Friday Fulham Stuff (13/05/16)...

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Mitroglou headlines Greece squad to face Socceroos



Kostas Mitroglou headlines Greece's squad that is set to take on Australia in Sydney on June 4 and in Melbourne on June 7.

The Benfica striker has scored 23 goals and made five assists in 43 matches this season. Joining him will be his Benfica teammate Andreas Samaris, Borussia Dortmund defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Roma's Vasilis Torosidis.

Greek Coach Michael Skibbe has selected an initial 31-man squad, which will be trimmed following a pre-tour camp that commences in Athens on 24 May prior to them travelling to Australia.

There are four players in the squad who are team-mates of young Aussie Terry Antonis at PAOK, including Stelios Kitsiou, Giorgos Tzavellas, Alexandros Tziolis and Dimitris Pelkas.

The last time Greece came to Australia was prior to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, with the Socceroos prevailing 1-0 in front of 95,000 fans at the MCG with a goal from Josip Skoko.

Greece squad for the Dodoni Series

Goalkeepers: Orestis Karnezis (Udinese), Stefanos Kapino (Olympiakos)

Defenders: Loukas Vyntra (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Stelios Kitsiou (Paok), Vangelis Moras (Verona), Michaalis Boukouvalas (Iraklis), Marios Economou (Bologna), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Borussia Dortmund), Dimitris Siovas (Olympiakos), Kostas Stafylidis (FC Augsburg), Giorgos Tzavellas (Paok), Vasilis Torosidis (Roma), Jose Holebas (Watford)

Midfielders: Andreas Samaris (Benfica), Alexandros Tziolis (Paok), Panagiotis Kone (Fiorentina), Giannis Maniatis (Standard Liege), Petros Mantalos (AEK), Dimitris Pelkas (Paok), Panagiotis Tachtsidis (Genoa), Giannis Fetfatzidis (Al-Ahli), Kostas Fortounis (Olympiakos)

: Kostas Mitroglou (Benfica), Christos Aravidis (AEK), Apostolos Vellios (Iraklis), Giannis Gianniotas (Apoel), Dimitris Diamantakos (Karlsruher SC), Nikos Karelis (Racing Genk), Anastasios Bakasetas (Panionios), Thanassis Papazoglou (KV Kortrigk), Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (Sampdoria)


http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2016/05/12/mitroglou-headlines-greece-squad-face-socceroos?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Get Excellence Award for 2015/16

Fulham have been recognised by the Football League in their annual Excellence Awards for Family Football experiences on a matchday.

The Award was created by the Football League back in 2007 to provide recognition for those clubs deemed to have provided an 'outstanding experience' on matchdays for young fans and families as the game sought to be more encompassing in a scheme that won the Gold Award at the European Professional Football Leagues' Best Practice Awards.

44 clubs for the Football League pyramid were selected for recognition this year, despite their being an increase in the benchmark standard applied by the judging panel.

Part of the judging process factors in engaging and innovative matchday entertainment, including high levels of ticket booking assistance, extensive pre-match advice, guidance and materials, exciting entertainment both inside and outside the stadium, and money can`t buy experiences for young fans, amongst other things.

Clubs themselves are said to be setting new benchmark standards with improvements with the introduction of things like matchday menus for entertainment schedules with catering options, innovative locally-sourced refreshments, and also 'magic moments' of interaction with club mascots, players and enthusiastic family-friendly staff within dedicated family zones.

But enough of the public relations guff.

Bottom line is child and family attendance in games around the country is on the increase.

Football League Chief Executive Shaun Harvey explained.

'The Football League Family Excellence Award continues to provide clubs with a standard to aspire to. The objective of the Award is to recognise those clubs who have successfully attracted more families and young fans to matches. Innovation is at the heart of clubs` success and the League`s partnerships with Channel 5 and Nickelodeon are part of an ongoing commitment to support clubs in this important area by increasing the profile of our games among the next generation of fans.'

Six clubs have secured the Award in every season since its inception.

Doncaster Rovers, Huddersfield Town, Ipswich Town, Milton Keynes Dons, Cardiff City and Reading.

Wigan Athletic have been awarded the accolade for the first time.

Clubs receiving the Award in 2016 are:

AFC Wimbledon
Birmingham City
Blackburn Rovers
Bolton Wanderers
Brentford
Brighton & Hove Albion
Bristol City
Cardiff City
Carlisle United
Charlton Athletic
Chesterfield
Colchester United
Coventry City
Crewe Alexandra
Derby County
Doncaster Rovers
Exeter City
Fulham
Gillingham
Huddersfield Town
Ipswich Town
Leeds United
Luton Town
Middlesbrough
Millwall
Milton Keynes Dons
Northampton Town
Nottingham Forest
Notts County
Oldham Athletic
Oxford United
Peterborough United
Plymouth Argyle
Preston North End
Queens Park Rangers
Reading
Rotherham United
Scunthorpe United
Sheffield United
Southend United
Stevenage
Wigan Athletic
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=446526#ixzz48W7WkcGf

[WhiteJC]

 
Two Weeks To Keep Your Seat

Season Ticket Holders have just two weeks to keep their existing seat for the 2016/17 campaign.

At 5pm on Thursday 26th May Season Tickets will go off sale, and all unrenewed seats will be released for an exclusive Seat Move period, before being made available to purchase on General Sale.

Next season at Craven Cottage no supporter renewing for 2016/17 will pay a penny more than they did against last season's prices, meaning renewal prices will again begin from just £254.

Furthermore, a Junior Season Ticket starts from as little as £47, with Under-10s in the Family Zone able to watch for £25, whilst we've also increased the age bands for Juniors from Under-17 to Under-18.

Full pricing is available to view here, along with a complete list of benefits.

Don't lose your seat - join us on what we hope will be an exciting journey next term.

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/may/12/two-weeks-until-seat-release?

[WhiteJC]

 
Michael Madl On Standby

Fulham's on-loan centre-back Michael Madl has been named on the standby list for Austria's upcoming friendlies and the UEFA European Championship.

Team manager Marcel Koller has named an initial squad of 24, with a further 16 on standby, for their fixtures with Malta and the Netherlands, prior to the commencement of Euro 2016.

In France, Austria will go up against Hungary, Iceland and Portugal in Group F. 


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/may/12/michael-madl-on-standby?

[WhiteJC]

 
McCormack Called Up

Ross McCormack has been named in the Scotland squad for their friendly matches against Italy and France.

They travel to Malta to take on the Azzurri on Sunday 29th May, before moving on to Metz where they'll face the European Championship hosts on Saturday 4th June.

McCormack made his first international appearance in two years back in March, playing a vital role as he provided the assist for Ikechi Anya's goal in a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/may/12/ross-mccormack-called-up?

[WhiteJC]

 
Woodrow's Toulon Call

Cauley Woodrow has been named in the England Under-21 squad for the Toulon Tournament this month.

Gareth Southgate's side will take on Portugal (Thursday 19th), Guinea (Monday 23rd), Paraguay (Wednesday 25th) and Japan (Friday 27th) in Group B at a variety of stadia in Southern France.

If they finish top they'll advance straight to the Final, while a second place finish will put the Young Lions into a Third-Place Play-Off.

Squad in full: Angus Gunn, Jordan Pickford, Calum Chambers, Ben Chilwell, Brendan Galloway, Kortney Hause, Dominic Iorfa, Jack Stephens, Matt Targett, Lewis Baker, Nathaniel Chalobah, Matt Grimes, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, John Swift, James Ward-Prowse, Jack Grealish, Kasey Palmer, Nathan Redmond, Duncan Watmore, Cauley Woodrow


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/may/12/cauley-woodrow-toulon-tournament?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jesse Extends Fulham Stay

The Club is pleased to confirm that Jesse Joronen's contract with Fulham has been extended until June 2017.

Joronen – who has made four First Team appearances for the Whites – joined Sky Bet League Two side Stevenage on loan last season, and famously opened the scoring in their 2-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers.

A thigh injury in November brought the Finland international's time there to a premature end, but he fought back to full fitness before the campaign was out, and returned to action for Fulham's Under-21 side.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/may/12/jesse-joronen-extends-fulham-stay?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Midfielder Adeniran Features As England Qualify In Style For U17 Euro

England's UEFA European Under-17 Championship dream is alive and kicking after the Young Lions beat Denmark 3-1 in their final Group C fixture on Thursday evening at the Baku Olympic Stadium.

Head coach Steve Cooper opted to start Fulham midfielder of Nigerian descent Dennis Adeniran, while Samuel Shashoua and Tolaji Bola were named amongst the substitutes.

Adeniran had a great chance to give England the lead in the 11th minute before Reiss Nelson opened scoring on the half-hour mark.

In the second half, goals from Mason Mount and George Hirst put England 3-0 up before Jens Odgaard netted a consolation for the Scandinavians in the 80th minute.

Adeniran worked a ninety-minute shift while Bola, who picked up an injury against Sweden, and Shashoua were unused subs.

Igho Kingsley

Photo Credit : fulhamfc.com


http://allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=19011

[WhiteJC]

 
Three signings Fulham need to challenge for promotion under Slavisa Jokanovic

It is clear that changes need to be made this summer at Fulham. Last season's 20th-place finish was simply not good enough, and supporters will demand to see tangible progress next season.

Slavisa Jokanovic will finally have an entire summer to rebuild and reshape the Whites, but he must heed the lessons of last year's ill-fated transfer window. In 2015, Fulham signed 12 players, yet quantity did not yield quality, and despite acquiring six new defenders, Fulham's defence was still incredibly porous.

Over the next few pages of this article, we suggest three smart and effective signings that could well propel The Cottagers into the promotion picture.

Shane Duffy – Blackburn Rovers

New defenders should be on the top of the Fulham transfer list, and there are few better in the Championship than Blackburn centre-half Shane Duffy.

The Irishman is a commanding presence in the air and is statistically the best in the Championship. According to WhoScored, Duffy wins an average of 7.5 aerial duels a match, the most of any defender in the division. This will be music to the ears of Fulham supporters, who watched their team concede a whopping 19 headed goals last season, the most of any side in the Championship.

In addition, Duffy is only 24 years old, and will hopefully be in the prime of his career if he moves to Fulham. Aggressive, committed, and physical central defenders are a must buy for the Whites this off-season, and Shane Duffy fits that mould perfectly.

Tom Ince – Derby County

Fulham are aching for a mercurial, talented young winger who possesses pace and creativity; the likes of which the Cottage faithful have not seen since Kerim Frei's introduction back in 2012. Tom Ince is a constant threat on the wing, and although his end product may sometimes be lacking, the raw talent at his disposal is immense.

Ince tore up the Fulham defense at Pride Park this season, and if the Whites were to acquire his services Fulham would add a new dimension to their fearsome attack.

If Derby fail to achieve promotion through the play-offs then Ince might be looking for a move elsewhere, and there would be no better place to move to than Fulham. Slavisa Jokanovic is the perfect man to nurture Ince's precocious talent and hopefully provide the 24 year old with some much needed stability – he has already played for seven clubs in his young career.

Emerson Hyndman – Fulham

This last player is not technically a new signing, but negotiating a new contract with free agent Emerson Hyndman this summer is vital for Fulham's long term success.

The American rose through the youth ranks at Fulham, featuring in the FA Youth Cup Final in 2014 along with Moussa Dembele and Patrick Roberts, and is a prominent member of the USA U-23 team. Both of those aforementioned academy products are set to leave SW6, and Fulham would be foolish to allow Hyndman to slip from their grasp as well.

The central midfielder showed great promise in the second half of the season, providing mature displays and notably notching the stoppage time winner against Cardiff in April.

Re-sign the 20 year old to a new contract, and Fulham could have a future club legend in the centre of midfield for years to come.



http://tbrfootball.com/three-signings-fulham-need-to-challenge-for-promotion-under-slavisa-jokanovic/?