Thursday Fulham Stuff (09/11/17)...

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Newcastle to make renewed approach for Tom Cairney


TRANSFER TARGET: Newcastle United remain keen to sign Scotland international Tom Cairney from Fulham

RAFAEL BENITEZ will prioritise a new move for Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney during the January transfer window – whether Newcastle United are in new hands or not.

Takeover talk has become muted in the last couple of weeks, although Amanda Staveley's PCP Capital Partners group is still understood to be involved in discussions aimed at assembling a consortium backed by Middle Eastern finance that will be capable of buying out Mike Ashley.

Staveley's group has signed a non-disclosure agreement enabling them to conduct a forensic analysis of Newcastle's books, but while all parties would ideally like a deal to be completed before the turn of the year, the timescale for such a development is becoming increasingly tight.

That could mean Ashley remaining in charge throughout the January transfer window, and it remains to be seen whether the sportswear magnate will be willing to sanction significant spending if he has been unable to sell before the New Year.

Whoever is in charge, Benitez will be doing all he can to persuade those above him to support him in the transfer market, and Cairney is set to be one of his leading targets for the second transfer window in a row.

Newcastle made a number of approaches for the Fulham midfielder in the summer, but a bid of around £20m was rejected after Slavisa Jokanovic persuaded the Craven Cottage board to hold on to the Scotland international in order to enhance their club's chances of mounting a viable promotion push.

Things haven't panned out as planned in the opening three months of the season, however, with Fulham languishing in 17th position amid mounting speculation about Jokanovic's job.

Promotion looks extremely unlikely, and Benitez will be urging Newcastle's recruitment team to exploit Fulham's indifferent form by tabling another offer for Cairney at the turn of the year.

The 26-year-old signed a contract extension in the summer that commits him to Fulham until 2021, but with the Cottagers seemingly set for at least another season in the Championship, the Craven Cottage hierarchy could opt to cash in.

Newcastle signed Mikel Merino in the summer, but with Jack Colback completely out of favour and likely to make a move of his own once the transfer window reopens, Benitez is keen to sign another central midfielder.

Ayoze Perez has spent much of the current campaign playing in the 'number ten' role despite not being ideally suited to the position, and with Mo Diame having underperformed during the recent 1-0 defeat at Burnley, there is clearly a need for more creativity in the central-midfield area.

Perez found himself omitted from the starting line-up for last weekend's 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth, and having come on for the final 22 minutes, the Spaniard admits Newcastle underperformed for the second game in a row.

"In both games (Burnley and Bournemouth), we had moments," said Perez. "We had control, but that was not enough. The games are 93 minutes long, we must play from the start right to the end.

"Any chance we get to score, we must take it. We did not do that against Burnley or Bournemouth. The control is not enough, we must be better at both ends of the pitch. We must focus on working on that and getting better."

Christian Atsu limped out of Saturday's game, with Benitez confirming he had suffered "a knock" in the closing stages. However, the winger has been passed fit to join up with the Ghana squad for Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Egypt.



http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/football/newcastle/15646252.NEWCASTLE__Magpies_to_make_a_new_January_move_for_long_standing_transfer_target/

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Rafa Benitez Still Wants 26-Year-Old Tom Cairney In January

Fulham had a good season last year in the Championship when the finished in 6th place with 80 points, and they did the double over us and looked a good side.

But under manager Slavisa Jokanovic they seem to have lost their way this season and are currently in 17th place with 19 points from their 16 games played.

And there's news today that one of their players Rafa wanted last January and last summer – midfielder Tom Cairney – is still a prime target for Newcastle – even though he doesn't seem to have had a good season.

The news is being reported in the Northern Echo.

The Fulham manager was determined to keep one of his best players in the summer and asked a whopping £20M for the one time capped Scottish International.

Tom Cairney – Fulham's attacking midfielder

There were even some reports that Newcastle had a £20M offer turned down by Fulham but given the thriftiness of Newcastle last summer – we doubt that was true.

It was not a surprise when Tom signed a new five-year contract at Fulham last summer.

And it could be an excellent opportunity in January for Newcastle to test the waters – with Fulham having no chance of promotion this season and maybe Cairney is now expendable halfway through the season?

It seems like Rafa will have to sell some players in January to get some funds if Mike Ashley is still the owner by then.

Last season Tom had a terrific season for Fulham, and it included two excellent displays against Newcastle, and he caught the eye of manager Rafa Benitez.

Rafa believes the 26-year-old can make the big step up to the Premier League.

Tom has played for the Scotland U19 and U21 youth sides and gained his first and only cap for Scotland in March of this year in a 1–1 home draw with Canada in a friendly.

He qualifies to play for Scotland because of his Scottish father.

In his career so far he has played 272 games with 38 goals and 45 assists.

And for Fulham, he's made 100 appearances with 22 goals and 18 assists since joining them in 2015  from Blackburn Rovers.



http://www.nufcblog.com/2017/11/08/rafa-benitez-still-wants-26-year-old-tom-cairney-in-january/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham v Blues ticket details - ticket update

Ticketing update for Blues' Sky Bet Championship fixture against the Cottagers at Craven Cottage on Saturday 9 December.

Fulham v Blues
Sky Bet Championship
Craven Cottage
Saturday 9 December 2017 (3pm kick-off)

Blues have received an additional allocation of 941 tickets for this fixture. This will be our final allocation and take our total allocation up to 3,750 tickets.

Included in this allocation are 145 restricted view seats which are £2.00 cheaper than the original price.

Ticket Prices:
Adult - £30.00
65 & Over - £25.00
18-21 - £25.00
17 & Under - £15.00
Disabled Adult - £15.00
Disabled 65 & Over - £12.50
Disabled 18-21 - £12.50
Disabled 17 & Under - £7.50
Disabled/ambulant tickets include a carer.

*Restricted view seats get a £2 discount

• Tickets can be purchased in advance from 5pm on Wednesday 8 November through the eticketing website only.
• Tickets will be available to purchase in advance from BCFC Superstore or by calling the BCFC Ticket Office on 0121 772 0101 option 2 from 9am on Thursday 9 November.

Official Coach Travel
Official coach travel is available for this fixture priced at:
Adult Season Ticket Holder/Blues Loyalty Member - £16
Senior/Student/Junior Season Ticket Holder/Blues Loyalty Member - £15
Adult non Season Ticket Holder - £17
Senior/Student/Junior Non Season Ticket Holder - £16
Coaches will leave St. Andrew's at 09:30am

Tickets can be purchased from the relevant dates via the following options

Call: 0121 772 0101 option 2
Visit: Blues Store, St. Andrew's Stadium

Please note that the following charges will apply:
- Online - £1.00 per match ticket purchased
- 24 Hour Ticket Master Call Centre - £1.76 per match ticket purchased
- A 60p postage fee will be applied per transaction for the first class postage of tickets



https://www.bcfc.com/news/articles/2017/fulham-v-blues-ticket-details-ticket-update/

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Slavisa Jokanovic believes Fulham's Steven Sessegnon is a "good project" and advises him to be strong

The 17-year-old won the World Cup with England U17s last month and will now be looking to break into the first team like twin brother Ryan

Slavisa Jokanovic believes Steven Sessegnon is a "good project" for Fulham to have and has advised him to "not sleep" and continue working hard to get a first team spot.

The 17-year-old, twin of Ryan, has recently returned from India after winning the U17 World Cup with England, where the right back assisted two goals in the final as they overcame Spain in a 5-2 win, despite going two-goals down.

Ryan Sessegnon was elevated to the first team last season and has been a regular starter for Jokanovic's side this year, but Steven has yet to break into the side, although he did make two appearances in the Carabao Cup early on in the season.

And now after becoming a World Cup winner, the next aim for Steven is to replicate his brother and become a first team regular, with Jokanovic advising him to "not sleep and work hard".

He said: "Like other people, he's a young man and he's a good project of the football player, he needs to be strong and working hard and waiting for the chance.

"When you are waiting it's better you don't sleep and you are working hard, and this is what I expect for Steven Sessegnon."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/slavisa-jokanovic-believes-fulhams-steven-13873089

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Sunderland Away Ticket Info

Tickets for Fulham's match against Sunderland away are now on sale to Season Ticket Holders and Members.

The Whites make the trip to the Stadium of Light on Saturday 16th December with kick-off scheduled for 3pm.

Follow Fulham Away with tickets priced at £30 for adults, £19 for over 65s, £16 for under 21s and just £10 for under 16s.

Tickets will then go on general sale to all supporters from Monday 13th November.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/november/08/sunderland-away-tickets-on-sale

[WhiteJC]

 
How have Fulham's departed players been doing since leaving the Cottage this season?

We take a look at how the players Fulham sold in the summer have been getting on since leaving Craven Cottage for pastures new

Fulham's summer transfer business saw the club sign eleven new faces for Slavisa Jokanovic's first team, while there were also a few departures from the club.

Regular first teamers Sone Aluko and Scott Malone left, while players who weren't really in the first team picture found themselves being shown the exit door at Fulham, including Jozabed, Lasse Vigen Christensen and Richard Stearman.

All found new clubs, whether they were in the Premier League, the Championship or abroad, but how have they been getting on since leaving Craven Cottage?

We've taken a look here.

Sone Aluko - Reading
Aluko, who signed for Reading in the summer for a huge £7.5million fee, finally scored his first goal for the Royals in their 4-2 victory over Derby County on Saturday.

He's been a regular starter in Jaap Stam's side who are at the wrong end of the table, sitting in 18th place, just one place behind Fulham, who they beat in last year's Play-off semi final.

The Nigerian has settled into life at Madejski well, and after getting his first goal for the side is looking to chip in with more as he converts his strong performances into goals.

Scott Malone - Huddersfield
So far, Malone has struggled to hold down a regular first team slot at newly promoted side Huddersfield, but is starting to push for a place in David Wagner's side.

Malone set up Rajiv van La Parra's goal in their 1-0 victory over West Brom at the weekend and is starting to adapt himself to the rigours of the Premier League.

Despite not quite setting it alight like he did with the Cottagers last season, Malone looks like he's ready to make that left back spot his own in Wagner's side.

Jozabed - Celta Vigo
The 26-year-old had a torrid time at Fulham and was sold to Celta Vigo in the summer having spent half of last season on loan with the La Liga side.

So far this season, he's made 11 appearances for the side but has failed to score a single goal, although he has struggled with lower back pains that has seen him ruled out of some of the side's games.

He's one step away from suspension however, as he looks to have added a desire to get stuck in in the midfield and has picked up four yellow cards so far this season.

Lasse Vigen Christensen - Brondby
Christensen joined Brondy from Fulham in the summer having spent half of last season out on loan at fellow Championship side Burton Albion.

He's made 13 appearances in the Danish SuperLiga and started the campaign on fire - scoring in his debut against Nordsjaelland before netting a hat-trick in the next game against Lynby.

Since then, however, he's not managed to hit the back of the net in eleven games for his new side.

Richard Stearman - Sheffield United
Stearman moved to Sheffield United having been told he was no longer need at Fulham in the summer, but it hasn't been the escape he would've wanted.

The defender has only made three appearances for the Blades, with all those coming in August, and hasn't featured since for the surprise Championship package.

Ryan Tunnicliffe - Millwall
Tunnicliffe left Fulham on a free transfer, making the switch to south London and Millwall in the summer.

He's been having a good season so far for Neil Harris' side, making eleven appearances in all competitions and netting in their 2-0 win over Birmingham City.

His gaffer has also been pleased with his performances, hailing him as "impressive" to the press back in October.

Cauley Woodrow - Bristol City (loan)
Woodrow, who like Christensen, spent half of last season out on loan at Burton, is currently with Bristol City.

The 22-year-old has made eight appearances for the high fliers, scoring his only goal for the club in their 4-1 victory over Derby back in September.

Although not a regular starter for Bristol City, he's enjoying a pretty decent season there so far.

Ragnar Sigurdsson - Rubin Kazan (loan)
Sigurdsson, the only over 28 signing Fulham have made with their stats model, was loaned out to the Russian side having failed to make a mark at the Cottage.

He's helped Iceland qualify for the 2018 World Cup after their Euro 2016 heroics whilst out on loan, and has made ten appearances for Rubin Kazan in the Russian Premier League.

They currently sit in 10th place, 14 points off Lokomotiv Moscow in first place and and seven points off Energiya Kh FC at the bottom of the table.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/how-fulhams-departed-players-been-13873407

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Newcastle to reignite swoop for midfield maestro after £20m summer failure – report

Newcastle United are looking to make a January swoop for long term target and Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney, according to a report.

The Northern Echo claim on their website that Rafael Benitez has made the midfield maestro his top transfer target for the winter window, having previously seen a move for the Scottish international fall through.

The report states that the Magpies made a summer approach for the 26-year-old, who can operate in central or attacking midfield roles, but saw their £20million bid rejected by the Cottagers.

Fulham's club captain, Cairney has had to endure a difficult start to the season as a result of injuries, which have forced him to miss no less than eight games this season, limiting his playing time to just seven appearances, scoring once.

He has 11 Premier League appearances under his belt, coming during his time with Hull City, but has gained most of his experience in England's second tier, with 226 Championship outings to his name.

Football Insider verdict

While many will point to the absence of a proven striker as the problem behind Newcastle's lack of goals this season, there has been a lack of goal scoring opportunities for the forwards to feed off. Rafa Benitez already has a host of talent at his disposal in the centre of the park, but it is talent in the attacking midfield role which has been so desperately lacking this season. First team regular Ayoze Perez has failed to impress, while Mo Diame has looked off the pace in his appearances, and so the Spanish boss appears to be revisiting his former target to try and introduce some creativity to his squad. Cairney has proven himself in the Championship but making the step up to the top flight, where there is much less room for error, will be a challenge. The reported bid of £20million seems a lot for someone with a minimal amount of Premier League experience under his belt, plus it is not like he is a hot prospect at 26-years-old. Money is tight on Tyneside, and so Benitez will have to manage it wisely.



https://www.footballinsider247.com/newcastle-reignite-swoop-midfield-maestro-20m-summer-failure-report/

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Fulham player ratings so far - who is the star performer? Cairney? Kalas? McDonald?

We've rated every Fulham player on their performances so far in what has been a disappointing season for Slavisa Jovanovic's side

David Button

After heading into pre-season as the number two, Button has stepped up to the challenge of being Fulham's first choice stopper this season and has been one the most consistent performers.

Despite a few iffy long kicks, his shot stopping has been superb and his run of 11 games without a clean sheet is very unlucky given his performances.

7
Marcus Bettinelli

Only one appearance so far this campaign, which is testament to Button's performances in goal.

He's pushed the number one all the way in training though and the two benefit from the friendly competition.

5
Ryan Fredericks

It's been a fairly decent start to the season for Fredericks, whose attacking threat is clear down that right hand channel.

His final ball hasn't been at the level it was last season, however, while his attacking forays have left his side open to attack a number of times this season.

Still, he's been one of the better performers.

6.5



Ryan Sessegnon

He's played a lot of football for such a young age and has continued to cope with the rigours of the Championship fairly well.

However, I don't feel left back is his best position and his defensive weaknesses have been exploited a number of times this season.

It's been fairly consistent for the 17-year-old so far, without really pulling out any trees like he did last season.

6
Denis Odoi

The Belgian hasn't been a first team regular but he's found himself used across the entire backline, which says a lot about his versatility and his use to the side.

He had a few good games at centre back but hasn't been able to cement a first team place for himself yet this season.

He's shown the technical side of his game with his flicks and tricks, but there have been defensive issues.

5.5

Rafa Soares

We've barely seen anything of the Porto loanee since he joined in August after being injured, being used very sparingly by Slavisa Jokanovic at right back.

He's look pretty handy when he has come on, but we've not seen enough of what he can do just yet in a Fulham shirt.

5
Tim Ream

The American started off the season very well, and I thought he was having the better of games between him and Kalas.

However, in recent weeks defensive mistakes have started to creep into his game, most notably against Bolton, which have been very costly.

Jokanovic seems to recognise his early season form, however, choosing to drop Kalas instead of Ream for the Wolves defeat.

5.5

Michael Madl

Poor Madl - he's been limited to two Carabao Cup games so far this season and nothing else.

He doesn't seem to feature in Jokanovic's plans whatsoever and it's hard to see where he's going to get a game going forward from here.

4



Marcelo Djalo

Similar to Madl in that Jokanovic doesn't seem to fancy the play at all, again limiting him to two Carabao Cup games and an U23 appearance.

He was brought in during the summer but it doesn't look like he's quite up to the standard required in this division.

4
Tomas Kalas

The Chelsea loanee hasn't quite reached the same levels of performance that he did last season, and along with Ream is struggling to cut out basic mistakes from his game this season.

Defending set pieces has also been a major problem for Kalas and his defensive partners and it's something that needs to be cut out after the break.

5

Kevin McDonald

Fulham's best player this season - he's been head and shoulders above everyone else in terms of performances and it's been clear to see on the pitch.

He's playing at a similar level to last season and continues to shield the back four and break up play.

If he wasn't playing, you would be very worried about where the club would be at the moment.

7



Neeksens Kebano

He's been in and out of the team this season, but hasn't carried the same attacking threat as he did last season, which can be said for the vast majority of the forwards.

There's been a lack of creativity in the side so far and Kebano is one of the players that hasn't played as well as he can do, struggling in front of goal.

5.5
Stefan Johansen

It's been a funny season for the Norway captain - he's the club's top scorer but his performances in the past month have been extremely poor.

He's been struggling with a groin injury which the side are hoping to sort out during the break, but some of his performances have been torrid, losing the ball in midfield without much fight.

5

Tom Cairney

It's not been the season the skipper was hoping for, struggling to recover from a knee injury picked up in pre-season.

It's limited his pitch time and his ability to influence the game, but it's clear to see the difference Cairney brings to the pitch, even when he's only in second gear.

6
Oliver Norwood

It's been a bit hit and miss for Norwood since arriving on loan from Brighton - his early season performances weren't what fans were expecting but he's gotten up to speed with the side and looks one of the better players in the past month.

Can be considered very unlucky not to be starting every week in the midfield at the moment.

6



Jordan Graham

His appearances have been limited to a small period against Burton and that's pretty much it.

His crosses weren't great in that game and we haven't been able to see him since, with Jokanovic not even selecting the Wolves loanee in the matchday squad.

4
Yohan Mollo

Mollo has looked an interesting player in the moments we've seen him - he looks comfortable in possession and certainly has a trick or two about him.

For one reason or another, he's not been used as much as perhaps some fans would've liked, especially with Fulham's lack of attacking threat this season.

He always wants the ball when he's on the pitch and looks to attack his marker at every opportunity.

5.5

Ibrahima Cisse

Another summer arrival, another player who hasn't quite made the step up to Championship level just yet.

Despite his build, he looked weak on the ball against Cardiff and was dispossessed far too easily when he should be able to hold his own physically against other players.

4.5
Rui Fonte

It's not been the start to his Fulham career he would've wanted - after scoring a good goal against Ipswich he's gone 11 games without scoring, which has seen him played in all sorts of positions.

I still feel he should be playing as the out and out striker, but at the moment his performances have not been good whatsoever.

4



Floyd Ayite

Another of Fulham's forwards who are struggling with this season, he's not looked the same player as the previous campaign and is lacking attacking threat at the moment.

He looked like he was getting back into the swing of things against Aston Villa and Bolton but performances since just haven't been what the side were looking for.

5
Sheyi Ojo

Fans seemed not rate Ojo when he was playing, but it would seem that he was their biggest attacking threat before dislocating his shoulder and contributed more than people saw.

The stats show that the Liverpool loanee was Fulham's most dangerous player and I think he's been unlucky that his displays have coincided with a poor Fulham run of results, or he'd be getting more credit.

6.5

Lucas Piazon

His second spell at Fulham started very well before a leg break against Leeds ruled him out for a long period, which was extremely unfortunate for both him and the side.

He looked very good and is perhaps the key to unlocking the attacking threat that Fulham carried last season - he could be back as early as December.

6
Aboubakar Kamara

Kamara has the raw ability to make it at this level, but the 22-year-old needs a senior figure to help guide him through his first season in England.

A good display against Nottingham Forest and a well taken goal seems a long time ago now, with Kamara struggling in recent games to have any real impact or threat.

5



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-player-ratings-far-who-13875219

[WhiteJC]

 
Introducing Mike McSweeney

We caught up with the Fulham FC Foundation's new CEO Mike McSweeney on his role, his previous spell at the Club, and what's coming up for the Foundation.

Tell us about your role as CEO, Mike.

One thing I didn't realise was the breadth and scope of the Foundation's work. We interact with 11,000-plus individuals on a yearly basis in a vast number of areas, including education, so we've been in Brixton Prison, we've been in Feltham Young Offenders delivering employability courses, and we deliver in over 40 primary, secondary and further education establishments. We do a lot of work on inclusion, so we're out in some very tough areas with hard to reach individuals who we're trying to engage to build better lives through sport and integrate these individuals better into their society. Our disability programmes cover a wide range of abilities and following the successful Cohen Fund we run regular health programmes, including Walking Football and Fulham Memories. So one of the day to day bits for me at the moment is fully understanding exactly every area we work in, creating a bit of focus for us to ensure we are delivering every programme with excellence. My main approach has been out seeing everything we're doing, I spend a lot of time on the ground, speaking to coaches, parents, participates and our partners, getting a real understanding of what's happening on a daily basis. We are delivering seven days a week from 8am to 9pm on over 30 programmes, so this is going to take a bit of time!
You're no stranger to Fulham though...

I spent 10 years in the commercial team from 2004-2014, so I know all things Club-related very well. My main role was centred around sponsorship, ticketing and hospitality, but throughout that time I volunteered with the Foundation. I spent 10-plus years with the Fulham Badgers which gave me a really good insight into how the Foundation works, and from that volunteering we did some great pioneering projects in Hong Kong and Norway. That gave me a really passion for the sector. When I left Fulham in 2014 to join the Lawn Tennis Association – the governing body for British Tennis – I carried on volunteering because I believed in what the Foundation stood for and I wanted to be a part of the great work they were doing.

And you were heavily involved in our charity fixtures?

One of the things we did when I was previously at the Club was working with the Fulham Legends on creating the All Stars fixture, which I think has had three matches now, and is something we'll look at again. Pioneering that type of project was a really good initiative for me to be involved with when I was at the Club.
What made you come back?

When the opportunity arose to explore the role I was clearly very interested. One of my reasons for that was not only my knowledge of the great work the Foundation do, but actually the relationship the Foundation have with the Club. It's a very strong relationship, it's an absolute partnership. The Club really value everything the Foundation do, so coming back I knew we'd have that buy-in from the Club to deliver on our mission, which was a big opportunity for me. Also, the reputation of the Foundation and its staff speak for themselves. I knew I would be coming into a workforce and environment where there is passion, dedication and a genuine desire to make a difference within the communities we operate in.
Have you noticed many changes since you were last here?

I left partway through the season we got relegated. Obviously I spent my decade here previously during the Premier League days, so coming back three-and-a-half years later things have changed because naturally they have to. But one of the great things is there's a lot of consistency in the values and the approach that the Club has – it is absolutely a family-orientated club. There are lots of good people still here who I worked very closely with before, and again that's another reason for me to come back.

The Foundation has received a lot of recognition recently, which must be pleasing?

In the last 12 months the Foundation won five awards and the main reason for that is the great work the people within the organisation do. The workforce are a huge credit not only to the Foundation but to the Club. Any awards we've won should be reflected on the excellent workforce we've got in place. They challenge themselves and the programmes they manage to continually be better. We want to create a culture of teamwork, service excellence, enthusiasm and empowerment. However, we can't do this on our own and we have to thank a huge amount of partners in addition, to the Club, for their continued support, including sponsors, funders, local authorities and our own fans.

And what has the Foundation got coming up?
Our official charity game is against Birmingham City on Saturday 9th December. One of the big areas that we have to focus on is fundraising because otherwise some of our projects could become slightly vulnerable. We've coined a very simple term, which is 'Bring A Pound To The Ground.' We want to get the message out there that if every supporter brings a pound and we have, say, 20,000 people at the Birmingham game, then that's a lot of money. We want to let our Season Ticket Holders and our fans know about some of the great work we do, so we're going to showcase some of this work at the game on the 9th. So please bring a pound to the ground, before watching what will hopefully be a great match!



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/november/08/introducing-mike-mcsweeney

[WhiteJC]

 
Barry Hayles: Still playing at 45

He may be well approaching 30 years as a player, but Barry Hayles is still scoring goals.

A mere 13 years since he last played in the Premier League with Fulham, the 45-year-old now finds himself playing for Windsor in the Hellenic Premier League - the ninth tier in the English pyramid - and admits he has lost count of how many clubs he has played for in his career.

"But I know it's double figures and counting!" Hayles told Soccer Saturday. "I'm 45 now and I've started saying this year, as I have many years, that it's probably my last one! But I'm thoroughly enjoying it still.

"I keep talking to old team-mates and they say to me that they wish they'd never stopped playing, so if the phone keeps ringing I'll keep playing."

Such is Hayles' passion to keep playing, that he has even had two spells at Truro City in Cornwall, a 550-mile round trip from where he lived and it involved staying in a caravan overnight, which he thoroughly enjoyed.


Hayles in action for Chesham United in the FA Cup in 2015

"The chairman who called me had his own caravan park, and he said that instead of staying in hotels I should stay in the caravan and it was lovely!" Hayles said. "I'd definitely recommend it."

And it's not exactly surprising that a man who originally worked his way up through the leagues isn't bothered about not playing at the bigger stadiums anymore. He's just happy that his body will still let him keep going.

"I've never really factored the crowd in," he said. "I just love the thrill of playing whether it's in front of five or 25,000 people.


Hayles in action for Fulham against Manchester United in 2004

"I think in all the games I've played this season, about 17 or 18, I've only come off once so I know I can still last the full 90 minutes! But I still played every game like it's my last.

"I don't [wake up aching]. I'm quite lucky. A lot of the boys ask me how I feel on a Sunday, but I'm fine. There's got to be an end in sight sometime, but who knows when!"

And if his form and experience did catch the eye of a Premier League club?

"It's got to be Tottenham," he joked. "If they came calling I wouldn't turn them down."

Don't miss the full interview with Barry Hayles and more on Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports News from 2pm on Saturday



http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/11118857/barry-hayles-still-playing-at-45

[WhiteJC]

 
Could Celtic's Liam Henderson find a new home at Fulham?

Stefan Johansen thrived at Fulham after moving from Celtic - and Liam Henderson could do the same if he follows in his footsteps to Craven Cottage.

It's a testament to the strength of Celtic's squad that they were able to get rid of a player as talented and influential as Stefan Johansen and become an even more fearsome outfit.

The Norwegian international was frequently one of Celtic's standout players under his compatriot Ronny Deila. And, at just £2 million, Johansen proved a real snip for Championship side Fulham.

The Cottagers were arguably the most entertaining side outside the Premier League last season and were the joint-most prolific side in the division with 72 goals. While Sone Aluko, Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon hogged the headlines, however, Johansen was something of an unsung hero.

A classy operator in the centre of the park, the 26-year-old tallied 11 goals and eight assists in a hugely impressive debut campaign.

And with another elegant Celtic midfielder seemingly certain to be on his way out of Parkhead sooner rather than later, should Fulham attempt to repeat the trick?

Following in Johansen's footsteps

21-year-old Liam Henderson was once seen as one of the most talented young players to emerge from Celtic in many a year but, since Brendan Rodgers arrived in the summer of 2016, the youngster's first-team prospects have diminished greatly.

Henderson has only featured in a few minutes of league action this season, his only appearance coming off the bench against Dundee in October.

A stylish and energetic midfielder, Henderson could find a good home at Fulham, however – particularly if star man Tom Cairney finally moves to Newcastle United in January with the Northern Echo repotting that they plan to revive their interest.

The success of Johansen should perhaps convince Fulham to take a punt on Henderson.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/11/08/could-celtics-liam-henderson-find-a-new-home-at-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Happy birthday, Aaron Hughes
by Dan on November 8, 2017

It says much about Aaron Hughes' longevity as a footballer that Euro 2016, when Northern Ireland reached the second round of a major finals in an achievement that should have established Michael O'Neill as one of the world's best managers, didn't prove to be his swansong. The longest serving member of the green and white army is preparing for tomorrow night's crunch World Cup qualifying play-off first leg against Denmark – having made his international debut some nineteen years ago under Lawrie McMenemy – and, such is his modesty and professionalism, Hughes will have given little thought to how he might mark his 38th birthday.

The man from Magherafelt came into the Northern Irish side ahead of a 1-0 win over Slovakia at Windsor Park, having already lined up for the under 16, under 18 and B sides and felt little pressure at making his international debut, which came hot on the heels of first senior appearance for Newcastle United when he replaced former Fulham defender Philippe Albert at half-time during their Champions' League group stage clash with Barcelona at the Nou Camp. Hughes didn't become a regular until Bobby Robson had replaced Ruud Gullit, firmly establishing himself in the Newcastle first team at the turn of the millennium.

He had made more than 250 Premier League appearances to his name when Lawrie Sanchez, who had taken Northern Ireland close to qualifying for the 2006 World Cup with famous wins over England, Spain and Sweden in Belfast, reunited Hughes with his compatriots David Healy, Chris Baird and Steven Davis at club level after succeeding Chris Coleman at Craven Cottage. Hughes wasn't the only one to endure a tough start to his career with his new club as Fulham flirted with the drop zone – and even his phenomenally successful partnership with Norwegian gentle giant Brede Hangeland, drafted in by Roy Hodgson as he sought to plug the gaps in the Fulham back four, didn't hit the ground running immediately.

The pair kept a clean sheet on Hangeland's debut in a dour midweek draw at Bolton Wanders before the Whites shrugged off the setback of a Hughes own goal against his old club Aston Villa to record their first league win under Hodgson thanks to late goals from Simon Davies and a splendid injury-time free kick from the returning Jimmy Bullard. Hughes was part of the back four that kept critical clean sheets during the Great Escape run-in against Everton, when Brian McBride's bullet header was enough for three points, in Fulham's first away win for 18 months at Reading, and vitally in those two nerve-shredding finales against Birmingham and at Fratton Park.

Beating the drop with the odds stacked again us was thrilling enough but, under Hodgson's astute leadership, that was just the beginning. Hughes was a key component of the side that achieved Fulham's highest ever top flight finish of seventh the following year, conceding just 34 goals in 38 games and qualifying for Europe. The Whites kept clean sheets against Arsenal (twice), Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United and Newcastle that year and Hughes was an ever-present in a remarkable league campaign that saw Hodgson's side cement Craven Cottage as a real fortress.

His performances during that famous run to the Europa League final in Hamburg the following year were the stuff of legend, especially as Fulham's belief grew during the competition that they could do something special. He was outstanding in the home draw with Roma, when the Whites were only denied a famous victory at the very last, and marshalled the defence impeccably in those two vital wins against CSKA Sofia and, then, during a see-saw game in the snow in Basel that secured Fulham's qualification for the knockout phase against all the odds.

Hughes stood firm in Donetsk as defending champions Shakhtar threw everything at Hodgson's side in a bid to overturn the advantage which Hangeland extended with an early header in Ukraine. It was a defensive masterclass that nullified one of the best sides I'd ever seen at Craven Cottage through sheer hard graft and magnificent reading of the game – an evening that encapsulated Hughes' own positional sense that remains second to none even to this day. The Cookstown native was outstanding again in Germany as the Whites moved past Wolfsburg to reach the semi-finals and produced a commanding display in Hamburg to set up that famous night at the Cottage when the late comeback completed by Simon Davies and Zoltan Gera knocked out the hosts of the final.

Hughes played a total of 59 games during that extraordinary season and so telepathic was the outstanding between he and Hangeland that it came as a huge surprise when, after Mark Hughes had steered Fulham into European competition again during his solitary season in charge, Martin Jol opted to break Fulham's own miserly Thames Barrier to accommodate firstly Philippe Senderos and then Fernando Amorebieta. As is so often the case in modern football, Hughes was never afforded the send off his seven years of sterling service deserved when he opted to join QPR on a free transfer in January 2014. It was no coincidence that Fulham's defensive solidity evaporated after his departure – arguably only to return in the second half of last season.

The mere numbers or those select few memories don't do justice to Hughes' contributions at Craven Cottage. As a humble and thoughtful football, who has done his bit to build the beautiful game in different parts of the world – he credited his former Fulham team-mate Damien Duff with persuading him to come to the A-League for a year with Melbourne City, which was followed by a season at Kerala Blasters as their marquee player. Hughes helped the Kochi outfit reach the final of the Indian super league, where they were beaten on penalties at home in a side cruelly named Atletico de Kolkata.

It would be fitting were one of the game's great ambassadors be able to call time on his career in Russia next summer after getting to a successful successive major tournament finals with O'Neill's Northern Ireland. Football doesn't often afford much time for sentiment but Hughes' remarkable career deserves noting. He'll always have a special place in the hearts of the Fulham family. Happy birthday, Aaron.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/11/happy-birthday-aaron-hughes/

[WhiteJC]

Twenty minutes of magic from Diomansy Kamara
by Dan on November 8, 2017

There aren't many things Fulham fans must thank Lawrie Sanchez for but signing Diomansy Kamara from West Bromwich Albion is one of them. The mercurial forward flattered to deceive during much of his four year spell at Craven Cottage, but the £6m fee that Fulham spent on his services was paid back in the space of twenty mad minutes at the City of Manchester Stadium in April 2008.

I remember persuading a mate of mine to make a mad dash from university in Exeter to Eastlands for the game – and he's never been able to live down the fact that he skulked off at half-time in disgust as Roy Hodgson's side looked dead, buried and down. Kamara, who had been in and out of the starting line-up over the past few months as Hodgson searched for the right striking combination to fire the Whites to safety, replaced David Healy with twenty minutes of the second half gone – and Fulham still needing a minor miracle to even extend their survival battle to the season's penultimate week.

It took Kamara just five minutes to work his magic. He capitalised on some keystone cops defending from Vedran Corluka, who allowed a hopeful punt to bounce twice and then froze with the Fulham forward racing past him. Kamara twisted and turned his way around the Croatian centre back and, as time seemed to stand agonisingly still, squeezed a shot through Joe Hart's legs and in. Nine minutes later, Fulham were level. Sun Jihai inexplicably felled Erik Nevland, although the normally nerveless Danny Murphy needed two goes at scoring from the spot – with Hart saving the only Premier League penalty Murphy missed for Fulham but being powerless to prevent the midfielder from desperately following in the rebound.

That was incredible enough but, after a ridiculously open final quarter of an hour where Kasey Keller made sensational saves to deny Benjani and Martin Petrov, something even more extraordinary in the last minute. Red and black shirts streamed forward, with Bullard and Murphy in the perfect place to play a defence splitting ball. Murphy sent Kamara clear down the inside left channel, the hapless Corluka gave chance but it was a lost cause and the away end held our breath. Would Kamara deliver? Of course he would. Lashing it majestically high into the net past Hart for one of the most famous Fulham memories.

What a twenty minutes that was, Joe. Merci, mon ami.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/11/twenty-minutes-of-magic-from-diomansy-kamara/