FOF's RaySmith under the spotlight

[dannyboi-ffc]

Morning Ladies and gents.

Over the summer we've asked some FOF members to go under the spotlight and answer some questions. Here's the gentlemen that is RaySmith's effort. I hope you enjoy it.  049:gif


*Name-RaySmith
I have based my choices on games I actually was at, which may not actually be the best.

*Current Favourite Player- Johansen

*Favourite Ever Player- Eddie Lowe. All that 60's team were my heroes, but I played in the same  half-back position as Eddie, and admired his hardworking, hard tackling attitude, and modelled myself upon him.

*Favourite Ever moment-  John Mitchell's semi-final replay goal against Birmingham at Maine Road that got us into the  Cup Final

*Fulham's greatest match- 3-2 come back against Man City- start of the Great Escape. Emotional senses amongst  the Fulham fans  that I hadn't experienced since that  semi-final. I also went  to the home game against Brum , but  unfortunately  didn't make it to the Pompey game, otherwise  likely would have been that one.

*A match that's a personal favourite to you- Apart from  the games I've mentioned, I will say 1962 semi-final v Burnley at Villa Park. My first Fulham away trip, and the team performed heroically against table topping Burnley, and  were robbed of victory by a definite pen  not given, Adam Blacklaw the Burnley keeper bringing down Maurice Cook. We went on to lose the replay. An early lesson in what it was like  following Fulham.

*Favourite Ever Goal-John Mitchell  in the semi-final replay, even though it wasn't  great goal, but  it meant so much, and  us Fulham fans went  completely crazy with joy.

*Favourite Ever manager-Malcolm Macdonald - he had so much potential, that cruelly wasn't allowed to come to fruition. He was the only manager I've seen warming up with the team before a game. Honourable mentions to Beddy Jezzard, Alex Stock, Micky Adams, Tigana and Roy, of course.

*Favourite Ever Captain-Alan Mullery. A hero of mine from the early days, who returned to the club to lead us to the FA Cup Final.

*1st Game-I'm afraid I can't remember, or 60's games generally which is very frustrating, but it was in 1961. An early game I saw and  remember vividly - the  62 semi-final, as mentioned. Also our first game under our floodlights, against Sheffield Wednesday, which I think was a draw. Before that Saturday games kicked off at 2.15 and there weren't any evening games.

*Favourite stand of the 4 at the Cottage- 
I began on the  Riverside terracing, then graduated  The Enclosure, but now usually go in the Hammersmith End, when I'm able to get to home games, which, sadly, isn't that often these days.

*Favourite home shirt/kit- 1960's plain white shirt and black shorts.

*Favourite away shirt/kit- Red and black stripes of the '75 Cup run.

*Red or black socks- Black

*Which badge do you associate yourself with- 1960's 

*Favourite Shirt Sponsor- GMB

*Most underrated player-Stan Brown.

*Favourite team to beat-Chelsea

*Pre-match drink, post-match drink or both- several strong pints before, not so bothered afterwards.

*Any match-day rituals-Have a drink!

*Best away ground & why-
Smaller Championship clubs like Huddersfield have  friendly atmosphere compared to Prem grounds, but I miss the atmosphere of playing at the top clubs, places like Anfield, Old Trafford , Upton Park. The Etiad  has one of the best views in my experience, but is pretty soulless -but it does hold a great Great Escape memory for Fulham fans! In fact, the atmosphere of games these days isn't what it used to be, and the biggest clubs can be the worst, and you might find more passion at smaller  clubs' grounds.

*Have you ever worked for the club-No

*What's the 1 thing that you love most about Fulham- 
I come from a Palace supporting family background in Brixton/Tulse Hill, and my first football memories are of  watching Palace in the 4th Division with my parents, but I wanted to see the top stars of the day, and my dad took me to Fulham. He got fed up after a couple of games, but I kept going on my own, immediately falling in love with the magic of the place. 

I later began to go with schoolmates who went to Chelsea on alternate Saturdays. We were mad on getting autographs, fashionable at the time, and Chelsea was so unfriendly and impersonal compared to Fulham, where once in the holidays we  were allowed into  the ground to watch the players training on a snowy day. 

They were jogging around the pitch, and some of them started a snowball fight with us - that was the atmosphere at Fulham, laid back and friendly, compared to Chelsea, with its heavy security. It didn't matter to me that Fulham weren't do so well on the pitch mostly - but I lived I hope that we would do great things.

It wasn't deliberate but  I just became a fanatical Fulham fan, and had a loose leaf binder  in which I would  stick photos of the players to get signed, and write  something about each player(my dad was in the Print and got me the original glossy photos of those that went into the paper, which players like Johnny Haynes, after signing which he always  did as long as we formed an orderly queue, would  ask me how much I wanted for them, but I'd never sell!) I had a massive black and white rattle, which sounded like a machine gun, and  woolly hat with star badges of the  Fulham players pinned  on.

*What moment in our history would you change & why-
I suppose there are quite a few, but  my most recent  memory is of our last relegation from the Prem, and how it shouldn't have happened. I have strong memory of going to the home  game against Hull, which we should have won, then the  game up at Stoke. The Fulham support was magnificent, and we even got a standing ovation from the home fans at the end, but the players' performance  wasn't - such a gutting day and time.

*What is your expectations for next season-
getting  automatic promotion of course!

[dannyboi-ffc]

Bump

[Burt]

Nice one, thanks for sharing  049:gif

[love4ffc]

Good story.  Love the bit about the snowball fight.  That tells you how fun and family oriented players and Fulham are.