Well, here we are

[Peabody]

Sept 7th marks my 70th annerverary of supporting Fulham. I know others like Kent Cassandra have gone well past 70 years but I feel quite proud of reaching that milestone and have I enjoyed it, well I'm still here aren't I? Just like all Fulham supporters, we ain't glory hunters are we?

[HatterDon]

Nope, but you've got iron will!  049:gif

[RaySmith]

Congratulations Peabody.

You're a fine example for us to aspire to.

[WhiteJC]

congratulations  :wine:

it's my 50th, so I've still some way to go, if the lungs hold out and the ticker keeps goin' 049:gif

as my wife says supporting Fulham isn't a passion, nor an addiction...

...it's an affliction  :yay:    064.gif

here's to staying afflicted  082.gif

[General]

If I get to 70 years of being a fulham fan I'll be in my mid 80's... that's impressive by anyone's standards, although I'm a younger generation (with suposedly better attitudes to health - although I'm very dubious of that) I'm yet to believe I'll be able to reach that landmark and therefore you've done far better than I can ever comprehend and have huge respect for that.

I suppose, how does your perspective of being a fan change as you get older? That's the question i'd be curious to know the answer to.

When I was young my perspective was that it was a very keen interest, a treat and great way to hang out with my dad. I also obviously let it become a part of me. We had season tickets and I'd take friends, it tied in with a smooth transition of being a young teen to growing into a more mature stage in life.

The next phase was it / football being a common ground which encouraged generalist chats about football with friends and park hang outs, I invited friends to go to games but the ground felt like a more mature part of me, much more homely - grown up relationships were built with the season ticket holders who'd all been near me since I started going... Europa League was obviously a high point and I felt pride of seeing us exceed everyone's expectations and so on.

Then I was away for around 2 years, it was something I followed, but my passion dwindled as the club were mismanaged and I wasn't nearby, but I always kept an eye out for Fulham games and scores and kept it as a younger part of me.. reflecting on the good times, with almost a decade of Fulham memories to look back on and names. It's as consistent and every changing as it's always been. The ground stays the same, whilst players come and go..

I'm now settling back home, with intention to go back to more games and if I ever have children would want them to be Fulham fans, the atmosphere and values of the club I believe are something I find relatable and positive and think must've had an impact on me as a person.

How do you look back on 70 years of being a fan? How do you see the club and how have you seen it differently at different stages of your life?

Ever curious.

[Cambridge Pete]

And there I was thinking that in March it will be 60 years since my first trip to the Cottage. 70 wow, all I can say is "well done" to a fellow masochist.

[Peabody]

How do I start to, to answer your questions General. Well when I started I was seven and it was just a trip out with my uncle, coming out of Peabody onto the Fulham Palace Road, he could have got on the Trollybus and gone to Loftus Road and I wouldn't have been any the wiser, even worse, he could have got the number 11 and gone to Fulham Broadway and you all know what lies there. He didn't he took me to Craven Cottage and my fate was sealed.

As I grew up, then Fulham came to mean more to me, when they won, I was euphoric but when they lost well, I was low and miserable. As I have got older, well I have become more relaxed and appreciate that I have been lucky enough to have seen some truly great players both playing for and against Fulham. Players like Johnny Haynes, Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Tom Finney, our own Beddy Jezzard and Bobby Charlton. I have seen great events at Craven Cottage and elsewhere.

Now, and I know I will be accused of lacking ambition, but I now I am totally relaxed and whilst I might moan at matches, I refuse to comment adversely on places like this.

[General]

How do I start to, to answer your questions General. Well when I started I was seven and it was just a trip out with my uncle, coming out of Peabody onto the Fulham Palace Road, he could have got on the Trollybus and gone to Loftus Road and I wouldn't have been any the wiser, even worse, he could have got the number 11 and gone to Fulham Broadway and you all know what lies there. He didn't he took me to Craven Cottage and my fate was sealed.

As I grew up, then Fulham came to mean more to me, when they won, I was euphoric but when they lost well, I was low and miserable. As I have got older, well I have become more relaxed and appreciate that I have been lucky enough to have seen some truly great players both playing for and against Fulham. Players like Johnny Haynes, Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Tom Finney, our own Beddy Jezzard and Bobby Charlton. I have seen great events at Craven Cottage and elsewhere.

Now, and I know I will be accused of lacking ambition, but I now I am totally relaxed and whilst I might moan at matches, I refuse to comment adversely on places like this.

It's interesting that when people who've been able to see the likes of Bedford Jezzard, Johnny Haynes and bobby charlton etc rarely do they ever put context to seeing similar players since... despite the hype and excitement around global superstars that exist nowadays and the fact we've seen record breaking players in the mould of Ronaldo, Henry, Gerrard, Giggs etc ply their trade here in the league and also had gifted players like Berbatov play for us despite his admitted lethargy. Why is that? Is it because you were more keenly into football at a younger age, that these players lack a more romantic edge to who they are in terms of whats available to them now and how the world was and views football now to then? Was football as a sport to play in parks more widely accessible and more commonplace, or were those players like Haynes purely spectacular, or is it a case of having seen them set a standard of play that was so significant first, in your earlier years players like Henry and Ronaldo don't impress as much and there's a sentimentality behind your views? I'd also be intrigued to know what your views are on media and sport and how media's influence has changed the game.

[nose]

Peabody, CONGRATULATIONS !  I am a mere novice at nearly 55 years supporting ( I am not quite certain what my first year actually was but I did see haynes and  Cohen in the old fiorst division for a number of seasons.

As I have got older the bug has not left me and as you know I am excitable when things are not to my liking. It is because I am actually the eternal optimist and if things are not as good as they can be then I have to speak out, I cannot help myself. I admire your more relaxed attitude.

In any event we enjoy in the way that suits us best and without question what makes fulham the best club in the world are two things, the ground and the endless good humour iof the supporters, and that is what we all are!

Love the jokes, do you not have one to mark the occaion?

[Mince n Tatties]

Fantastic Mr P, hope you have many more years visiting
Our great football ground, and see us win a major tournament... 049:gif

[Peabody]

Of course modern players impress. The thing with past is that there are most likely less of the generations that follow mine who saw the Matthews and Finneys, so all they have is the recollections of us older fans.bplayers like Henry, Saha etc are just as good and in some cases better but and this is debatable, players in the past were closer to the fans than they are now. I have often told the tale of the Odis Cafe in Hammersmith Broadway, were Joe Bacuzzi, Harry Freeman and Jim Taylor used to go for a cups after training and they would always let us kids in for autographs and a chat.

[davew]

Well done Peabody, I've only managed 60/61 so far!

[GloucesterWhite]

Keep taking the tablets Mr P - but at your age go easy on the viagra.

[Burt]

Well done Mr P, and here's to many more years  082.gif

Re your discussion with the General, I think the factors include in those days players being more loyal to their club, the fan/player/club relationship was more "intimate", money had yet to rear it's ugly head, there seemed to be more home-grown "characters" as opposed to imported prima-donas, etc. etc.

Even since I started following us in '74, the changes have been substantial. 

[filham]

Have you been to see a doctor about this obsession ?

There are no suitable pills for the condition, I understand that we have to wait for brain surgery to reach an advanced stage.

[Kent Cassandra]

Hello Mr P
I am just back from Ireland and looking forward to the match on Saturday.
You are wrong Mr P, although I am a few years older than you I didn't start until I was twelve.   I was sent to Wales when we got bombed out in Hammersmith and did not get back until I was nine.   So you may well be the longest suffering Fulham fan who actually manages to get to matches.    If you are you deserve a medal.

[filham]

Where does the count start, looking back it must be almost seventy years ago that I decided to line up with the Fulham boys against the Chelsea boys in the School playground but it was two or three years later that I became a regular visitor to the Cottage and a regular guest at the Bridge with my Chelsea friends. None of us budged an inch from the early alliance we made.

[Kent Cassandra]

Filham I think the count must start from the first actual attendance, I was evacuated and went to see Cardiff play when I was seven but that was Rugby.
General... Although the players are fitter and more technical nowadays the top players we are talking about seem to have been  on the ball a lot more. Every time the maestro got the ball you could sense everyone leaning forward and a buzz go around the ground.

[gezkc]

Congratulations Mr P! Quite an achievement!  065.gif

Going back to General's question about why people don't hold the new generation of players in quite the esteem of the ones from days gone by, for me age has a lot to do with it.

When I was a lot younger than the players I was watching, I saw them as almost superheroes - they were more than just footballers - and I really looked up to them as a result.

As I got closer to the age of the players I was watching, and finally passed them by in years, I started to see them for what they really were - ordinary blokes who are lucky enough to be paid to play football!

On top of that, the realisation of the riches they earn from the game - understanding that it's not just the love of the game or the loyalty to the club, but financial gain that motivates them - takes away the romance of football as you get older.

I'm sure it's different for everyone, but I think that's why I don't view today's superstars with the same eyes I did as a youngster.

[bog]

Congratulations Peabody. What milestone. How many highs and lows aye? Worth every minute.  What a cake!!! 082.gif 049:gif



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