Saturday Fulham Stuff (24/03/18)...

[WhiteJC]

 
The Boat Race Tickets Sold Out

Tickets for the Boat Race at Craven Cottage this Saturday are now sold out.

With over 1,200 spectators expected along the Riverside Terrace, supporters are also advised that no tickets will be available to purchase on the gate.

Offering one of the best vantage points of the opening mile of the race, there will also be plenty of entertainment with a live DJ, gin cocktail bar and the Club's very own sports bar open throughout the day.

Hospitality for the Boat Race at Craven Cottage is also sold out.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/march/23/boat-race-sold-out

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Cyrus Christie hits out at racist abuse but won't allow it to get to him

The Fulham defender suffered racist abuse on social media after the Republic Of Ireland's World Cup play-off loss in November

Cyrus Christie is refusing to be cowed by the racist abuse he suffered in the wake of the Republic of Ireland's World Cup play-off exit.

The 25-year-old Fulham defender was targeted via social media after scoring an own goal in Ireland's 5-1 second leg defeat by Denmark at the Aviva Stadium in November which dashed their hopes of making it to Russia this summer.

Police were called in to investigate, but Christie, who released a statement about the matter at the time, is adamant he will not allow the trolls to deflect him from his mission.

He said: "I've had worse in my time, I've had 10 times worse. It's one of those, it still happens in this day and age.

"Whether or not stuff gets done about it, whether or not it changes, who knows? It was one of those, I take it and move on.

"The police were on, but whether something will get done or not, I don't know. That's just the way it is. A lot of the time when stuff like this happens, nothing really gets done. A lot of these people are hiding behind different profiles.

"I've had a lot worse growing up, when I was in school, so for me it was water off a duck's back. I've moved on. I was more disappointed with the result than anything.

"If that's what they want to resort to, they can, it's sticks and stones at the end of the day. I'm not going to be too hurt by it."

Christie, who began his career at hometown club Coventry and had spells at Derby and Middlesbrough before moving to Fulham in January, revealed he had endured similar experiences earlier in the campaign.


(Image: Paul Burgman)

He said: "It happened in the four previous games as well, the Georgia and Serbia games - it happened over the course of a couple of months. It's one of those, you don't speak out because nothing does happen.

"You don't really hear it on the terraces. You get the odd person, but it's more social media, that's where they get brave. They wouldn't say it to your face. When they're hiding amongst the crowd, that's when they get brave.

"I've had a lot worse growing up from where I've come from and many more dangerous situations in my time. It was nothing to me."



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulhams-cyrus-christie-hits-out-14447646

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham win planning approval for Craven Cottage as they push for Premier League return

March 23 – English Championship club Fulham have been granted planning permission to extend their Craven Cottage stadium to 29,600. The building work will start in the Summer of 2019.

Fulham are currently in the play off spots for a shot at a return to the Premier League. Owned by American Shahid Khan, who also owns the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team, the club had previously sought to extend the ground while under Mohammed Al Fayed ownership, though those plans never came to fruition.

On the banks of the Thames in West London – just two miles from Chelsea's Stamford Bridge, the new plans focus on the current Riverside Stand to increase its capacity from 4,689 to 8,650.

Works will include a new river wall to give the extra space needed to accommodate the two tier stand. This will see the creation of a new public riverside walk, while within the ground there will be new restaurants, cafés, bars, corporate hospitality and event space at ground floor level.

As part of the build there will be nine serviced luxury apartments.

Cost of the works was estimated at £70 million back in 2002 when initial plans were put forward. No clear estimates of current cost have been released for the current build plan.

Fulham have played at Craven Cottage since 1896. In welcoming the planning permission, Khan said: "Our goal for a brighter future for Fulham Football Club, the neighbourhood, our borough and all of London is now at our doorstep. Tonight's news wouldn't be possible if not for supporters and local residents who believed in our vision, so I hope they will join us in celebrating what will be a new and important chapter in the history of Fulham and Craven Cottage."

Situated in one of London's wealthiest residential boroughs, there has been considerable local opposition to overcome. The focus on the Riverside Stand takes away some of the impact of the building on the local community and will also see removal of four floodlight masts on the west and east sides of the Stadium, to be replaced by lighting under the new roof of the Riverside Stand, Putney Stand and Hammersmith Stand and two new floodlight masts on the east side. This should also improve the streetscape for residents.



http://www.insideworldfootball.com/2018/03/23/fulham-win-planning-approval-craven-cottage-push-premier-league-return/

[WhiteJC]

 
Bettinelli enjoying Fulham challenge

Marcus Bettinelli reckons playing in goal for Fulham is one of the toughest challenges you can face, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

The Whites are renowned for their attractive brand of football and that includes playing out from the back.

It appears to be paying off. Since losing at Sunderland in mid-December, Fulham have won 12 and drawn four of their subsequent 16 fixtures  to climb to third place in the table.

But, while their displays might be easy on the eye, it doesn't necessarily mean it's a breeze for their goalkeeper.

"I am not sure if people realise how hard it is to be in the Fulham team playing the way we want to play, especially on difficult pitches in the Championship," said Bettinelli.

"People watch Manchester City and see how easy it looks for Ederson.

"Fulham is one of the hardest teams to play for because not only do you have to keep the ball out of the back of the net, you also have to be exceptional with the ball at your feet as well.

"Your distribution has to be spot on as it is the goalkeeper who starts the attacks from a goal kick. It is not a case of kicking it long and hoping for the best. It is tactically thought out."

But Bettinelli is a strong believer in highly-rated manager Slavisa Jokanovic's blueprint and believes the Whites must stick to their principles, come what may.

"We have played our football and stuck to how we want to play," he said. "At times at the start of the season, when the style of football we play did not come off, then it can look bad.

"So, it is easy for pundits to question our style and ask why we don't opt to hit the ball long.

"But that is not the way the manager wants us to play. We have our style and everybody is on board with it. We stick to it and we live and die by it.

"If we don't win a game, then that's life. We are going to continue to play the same way.

"The football we have been playing over the last 15 games has been excellent and that has put us in the position we are in."

The former England U21 international looked set to start the season in goal for the Cottagers, but an injury in the final warm-up game against Wolfsburg had him starting the campaign on the bench.

David Button had the gloves for the first half of the campaign, but Bettinelli claimed the jersey in December.

"The gaffer put me in and I have not looked back since," he said. "I've kept the No.1 shirt and, hopefully, we can go on to achieve something special." If Fulham are to do that, then the form of the players in the spine of their team, such as Bettinelli, captain Tom Cairney and striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, could be crucial.

None of that influential trio has played the full season and that means they will arrive fresher for the run-in.
Playmaker Cairney has had to battle a knee injury this term, while Mitrovic has come in on loan from Newcastle and hit seven goals in his last five appearances.

"Alek has come into form in recent weeks and maybe he has a bit more in the tank," added Bettinelli.

"But we are not relying on any individual. We are a team.

"You don't get promoted with three or four outstanding players – you get promoted with 12 or 13 great players in the squad."



https://www.theleaguepaper.com/featured/9871/9871/

[WhiteJC]

 
Edun Uder 20s Victory

Tayo Edun came off the bench to play the final 22 minutes as the England U20s earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Poland, thanks to a late winner from Keinan Davis.

Keith Downing's side had enjoyed the better of the game, but were forced to play the final 15 minutes with ten men after debutant Aaron Wan-Bissaka picked up two bookings.

With time running out Davis was on hand to score a late winner in the 87th minute after replacing Villa team-mate Rushian Hepburn-Murphy up front.

The Young Lions held firm and will now return home to face Portugal in Manchester next week.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/march/23/edun-uder-20s-victory

[WhiteJC]

 
Everton could snap up Fredericks

Everton may snap up Fulham flyer Ryan Fredericks on a free transfer this summer, according to The Sun.

The newspaper report that the Toffees are interested in bringing in the 25-year-old right-back, who is out of contract at Craven Cottage at the end of the season.

Fredericks has been at Fulham for three seasons now since a £200,000 move from Bristol City in 2015, and has made 103 appearances for the Cottagers.

The flyer is a Tottenham academy graduate having come through the system in north London, but made just four senior appearances for the Lilywhites before his move to Bristol.

Good move for Everton?

Very little information is given on Everton's interest in Fredericks, and this is the first time that the Toffees have been linked with the speed machine.

However, going off what we know, this one looks a strange move from Everton.

The Toffees currently have Seamus Coleman as their first-choice right-back, with academy graduate Jonjoe Kenny filling in as their back-up.

A move for Fredericks would therefore make little sense, unless they are planning to ship someone out or possibly play the Fulham flyer further forward.

This is Futbol rating: 4/10

Likely to happen?

It does look like Fredericks will move on when his contract ends, and if Everton are seriously interested then they would be a serious contender for his signature.

Premier League rivals West Ham have been credited with interest elsewhere however, and they will no doubt be big competition for the Toffees.

This is Futbol rating: 5/10



https://thisisfutbol.com/2018/03/blogs/premier-league/everton-could-snap-up-fredericks/

[WhiteJC]

 
Ryan Sessegnon's Fulham future hangs in the balance as Manchester City, United and Tottenham circle

Reports suggest the 17-year-old star would be willing to stick around if Fulham win promotion

Ryan Sessegnon has lit up the Championship this season and has a stack of Premier League suitors including Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur.

But if Fulham achieve promotion - they're currently seven points behind second-placed Cardiff City - the teenage wizzkid could stick around.

The Cottagers have big plans for the future, are expanding Craven Cottage and have assembled a strong squad this term with Sessegnon at the heart of it.

And The Sun are reporting that he would be happy to stick around if Fulham can offer him top-flight football.

If the West London side fail to get promotion, Sessegnon, who has scored 14 goals from the left side this season, would favour a move to Spurs.



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/ryan-sessegnons-fulham-future-hangs-14449289

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham need Premier League football to go hand-in-hand with new Riverside Stand development

Another 3,961 seats will be added to Craven Cottage - but thats suggest they need Premier League football to fill them

Fulham may have planning permission for to redevelop the Riverside Stand but if they want to fill it the club will have to get back into the Premier League, data suggests.

The impressive development will add another 3,961 seats to the capacity of Craven Cottage.

If the club aren't back in the Premier League when the stands open though then a lot of those extra seats might be empty.

Fulham have only reached 90% of capacity in nine out of 101 home matches in all competitions since they were relegated in 2014.

That's just 9% of games.

hey've also only reached 95% or more of capacity on three occasions in that time.

It was a different story when the club were in the top flight though.

Craven Cottage was 90% or more full in 18 out of 22 matches in 2013/14.

That's 82% of all games.

They surpassed 95% capacity on 16 occasions in total and hit 99% or 100% 12 times.

Season | Games | Games with at least 90% capacity

2013/14 | 22 | 18

2014/15 | 27 | 1

2015/16 | 25 | 0

2016/17 | 28 | 5

2017/18 | 21 | 3



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-need-premier-league-football-14449477

[WhiteJC]

 
International Whites

It's a busy international break weekend for the Whites as Fulham players travel across the globe to represent their national teams during the March FIFA break.

Close to home, the Whites have a robust corps of Young Lions, with players representing the U-17, U-18, U-20 and U-21 levels. Already they have given great accounts of themselves as Steven Sessegnon and Tayo Edun helped the U-18 and U-20 teams to victory over the past couple of days. Now it's on Ryan Sessegnon and Luca Ashby-Hammond to keep the good run going as they'll attempt to guide the U-21s and U-17s to friendly victories over Romania and Brazil on Saturday and Friday, respectively.

Also at the U-21 level, Marek Rodák will hope to keep a clean sheet for the Slovakian youth national team in their UEFA Youth Qualifier against Albania on Friday evening.

At the senior level, the Lilywhites are also heavily represented—perhaps an indication that the side's recent record-setting form has prompted some National Team coaches to take notice.
The midfield duo of Tom Cairney and Kevin McDonald will be turning out for Scotland as they host Costa Rica on Friday night at Hampden Park. And they'll recognise a familiar face on the bench in Peter Grant. The Fulham U-21 Manager has accepted a job as one of the assistant coaches under Alex McLeish when he's not busy at Motspur Park.

Sticking with the home nations, Oliver Norwood will be hoping to add to his string of impressive performances under Michael O'Neill as the Northern Irish will receive the South Korean National Team at Windsor Park in Belfast Saturday afternoon.

In Europe, The Republic of Ireland are traveling to Turkey to test their chances against Mircea Lucescu's squad in a match that Cyrus Christie will be hoping to star in. The Fulham man was recently named the FAI's Young International Player of the Year and he seems to have impressed the entire Irish FA.

Stefan Johansen will be captaining Norway as they battle against the Socceroos in Oslo on Friday evening. It will be a tough test for Australia, who will immediately travel afterwards to London in preparation for their match Tuesday against Colombia at the Cottage.

Red-hot Aleksandar Mitrović will be leading the line for Serbia as they battle against Morocco in a late Friday night kick-off at Turin's Stadio Olimpico that will serve as a World Cup tune-up for both teams.

Young White Ben Davis will be returning to the country of his birth to play for Singapore as they host The Maldives in an all-island clash at The New Singapore National Stadium.
Lastly, Floyd Ayité will be remaining in France with the Togolese National Team as they travel a little more north to contest the Ivory Coast on Saturday evening at the Stade Pierre Brisson in Beauvais. Ayité went 90 minutes for Les Eperviers on Wednesday in their 0-0 draw against Madagascar and he'll be looking to get another whole match under his belt.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/march/23/international-whites

[WhiteJC]

 
England U18s beat Argentina

Steven Sessegnon & the England U18s made it two wins from two this week, with an impressive 2-1 victory over Argentina in Manchester on Friday afternoon.

After trailing by one goal heading into half-time the Young Lions produced a stirring second half turn the game around and secure a memorable victory.

Following a goal from Argentina dangerman Gonzalo Moroni of Boca Juniors, England got themselves level early in the second half when Manchester City's Ian Poveda-Ocampo equalised.

The turnaround was completed with 12 minutes remaining through an own goal from the South Americans.

Steven Sessegnon played the full 90 minutes at right back and will back in action again on Monday when they play their third and final game of the week against Belarus.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/march/23/england-u18s-beat-argentina

[WhiteJC]

Just what the Doctor ordered
by Lydia on March 23, 2018

To put it mildly, the international breaks are not the highlight of the footballing calendar. Rather, they are loathed by habitual football fans everywhere who all have a very set routine at weekends. Not only following your own team, but seeing the drama unfold across the leagues is every football fans dream. International breaks on the other hand, especially ones that are restricted to friendlies only, can be very flat. Don't get me wrong, I love watching my national side play and seeing Northern Ireland get oh-so-close to another tournament was nail-biting. But despite these breaks being a necessity, I don't think I know any football fans who gets excited when they think about having a single England match to look forward to rather than a feast of Premier League and English Football League.

However, the break has come at the right time for Fulham. Last weekend's second half against QPR was torrid. After the blistering form that we had shown for the games before it, the West London Derby certainly brought us back down to earth with a bit of a bang. At the end of the day we were going to drop points somewhere, and I guess it is a bit typical of us to drop them at home to QPR after being 2-0 in the lead and looking comfortable. 'Fulhamish', some might say...

The team looked tired. The magnitude of every game we play now alongside Jokanovic's desire to only use a core group of players where possible has taken its toll on the team. It's not a problem, but it does highlight that maybe getting away for a week with the national sides or taking it easy at home was exactly what the doctor ordered. Dropping points in the way that we did was massively disappointing, and has the potential to affect the team mentally as well as physically.

But let's not exaggerate our current predicament. We have been flying, and this could have just been a slight wobble on the tracks rather than us de-railing altogether. We are still quite comfortably in the play-off positions and managed to move up to third in the table after sharing the points on Saturday, albeit this was partly thanks to Villa's defeat to Championship strugglers Bolton. The second automatic promotion spot should still be on the minds of the boys, but it must also come with the acceptance that it is out of our hands now. All we can do if focus on our own business and then we will be in position to capitalise on any mistakes made by Cardiff. Unfortunately for Cardiff they have a very heavy fixture list coming up thanks to the trip to Derby being called off because of the snow. Warnock had a lot to say about the cancellation, and I reckon that if they do go through a bad spell in the next few weeks, that will be their ready made excuse. On the other hand, Cardiff are a big, strong side, and although they may drop some points here and there, I can't see them dropping seven easily.

It's good to see our coach so focused on the task ahead based on his recent twitter post, but for now we can just hope and pray that those out on international duty come back unscathed and ready for the run in. Every game is a cup final.

#COYW



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/03/just-what-the-doctor-ordered/

[WhiteJC]

 
FOOTBALL: Northern Ireland's Oliver Norwood relishing return to international arena

Oliver Norwood is relishing his return to the international arena against South Korea and beyond as the Northern Ireland midfield ace helps kick off another era under Michael O'Neill.

O'Neill's decision to pen a fresh contract in the aftermath of last year's World Cup play-off pain offered a boost to Norwood and the other established figures - plus increased hope towards a bright future. This weekend's friendly at home to South Korea has presented O'Neill an opportunity to introduce the next generation within a learning environment alongside existing experience like Norwood. "Everybody's come back looking fresh and looking to build on what we've achieved over the last four or five years," said Norwood. "It doesn't seem so long ago that I was coming into the squad, they've got to work hard and look to impress Michael, do everything in training that they can.

"For us as players it's great, you see that energy they bring, as a senior player now it makes you up your game. "They've got to come in and look to take people's shirts. "When I was in the 21s it was a big thing, getting to train with the senior boys, just watching what they do, how they handle themselves. "I'm looking forward to getting out there.

"It's an exciting game to test ourselves against a very good level of opposition, hopefully, we can build on what we've done in the past and kick-start and build momentum ahead of qualifying campaign for the European Championships. "The core of the squad is still there, there's always going to be new introductions. "We've probably 30 players to pick from for 25 places, so competition's good. "We've had success but we're not happy with what we've achieved, we're not settling on that, we want to kick on and go on."



Read more at: https://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/football/football-northern-ireland-s-oliver-norwood-relishing-return-to-international-arena-1-8430459

[WhiteJC]

 
Aleksandar Mitrovic insists he still has plenty of respect for Rafa Benitez

Newcastle United striker Aleksandar Mitrovic is on loan at Fulham - and is now looking to make an impact in the national side

Aleksandar Mitrovic has re-iterated that he still has plenty of respect Rafa Benitez as he looks to cement his World Cup place with Serbia.

The United striker is on loan at Fulham, where he has become an immediate favourite after scoring seven goals in nine games to help boost their promotion charge.

And while his form has led to many United fans questioning Benitez's handling of the striker, he reasserted that he had respect for his manager while away on international duty this week.


Aleksandar Mitrovic of Fulham runs with the ball under pressure from Eberechi Eze of Queens Park Rangers during the Sky Bet Championship match between Fulham and Queens Park Rangers (Image: Getty Images Europe)

Mitrovic is part of the Serbia side that is looking to make a splash in the World Cup, having emerged from a group containing Austria, Wales and Ireland to qualify for this summer's tournament. His form is being followed keenly in Serbia, for whom his form did not dip despite his first team exile at Newcastle.

"I respect Rafa Benitez's decision not to play me and now I feel comfortable playing Fulham. I'm hoping that it will last," he said.

"Every gathering and every match – and even friendlies – is a chance for me, it's a new fight for a place in the team and I'm going to try and doing my best. Then the selector decides."

The striker's destination at the end of the season is still unknown, with Fulham interested in signing him permanently if they go up.

But Mitrovic says he has not given up on the idea of returning to Partizan Belgrade, where he started his career.

"God's will is that I wear a black and white jersey," he joked – comparing the shirts of Newcastle, Partizan and Fulham.

"I'm glad of that, I feel fine in this shirt. And it is not impossible that, again, before the end of my career, I will play at Partizan, from where I went to the world."



https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aleksandar-mitrovic-insists-still-plenty-14451652