Mr Khan's Programme NotesAn exclusive look at Shahid Khan's notes which will appear in Saturday's matchday programme.It is my distinct privilege to welcome you back for another season of football at Craven Cottage, and especially so with Fulham once again competing in the English Premier League. We all wish our return were under normal circumstances, and perhaps that day will come yet in the months ahead. For now, however, we will all watch today’s match vs. Arsenal from elsewhere. And while we may be separate and distant, we will be one, as we always are at Fulham Football Club.
That’s the great thing about sports, and particularly football. There’s nothing like being at a match, but fans are still very much able to have a presence and make an impact without literally being in attendance. Despite the appropriate restrictions that kept all of us at home once we restarted in June, there is no doubt our squad was moved by our supporters as we marched toward a play-off position and ultimately the victory at Wembley Stadium vs. Brentford to earn promotion. The organic power and passion of our supporters found a higher gear with each week that passed, whether it was by word of mouth, social media or what we heard from you by phone or email. And all of it was amplified worldwide by your club’s excellent Fulforce From Home campaign that continues today and throughout the season ahead, stronger than ever.
And so it will be very much the same to start the 2020-2021 season in the Premier League. It’s been months since I’ve been back in London, and I know you’d also prefer to spend today’s opener at Craven Cottage, one of the game’s premier destinations for players and supporters of all teams. But until that occasion, wherever we may be today and beyond, let’s continue to gather virtually – and stand together – in backing Fulham Football Club to success in the greatest football league in the world.
It’s an honour to return to Premier League action with a London derby against Arsenal and I congratulate the club for its FA Cup and Community Shield victories, both impressively earned and coming practically back to back in just the past several weeks. That means Arsenal is arriving at Craven Cottage in midseason form – even though the season is just beginning! We clearly drew a formidable opponent for a globally televised lunchtime match that will raise the curtain on what will be a fast-paced Premier League schedule for 2020-2021.
But, I also would like to think Arsenal paused when they saw they’d open away at Fulham, for we also enter the 2020-2021 season with momentum, confidence and maybe a bit of magic following our charge to immediate promotion after only one year away from the Premier League.
We will field a squad today that has already been enhanced since we last saw it at Wembley Stadium just more than five weeks ago, thanks to the permanent addition of Harrison Reed, our signings of Antonee Robinson and Kenny Tete, and the loan arrivals of Mario Lemina and Alphonse Areola. I am thrilled to welcome all five men to the Fulham Football Club family, and in particular recognise Harrison for winning us over during his successful loan spell last season and inspiring us to make his stay here in the SW6 a permanent one, just as occurred earlier in the year with fellow loanees Ivan Cavaleiro, Anthony Knockaert and Bobby De Cordova-Reid – all permanent additions to your squad.
As I noted last month, our plan is to complement, and not disrupt, the side that fought for and gained promotion to the Premier League. The transfer window remains open for several more weeks and, as I submit these notes, I assure you that we will continue to consider options through the end of the month that may fit into that philosophy. But no matter how our squad looks as we enter October, we will be in excellent position due to what I think is our most important transaction of the offseason – a new three-year contract for your Head Coach, Scott Parker.
I said last week upon the announcement of Scott’s new deal that our belief in Scott has roots dating back to 2013, when we brought him to Fulham as a player just prior to the start of my first season as your Chairman. At the time, I was admittedly learning a bit about our squad. But, I was familiar with Scott Parker and was confident he would provide value during training, as a mentor to younger players and certainly from his midfield position on match days. I was extremely happy that we were able to land him.
As it turned out, Scott made his Fulham debut during the second weekend of the Premier League season in what was our home opener and my first match at the Cottage as Chairman. It was a lunchtime game against Arsenal, so here we are again – though we would prefer a different outcome this afternoon. But that day and throughout the rest of his tenure playing for Fulham, Scott provided everything we envisioned. Just as important, his respect and love for your club was clear.
All of that and more makes it easy to cheer for Scott Parker, and why we trusted him as our Caretaker Head Coach at the end of 2018-2019 as well as with the duty of returning us to the Premier League last season – which, he did. Scott has given us stability and direction, and that adds up to promise and hope for the Premier League campaign in front of us and beyond. Please welcome me in congratulating Scott and his family for a three-year contract as our Head Coach that is fully deserved!
I’d also like to thank the following players who have moved on from Fulham, whether loaned out for this campaign, or indeed returned to the teams that loaned them to us last season: Jordan Archer, Luca De La Torre, Matt O’Riley, Terence Kongolo, Steven Sessegnon, Alfie Mawson, Marcus Bettinelli, and especially Harry Arter, who had a number of big moments and goals that were crucial to our promotion. All were contributors to what we achieved, and their efforts are appreciated.
On behalf of everyone at Fulham, we do hope to see you in person at Craven Cottage at some point soon. In consultation with the Premier League and government officials, your club is working on plans for a phased return of fans to attend home matches in limited numbers, hopefully by our home fixtures in late October. This is a complex process that we want to make as accommodating and fair to all Fulham supporters, but the only way it will happen at Craven Cottage – or anywhere – is if we continue to respect social distancing and all health and safety measures in every aspect of our lives. Please, continue to do your part, and encourage others to do the same.
And, while circumstances surrounding COVID-19 have unquestionably challenged all of us, we do continue to forge ahead on the construction of the Riverside Stand. Piling works have been completed and the new walkway along the River Thames, between the Putney and Hammersmith stands, is finished but will not open for some time as construction continues. If you’re in the neighbourhood, you will see that steel works are now underway. And inside the grounds, we now have a temporary gantry structure to make Craven Cottage compliant with Premier League media requirements, all accomplished in the short time since our promotion was made official. Credit goes to everyone involved with our operations and facilities personnel, many of whom have essentially relocated from Motspur Park to Craven Cottage in recent weeks to be ready for today’s early kick-off. Thank you!
Finally, two pieces of club business. First, I hope you have had the opportunity to check out the new Fulham club website that debuted last week. If you’re like me, the term “redesigned website” sends off alarms, but you won’t find that the case once you’ve visited the new fulhamfc.com. This is more outstanding work from our communications and marketing team, which also produces our superb matchday programme that routinely wins industry awards for content, design and more. Nice work, everyone!
And second, I ask you to join me in welcoming our new main sponsor, BetVictor, which will feature across our First Team and Women’s Team shirts and throughout our various club platforms for the next two seasons. BetVictor is an online sports and casino gaming company that has thrived for decades in one of the most competitive industries anywhere on the planet. We’re grateful for its support as Fulham and BetVictor each embark on a Premier League campaign that will connect us with upwards of three billion people globally. I happen to love the look of the BetVictor logo on our new kits revealed earlier this week, and hope you feel the same.
To our staff, coaches, players, sponsors and supporters, thank you for keeping Fulham in your hearts throughout what has been a turbulent year for all of us. I wish you all the best of health and happiness as we return to top-flight football this afternoon. And, I pledge to you that Fulham Football Club will do everything possible in the season ahead to inspire, uplift and unite us all – wherever we may be.
Come on, Fulham!
https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/september/Mr-Khan-s-Programme-Notes/
