Wednesday Fulham Stuff (11/01/17)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Exclusive – Fulham Ahead Of Espanyol In Race To Sign Red Hot Olarenwaju Kayode

English Championship side Fulham are odds on favourite to sign hot in demand Austria Wien's Nigerian forward Olarenwaju Kayode this January ahead of La-Liga side Espanyol.

Kayode is also reportedly a target for teams in Turkey as well but recent reports suggest that La-Liga side Espanyol have joined in his chase, but Fulham are clear favourites to land the 23 year old.
Owngoalnigeria.com gathered from sources close to the player that coach of Fulham Slavisa Jokanovic knows all about the abilities of Kayode right from his days in Israel with Maccabi Netanya.

The coach who was also in Israel at that time tried to sign Kayode for his then club Maccabi Tel Aviv, before the forward moved to Austria where he has grown in leaps and bounds in the last 18 months.

Reportedly close to been called up to the Nigeria senior team for the first time later in the year, the 23 year old has scored 14 goals in all competitions this season, with 5 coming in the Europa League, while 9 of his goals have been scored in league and cup games in Austria.


http://owngoalnigeria.com/2017/01/10/exclusive-fulham-ahead-of-espanyol-in-race-to-sign-red-hot-olarenwaju-kayode/

[WhiteJC]

 
Magpies targeting Tom Cairney in January move


IN DEMAND: Newcastle are looking to sign Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney this month

NEWCASTLE have turned their transfer attentions to Tom Cairney – but have been told they will have to splash out £8m to sign the Fulham midfielder.

Magpies manager Rafael Benitez remains determined to sign a central midfielder this month, but his initial attempts to make a transfer breakthrough have proved unsuccessful.

Cheick Tiote is set to complete a permanent move away from Tyneside in the next few days, with Spanish sides Sporting Gijon and Leganes both pursuing a free transfer, but Benitez's hopes of completing an early signing of his own have failed to come to fruition.

Loan offers for Tom Cleverley, Fabian Delph and Ruben Loftus-Cheek remain on the table, but if any of the three players move on this month, they are likely to remain in the top-flight with Premier League clubs.

As a result, Benitez has shifted his attention elsewhere, with Cairney the latest player to command his attention.

Having joined Fulham in a £4m move from Blackburn in 2015, the 25-year-old Scot has established himself as one of the most effective creative midfielders in the Championship.

He has been in especially good form this season, scoring five goals in 24 games as Fulham have emerged as surprise promotion contenders.

He would be a useful addition to a Newcastle midfield that has been short of creativity in the absence of the suspended Jonjo Shelvey, but his importance to Fulham means the Craven Cottage hierarchy are extremely reluctant to sell him this month.

Speaking shortly after the opening of the transfer window, Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic said: "Tom Cairney is so important to us. He makes us tick, and he shows he can do damage to teams. I'm going to guarantee he's going to stay with us."

That guarantee would be tested if Fulham were to receive a massive offer, but it would take at least £8m – double what they paid Blackburn 18 months ago – to even persuade them to consider entering formal talks.

Whether Newcastle are willing to pay that kind of money remains to be seen, with Benitez balancing the need to sign reinforcements to aid his side's ongoing promotion push with the desire to only agree permanent deals for players capable of handling the step up to the Premier League.

The Magpies are also considering a move for Malian left-back Cheick Keita, who is currently plying his trade with Italian Serie B side Virtus Entella.

Keita, a 20-year-old who was released by Monaco in the summer, has been hitting the headlines in Italy's second tier, and is valued at around €2m. Newcastle currently boast Paul Dummett and Achraf Lazaar at left-back, although Benitez regards the latter as a player who could also play in midfield.

The Magpies' midfield resources could be reduced before the weekend, with Tiote on the verge of completing a move to Spain.

The 30-year-old, who is the subject of interest from both Sporting Gijon and Leganes, made his first start of the season in Saturday's FA Cup draw at Birmingham City, and has only made 32 senior appearances in the last three campaigns.

He would have left Tyneside a year ago had a proposed move to Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua not fallen through, and was on the verge of leaving again in the summer, only for a mooted move to Turkish side Galatasaray to also collapse.

He has been training with Benitez's first-team squad for the last couple of months, but with his contract due to expire in the summer, Newcastle's recruitment team are happy to allow him to leave on a free transfer in order to get his £60,000-a-week wages off the books.

Newcastle return to action at Brentford on Saturday, and while they will almost certainly be without striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, the Serbian should be back in a couple of weeks after his knee injury proved to be not as severe as initially feared.

Mitrovic needed oxygen as he left the pitch at Birmingham on a stretcher at the weekend, but suffered a deep cut to his knee rather than ligament damage

"Mitro's a tough guy and he'll recover from it," said Newcastle skipper Jamaal Lascelles. "There are no bones broken – it's just a cut on the knee. He's a tough guy – he'll be back in no time.

"I didn't see it. I just saw the cut on his leg, which was quite deep. Because he was throwing his body around there, he got us a goal. Fair play to him, he'll be back sooner than we think."


http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/football/newcastle/15011925.Newcastle_United_keen_to_sign_Championship_midfielder/

[WhiteJC]

 
ASTON VILLA, DERBY AND FULHAM INTERESTED IN FORMER ENGLAND WINGER



According to the Daily Mail, Aston Villa are one of four clubs considering a swoop to bring former Villains star Stewart Downing back to the club in January.

This report says that Aitor Karanka is ready to let Stewart Downing leave Premier League side Middlesbrough on loan until the end of the season.

The exciting winger joined Aston Villa from hometown club Middlesbrough in 2009 and played over 50 matches there in a two year spell.

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The former England international left Villa to join Liverpool and then had a successful spell at West Ham before his return to Middlesbrough in summer 2015.

This season has been a bit of a different story as the 32-year-old has managed just one start in the last two months.

Premier League side Crystal Palace are interested in Downing, with Sam Allardyce aiming for a reunion with his former West Ham star.

Championship trio Aston Villa, Derby County and Fulham are also keen on a loan move.



http://footballleagueworld.co.uk/aston-villa-derby-and-fulham-interested-in-former-england-winger/

[WhiteJC]

 
Reading FC: Free entry for home and away supporters for rearranged clash against Fulham


Referee James Linington consults with both benches during the original fog-abandoned clash against Fulham.

READING FC and Fulham fans who paid to watch the fog-abandoned Championship clash at Madejski Stadium can see the rearranged fixture for free.

Referee James Linington was forced to call off the contest on Friday, December 30 at half time due to heavy fog, with the score still 0-0.

Reading's policy in such circumstances usually states they will offer half-priced tickets for the rearranged game.

However, Royals have gone one step further and will offer a free ticket to all home and away supporters who had bought a ticket for the original match.

Jaap Stam's Royals will now host Slavisa Jokanovic's Cottagers on Tuesday, January 24 (8pm ko).

However, Reading will not be offering refunds to fans who are unable to attend the rearranged fixture.

Details of how to claim a free ticket for the match can be found on the club's website.

Meanwhile, Rob Dickie and Jonathan Bond have ended their loan spells and have returned to Reading.

Dickie picked up some valuable experience for a spell with League Two Cheltenham Town where he made 20 appearances, scoring twice.

He has now been recalled by the Royals to add some first-team cover in defence.

Bond is also back at Madejski Stadium after his six-month loan ended at League One Gillingham where he made seven appearances, conceding 10 goals.


http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/sport/readingfc/15013027.Reading_FC__Free_entry_for_home_and_away_supporters_for_rearranged_clash_against_Fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fredericks salutes 'dominant' Fulham
by DAN on JANUARY 10, 2017

Ryan Fredericks felt Fulham were full value for their FA Cup progression after a dominant display in their third round FA Cup tie in Cardiff on Sunday morning.

The Fulham right back was utilised as a marauding wing-back after Slavisa Jokanovic switched to a 5-3-2 formation and absolutely terrorised Joe Bennett, creating both the goals as the Londoners recovered from conceding an early goal to set up a fourth round tie at home to Premier League Hull City. Fredericks told Fulham's official website that the squad were very pleased with their performance after fielding a nearly full-strength side:

We dominated for 90 minutes, and that's what we wanted. We played pretty much a full strength team, only made three changes, so we're happy.

Fredericks believes Fulham are slowly beginning to implement Jokanovic's possession-based footballing philosophy and feels the Whites can sustain a serious promotion tilt should they add the finishing touches in the final third.

The last ten to fifteen games now we've been playing in a certain way with plenty of ball possession, and it's paying off. We're dominating every game we play, and once we become a little bit more clinical in both boxes, we'll be in a good place.

We know we're going to dominate pretty much every time we play and that we're going to have chances. We had a lot of opportunities on Sunday and should have made the result a bit more convincing than it was. We never panic if we go 1-0 down because we know we're good enough to get goals, as we did in Cardiff.

The former Tottenham and Bristol City full-back was one of the major beneficiaries of Jokanovic's decision to employ wing-backs with him and teenage defender Ryan Sessegnon flying forward to great effect.

The gaffer went with wing-backs, which isn't too dissimilar to how we play normally. Even when I play right-back we have so much of the ball that I get plenty of chances to go forward. He gave me licence just to keep bombing on and told me to get at the full-back every time I got on the ball. That's what I did, and it paid off.

Fredericks insisted that the squad's focus had switched back to their Championship position after the final whistle in Cardiff and that his team-mates are looking forward to returning to league action against Barnsley at the weekend.

It's back to business now. The FA Cup game's over with and we're looking forward to Barnsley. They're a decent team who are up where we are, so we need to push on and work our way into the play-offs, so it's a big game for us on Saturday.


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/01/fredericks-salutes-dominant-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
RELIABLE JOURNALIST: NEWCASTLE QUOTED £20M FOR 25-YEAR-OLD CHAMPIONSHIP STAR

Newcastle have been quoted £20million for Tom Cairney after they made an enquiry for the Fulham playmaker, according to a reliable journalist.

Times journalist George Caulkin has claimed on his personal Twitter account that the Magpies made the enquiry before the January transfer window opened and "that was the end of that".

The Newcastle Chronicle claimed on Monday that manager Rafa Benitez wanted to add the 25-year-old to his ranks this month in order to boost their promotion hopes.

The north east club are second in the Championship table on 52 points from 25 games, two points behind leaders Brighton and six ahead of third-placed Reading – both have a game in hand on Newcastle.

Cairney has played 23 Championship games this season, scoring five goals and supplying four assists for a side that is sitting in tenth place, six points adrift of the play-off places.

Football Insider verdict:
Rafa Benitez will need to add more quality than just Tom Cairney during the January transfer window. The 25-year-old would bring much-needed creativity to the middle of the park, but the north east club can target bigger players due to their position in the league, spending power and stature of their club. Cairney would still improve the team because he would be an upgrade on the much-criticised midfield duo Isaac Hayden and Jack Colback. The Fulham man could play a great supporting role for key midfield ace Jonjo Shelvey who is currently serving a suspension. Benitez' side need a player, other than Shelvey, who is willing to pick out a forward pass and run into the box. Cairney would provide a lot of that compared to Hayden and Colback.


http://www.footballinsider247.com/reliable-journalist-newcastle-quoted-20m-for-25-year-old/

[WhiteJC]

 
Official : Young Nigerian Striker Loaned Out By Fulham

Through a statement on their official website, Bognor Regis Town have announced the signing of Elijah Adebayo on loan.

Championship side Fulham have agreed to farm the striker out on loan to enable him get used to first-team football, having failed to break into the main squad of the Cottagers in the current campaign.

Adebayo impressed while on loan at Slough Town earlier in the season, netting 6 goals from 11 appearances.

The 19-year-old will begin training with Bognor Regis Town on Tuesday, January 10.

Igho Kingsley


http://allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=21670

[WhiteJC]

 
BOSS URGES FULHAM TO KEEP RYAN SESSEGNON, WHO HAS BEEN LINKED WITH MOVES TO MANCHESTER CITY AND LIVERPOOL

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic has urged Fulham to keep starlet Ryan Sessegnon
According to the Standard, Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool are all highly interested in the youngster but Slavisa Jokanovic feels that the best place for him to develop is at Fulham. The manager also sees Sessegnon as playing a big part in Fulham's future, and has urged the club to keep hold of the youngster and protect him :
"He is one of the most talented teenagers in England," said the Fulham boss, according to the Standard. "He is very good for this club. I am sure that he is going to be a very important player for us in the future. But he is only 16 years old and we have to be careful with him. He is working very hard and has to keep going."

Sessegnon became one of the youngest scorers in the FA Cup when he scored the winner against Cardiff in the FA Cup on Sunday. Although the goal he scored was slightly fortuitous, Sesssegnon has been catching the eye with his performances over the last season.

Sessegnon has made 11 appearances for Fulham across all competitions this season, and has picked up 3 goals and 1 assist. A strong passer of the ball, Sessegnon has been averaging at pass accuracy of 83.7% this season and has picked up 1 man of the match award. These are impressive statistics for a 16 year old, even if he plays in the Championship.

In August, reports emerged that Manchester City and Manchester United were going head-to-head in order to secure the signing of the highly-rated Englishman. A month later, further reports claimed that Tottenham were on the verge of signing the talented left-back, after staving off interest from Liverpool.
Sessegnon is a versatile player whose favourite position is at left-back, but the Englishman can also operate on the left of midfield. Jurgen Klopp has always been a fan of attacking full-backs. With Alberto Moreno still unconvincing at Liverpool, Klopp will definitely be on the lookout for a new left-back despite James Milner's solid performances in that role.
At 31, Milner is reaching the end of his career and a young attacking left-back could be exactly what Liverpool need. Sessegnon may not be ready for the Premier League yet, but Klopp has a good history of nurturing young talent and Liverpool could be a good destination for the youngster.

Manchester City's interest in Sessegnon is also said to be fueled by the fact that Guardiola is a fan of the youngster and his versatility. The fact that Sessegnon is English will also be a big bonus for City, as they look to continue adding homegrown talent to their ranks.

For all his attacking prowess, Sessegnon has proven that he has defensive ability as well. He is averaging 1.4 tackles per game and makes an average of 2.8 clearances per 90 minutes. His performance against Leeds on the opening day of the season was the complete one, and the inevitable links to top-tier teams started almost immediately after that game.

It looks likely that Sessegnon will stay with Fulham until at least the end of the season, but if his performances continue to impress the way they have, expect all these links to resurface in no time. A video of Sessegnon's goal for Fulham against Cardiff can be found below, with his goal coming at the 1:40 mark.

http://www.thehardtackle.com/news/2017/01/10/boss-urges-fulham-to-keep-ryan-sessegnon-who-has-been-linked-with-moves-to-manchester-city-and-liverpool/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham get new Reading date - how to get your free ticket for the Madejski
If at first you don't succeed - then it's back down the M4 in a fortnight

Fulham will have a second go playing Reading at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday, January 24 at 8pm.

The first game was abandoned on December 30 because of fog that denied an assistant referee a clear view of the other side of the pitch.

At the time, both sets of fans reacted with fury and midfielder Tom Cairney sympathised with travellers as the vast majority of Fulham's squad also disagreed with the decision.

Cairney said: "I think it was something to do with the linesman not being able to see from one side of the pitch to the other.

"I can understand the fans' frustration and the players. It happens in football."

However, the 2,300 Whites fans who were denied a second half will be granted free entrance this time.

Fans who purchased tickets directly from Reading need to contact their ticket office on 0118 968 1313 to claim a free ticket.

Supporters who purchased from Fulham would need to contact their ticket office from 10am tomorrow (January 11) Either by calling 0843 208 1234 or in person.


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-new-reading-date-how-12431353

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham fog - a timeline...

How events unfolded on our abandoned matchday

We have arranged for our rescheduled fixture against Fulham to take place on Tuesday 24th January, kicking off at 8pm at Madejski Stadium, after the match officials took the decision to abandon the original fixture on December 30th due to a severe bout of heavy fog.

To reiterate, and in accordance with EFL rules, clubs are not permitted to take the decision to postpone or abandon a match, and it is regrettable that the timing of the officials' decision was inconvenient for so many home and away supporters.

Our T&Cs state that in the event of an abandoned game, match ticket holders are entitled to half price tickets for the rearranged match. But as a gesture of goodwill, on this occasion we have ensured that all Season Ticket and match ticket holders who attended the original fixture are able to get a free ticket to the rearranged game.

It is just the second time in Madejski Stadium's history (and the first time since 2003) that we have had a game called off mid-match! And, for the sake of transparency and to dispel any erroneous misconceptions, below is a full timeline of events as they transpired on the evening of the game.

11.35am: Reading tweet an early picture of the fog at the stadium, along with information from the weather forecast which had suggested the fog would clear during the early afternoon. Soon after, the Met Office release Yellow Warning for fog in effect until 4pm. 

5pm: Match Officials meet on the Madejski Stadium pitch with the Safety Officer and Stadium Manager to discuss visibility criteria for match to be played.  The outcome was that the visibility was judged to be okay and that the match officials' requirement was to be able to see from touchline to touchline. That was satisfied and the match could go ahead.

5.15pm: Reading tweet confirmation that officials are happy for the game to go ahead based on the current conditions at the stadium.

8pm: The fog persists, but the game kicks off as planned.

8.35pm: The referee halts play to discuss the fog situation with the managers and assistants referees, and the game is deemed playable. The fourth official requests to meet with the safety officer at half-time to discuss crowd safety issues.

8.40pm: The game is halted again by the referee to discuss again with the managers, but the game is allowed to continue.

8.51pm: The referee signals for half-time.

8.52pm: The Safety Officer, accompanied by the Stadium Manager and Club Secretary, attend the Match Officials' dressing room at half time. Thames Valley Police Officer also makes himself available if required.  Also present are the referee, the assistants referees, fourth official and referee's assessor.

The Safety Officer confirms there are no crowd safety issues and shows CCTV images are okay.  The referee advises he is satisfied with his visibility in the centre of the pitch and he can see what was going on.

The two assistants referees are both adamant they cannot carry out their job to the best of their ability – they cannot make judgments on offsides or fouls and at times are unable to see the ball and the players on the far side of the pitch.

The referee's assessor states that if a team was to win the match due to a bad call by the assistant then this would be unacceptable with so much at stake between two teams challenging for Championship places.

The Police Officer is consulted about public order issues and insists that if a match is to be abandoned at all, then at 0-0 there will be a lower risk of public order issues.

A change of kit is suggested for Fulham as the darker shirts they were wearing became one of the issues with visibility, but the referee rejects this idea.

9.01pm: The referee heads out to the tunnel to check if conditions have improved, and he returns to say they have not. The two managers are called in and advised of the decision to abandon the fixture. Reading's manager states that we would have been happy to continue but that he respects the decision that if the assistants cannot carry out their job then it is understandable. The meeting ends and the appropriate measures to abandon the match are immediately put in place.

9.04pm: The match is announced as abandoned over the PA system and via social media channels.

With no time to give any advance warning to stewards or bus drivers, there was inevitable disruption with the bus services away from the ground and traffic was naturally very congested. However, as a club, we wanted to inform all supporters of the officials' decision to abandon the game as soon as possible and then our priority was to enable all fans to leave the stadium safely and begin their journey home. Hospitality and the concourses remained open to supporters who wanted to wait for the traffic to alleviate before leaving.


Read more at http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/fulham-fog-explained-timeline-3510439.aspx#KPBmqwFx439yBzZt.99

[WhiteJC]

 
It`s All Gone Wrong for McCormack

Last summer, having survived a flirtation with relegation, the Fulham support could on watch on as the club parted company with its two main strikers, Moussa Dembele and Ross McCormack.

Dembele, with his contract up, went to Glasgow Celtic with Fulham receiving what`s called a compensation fee for his development of approximately £500,000.

Since moving to Celtic, Dembele has seen his career flourish and now there is talk of the young Frenchman being capable of attracting transfer bids of around £20 million.

As for McCormack, he was sold to our Championship rivals, Aston Villa, with the Scottish international commanding a fee of £12 million.

However, unlike his former strike partner Dembele, McCormack has struggled to get regular first team action.

Today, lurking in the sports pages of The Sun is the revelation that, after just five months at Villa Park, McCormack is deemed as surplus to requirements.

The suggestion our source is implying is that Aston Villa are looking to do a player-exchange deal with Norwich City, with the Aston Villa manager, Steve Bruce, wanting to bring the Norwich City wing-back Robbie Brady to the club.

It is, in our opinion, a staggering indication of how fortunes, when moving clubs, can differ so vastly!



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=475695#ixzz4VR9myoGm

[WhiteJC]

 
TIME TO GO: JOKANOVIC NEEDS TO AXE THESE 2 FULHAM PLAYERS THIS WEEK

Slavisa Jokanovic is doing a fantastic job at Fulham this year and he has set the foundation for a possible promotion push.

Many didn't expect much of the former Premier League side in this year's Championship campaign after a couple of lacklustre seasons in the second tier.

And after losing goal machines Moussa Dembele and Ross McCormack, many questioned how Fulham would cope.

However, Jokanovic has them playing some thrilling football, scoring goals for fun and they now sit six points off a play-off spot with a game in hand.

The Cottagers have got plenty of talented players in their squad but they might be looking to add a few more fresh faces in this January window to really give them a boost for the run in.

This might mean that they have to offload some fringe players to generate funds, though, and here are 2 players Jokanovic needs to get rid of this week.

LASSE VIGEN CHRISTENSEN


Christensen's development has stunted recently because he is just not playing for Fulham.

The Denmark youth international needs to be in an environment where he is getting regular playing time at this stage of his career so he can become a better footballer.

Fulham simply cannot offer the 22-year-old that at the moment so it is in Christensen's best interests to leave.

RYAN TUNNICLIFFE


Things just haven't worked out for Ryan Tunnicliffe at Fulham and he needs to find a new club to reignite his stalling career.

The 24-year-old midfielder is way down the pecking order and he has not featured since October for the Cottagers.

After once showing great potential by being in the England youth set-up and at Manchester United, Tunnicliffe might have to drop to League One to find a club who can offer him matches.


http://footballleagueworld.co.uk/time-to-go-jokanovic-needs-to-axe-these-2-fulham-players-this-week/

[WhiteJC]

 
Report names three clubs interested in Arsenal's Chuba Akpom

Cardiff City, Fulham and Brentford are interested in signing Arsenal's Chuba Akpom in the January transfer window.

Cardiff City, Fulham and Brentford are interested in signing Chuba Akpom from Arsenal on loan in the January transfer window, according to The Times.

It has been reported that Arsenal want to send Akpom away on loan until the end of the season to give him more playing time.

The 21-year-old striker has made just one competitive appearance for the Gunners so far this season - in the EFL Cup.

According to The Times, Championship trio Cardiff, Fulham and Brentford are all interested in signing the youngster on loan

Akpom is a talented and promising young talented, and he does need to play regular football in order to progress.

Competition for places in the Arsenal starting lineup is fierce, and it would be a good idea for the striker to leave the Emirates Stadium on loan until the end of the season.

Fulham are 10th in the Championship table at the moment with 36 points from 24 matches.

Cardiff are currently 19th in the standings with 27 points from 24 games, while Brentford are 14th in the table with 33 points from 25 matches.


http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/01/11/report-names-three-clubs-interested-in-arsenals-chuba-akpom/

[MJG]

Fulham fog - a timeline...

How events unfolded on our abandoned matchday

We have arranged for our rescheduled fixture against Fulham to take place on Tuesday 24th January, kicking off at 8pm at Madejski Stadium, after the match officials took the decision to abandon the original fixture on December 30th due to a severe bout of heavy fog.

To reiterate, and in accordance with EFL rules, clubs are not permitted to take the decision to postpone or abandon a match, and it is regrettable that the timing of the officials' decision was inconvenient for so many home and away supporters.

Our T&Cs state that in the event of an abandoned game, match ticket holders are entitled to half price tickets for the rearranged match. But as a gesture of goodwill, on this occasion we have ensured that all Season Ticket and match ticket holders who attended the original fixture are able to get a free ticket to the rearranged game.

It is just the second time in Madejski Stadium's history (and the first time since 2003) that we have had a game called off mid-match! And, for the sake of transparency and to dispel any erroneous misconceptions, below is a full timeline of events as they transpired on the evening of the game.

11.35am: Reading tweet an early picture of the fog at the stadium, along with information from the weather forecast which had suggested the fog would clear during the early afternoon. Soon after, the Met Office release Yellow Warning for fog in effect until 4pm. 

5pm: Match Officials meet on the Madejski Stadium pitch with the Safety Officer and Stadium Manager to discuss visibility criteria for match to be played.  The outcome was that the visibility was judged to be okay and that the match officials' requirement was to be able to see from touchline to touchline. That was satisfied and the match could go ahead.

5.15pm: Reading tweet confirmation that officials are happy for the game to go ahead based on the current conditions at the stadium.

8pm: The fog persists, but the game kicks off as planned.

8.35pm: The referee halts play to discuss the fog situation with the managers and assistants referees, and the game is deemed playable. The fourth official requests to meet with the safety officer at half-time to discuss crowd safety issues.

8.40pm: The game is halted again by the referee to discuss again with the managers, but the game is allowed to continue.

8.51pm: The referee signals for half-time.

8.52pm: The Safety Officer, accompanied by the Stadium Manager and Club Secretary, attend the Match Officials' dressing room at half time. Thames Valley Police Officer also makes himself available if required.  Also present are the referee, the assistants referees, fourth official and referee's assessor.

The Safety Officer confirms there are no crowd safety issues and shows CCTV images are okay.  The referee advises he is satisfied with his visibility in the centre of the pitch and he can see what was going on.

The two assistants referees are both adamant they cannot carry out their job to the best of their ability – they cannot make judgments on offsides or fouls and at times are unable to see the ball and the players on the far side of the pitch.

The referee's assessor states that if a team was to win the match due to a bad call by the assistant then this would be unacceptable with so much at stake between two teams challenging for Championship places.

The Police Officer is consulted about public order issues and insists that if a match is to be abandoned at all, then at 0-0 there will be a lower risk of public order issues.

A change of kit is suggested for Fulham as the darker shirts they were wearing became one of the issues with visibility, but the referee rejects this idea.

9.01pm: The referee heads out to the tunnel to check if conditions have improved, and he returns to say they have not. The two managers are called in and advised of the decision to abandon the fixture. Reading's manager states that we would have been happy to continue but that he respects the decision that if the assistants cannot carry out their job then it is understandable. The meeting ends and the appropriate measures to abandon the match are immediately put in place.

9.04pm: The match is announced as abandoned over the PA system and via social media channels.

With no time to give any advance warning to stewards or bus drivers, there was inevitable disruption with the bus services away from the ground and traffic was naturally very congested. However, as a club, we wanted to inform all supporters of the officials' decision to abandon the game as soon as possible and then our priority was to enable all fans to leave the stadium safely and begin their journey home. Hospitality and the concourses remained open to supporters who wanted to wait for the traffic to alleviate before leaving.


Read more at http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/fulham-fog-explained-timeline-3510439.aspx#KPBmqwFx439yBzZt.99

"The referee heads out to the tunnel to check if conditions have improved"
There were a lot of fans watching that tunnel and what did he do just pop his head out the door?

[HillingdonFFC]

Fulham get new Reading date - how to get your free ticket for the Madejski
If at first you don't succeed - then it's back down the M4 in a fortnight

Fulham will have a second go playing Reading at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday, January 24 at 8pm.

The first game was abandoned on December 30 because of fog that denied an assistant referee a clear view of the other side of the pitch.

At the time, both sets of fans reacted with fury and midfielder Tom Cairney sympathised with travellers as the vast majority of Fulham's squad also disagreed with the decision.

Cairney said: "I think it was something to do with the linesman not being able to see from one side of the pitch to the other.

"I can understand the fans' frustration and the players. It happens in football."

However, the 2,300 Whites fans who were denied a second half will be granted free entrance this time.

Fans who purchased tickets directly from Reading need to contact their ticket office on 0118 968 1313 to claim a free ticket.

Supporters who purchased from Fulham would need to contact their ticket office from 10am tomorrow (January 11) Either by calling 0843 208 1234 or in person.


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-new-reading-date-how-12431353

2300?? What about the 1000 who bought tickets during the day & on the night from Reading FC ?