Tuesday Fulham Stuff (25/07/17)...

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Fulham step up hunt for Norwich City striker Cameron Jerome

The 30-year-old is high on Slavisa Jokanovic's target list having scored 16 goals in the Championship last season

Fulham are ready to make a move for Norwich City man Cameron Jerome.

Slavisa Jokanovic is a big fan of the 30-year-old and he was on the list of players the Fulham boss wanted to sign in order to achieve promotion with the west London outfit this season, despite him not meeting the U28 rule.

The Cottagers have struggled with a number of the forward targets this summer, with the Diego Rolan saga still rumbling on, while Steve Mounie rejected the club in favour of a move to Huddersfield and with Braga rejecting an offer for Rui Fonte.

As a result, the club look poised to go ahead with a £3m move for the Norwich striker who scored 16 goals in the Championship last season - experience that Jokanovic feels is key to achieve promotion this season.

The club have been frustrated with how the transfer window has gone so far but are hoping to thrash out deals for players in the coming week before they face Wolfsburg at Craven Cottage on Saturday.




http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/fulham-step-up-hunt-norwich-13374940

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Norwich City transfer rumours: Fulham ready £3m bid for Cameron Jerome


Fulham are reportedly ready to make a bid for Cameron Jerome. Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd

Fulham are set to make a £3m move for Norwich City striker Cameron Jerome, according to reports.

The Cottagers have turned their attention to the 30-year-old striker according to The Mirror after failing to sign Diego Rolan, who looks set for a move to Newcastle.

Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic is a big admirer of Jerome, who has also been linked with Sunderland and Nottingham Forest this summer.

Jerome has two years remaining on his City contract with the option of a further year and, following the sales of Jonny Howson, Graham Dorrans and Jacob Murphy, the Canaries are under no pressure to sell.

It would seem very unlikely Norwich would look to cash in on last season's top goalscorer without a ready-made replacement. Jerome's potential exit would leave the club with just Nelson Oliveira and Marley Watkins as front line striker options with youngster Carlton Morris on loan at Shrewsbury.

Head coach Daniel Farke praised Jerome's display against Arminia Bielefeld on Friday with the former Stoke man on target from the penalty spot.



http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/norwich-city-transfer-rumours-fulham-ready-3m-bid-for-cameron-jerome-1-5118743

[WhiteJC]

 
This is certainly the most defining season of this Fulham loanee's career



Despite showing immense talent and potential in the youth ranks of Premier League champions Chelsea as a youngster, Lucas Piazon has so far failed to make the grade at Stamford Bridge, and has been loaned out once again to spend a second successive year in the Championship with neighbours Fulham.

The Brazilian youngster looked sensational in comparison to his peers as a young player, but with such a vast array of attacking talents on the books at his parents club, Piazon has struggled to push for a spot in Chelsea squads in recent years.

At Fulham last year Piazon began to show some of the talent he exhibited as a rising star, and at the age of 24, this could really be the player's final opportunity to impress Antonio Conte, and earn an extended deal with the club.

Fulham could reap the rewards from Piazon's ambition to play top flight football, and after coming so close to promotion last year, Jokanovic will hope the Brazilian can take his side one step further next semester.

The winger is an extremely tricky player with lightning feet, and his ability on the ball caused Championship defenders a number of problems last year.

Fulham can boast an extremely talented young squad, with many players pushing for a limited number of starting spots, and Piazon must up his game ahead of the new campaign if he is to remain a regular under Jokanovic.

Piazon undoubtedly has the ability and potential to become a Premier League regular, and the upcoming season could be marked as the most defining of his young career.

Impress this season, and a Premier League move could certainly be in the offing.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/this-is-certainly-the-most-defining-season-of-this-fulham-loanees-career/

[WhiteJC]

How to solve a problem like Diego
by Lydia on July 24, 2017

For the past two weeks or so, Fulham's transfer activity has been dominated by one man in Diego Rolan, with the 24-year-old Uruguayan international at the centre of a 'will he, won't he' transfer saga. Fulham reportedly agreed a £5million deal with current club Bordeaux back on July, 16th but with this fee much lower than the original asking price there always seemed to be something strange going on. It appears that Rolan is not in Bordeaux's long term plan and, with just one year left on his current contract, they need to sell now to avoid losing him on a free next summer, Moussa Dembele style. Fulham are the main party interested but, amidst reports of Newcastle and an unnamed La Liga side also attracted to the striker, Rolan is putting off a decision.
It is fair to say that Fulham have worked hard at landing their man. He has so far had two trips to London but to no avail. From his Instagram and Twitter, it looks as though he is definitely leaving Bordeaux, but there is yet no word on his next destination. At this stage, I don't think that Rolan would be the best fit for the club. No football club needs a player who thinks that he is too good for them, we know that from the Chris Martin dilemma last season. If he does make a U-turn at this stage and decide that Fulham is for him then it will be up to the players already at the club to have a word and tell him that to excel at Fulham, you need to love the club. Making him share a room with Lucas Piazon should be enough to convince him!

Fulham are now in a tough situation. Do they continue to try and impress a player who is 'just not that into you' or do they miss the opportunity of a real coup and turn their attentions to someone else? This saga has certainly taken up a lot of the club's time, with no players brought in since Piazon signed on, but no one should assume that the club hasn't been working on other targets. Today we have woken up to the news that we are close to bringing Norwich striker Cameron Jerome in on a £3million deal. While I would be thrilled to see this deal come off, I can see a few stumbling blocks ahead.

Firstly, at 30-years-old, signing Jerome would be against Fulham's apparent age policy that means that they are reluctant to bring any players in who are over 28. While I reckon that with the lack of first team standard strikers at the club we may need to be flexible on this, the powers that be might rather we look for the younger and more long term target.
Secondly, the £3million price tag is high for someone whose last fee was £1.5million back in 2014. The most expensive he has ever been was £4million when he signed for Stoke City in 2011 as a 24-year-old so why are we paying close to that for someone six years on?
However, the statistics are another factor altogether. Below are the goal scoring records of Rolan and Jerome for last season and overall. Yes, I know it's perhaps unfair to compare goals scored in Ligue 1 with the Championship, but with Jerome we have someone who isn't going to need a settling in period. He has regularly scored at this level season upon season while Rolan is more inconsistent, albeit at a higher level. But that, factored in with Rolan's lack of desire to play for Fulham, would mean that Jerome is a far smarter buy, even if it is short term.

Player    2016/17    Overall
Apps    Goals    Apps    Goals
Diego Rolan    33    10    190    49
Cameron Jerome    41    16    498    123



Overall, I think that we can expect signings in the next two weeks, especially with Slavisa's comments at the weekend. Given how close we were to promotion last year, it is disappointing that we haven't added much to the squad but I fully expect to see this change soon. Jerome is a good starting point and from there we will just have to wait and see what happens.
#COYW



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/07/how-to-solve-a-problem-like-diego/

[WhiteJC]

 
Is Norwich City striker Cameron Jerome the right man to fire Fulham to the Premier League this season?

The club have been looking for forwards all summer but have yet to sign one, and are now looking at making a move for Cameron Jerome

The summer transfer window hasn't been a happy one for Fulham so far.

Steve Mounie chose Huddersfield over the Cottage, Braga wanted more than what Fulham would offer for their forward Rui Fonte and the whole Diego Rolan saga makes it feel like we're waiting for Christmas.

There have been reports of a struggle between Slavisa Jokanovic and Craig Kline (again), although I would say it's more of a normal office disagreement rather than a full blown argument, with the pair wanting different transfer targets.

Cameron Jerome is one of those targets, with Jokanovic keen on bring the 30-year-old to the Cottage as a result of his Championship know-how , as well as his impressive second tier goal scoring rate.

Fulham took apart Norwich in April with ten men, but Jerome still scored in that game - one of 16 goals for that side.

But is he the right man to lead Fulham to the promised land of the Premier League this season?

Well, for a start, his goal scoring record in the second tier of English football is impressive - he scored 16 last season and 20 in the 2014/15 season when Norwich won promotion from the Championship.


Norwich City's Cameron Jerome

A record like that is nothing to be sniffed at, he's got the experience and the pedigree in this division to be in the right position and score goals, something the Cottagers so clearly lacked last season.

Fulham have, arguably, one of the strongest midfield departments in the division with Kevin McDonald anchoring while Tom Cairney and Stefan Johansen wreak havoc on opposing defences.

Despite being the joint top scorers in the division last time around, they had no true striker - imagine if they had someone, maybe of Jerome's stature, who was in the box getting onto the end of Scott Malone's and Ryan Frederick's crosses, or Cairney's threaded passes.

We would've been looking at automatic places instead of sixth place.

However, despite a bid of £3m being readied, I can see Norwich wanting more than that for one of their strikers, especially to a fellow league rivals - let's not forget that strikers are going for premium rates nowadays.

He is also 30-years-old, how many more years does he have left in him?

And what if Fulham do get promoted this season? Jerome's record in the Premier League is in stark contrast to his Championship record, yes Fulham will get a healthy bank balance going up so £5m odd isn't much of a hit, but there it's alot for one season of football.

I personally think there are better strikers out there, but with two weeks until the start of the season and with no strikers signed, clubs will know Fulham will be desperate to sign one and can use that to their advantage at the bargaining table.

That said, Jerome will score goals and I think the club need to add two more strikers to their ranks before the window slams shut, maybe if Jerome signs the other players will follow?




http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/norwich-city-striker-cameron-jerome-13375652

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Fulham set to intensify interest in prolific Championship striker

Championship side Fulham are set to intensify their interest in Norwich City striker Cameron Jerome by making a move for the forward, reports Get West London.

The 30-year-old moved to Carrow Road back in 2014 after a three-year spell at Stoke City, and has in the last three years proven to be a hugely prolific forward at Championship level, if not at top-flight level.

The former Birmingham forward bagged 18 goals in 41 games to help the Canaries achieve promotion back in 2015, before managing just three in their ill-fated Premier League campaign the term after, although he then bounced back with 16 goals in 40 league matches last time out to help the club to an eighth place finish.

Thus, with 34 goals in his last two seasons at second tier level, Jerome is the sort of striker many sides would want in their squad, and with his future at Norwich uncertain, Fulham chief Slavisa Jokanovic is reportedly seeking a move for the 30-year-old.

The Cottagers fell to Reading in the play-off semi-finals last term having clinched a sixth place finish in the division a few weeks earlier, and with striker Chris Martin returning to Derby County after his loan spell, alongside the failed pursuit of several forward targets, the West London side are looking a bit short in that department with two weeks until the season begins.

And if they want to again be battling near the top of the Championship, bringing in someone accomplished and reliable in front of goal at this level like Jerome would be invaluable in aiding with that quest, but whether Norwich would consider selling him to a potential promotion rival remains to be seen.




https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-set-to-intensify-interest-in-prolific-championship-striker/

[WhiteJC]

 
The Fulham 2000 story and how it helped save a football club on the brink of disaster

Chris Bishop tells the story of Fulham 2000 and how it tried to bring back some stability to Fulham Football Club

As the millions flow out of the Fulham bank account this season on stars from across Europe, it is very hard to believe that a mere quarter of a century ago the club was on the edge of oblivion.

It is even harder to imagine those far off bleak, hungry, days that the fate of London's oldest clubs was influenced by a small, yet determined, band of volunteers.

There's a lot of rot these days talked about "loyalty" to a club. Many so called supporters measure loyalty by the amount of online abuse you can throw at opposing supporters and their clubs; in my view, a measure of loyalty is how much money and time you are prepared to put where your mouth is when your club in in peril.

It was 1992, Craven Cottage had been sold off for housing development – after all it is valuable prime land by the Thames – and the bulldozers were ready to move in.

The club didn't have two pennies to rub together, the team was struggling in what is now League One and crowds were down to just over 3,000. As one of my colleagues, a third generation Fulham supporter, said sardonically there was as much space for an open, passing, game on the terraces than on the pitch.

The rescue crew was called Fulham 2000 – in the vague hope that the club would still be around at the end of the century. Around 30 of us used to meet at the ground after games and on frosty Sunday mornings to work out how we were going to raise millions to save the club; a forlorn hope at the time. For a start, we all pledged 100 pounds each and I even persuaded my dad – a Kidderminster Harriers supporter – to follow suit.

I was working at the BBC then, so I was elected press officer - a small role in a coalition of the hopeful. I remember getting a pat on the back all round for getting an interview with lifelong Fulham fan Melvin Tenner, our leader at Fulham 2000, on BBC News.

But it wasn't looking good in those dark days in a season when we lost 2-0 at home to Hayes in the FA Cup.

You could feel the interest melting away faster than the crowds. Business didn't want to know, the talk was of a ground sharing with Chelsea, there was a conspiracy theory that the management wanted to run the club down to the Conference and then close it down quietly. I didn't believe the latter, but one or two times, on rain swept terraces when we were losing away from home, I wondered.


Fulham fans celebrate the news that the club will be staying at the Cottage in May 1992 (Image: AntonWant/Allsport)

You know how deeply in the mire you stand when you are shaking a bucket in the faces of supporters of an even more impoverished team in the relegation zone fresh from a journey of hundreds of miles from the north that probably cost half their wages.

That is what we happy few of Fulham 2000 were doing on January 28 1992. We had chosen the Wigan game at home for the launch of our fund-raising drive, probably not the most glamourous fixture, but arguably the Lancashire club was a kindred spirit when it came to struggling in the lower reaches of English football. On that day, they were deep in the relegation zone long before the millions that took the club to the Premier League.

Even so, the Wigan fans tossed generously 50 pence pieces into our buckets.

"Good luck and hopefully we will still be playing you next season," they said cheerfully. I often think of that day when I see some of the spoilt, repugnant, moronic, abuse that is thrown around on the internet these days.

As a football fan, I was happy when Wigan escaped relegation that season.

Earlier in the day, Fulham 2000 had announced itself to the world in a Hammersmith hotel where we had arranged for the late Fulham legend Johnny Haynes to come down from Edinburgh to launch our campaign to save the club. Haynes was arguably the best footballer ever to lace up a pair of boots at Fulham and a fine captain of England; as a public speaker, he struggled. To make matters worse, George Best, another Fulham great, turned up late in the middle of his opening address.

The Fleet Street journalists forgot Johnny was speaking and swamped Bestie for a few choice quotes. I can still see Johnny droning through his speech with one eye on the impromptu Best press conference. It was, as they say on line these days, cringe worthy.

Anyway, we all pitched up for the last home game of the season against Bradford City in the understanding that it was going to be the last ever at the Cottage. The first shock was we won; the second shock was it was announced over the tannoy that a stay of execution for at least another season had been secured.

More than five years later, the banks, who wanted to get the Craven Cottage asset off their books, sold the club to Mohammed Al Fayed and the rest is history. It was all worth it on that wet April day in 1997 I flew from Africa to Heathrow and drove up to Carlisle for the crunch promotion game.

There was about 2,000 of us at Brunton Park – Terry Angus, the injured centre half, was leading the singing in the stands! (Can you imagine David Luiz doing that?)

Two goals to one: Micky Conroy equalised and I was dead in line when Rodney McAree smashed in the second. It was like Christmas; total strangers were hugging and shaking hands. It was worth every yard of my 7,000-mile journey.

Thirteen years on, I almost wept when I watched Fulham walk out for the Europa Cup final in Hamburg. As fate would have it, I was on assignment in Nairobi and rued how I could make it to Carlisle for a League Two game, but not to Germany for a European final. Watching it TV on a hot Kenyan night, I mused that cold meetings in Craven Cottage 18 years before had been worth it. To think it could all have been lost in the path of a bulldozer.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-2000-story-how-helped-13376607

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Aston Villa join Middlesbrough, Fulham and Derby in the race for Liverpool starlet Sheyi Ojo

Steve Bruce has thrown his hat into the ring to sign the Reds youngster on loan for the season


Liverpool's Sheyi Ojo (left) and Plymouth Argyle's David Fox battle for the ball during the Emirates FA Cup, Third Round match at Anfield, Liverpool. (Image: PA)

Aston Villa have joined the hunt for Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo.

Steve Bruce has thrown his hat into the ring to sign the Reds starlet on loan for the season.

Ojo, a member of England's Under-20 World Cup winning squad this summer, will be allowed to leave Anfield temporarily to gain regular football.

Middlesbrough, Fulham and Derby are also competing for the 20-year-old wide man's signature.

Ojo has appeared 13 times for Liverpool in all competitions, including eight outings in the Premier League during the 2015-16 season.

He played 11 times in the Championship for Wigan during 2015-16 and 10 times in all competitions for Wolves last term, scoring three goals during his time at Molineux.

Ojo has played for England at U16, U17, U18, U19 and U20 level.



http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/aston-villa-liverpool-sheyi-ojo-10862334

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'Would take him in a heartbeat' – Fulham fans welcome possible deal for prolific forward

Fulham will go into the new Championship season as one of the favourites for promotion after falling short in the play-offs last term.

Slavisa Jokanovic's men pipped Leeds United to sixth place with a fine run of form to end the season, but were unable to keep that momentum going by losing 2-1 on aggregate to Jaap Stam's Reading in the semi-finals.

It leaves the Cottagers facing a fourth successive season of Championship football but in the position to sustain a promotion bid next term, especially having tied Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon down to new deals over the summer.

Further reinforcements will likely be needed though for Jokanovic's men to seriously challenge at the top of the league next time round, and one man who could be on his way to Craven Cottage is Norwich City striker Cameron Jerome.

The 30-year-old moved to Carrow Road back in 2014 and has since embarked on two prolific second tier campaigns, with 18 goals in 41 games back in 2015 helping them to promotion, and then 16 in 40 matches last term helping them to an eighth place finish.

Yet with his future under new boss Daniel Farke far from certain, recent reports suggest that Fulham are looking to make a move for the forward as they seek to bolster their attacking ranks ahead of the new season, which kicks off in less than two weeks' time.

And news of a potential move for Jerome has stimulated quite the response from Fulham supporters on Twitter, with many welcoming a possible deal for the 30-year-old...



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/would-take-him-in-a-heartbeat-fulham-fans-welcome-possible-deal-for-prolific-forward/

[WhiteJC]

Norwood agrees to join Fulham on loan
by Dan on July 24, 2017

Oliver Norwood has agreed to join Fulham from Brighton and Hove Albion on a season-long loan subject to a successful medical, according to Sky Sports News.

The Northern Ireland midfielder has prioritised first-team football ahead of a long-awaited taste of the Premier League in order to sustain his international career. Norwood is expected to travel to London to undertake his medical within the next 48 hours, according to Sky Sports' Northern Ireland reporter Paul Gilmour.

The 26 year-old central midfielder became an integral part of Brighton's promotion-winning side last season, making 26 first-team appearances following a summer move from Reading. Norwood has been a long-term Fulham target with the Whites having been close to sealing a permanent deal to sign him last summer and Slavisa Jokanovic identified players with experience of earning promotion from the Championship after reflecting on his side's play-off failure in the close season.

Jokanovic, who has been outspoken in the past 24 hours over the need to urgently strengthen Fulham's squad ahead of the new season, stepped up his search for central midfielders after the departure of Lasse Vigen Christensen, who scored on his Brondby debut yesterday afternoon, last week. If Norwood passes his medical, he could well feature in the Whites' final pre-season friendly against Wolfsburg at Craven Cottage – and he will provide competition for Kevin McDonald, Stefan Johansen and Tom Cairney, Fulham's previously indispensable midfield trio.




http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/07/norwood-agrees-to-join-fulham-on-loan/

[WhiteJC]

 
Landing this striking hotshot would seriously enhance Fulham's promotion bid

Fulham will head into the 2017/18 Championship season as one of the favourites for promotion after falling just short in the play-offs last time round.

The Cottagers produced a fine run of form to pip Leeds United late on in the campaign, eventually finishing sixth and five points clear of the Yorkshire club, whose run of two wins in their last 11 games ended their hopes of a return to the Premier League.

Yet Jaap Stam's Reading ended Fulham's hopes as well as a 2-1 aggregate victory for the Royals saw them advance to the Wembley showpiece at the expense of Slavisa Jokanovic's men, although both sides will be playing Championship football next term as the Royals lost out to Huddersfield.

Nonetheless, Jokanovic's men proved to be one of the best sides in the division last term with some stunning wins over Newcastle, Huddersfield, and indeed Reading during the regular campaign, and having tied Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon down to new deals, they will once again fancy their chances of reaching the promised land.

And one man who reportedly could be lining up for the Cottagers next season is Norwich City striker Cameron Jerome, whose future at Carrow Road appears uncertain following the arrival of new manager Daniel Farke.

The 30-year-old has proven throughout his career to be a prolific forward at Championship level, and with 34 goals in his last two second tier campaigns at Norwich, he doesn't appear to letting up any time soon.

And with Fulham seeking that extra bit of quality to get them over the line next term, making a move for Jerome could be exactly what they need to finally return to the top-flight.

And that's because the Englishman knows where the goal is at this level, scoring 74 goals in 236 games in the Championship, which equates to a goal every 213 minutes, and a direct contribution every 161 minutes.

Most impressively of all though is that he appears to be getting better, with his last two second tier seasons seeing him net 34 goals and lay on 15 assists, in comparison to 40 goals and just nine assists in his first four Championship campaigns.

And they are the sort of figures that could seriously help a Fulham side that saw Chris Martin return to Derby following his loan spell, and a reliance on the goals of Cairney and Stefan Johansen from midfield last term.

And with Cairney bagging ten assists last term, as did Sone Aluko, having those sort of creative players with someone strong, quick, and aerially dominant to aim at in Jerome can only reap the benefits – Fulham would carry an attacking threat every week.

Ultimately, there's little doubt that Jerome would seriously enhance Fulham's promotion bid going into the new season, so it's imperative that the former Watford chief gets a deal done for the 30-year-old in the coming weeks.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/landing-this-striking-hotshot-would-seriously-enhance-fulhams-promotion-bid/

[WhiteJC]

 
The Craven Corner: 'Rome wasn't built in a day' & Reasons to be optimistic about the first month of the Transfer Window
Fulham Columnist & Sports Blogger, Adam Brons-Smith discusses the opening month of the transfer window and why there are many reasons to be positive at Fulham.

With the first month of the transfer window coming to an end, it seems that the opinion of the Fulham fans is divided. Personally, I think it has been a very successful start to the window for our club.

I can understand why many people have been upset/angry about the 'lack' of new signings this month, but after the season we have had our first steps in the window had to be about renewing the deals for our key players, especially with the interest in them growing every day. Keeping the stars whose contracts were at risk was paramount as we couldn't afford to have to build a brand new spine once again this summer.

By renewing the deals of Cairney & Sessegnon this early in the window, it removes any fear that they could leave, and eases any fears that the players we are trying to build around aren't going anywhere. Both the renewals for Cairney and Sessegnon are worth far more than any new signing, and with Cairney being the stand-out player in this division, and Sessegnon seen by many as the next biggest talent in English football, Fulham have already done tremendous business.

Securing both of these, it means that we go into next season, with two stars of the highest quality and should they repeat last season's success on the pitch, the club would be in a very strong place to demand mega-money for both players, which in turn secures the long-term future of our club - something that is often over-looked but can't be ignored due to the pressure that Financial Fair Play places on clubs in this division.

With this being our last year of the parachute payments, the club have to place smarter bets in the window, and by securing key players to new deals and taking their time to recruit the right players, we won't be forced into selling any stars at the risk of FFP in the future, and that's the most important aspect with the board trying to build something special - Rome wasn't built in a day.

Furthermore, I understand the frustrations about the 'stats' system that is in place, and it's generally the point that many people associate with any bad press around the club, or any suggestion that Slavisa Jokanovic may depart the club. But, if we take a step back and away from the Media garbage that is posted on a regularly basis, we should be quite thankful of the new system. It was brought in at the end of the reign of Kit Symons, and if we reviewed the transfers of the 3-4 years before it was introduced, you'd probably ask the question; why wasn't in brought in before?

Personally, I think we are very fortunate to have an owner like Shahid Khan, he's always invested in any manager the club has had at the helm, and provided the funds to supply them – even to the point that we broke FFP and were forced to have a transfer embargo. Owners like Khan are rare to come by, especially having an owner whose wealth continues to grow at the rate his does, meaning our club isn't at any risk of financial crisis. You only have to look at the clubs that have fallen down the leagues over the years to realise how common that actually is - Bolton, Blackpool, Portsmouth & Blackburn spring to mind, all of which had similar stays in the Premiership, with Portsmouth & Bolton spending time in European competition too.

Therefore, it is important to be smarter under the strict guidelines of Financial Fair Play and by having a more 'research' based approach to the signings we do make, should put us in a stronger place in the future.

It also avoids, the problem of having to overhaul the squad every year due to bringing in a new manager and them wanting to bring in their own players. The club put its' faith in Martin Jol to do that, and over the years our squad age rose, investment slowed due to MAF wanting to sell, and in reality, relegation was on the cards for a long-time, with key players not being replaced. It also left the club in an awkward place when relegated, as our players didn't have much value, due to age and high wages, so shifting players upon relegation proved harder than first thought – limiting that immediate window of reinvestment that can be seen by other clubs, especially Aston Villa, who had £40m of talent out of loan last season.

The club then relied heavily on Felix Magath, a manager with an impressive CV but he decided to bring in players like Mark Fotheringham, Adil Chihi, Kay Voser, Nikoklay Bodurov, Gabor Kiraly & Dino Fazlic – and let's be honest, not one of those were up to the standards of the Championship, and every one of them was a costly mistake. All of which, I'm sure wouldn't have got the approval if they were wanted under the new transfer system.

Kit Symons was then installed and he was then backed to overhaul the squad, and he brought in players like Michael Turner, Danny Guthrie, Jamie O'Hara, Richard Lee, Jazz Richards & Ben Pringle. All of which again, no longer have a future at the club and more squad upheaval has been needed. Don't get me wrong, there may have been one or two that have been a success, but on the whole, that system has faltered for us for a long time. While, I appreciate Khan's reign has overseen relegation and the bad times for our club, he has continued to invest and that's paramount, and with him finally having the right staff around the pitch and higher up in the club, we are probably in our strongest position for a number of years to move back up the leagues.

As for last summer, Slavisa Jokanovic worked closely with the system and while the media continued to pour out garbage news about him leaving, last summer was incredibly effective. The players that were brought in were either at the peak of their careers or coming into those years - where there was always going to be a return on their investment.

Even though, last year's summer signing Jozabed didn't settle in England, he was sold this summer at a profit, something we failed to do with any of the signings we tried to move on under previous tenures. Not only that, but Fulham are a club that are notoriously quiet and secretive about their business during the windows, so we may need to remind ourselves that if we're not on the Sky Sports reports, then it's probably not a bad thing – just our club keep deals under wraps until the last second, just look at Kalas' arrival last year, that was a surprise for everyone – even the journalists! Therefore, I wouldn't read too much into the reports about Jokanovic leaving due to this system, remember Slavisa has said before that he is happy at the club, and signed the new deal recently. If he wasn't happy with system around him, he could have left for nothing this summer, but instead he signed a new contract to continue the project he had begun.

Furthermore, while the club have begun moving on some players, many of which will be replaced by the successes of the youth squad in terms of rotation spots, which does mean that the likes of Tayo Edun, Denis Adeniran & co will feature more for the club, especially in cup games – providing them with a pressure-free environment to develop and make a name for themselves. This is exciting, because as we saw from last year's cup run, young stars like Edun & Adeniran proved that they could have an impact on the side and Jokanovic trusted them to do so, and with those stars in and around the squad and signing new deals we probably have more depth than first thought – although I agree, we are 3 or 4 senior signings away from a full-strength side.

But overall, the first month has been successful upon reflection. The club needed to sell players this summer to be able to re-invest like they did last summer due to FFP, and we have smashed the targets needed already. By securing £3.5m profit on Malone in just 12 months, another £4m from Jozabed plus the fees from the likes of Burgess, LVC (Sad to see move on) & Stearman, all of which will bring us close to around £9-10m from sales.

An exciting number to utilise, considering it was only Malone that has been sold who was involved on a regular basis – and while he was good going forward, defensively he had his flaws, and his transfer means we somehow got £3.5m for Jazz Richards (considering Richards and Scotty swapped clubs last summer) and who would have thought that was possible!

As for the departure of Lasse Vigen Christensen, I was a little bit gutted to see him depart but after thinking about it, it shouldn't really take anyone by surprise. He was the only bright spark under Kit's reign and if he had avoided the injury problems he experienced shortly after his rise to fame, it could have been a different story but since injury struck him down, he has rarely featured and edged ever closer to that exit door.

But, I do wish him all the best for the future and will keep an eye on his development and especially to see what midfield role he plays in on a regular basis, as he featured in way too many different positions during his time at the Cottage, even as left wing back at times! But thanks for the moments of magic LVC, I hope you stay clear of injury and really get that opportunity to live up to the potential you have.

Finally, with the team now returning from their pre-season tour, I'd expect the next 14 to 20 days to be really busy for Fulham, and with the way the rumours are going, it would suggest that our favourite Czech defender, Tomas Kalas is on his way back to the club – which is definitely welcomed news.

Although, I do feel that his deal will be similar to Piazon's with Kalas signing a new deal at Chelsea before being allowed to leave on loan. Which would be a shame considering most of us were hoping a permanent deal could be agreed, but regardless I will be happy however he returns to the Cottage because he is a player of the highest quality, and his partnership with Ream really began to blossom towards the end of the season.

There are also question marks around the future of David Button, and with another poor pre-season display, his long-term future is under scrutiny. With Nottingham Forest reportedly interested in the goalkeeper, I would expect him to leave, but with Fulham still trying to sell the goalkeeper at a profit, it may be hard to find a suitor. Reading were reportedly keen on the former Brentford stopper, but after being given the valuation by the club, they decided to pursue Vito Mannone instead – but I'm glad to see that our club are demanding much higher fees for players this summer, providing us with the opportunity to re-invest and balance the books more easily.

To conclude, we are still in the early stages of the transfer window, and I'm sure there will be more twists and turns between now and the end of the window, but there's plenty of reasons to be optimistic, and with the board fully aware of how important this summer is to build on last year's achievements, I am confident that they won't let us down. Expect us to start getting more vocal in the next 14 days about business I'd imagine, especially with the kit launches and the squad returning from their pre-season tour. Just like last summer, targets would have been identified very early on, and there would have been a number of targets lined up should moves for key targets fail to materialise. Have faith, the club is back on the way up, we have all the right people behind the scenes and with Jokanovic wanting to build something special at the club, the future is bright.



https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2017/7/24/16016234/the-craven-corner-rome-wasnt-built-in-a-day-reasons-to-be-happy-about-the-first-month-of-the-window

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham decide against making bid for Norwich City man Cameron Jerome

The club were believed to have been interested in making a bid for the striker, but have decided to pursue other options

Fulham have decided against making a bid for Norwich City striker Cameron Jerome.

Slavisa Jokanovic is a fan of the 30-year-old striker who bagged 16 goals for the Championship side last season, but the club have now decided against pursuing him.

The club are still on the lookout for striking options, with Cauley Woodrow the only recognised forward in the squad at the moment - something the transfer department are keen to address heading into the new season.

Fulham struggled in their pursuit of strikers this summer, with Diego Rolan seemingly still undecided on a move to the Cottage, while Steve Mounie signed for Huddersfield with Braga rejecting the club's advances for Rui Fonte.

Meanwhile, the club are about to make their third signing of the summer when they bring in Oliver Norwood on a season-long loan deal from Premier League Brighton.

Fulham's final pre-season friendly is this Saturday at Craven Cottage against VfL Wolfsburg.

Tickets are priced from £15 for adults and just £1 for Junior supporters. For further information or to purchase visit: www.fulhamfc.com/tickets. Tickets will also be available to purchase from turnstiles at the ground on match day.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/fulham-decide-against-making-bid-13378705

[WhiteJC]

 
Oliver Norwood set to move to Fulham on loan

Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Oliver Norwood is set to move on a season long loan to Fulham, subject to the Shirley from EastEnders look-a-like passing a medical at Craven Cottage.

The Northern Ireland international arrive at the Amex from Reading for an undisclosed fee on the eve of last season. Many at the time predicted that he was a Dale Stephens replacement, given Stephen's summer efforts to force through a glamour move to Burnley.

As it was, the Albion played hardball and refused to sell. After handing in a transfer request which was duly rejected and collecting the toys that had been thrown out of his pram, Stephens reestablished himself as Chris Hughton's first choice midfielder and was outstanding as promotion to the Premier League was won.

As a result, Norwood struggled for game time, making 17 starts and 17 substitute appearances in all competitions without scoring a goal. He had a brief run as a minor hate figure for his love of a sideways pass which drew comparisons to Jake Forster-Caskey, although he did put a lot of credit in the bank when he had what can only be described as a complete meltdown in a barbers, leaving it with bleached blonde hair that left him looking like feisty Albert Square resident Shirley Carter.

Norwood's opportunities are likely to be even more restricted this time around following the arrival of Pascal Gross and both Stephens and Steve Sidwell signing new deals with the club with Fulham being able to offer him regular first team football as they look to go better than last seasons play off semi final defeat.



http://wearebrighton.com/blog/2017/07/oliver-norwood-set-to-move-to-fulham-on-loan/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham must beat their rivals to secure a deal for this Reading FC player

Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic is slowly building his side in order to be ready for yet another push for the Championship top six, but will have to do so without full back Scott Malone, who has departed the Cottagers for Premier League new boys Huddersfield.

Malone impressed on the left side for Fulham last season, and his performances have been rightly rewarded with a move to the top-flight of English football.

Fulham have wonderkid Ryan Sessegnon to replace Malone, but with the side lacking numbers following his departure, Jokanovic may look to add depth to the position ahead of the opener against Norwich in less than two weeks time.

The man the Serb should turn to is Reading full-back Jordan Obita, who may be available with just a year remaining on his Royals deal and no talks planned to extend his stay in Berkshire.

Obita impressed for his boyhood club last season as they recorded a remarkable third place finish, before losing out in the play- off final to Malone's new side.

The 23-year-old was extremely consistent which will appeal to the Fulham hierarchy, and like Sessegnon is versatile, and also has the ability to operate on the wing should he be called upon.

Fulham are desperate to end their Premier League exile and will need a squad boasting quality and depth, and adding Obita to the mix will tick both of these boxes.




https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-must-beat-their-rivals-to-secure-a-deal-for-this-reading-fc-player/

[WhiteJC]

 
Aldershot Town's tough pre-season schedule will be worth it, says former Fulham and Millwall midfielder

"It's taken a toll a little bit on the players but in two or three weeks when the season starts, I think it will put us in good stead"

It has been a tough pre-season schedule for Aldershot Town but former Fulham and Millwall midfielder Jake Gallagher insists it will all be worth it if they beat FC Halifax Town on August 5.

The Shots just missed out on promotion to the Football League last season after losing to Tranmere Rovers in the play-off semi-final and the team are determined to do better this time around.

As such, they have been putting in the hard work this pre-season with double sessions of training, a packed list of friendly fixtures and even a trip to Bath University to work on their fitness.

But while it's been tough on the squad, Gallagher is confident it will be worth it in the end.

"It's been tough; very tough," the 24-year-old explained. "It's been intense especially in the last couple of weeks with the Totton game then travelling to Bath, then the Hampton & Richmond Borough game and then Chelsea. It's been a lot of games and a lot of training with double sessions as well. It's taken a toll a little bit on the players but in two or three weeks when the season starts, I think it will put us in good stead.

"I think this pre-season has been [tougher than last]. It was good to get away and have a little trip to Bath which we haven't had in previous seasons. That was good for team bonding.

"It's definitely been tougher and as a good of players we have done a little bit more because we fell short [of promotion] last season so we needed it.

"That's what pre-season is all about – working toward the first game of the season on August 5. It doesn't really matter what happens in pre-season, although you want to do well, win games and play well, but as long as the team is ready and individually you're ready come the first game of the season, that's what's most important."




http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aldershot-towns-tough-pre-season-13377946

[WhiteJC]

 
Norwich City fans deliver their Fulham verdict

The Championship countdown to Fulham continues at Charlton on Tuesday night. City fans have voted in their thousands for who should start at Craven Cottage.

Daniel Farke insists he is yet to decide his starting line up for the league kick-off at Fulham, but more than 2,000 Norwich City fans voted within the first six hours of our Pinkun online poll to give the German head coach a helping hand.

Timm Klose, Alex Pritchard and Louis Thompson have definitely been ruled out through injury for the trip to Craven Cottage but Farke faces some selection dilemmas if City pick up no fresh injuries in the final two pre-season outings.

Ivo Pinto, Wes Hoolahan and Harry Toffolo are poised to return to full training ahead of the opening weekend on August 5 and those on duty in Germany last week boosted their first team claims.

The former Borussia Dortmund II head coach has brought in seven new faces, and there were plenty of clues in wins over MSV Duisburg and DSC Arminia Bielefeld.

Christoph Zimmermann and Marcel Franke were paired in central defence in front of Angus Gunn with Mario Vrancic a starter for both friendlies. Harrison Reed and Steven Naismith got a chance to impress, Josh Murphy and Marley Watkins were deployed in wide areas and up front there is an intense battle between Nelson Oliveira and Cameron Jerome to lead the line for the big kick-off. But who do Norwich City fans think should be the starting XI for Fulham?

• Keeper

Angus Gunn polled 95pc of the vote amongst the keepers. The Manchester City loanee appears to be the natural heir to the departed John Ruddy. Michael McGovern has been touted with a potential exit this summer while Remi Matthews and Paul Jones are at opposite ends of the career spectrum. Gunn will be the man in possession for the big kick-off.

• Right back

Ivo Pinto (90pc) - City's regular full back last season and one of the most consistent performers for Norwich City in the Championship. 
The Portuguese defender picked up an untimely hamstring injury in the opening friendly at Cobh but with Farke indicating he is closing in on a return to full training, Pinto is preferred to club captain Russell Martin.

• Centre backs

Marcel Franke (48pc) and Christoph Zimmermann (45pc) - Two of Farke's German imports were paired in tandem for both of the tour matches. Zimmermann's appetite for minutes in pre-season appears limitless, while Franke has taken little time to adapt to his new surroundings. Both have looked comfortable in a flat back four and a defensive three, as they demonstrated against Bielefeld.

• Left back

James Husband (77pc) - Recently signed from Middlesbrough, Husband has two youngsters for competition in Jamal Lewis and Harry Toffolo. City's FA Youth Cup winner is on the comeback trail from injury, while Lewis looks one for the future. Husband started last season in the Premier League. He is expected to begin this with a league debut at Craven Cottage.

• Midfield

Alex Tettey (16pc) would be the obvious choice in that defensive screening role. Farke praised his impact at Bielefeld and in particular his tactical discipline. 
Southampton loanee Harrison Reed (23pc) and Bosnian international Mario Vrancic (25pc) look to have the makings of an exciting central midfield pairing, in a key area of the field for the German. Farke has also recently urged Josh Murphy (25pc) to seize his big chance, following the departure of his twin, and City fans want to see him on the team sheet at Fulham.

• Number 10

Wes Hoolahan (45pc) - There is serious competition for the role of creator-in-chief in the injury absence of Alex Pritchard. Hoolahan certainly has the experience as he begins his 10th season at Carrow Road. 
James Maddison is the young pretender, but if Hoolahan can prove his fitness between now and August 5 then the Irishman gets the nod for those Norwich City fans who cast their vote.

• Striker

Nelson Oliveira (94pc) - His fifth goal of pre-season was a sublime solo effort from the halfway line to seal Friday's win over DSC Arminia Bielefeld. Oliveira and Cameron Jerome have both been staples in the transfer gossip columns, but Oliveira was the overwhelming choice to spearhead City's frontline at Craven Cottage.



http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/norwich-city-fans-deliver-their-fulham-verdict-1-5120305

[WhiteJC]

 
Report: Fulham target Norwich City's Cameron Jerome after Diego Rolan deal stalls

Diego Rolan wants a move to the Premier League, possibly Newcastle United, making Fulham turn their attention to Norwich City striker Cameron Jerome.

If Fulham had their way, Cameron Jerome would have been plying his trade at Craven Cottage all the way back in 2011. According to The Mirror, the London club had a £3 million offer rejected by Birmingham City, who viewed the hard-working striker as an essential part of their squad.

However, six years on, Fulham are in an excellent position to get their man. Jerome's current club, Norwich City, will let him go in the summer as they embark on a huge summer overhaul.

And The Mirror reports that Fulham could try their luck again, preparing a £3 million bid with manager Slavisa Jokanovic believing that the 30-year-old could fire The Cottagers to promotion after they suffered play-off heartbreak last season.

There's certainly logic in Jokanovic's plan. Jerome, who has also been linked to Sunderland and Nottingham Forest (The Sun), twice helped Birmingham City reach the promised land in 2007 and 2009 while also netting in Norwich's 2015 play-off final victory against Middlesbrough two years ago.

Furthermore, Jerome is a proven Championship goalscorer who has netted 34 in his last two seasons in the second tier, including 16 as Norwich endured a disappointing campaign last time out.

And with Fulham losing Chris Martin, who returned to Derby County upon the expiry of his loan spell, Jerome would be welcomed with open arms.

However, his a move for the former Birmingham striker may be an acceptance that Fulham will be left disappointed in their attempt to lure Diego Rolan to the Championship. Sky Sports report that The Cottagers had agreed a £5 million deal to sign the Bordeaux striker.

Yet, the report says he is holding out for a move to the Premier League, with Newcastle United understood to be keen. The Magpies have tracked Rolan for at least two years and, with Dwight Gayle and the out-of-favour Aleksandar Mitrovic the club's only senior striking options, he could be a fine addition for Rafael Benitez.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/07/24/report-fulham-target-norwich-citys-cameron-jerome-after-diego-ro/

[AnotherVicHalomLoveChild]

The Fulham 2000 story and how it helped save a football club on the brink of disaster

Chris Bishop tells the story of Fulham 2000 and how it tried to bring back some stability to Fulham Football Club

As the millions flow out of the Fulham bank account this season on stars from across Europe, it is very hard to believe that a mere quarter of a century ago the club was on the edge of oblivion.

It is even harder to imagine those far off bleak, hungry, days that the fate of London's oldest clubs was influenced by a small, yet determined, band of volunteers.

There's a lot of rot these days talked about "loyalty" to a club. Many so called supporters measure loyalty by the amount of online abuse you can throw at opposing supporters and their clubs; in my view, a measure of loyalty is how much money and time you are prepared to put where your mouth is when your club in in peril.

It was 1992, Craven Cottage had been sold off for housing development – after all it is valuable prime land by the Thames – and the bulldozers were ready to move in.

The club didn't have two pennies to rub together, the team was struggling in what is now League One and crowds were down to just over 3,000. As one of my colleagues, a third generation Fulham supporter, said sardonically there was as much space for an open, passing, game on the terraces than on the pitch.

The rescue crew was called Fulham 2000 – in the vague hope that the club would still be around at the end of the century. Around 30 of us used to meet at the ground after games and on frosty Sunday mornings to work out how we were going to raise millions to save the club; a forlorn hope at the time. For a start, we all pledged 100 pounds each and I even persuaded my dad – a Kidderminster Harriers supporter – to follow suit.

I was working at the BBC then, so I was elected press officer - a small role in a coalition of the hopeful. I remember getting a pat on the back all round for getting an interview with lifelong Fulham fan Melvin Tenner, our leader at Fulham 2000, on BBC News.

But it wasn't looking good in those dark days in a season when we lost 2-0 at home to Hayes in the FA Cup.

You could feel the interest melting away faster than the crowds. Business didn't want to know, the talk was of a ground sharing with Chelsea, there was a conspiracy theory that the management wanted to run the club down to the Conference and then close it down quietly. I didn't believe the latter, but one or two times, on rain swept terraces when we were losing away from home, I wondered.


Fulham fans celebrate the news that the club will be staying at the Cottage in May 1992 (Image: AntonWant/Allsport)

You know how deeply in the mire you stand when you are shaking a bucket in the faces of supporters of an even more impoverished team in the relegation zone fresh from a journey of hundreds of miles from the north that probably cost half their wages.

That is what we happy few of Fulham 2000 were doing on January 28 1992. We had chosen the Wigan game at home for the launch of our fund-raising drive, probably not the most glamourous fixture, but arguably the Lancashire club was a kindred spirit when it came to struggling in the lower reaches of English football. On that day, they were deep in the relegation zone long before the millions that took the club to the Premier League.

Even so, the Wigan fans tossed generously 50 pence pieces into our buckets.

"Good luck and hopefully we will still be playing you next season," they said cheerfully. I often think of that day when I see some of the spoilt, repugnant, moronic, abuse that is thrown around on the internet these days.

As a football fan, I was happy when Wigan escaped relegation that season.

Earlier in the day, Fulham 2000 had announced itself to the world in a Hammersmith hotel where we had arranged for the late Fulham legend Johnny Haynes to come down from Edinburgh to launch our campaign to save the club. Haynes was arguably the best footballer ever to lace up a pair of boots at Fulham and a fine captain of England; as a public speaker, he struggled. To make matters worse, George Best, another Fulham great, turned up late in the middle of his opening address.

The Fleet Street journalists forgot Johnny was speaking and swamped Bestie for a few choice quotes. I can still see Johnny droning through his speech with one eye on the impromptu Best press conference. It was, as they say on line these days, cringe worthy.

Anyway, we all pitched up for the last home game of the season against Bradford City in the understanding that it was going to be the last ever at the Cottage. The first shock was we won; the second shock was it was announced over the tannoy that a stay of execution for at least another season had been secured.

More than five years later, the banks, who wanted to get the Craven Cottage asset off their books, sold the club to Mohammed Al Fayed and the rest is history. It was all worth it on that wet April day in 1997 I flew from Africa to Heathrow and drove up to Carlisle for the crunch promotion game.

There was about 2,000 of us at Brunton Park – Terry Angus, the injured centre half, was leading the singing in the stands! (Can you imagine David Luiz doing that?)

Two goals to one: Micky Conroy equalised and I was dead in line when Rodney McAree smashed in the second. It was like Christmas; total strangers were hugging and shaking hands. It was worth every yard of my 7,000-mile journey.

Thirteen years on, I almost wept when I watched Fulham walk out for the Europa Cup final in Hamburg. As fate would have it, I was on assignment in Nairobi and rued how I could make it to Carlisle for a League Two game, but not to Germany for a European final. Watching it TV on a hot Kenyan night, I mused that cold meetings in Craven Cottage 18 years before had been worth it. To think it could all have been lost in the path of a bulldozer.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-2000-story-how-helped-13376607

The Fulham 2000 story and how it helped save a football club on the brink of disaster

Chris Bishop tells the story of Fulham 2000 and how it tried to bring back some stability to Fulham Football Club

As the millions flow out of the Fulham bank account this season on stars from across Europe, it is very hard to believe that a mere quarter of a century ago the club was on the edge of oblivion.

It is even harder to imagine those far off bleak, hungry, days that the fate of London's oldest clubs was influenced by a small, yet determined, band of volunteers.

There's a lot of rot these days talked about "loyalty" to a club. Many so called supporters measure loyalty by the amount of online abuse you can throw at opposing supporters and their clubs; in my view, a measure of loyalty is how much money and time you are prepared to put where your mouth is when your club in in peril.

It was 1992, Craven Cottage had been sold off for housing development – after all it is valuable prime land by the Thames – and the bulldozers were ready to move in.

The club didn't have two pennies to rub together, the team was struggling in what is now League One and crowds were down to just over 3,000. As one of my colleagues, a third generation Fulham supporter, said sardonically there was as much space for an open, passing, game on the terraces than on the pitch.

The rescue crew was called Fulham 2000 – in the vague hope that the club would still be around at the end of the century. Around 30 of us used to meet at the ground after games and on frosty Sunday mornings to work out how we were going to raise millions to save the club; a forlorn hope at the time. For a start, we all pledged 100 pounds each and I even persuaded my dad – a Kidderminster Harriers supporter – to follow suit.

I was working at the BBC then, so I was elected press officer - a small role in a coalition of the hopeful. I remember getting a pat on the back all round for getting an interview with lifelong Fulham fan Melvin Tenner, our leader at Fulham 2000, on BBC News.

But it wasn't looking good in those dark days in a season when we lost 2-0 at home to Hayes in the FA Cup.

You could feel the interest melting away faster than the crowds. Business didn't want to know, the talk was of a ground sharing with Chelsea, there was a conspiracy theory that the management wanted to run the club down to the Conference and then close it down quietly. I didn't believe the latter, but one or two times, on rain swept terraces when we were losing away from home, I wondered.


Fulham fans celebrate the news that the club will be staying at the Cottage in May 1992 (Image: AntonWant/Allsport)

You know how deeply in the mire you stand when you are shaking a bucket in the faces of supporters of an even more impoverished team in the relegation zone fresh from a journey of hundreds of miles from the north that probably cost half their wages.

That is what we happy few of Fulham 2000 were doing on January 28 1992. We had chosen the Wigan game at home for the launch of our fund-raising drive, probably not the most glamourous fixture, but arguably the Lancashire club was a kindred spirit when it came to struggling in the lower reaches of English football. On that day, they were deep in the relegation zone long before the millions that took the club to the Premier League.

Even so, the Wigan fans tossed generously 50 pence pieces into our buckets.

"Good luck and hopefully we will still be playing you next season," they said cheerfully. I often think of that day when I see some of the spoilt, repugnant, moronic, abuse that is thrown around on the internet these days.

As a football fan, I was happy when Wigan escaped relegation that season.

Earlier in the day, Fulham 2000 had announced itself to the world in a Hammersmith hotel where we had arranged for the late Fulham legend Johnny Haynes to come down from Edinburgh to launch our campaign to save the club. Haynes was arguably the best footballer ever to lace up a pair of boots at Fulham and a fine captain of England; as a public speaker, he struggled. To make matters worse, George Best, another Fulham great, turned up late in the middle of his opening address.

The Fleet Street journalists forgot Johnny was speaking and swamped Bestie for a few choice quotes. I can still see Johnny droning through his speech with one eye on the impromptu Best press conference. It was, as they say on line these days, cringe worthy.

Anyway, we all pitched up for the last home game of the season against Bradford City in the understanding that it was going to be the last ever at the Cottage. The first shock was we won; the second shock was it was announced over the tannoy that a stay of execution for at least another season had been secured.

More than five years later, the banks, who wanted to get the Craven Cottage asset off their books, sold the club to Mohammed Al Fayed and the rest is history. It was all worth it on that wet April day in 1997 I flew from Africa to Heathrow and drove up to Carlisle for the crunch promotion game.

There was about 2,000 of us at Brunton Park – Terry Angus, the injured centre half, was leading the singing in the stands! (Can you imagine David Luiz doing that?)

Two goals to one: Micky Conroy equalised and I was dead in line when Rodney McAree smashed in the second. It was like Christmas; total strangers were hugging and shaking hands. It was worth every yard of my 7,000-mile journey.

Thirteen years on, I almost wept when I watched Fulham walk out for the Europa Cup final in Hamburg. As fate would have it, I was on assignment in Nairobi and rued how I could make it to Carlisle for a League Two game, but not to Germany for a European final. Watching it TV on a hot Kenyan night, I mused that cold meetings in Craven Cottage 18 years before had been worth it. To think it could all have been lost in the path of a bulldozer.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-2000-story-how-helped-13376607

Interesting to note a young Shahid Khan "checking us out" @ the time, for future purchase potential?
As you look @ the pic he is underneath the left end of the Fulham flag next to the pillar