Saturday Fulham Stuff - 05/10/19...

[WhiteJC]

100 (AND A BIT) YEARS OF PRIDE & PASSION

Yeah, thats us. Lots of pride, the odd bit of passion - but not much in the way of success, to be honest.
THE CHARLTON ATHLETIC ROLL OF HONOUR
1947: We won the FA Cup. UP THE ADDICKS!
1990: We nearly won a seat on the local council. YAY!
One trophy, and nearly one seat on the chuffing council - in more than a hundred years. Is it any wonder that we are all constantly in and out of therapy?

Lee Bowyer takes his team to Craven Cottage on Saturday to lock horns with former teammate Scott Parker's Fulham.
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Though ensconced‎ in mid-table , the Cottagers were one of the pre-season favourites for promotion, and Bowyer believes they have the best squad in the division:
"It's a tough challenge. They are one of the favourites to get promotion, that's their expectation I think. For me they have the best squad in the division.

"A lot of Premier League players, a lot of experienced Premier League players. I went to watch them against Reading the other night and they are a good side. ‎

"They've got a lot of players that can hurt you. So defensively we're going to have to be right, we're going to have to do the defensive side of the game very well and then once we do that we have to move the ball quickly. Nothing changes from our side."

The Addicks will once again be backed by a sell-out away end. Travelling support has increased noticeably under Bowyer, both in numbers and noise level.

Swansea's Steve Cooper was the latest manager to be impressed as Bowyer explained:

‎"The fans are great aren't they? Even after the Swansea game their manager came in, a very nice man, he said 'your fans, that was a great atmosphere, is it always like this?' and I was like 'yeah, they're unbelievable'.

"I said 'it didn't used to be like this but it is now and the fans play a massive part'. He said 'yeah, you won't lose too many here'.

"We always get complements about our fans wherever we go, I've had it many, many times and hopefully they just keep doing what they are doing and we'll keep trying and giving them 100%."

So how will it feel to take on his old mate Scott Parker? Are the pair in regular contact? Bowyer continued: ‎

‎"Scotty is a nice fella. I've known him from when he was younger obviously, coming through the ranks we had a few battles and then we played together at West Ham and Newcastle.

"We formed a good partnership at Newcastle. I think he's quite similar to me really, he's just a winner, everything is about winning.

"He'll have his lads up for it on Saturday, I have no doubt, just the same as I will with our lads. It will be good to come against him and have a different type of battle. ‎

"I'm looking forward to seeing him, I haven't seen him for a while, we drop the odd message to each other here and there. It will be good to see Scotty."

Bowyer will definitely be without Ben Purrington for this match - his calf injury has finally caught up with him - and he could be joined on the sidelines by Chuks Aneke:‎

‎ "Ben Purrington is out, he's got a couple of injuries. His calf injury that he's been playing with, his groin has shown up something as well. He's done so well trying to get through all these games. Five, six games he's played with his calf, we can't push him anymore.

"We've got this break after this game, so hopefully he'll be ready for the Derby game, that's the plan.

"There is no hiding from it, we have six, maybe seven injuries. Chuks Aneke is going out there this morning, he's got something wrong with his groin at the moment, we're hoping that it is nothing serious, we'll know more after training.

"If he lasts training then he'll be ok for tomorrow, if he doesn't and then he's out that will be the seventh injury we've got."

‎Though Bowyer will relish the two week break before the next game, he will be keeping his fingers crossed that his international players come back unscathed.

And things do not get any easier when the brutal slog of the Championship returns; Charlton w‎ill face three games in a week.
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Derby at The Valley will be followed by trips to Bristol City and West Bromwich Albion.‎



http://www.cafcpicks.com/cgi-bin/drkish/display.pl?month=201910&date=20191005&time=0528

[WhiteJC]

Parker: Great Gesture

Scott Parker has praised Dafabet's gesture of giving up their kit sponsorship for the Charlton Athletic fixture.

Our Main Team Sponsor has donated their space on the front of the Fulham shirts to the Foundation, giving our charitable arm extra exposure due to the fixture being shown live on Sky Sports.

Parker was a big advocate of the Foundation's work during his playing days with the Whites, a standpoint he's maintained since becoming our Head Coach.

"These companies pay an awful lot of money to get their names on shirts and to give that up for a televised game, it means a lot for the Foundation," he said. "We're all absolutely delighted that for Saturday's game their name will be on the shirts.

"We spend most days at this training ground and we often see the Foundation and community sharing our facilities, which is massive for the Football Club.

"The grassroots, disability programmes, everything that the Foundation does, it never goes unnoticed. We realise what a great job they do and I'm just pleased that on Saturday they'll have their name on show."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/october/05/scott-parker-dafabet-foundation-matchday