalled to the national team, despite pressure on new boss Alf Ramsey from the media to do so following a series of dazzling displays in Division One. It was a decision that he later agreed with: "Sir Alf never picked me and he was quite right. I wasn't the same player after the accident. There was no way I could have played international football, although it took me a very long time to accept it."

Despite missing the majority of the 1962/63 campaign because of those injuries, Haynes still racked up a further 276 appearances before calling time on his Fulham career - a remarkable feat considering the ominous prognosis he'd been given by his surgeon. However, his reign as Fulham Captain - which had lasted for the better part of a decade - came to an end ahead of the 1965/66 season when Manager Vic Buckingham elected to make George Cohen his new skipper.

"It wasn't a problem for John," Cohen recalled. "There was no resentment about it and he said, 'Don't feel badly about it, George.' Mind you, I was probably captain in name only - you couldn't be a captain to Johnny Haynes!" Injury later cut Cohen's career short, with Haynes reinstated as Fulham's leader - not that he'd ever really ceased leading the side. Following another spell where the role had been taken away from him - this time by Bobby Robson - Haynes found himself in a new, unfamiliar role, as he was appointed the Club's Caretaker Manager; a position he insisted was temporary and that he was only doing to help out the Club.

One of his first tasks was to delegate the captaincy that he had held for so long, with Fred Callaghan the player he deemed most deserving of the accolade. But Haynes didn't enjoy his stint as gaffer, and returned to purely playing duties after just four games in charge. He was made Captain once more, but relinquished it to Stan Horne ahead of the 1969/70 campaign - his 20th, and final, season at the Club.

Fans old enough to recall the character of Haynes often describe him to younger supporters as a Dimitar Berbatov-esque player: a brilliantly gifted perfectionist, who comes down hard on his teammates if they fail to deliver to a similar standard. Haynes was, by his own admittance, a vocal captain on the pitch, but he was only tough on his colleagues for the good of the team.

"I am a demanding skipper," he admitted in 1962 - a time when he was leading the line for Fulham and England. "I ask a lot from players at country and at club level. But I make no apologies for this, because I demand a lot from myself and however I am judged in my role as captain and player, I would not wish that judgement to be anything but the highest measure. So, if I find my teammates failing in that respect then it is up to me to try and set it right. That is the yardstick of my own performances when they don't come up to scratch." 

It doesn't seem right that a player of Haynes' ability ended his career without a major honour to his name. But his legacy lives on at Craven Cottage, with his own stand - and an accompanying statue to boot - ensuring that Fulham fans, for generations to come, all appreciate the work of our greatest-ever player and captain.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/october/18/johnny-haynes-the-captain?

[WhiteJC]

 
On loan Fulham keeper enjoying life at Stevenage


Jesse Joronen punches a corner clear
Jesse Joronen happy to be playing regular football after recent injury woes

Jesse Joronen says he is enjoying being back playing regular football following his recent injury woes.

The Finland international played Fulham's four opening league games last season before being dropped, and later joining Accrington Stanley on loan.

However, a serious knee injury in his fourth game for the League Two side saw him sidelined for the best part of nine months and now the 22-year-old is back out on loan at Stevenage with a deal that runs until January.

Joronen made headlines this weekend with a freak goal against Wycombe Wanderers from just outside of his own box, and speaking about his career the Fulham stopper says he's pleased to be back between the sticks.

"I was out for nine months with a knee injury in total and it was a difficult time for me," Joronen said. "I had played the first four matches [for Fulham] and then I got dropped because the results weren't there.

"Marcus [Bettinelli] did brilliantly last season for Fulham so it was very difficult to see me playing, but then I got injured as well.

"That was [last season] and now I'm trying to build back up. I'm just looking to play at the moment...and consistently play men's football."

Joronen speaks to somebody from his parent club after every game with discussions ranging from his performance in games to life on the training pitch.

Speaking about working with Stevenage boss Teddy Sheringham, the goalkeeper said: "You listen to everything that he says very carefully.

"In my opinion he's a very good manager. He's been great with me, very supportive."


http://www.thecomet.net/stevenage-fc/on_loan_fulham_keeper_enjoying_life_at_stevenage_1_4275623

[WhiteJC]

 
Maestro Memories: The Footballer

In our first instalment of Maestro Memories, Fulham fans share their recollections of Johnny Haynes' brilliance on the pitch, for both club and country.

Brendan Flynn: As a 10-year-old I watched the full Fulham team play a practice game on the cinder pitch at Hurlingham Park in the '60s. A wayward shot from Terry Dyson sent me scampering after the ball behind the goal, and with my new suede chisel toe shoes I lobbed the ball back to the Maestro who followed the ball behind me. "Nice chip son," he said, not realising how great that made an impressionable 10-year-old feel. It was even worth the telling off I got from my mum for turning my black shoes 'orange' with the cinders, completely ruining them.

Robert Seymour: I'm sure in a cup game at home against Bristol Rovers, Fulham had a corner, and unless I imagined it a young Bristol defender was laying on the ground holding John's ankles so he could not move.

Geoff Hill: I have been a Fulham supporter since 1956, so I was fortunate enough to see John at his very best. There is no specific memory of him that stands out, as there were so many. Never has anybody stamped his authority on a game so consistently. I was fortunate enough to be at Wembley in 1961 when England beat Scotland 9-3 – John scored twice and he was absolutely imperious in that game, so much so he was carried from the pitch by his teammates. What more can I say.

Nick James: I remember going to watch Fulham train when I was around 15-years-old. Training finished and all players left the field. Johnny came back with a bag of balls and a towel. He placed the towel on the ground on one wing, and from the other wing tried to land balls on it. Then he did the same from the other side. Genius is a word too often used, but not in Johnny's case. I've lived in Australia for over 40 years but have always supported Fulham and proudly worn their shirts. I will never forget the Maestro.

Phillip Allen: Johnny was my hero and still is. Three things stand out for me:

1. I was at a match which was very hot and the ground was full, and just before half- time I fainted. I was taken to the corner flag near the Cottage and just as I was feeling better the whistle blew. Up pops John who taps me on the head and smiles, and I fainted again.

2. On my 13th birthday we played Arsenal and were two goals down with eight minutes left. John scores two great goals and makes my day.

3. When I had my cancer my son wrote to John in Scotland and he wrote a great letter back to me, and included a signed photo.

My hero.

John Davies: Kenneth Wolstenholme commented that Walter Winterbottom should not pick Haynes for the England game against Russia. I think his reason was, 'what had Haynes done lately?' What did JH do? He calmly went out and scored the first three goals (second goal pictured, Haynes not in shot) in a 5-0 victory, and fair play to Wolstenholme, he apologised. Haynes was most certainly the best passer of a ball I have even seen.

John Wills: The 1958 FA Semi-Final against Manchester United at Highbury. It was disappointing for Johnny and the rest of us when at 4-3 down he scored, only for it to be disallowed because the ref said he handballed. Then to cap it, Bobby Charlton went down the other end and scored a great goal to make it 5-3. Fulham fans were the only people in the country who wanted Fulham to win. The rest were rooting for Man U following the Munich air disaster.

Gary Lewis: I was six-years-old and Johnny was coming for a match versus Everton, and as he walked into Craven Cottage he rubbed my hair for good luck. I didn't wash my hair for a week. He was my hero!

Paul Cutbill: As a very young lad I can remember a game at the Cottage when Johnny had the ball on the right hand side of the pitch and suddenly swung a pass virtually the width of the pitch to the left wing and screamed, "where`s the winger?!" A young Les Barrett was completely taken unaware of the brilliance of the pass. Johnny of course was the master of passing, and with a proper ball!!

Ted Darling: I first saw Johnny playing for the reserves while I was on leave during my RAF service. It might have been around 1949-50. I stood at the Putney End, which for reserve games was the only one open in those days. It was a mid-week game and we were playing West Ham. I can't remember the result, however I do recall seeing Johnny walking off the pitch at the end of the match and West Ham's centre-half catching him up as they neared the Cottage, and ruffling Johnny's hair. I can't recall the Hammers player's name but he was a huge man, probably well into his 30s and seeing out his time in their reserves. He probably knew how good Johnny, who then was not much more than a boy, would become.

Bob Howes: I've got many memories of Johnny playing for England and Fulham. In 1958 Johnny scored the winning goal with a great shot on a miserable afternoon against West Ham in the 5th round of the FA Cup, the year we lost 3-5 to Man Utd in a Semi-Final Replay at Highbury. Also, on October 23rd 1958 I was at Wembley with a crowd of 100,000 to see Johnny score a brilliant hat-trick against Russia in a 5-0 win. I also remember when Johnny was carried off on the shoulders of the England players after scoring two of the goals when he captained the national team in a 9-3 drubbing of Scotland in 1961 at Wembley Stadium. Watching Johnny throughout his career was a joy, he was my boyhood footballing hero and I was very fortunate to have got to know him after he returned from South Africa, and continued to be his friend until his death in October 2005. RIP Johnny, you will always be remembered by me as the greatest ever Fulham player.

Pete Mackay: I remember seeing him play firstly in '58. I was eight-years-old and I bunked in for a game, against Leyton Orient I think it was. I was amazed at the passing and air of superiority Haynes had. I was hooked. I got his autograph on a train back from Barrow to Preston. We lost 3-1 and boy was he miserable. He was at the end of his career then, but he still remains the best Fulham player I've ever seen.

David Mayhead: Johnny was my childhood hero, the reason I chose Fulham to the cost of all my Chelsea supporting friends. Stand out moments that measured the man were two goals in the last minutes of a game against Arsenal from two perfectly placed shots to earn a draw from nothing, and his selection of Rodney Marsh to play in goal when Tony Macedo was injured against Aston Villa and Fulham lost 6-3.

Cliff Moore: Johnny Haynes was my idol when I was a lad watching Fulham. I was one of the lucky ones who saw him play for England, and as captain when England beat Scotland 9-3 – Haynes was just superb.
At Fulham over all the years he saw things happen before anyone else with his uncanny knack of knowing where a player would be to receive his fantastic range of passing. It was a privilege to have seen him over many seasons, how I wish we had a player like him now.

Brian Lomath: The first half dozen FFC home games in 1959 were witnessed from the cinder track on the riverside terrace. As a 13-year-old I was lifted over the railings for safety as the crowds were in the region of 40,000. In one of these games the match had been on for about five minutes when we had a throw-in right in front of me. Haynes came running over to take it shouting, "the game's been on for five minutes and I haven't had a touch yet!" Total commitment from the Maestro.

Part Two of Maestro Memories will be published on fulhamfc.com later today, and will feature fans' interactions with Johnny away from the football pitch.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/october/18/maestro-memories-the-footballer?

[WhiteJC]

 
Forever Teammates

Watch as Fulham legends George Cohen, Tosh Chamberlain and Fred Callaghan discuss their memories of teammate and friend, Johnny Haynes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vyIbR5WNfg

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/october/18/forever-teammates?

[WhiteJC]

 
Time Wasters? Us! Never!
 
It seems that the manner in which Fulham went about their business, up at the Riverside Stadium yesterday, didn`t go down well with the Middlesbrough boss, Aitor Karanka.

The Spaniard, following the 0-0 draw, accused Fulham of time-wasting remarking after the game,

"They came here not to play because they were wasting time from the first second and the referee, Peter Bankes, permitted it.

"We couldn`t play our style and couldn`t find the intensity that we needed.

"I had a word with the referee at half time but he said he was happy and he didn`t do anything until the last minute when he booked one of them for time wasting."

Prompting Kit Symons to reply,

"They had a grizzle and a grumble but I am sure if they were 1-0 up they wouldn`t have been rushing around too much.

"It wasn`t deliberate but we had talked about managing the game better and you are not going to go rushing after balls if it is 0-0.

"The referee was happy enough until he got a bit stroppy towards the end."

It`s just a shame that, in those final minutes, Ross McCormack couldn`t rub salt in Karanka`s wounds with a finish when presented with half-a-chance.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=417810#ixzz3ozcrYCv9

[WhiteJC]

 
Maestro Memories: The Man

The second instalment of Johnny Haynes memories features Fulham fans' interactions with the Maestro away from the football pitch.

Eric Wilton: On March 24th 1990 our first child was born: a boy, Sam. Incredibly – given her apathy towards the Beautiful Game – my wife acquiesced to him being given the middle name of Haynes. Shortly thereafter, I contacted Fulham Football Club asking them to forward a letter to Johnny Haynes, with a request for an autograph from himself for Sam. A few days later I received a letter from Johnny, thanking me for the 'honour' and enclosing a signed photo of himself, with the words: "Give Fulham a cheer for me when you're older!" This I presumed would be the end of our correspondence but I (and Sam) were in for a surprise. On his birthday, Sam received a card from Johnny. And this continued every year until his untimely death in 2005.

I never did meet Johnny Haynes personally. I once attended an event where he was part of a panel of past England footballers and it was very apparent to all that he was a breed apart – quietly spoken and somewhat self-effacing. I could have introduced myself to him on that occasion, but something held me back. It might have been embarrassment or fear of disappointment; but I think not. I believe I knew what sort of man Johnny Haynes was and that no personal affirmation was required.

John Kelvin: In the 1960s I played for Putney Cricket Club who played an annual fixture against Fulham. I was fortunate to have played in a number of these matches and had the privilege of speaking to the great man on many occasions. I found him to be a very down to earth individual and very approachable. He was also a very good cricketer.

Brian Handcock: I was walking down Fulham Palace Road on a cold November day in 1973, when low and behold I bump into Johnny Haynes coming out of a shop with his wife. He was a charming man who happily stood there talking with me for a good 10 minutes before going on his merry way. An absolute true gentleman.

Tony Lipman: I used to live in a block of flats opposite Barons Court Station and they had a night club there called the Barons Keep Club. Johnny Haynes used to frequent it from time to time and he was the most approachable person you could possibly want to meet. He would quite readily buy you a drink and have a chat about the game. Lovely man.

Ron Bryant: I was playing in a Fulham Golf Day at Harewood Downs, and on a par three hit the ball from the tee onto the green. Johnny Haynes, who was in the four ball behind, watched it and said "Good shot son." Always nice to be praised by anyone, of course, but by Johnny Haynes, praise indeed. This photo (below) was taken afterwards.

Pete: When I was eight-years-old I met him, Beddy Jezzard and Jimmy Hill in my mother's restaurant, the El Cubano, in Kingston. This was a few days before the semi-final replay against Man Utd. He took time to talk to me and when I added up his bill he gave me a tip of, if memory serves me correctly, 'Half a Crown' – a veritable fortune to a young lad in those days. All three of them were true ambassadors for themselves, the game and the club.

Tony Keen: I remember going down the Cottage in school holidays to collect autographs. We would wait for the great man to arrive for training, we would all line up, and he would sign every book. He would go into training, and if we were lucky Frank Penn would come out and let us sit along the benches in front of the Stevenage Road Stand, now of course the Haynes Stand. Lovely days.

Jeff Facer: I have a picture of 13-year-old me with Johnny and George Cohen sitting pitchside on the railings, in front of the Cottage. My Mum was a supporter in the 40s and knew people who could get us in the courtyard. The photo was taken when Mum asked George if he would mind a picture. Being the gentleman he is he obviously agreed. We got down to pitchside and she saw Johnny standing at the top of the slope and asked George (World Cup Winner don't forget) if he would hang on while she went and got Johnny. This he duly did. So three Fulham Legends gave me a pic I'll never forget till the day I die; Johnny, George, and my Mum, who's sadly now no longer with us.

Steve Lunn: As a young lad, me and my friends went to a London mainline train station to see if we could see any footballers travelling to an away game. Low and behold, there was Johnny Haynes, plus I think Tosh Chamberlain and Jimmy Hill. We went up for an autograph and Johnny realised they did not have a pack of playing cards, so gave me some money and asked if I could go and get a pack, which I did. His appreciation was overwhelming. A great man and of course, an all-time great footballer.

John Gee: I used to collect autographs in the early to mid-60s and, unlike a lot of lesser players, Johnny would always spend time signing our pictures. We used to like to get the photos signed 'best wishes,' but for some reason he insisted that he would sign his name or 'best wishes' but not both. He never seemed to catch on that we would get his autograph and then re-join at the back of the orderly queue to get the 'best wishes' added. Although he was England captain he always made sure we all got what we wanted.

Michael Wontner-Riches: Johnny would often be found in the Golden Lion on supporters club night, which was on a Monday evening, where he would come upstairs and sit and chat in Mr and Mrs Baron's lounge.

In the early days I would get on the trolleybus at Hammersmith and find Johnny sitting in the upstairs back seat, before getting off and walking down Finlay Street to the ground. I travelled with him and the team on numerous occasions, often with his mother Rose and his father Eddie, to those often smoke laden towns up North. I stayed overnight at Lincoln with the team on Christmas Eve 1957 and got Johnny and the rest of the team and Manager, Dug Livingstone, assembled on the staircase for a Christmas morning photo from my shaking hand. Roy Dwight scored the second half goal that saw Fulham win by 1-0 that day.

I have far too many memories of Johnny to include here, but will leave you with one more of him returning from a match we played against Blackpool, we which lost 2-1. We had to change trains at Preston, and whilst the rest of the team were enjoying a beer in the station refreshment room, Johnny was asking for and got a glass of cold milk to refresh him.

I have a number of photos I took of Johnny during those early years, including this one (below) of him in the Cardiff Station refreshment bar on the 26th April 1958 after we had lost 3-0 against Cardiff City. Despite the fact that the match had finished any hopes of promotion that season, he still managed to give me a smile.

David Wakefield: I must have been about eight or nine-years-old when my dad and I met the great man and most of the Fulham team on Putney Bridge as they were going for a run along the towpath on the Putney side of the Thames. He shook my hand and wanted to give me his autograph but we didn't have pen or paper. He said to me, "Give me your name and I'll leave something for you on the gate on Saturday." Sure enough on the Saturday there was a number 10 shirt signed by the First Team waiting for me. He was a truly star player and a gentleman. He was my hero and I'll never forget him.

John Hunt: As a schoolboy my bedroom walls were covered with photographs of the great man. My most treasured possession was a signed programme, which I still have. Many years later, through a friend who was an acquaintance of his parents, I got to have a drink with him on one of his visits to the Cottage from Scotland, and I found him to be the charming man I always thought he would be.

Paul Connor: I was 11-years-old and outside the Cottage waiting for the players to get their autographs. After getting most of the players' autographs and talking to them, I believe it was raining, and I was offered a lift home by Johnny Haynes. Amazing. Would any other England captains out there offer me a lift if asked? I don't think so. A great man, a gent, a legend. God bless x

Chris Cox: I used to bunk off school to watch the lads train at the Cottage. Johnny always had a kind word and would give all the autographs you wanted. Perfect Gentleman.

Tony Doubler: I was fortunate enough to be in on the start of Johnny Haynes' career at Fulham. I was also fortunate enough to be invited to his memorial service in Hammersmith. I spoke to Tosh Chamberlain there and he relayed a story to me that the two of them sometimes cycled to London matches. Whether he was captain of England at that time I don't know, but can you imagine any footballer today cycling to a match, let alone someone of Johnny's stature?

Baz Richardson: Back in the 1950s and early 60s, before the start of every football season Fulham used to play a friendly cricket match against a local team on Barnes Common. Johnny Haynes was a talented wicket keeper and used to play for Winchmore Hill, his local side in North London. So he captained the Fulham cricket team and also kept wicket. In one particular game, Fulham's centre forward Maurice Cook was batting and got hit on the head by a ball. He was taken off in a daze. He eventually returned to the field to much laughter wearing an old motorcycle helmet – the first time to my knowledge that any batsman wore a helmet in a cricket match.

David Bell: When Fulham held pre-season training at the Cottage in the 60s we would wait for the players to come out so we could get their autographs. Johnny would get us to all line up and he would sign everyone's book before leaving. A mark of a true gent and someone who appreciated the fans' support.

John Sherar: Along with the many memories of watching Johnny Haynes at the Cottage, I was lucky enough to see Johnny and the team playing cricket in the close season at the Alexandra Recreation Park Tolworth against the Surbiton Royal British Legion team. A field day for autograph hunters. Johnny was a real hero and a very modest one. Thanks for the memories.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/october/18/maestro-memories-the-man?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham boss says he opens Sunday papers with trepidation

Symons sick of seeing his job is under threat

Kit Symons might soon pack in a Sunday read if it amounts to the same speculation over his job he suffered this week.

The Fulham boss agreed it was becoming a drag seeing his job under threat every time there was a spare gap in a newspaper column, with the likes of Steve Bruce waiting in the Cottage wings to take over, supposedly.

A heartening 0-0 against Middlesbrough yesterday might still not be enough to relieve the pressure.

The Whites gaffer was under the cosh last season as well when the club flirted with relegation, even though he only took over permanently at the back end of October.

Now, he might do well to stick to the cartoons in the future if he's to get a laugh out of the news.

He said: "When you pick up the paper on a Sunday morning and read stuff - it's not ideal. All I can do is the best I can.

"It is what it is, but I'm not surprised, and it's down to me."

A Fulham insider believes fans got used to seeing their side safe in the Premier League. So even with Symons' previous status as a playing icon, not to mention a successful stint as academy chief, supporters want a return to instant success.

"It doesn't matter that Kit has only been in the job five minutes, relatively," said the source. "They want it all now."

The man himself is only too aware he needs a run of wins to ease the speculation.

"I hope results are good enough to give me the time to be the person to put everything in place," he added.

"Football fans cheer when you do well, and you might get stick when it's not so good. The honeymoon period is over, and my contract is up at the end of the season. At some stage, I'll get to find out what's next."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-boss-says-opens-sunday-10283104?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham v Leeds United: Defensive options are narrowing for Rosler

Leeds United's defensive resources have been cut to the bone with Uwe Rosler unable to say when Charlie Taylor or Liam Cooper will return to his first-team plans.

Left-back Taylor missed Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Brighton with a virus and Leeds have already ruled the 22-year-old out of Wednesday night's trip to Fulham.

Rosler did not discuss Taylor's illness in detail but appeared to indicate that the youngster – one of United's most consistent players this season – could be absent for an extended period of time.

Cooper is also undergoing assessments after limping out of the Brighton loss at a crucial stage of the game with a knee injury. The centre-back was hurt in the closing stages and despite indicating that he would play on, he broke down in obvious pain as he tried to put weight on his injured leg.

Leeds had used all three substitutes by then and reduced to 10 men, Rosler's side were picked off by an 89th-minute winner from veteran Brighton striker Bobby Zamora.

Cooper, who claimed United's goal with a header in the first half, is not expected to recover in time for the visit to Fulham, leaving head coach Rosler to turn to either Giuseppe Bellusci or Scott Wootton at Craven Cottage.

Bellusci has featured only sporadically since August and last played during a 3-0 defeat at Middlesbrough, a match in which he scored an own goal. Wootton started at right-back against Brighton after Taylor's untimely absence forced a defensive reshuffle.

Rosler said: "Liam was fantastic, his best game since I joined the club. Not only because he scored the goal but because of the way he defended. He showed authority on the pitch and then that happens to him.

"He wanted to continue but he couldn't walk. It doesn't look good but I don't want to make any speculation because it's not the right thing to do."

Taylor's illness ended his ever-present record in Rosler's line-up and the loss of the in-form academy product is another bitter blow for the club's head coach. Gaetano Berardi replaced him at left-back against Brighton with Wootton filling on the other side of defence, preferred to Sam Byram.

The two fresh set-backs come in the wake of the broken ankle suffered by second-choice goalkeeper Ross Turnbull in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Thorp Arch a fortnight ago.

"Charlie has a virus infection," Rosler said. "Charlie has been one of our best players."

Rosler was unable to give a timescale for Taylor's possible return but confirmed that he would miss the clash with Fulham.

Captain Sol Bamba, meanwhile, remains one booking away from a one-match ban.


http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/latest-lufc-news/fulham-v-leeds-united-defensive-options-are-narrowing-for-rosler-1-7521955?