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Thursday fulham Stuff - 26/11/20...

Started by WhiteJC, November 26, 2020, 12:20:23 AM

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WhiteJC


Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool manager questions 2,000 limits on Premier League crowds

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp questions logic behind new crowd limits for Premier League as Chelsea boss Frank Lampard hopes for "level playing field"; Gary Neville asks whether it will be an "unfair competition"

Jurgen Klopp has questioned the logic behind potential 2,000 limits on crowds at Premier League games, as fans wait to find out which tier their clubs will be in on Thursday.

Premier League clubs are expected to welcome back supporters where possible when the Prime Minister reveals the new tiered system to replace the national lockdown - even though it may end up costing them in the short term.

Liverpool manager Klopp welcomed the "good news" but said he did not think the plan had been "thought through".

"I don't understand why you can put 2,000 people in a stadium with 60,000 [capacity], and 2,000 people in a stadium when 9,000 people would fit in," Klopp said. "I don't understand it."

How many fans will be allowed in?

    Premier League stadiums in Tier 1 will be able to host up to 4,000 fans
    In Tier 2, the cap is set at 2,000 fans
    Stadiums in Tier 3 will have to continue holding fixtures behind closed doors

Thursday's Government announcement on which regions face the toughest restrictions from December 2 is set to open up disparity on which clubs can and cannot immediately reopen their turnstiles.

Gary Neville questioned whether football will become an "unfair competition".

The Premier League has said its "ambition remains to work with Government to increase attendance to more substantial levels" and having some home fans inside stadia is better than no supporters.

"I don't think it's unfair, it's just the situation," Klopp said. "It's the world at the moment and we cannot change these kinds of things."

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard raised his hopes a "level playing field remains", but believes fans returning in some capacity is a "positive" step.

"If it feels safe and we can start somewhere I think that's the most important thing," he said.

For Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho, the return of fans is beneficial from an emotional perspective, rather than an economical one.

"Looking at the economical perspective it is not good news for any club, but for the passion of the fans, to be able to open the door to some of them, for the happiness of every player, not just those playing at home," he said.

"The best of all is that it is probably the start of it and progressively we can go [towards a] situation closer to what we wanted."

'Man Utd ready to welcome 23,000 fans'

Manchester United are ready to welcome back 23,000 socially-distanced fans (one third of the capacity) to Old Trafford, according to United We Stand editor Andy Mitten.

United have been the second most affected Premier League team since playing behind closed doors, with their win rate at Old Trafford down 20 per cent. Only Burnley have a worse drop off (22 per cent).

"I'm seeing figures like 4,000, it's far from ideal but it would make a huge difference," Mitten said.

"I don't think the fans would accept the type of performances against Arsenal and Chelsea at Old Trafford. They would be roaring the team forward.

"The club have been ready to go as soon as they get the green light."

Brighton CEO hopeful of 'safe' fan increase

Brighton & Hove Albion chief executive Paul Barber welcomed the news that fans could return to grounds but says the numbers of people attending matches needs to go up as soon as it is safe to do so.

"We have been preparing for fans to return to 25 per cent of our capacity," he told Sky Sports. "Which would be around 7-8,000 supporters rather than the 2,000 or 4,000 we might get in the short term.

"At those sort of levels, it is more viable for us so the aim is to scale up to those sort of levels as quickly and as safely as we can.

"If we can do that it returns football to a much more viable position than we have been in for some time. We need to prove to Government that we can do it safely and expand those numbers sooner rather than later."



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12141789/jurgen-klopp-liverpool-manager-questions-2000-limits-on-premier-league-crowds

WhiteJC


Craig Kline: Ex-Fulham assistant director of football found in contempt of court

A high court judge has ruled that Craig Kline, a former assistant director of football at Fulham who left the club in 2017, breached an injunction in relation to seven posts between August 19, 2019, and April 5 2020

A former assistant director of football at Fulham could be jailed after he has been found in contempt of court over social media posts.

A high court judge has ruled that Craig Kline, who left the club in 2017, breached an injunction in relation to seven posts between August 19 2019 and April 5 2020.

Anyone found guilty of contempt of court could go to prison for up to two years, receive a fine, or both.

Mr Justice Butcher handed down his ruling on Wednesday and a further hearing date will be set to determine his punishment.

Kline's employment at Fulham ended in 2017 and, under an agreement on November 22 2017, "various terms were agreed between the parties, which included a number of confidentiality and non-disparagement undertakings given by Mr Kline".

The court heard that Kline admitted 42 breaches of a court order in tweets, or posts, between December 14 2018 and February 4 2019 but contested that 16 subsequent posts did not breach an injunction.

Mr Justice Butcher ruled: "I have carefully considered the tweets and posts identified in the second committal application. I am prepared to accept that there is a doubt as to whether a reasonable person would reasonably understand nine of the tweets or posts to relate to events or subjects or persons to whom, or to which, Mr Kline was prohibited by the order from referring.

"I am, however, in no doubt that in the case of seven of the tweets or posts they would have been reasonably understood as relating to persons and matters to which Mr Kline was prohibited by the order from referring. In each of these cases, as Mr Kline had deliberately made the tweet or post, there is a breach, even if he may not have been directly intending to breach the order.

"Mr Kline was accordingly in contempt of court."

The judge noted that Kline is an "intelligent and articulate man, with a legal background" and he is capable of "sophisticated but often misconceived reasoning".

"He is clearly so convinced of the justice of his cause that, on occasion in these proceedings, he has overstepped the limit of truthfulness to further it. He regards the restrictions placed upon him, including by the order of Mrs Justice Moulder, as unjustified."

In relation to the 42 breaches, the judge rejected Kline's suggestion that "it was in some doubt that he was the author of a few of these tweets or posts".

The judgment noted: "Mr Kline emphasised, in relation to the tweets or posts that had been the subject of the first committal application that they had all been taken down by the time that the application was issued, and a number, he said, had been taken down before a complaint had been made about them. I accept that the tweets or posts were removed and will take that into account."

Earlier this month, a three-day committal hearing was held in private after the judge ruled that publicity would "defeat the object of the hearing" over whether Kline had "breached obligations not to make disparaging allegations" against Fulham.

Mr Justice Butcher noted that the subsequent 16 tweets or posts have been removed and ruled his next hearing will be held in private, but Kline's punishment will be revealed in open court.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/12141895/craig-kline

WhiteJC

'I want to move': Reported West Ham and Fulham target is keen on switch

Reported West Ham United and Fulham target Kai Wagner admits to Kicker that he plans to leave Philadelphia Union in 2021, with a move to the Premier League appealing to the Major League Soccer star.

As Union coach Jim Curtin pointed out when asked by MLS Soccer about the rising interest in his buccaneering 23-year-old, there is not an unlimited supply of top-quality left-backs available in the transfer market.

No wonder they tend to go for big money.

The likes of Ben Chilwell, Benjamin Mendy and Lucas Hernandez have moved for fees in excess of £50 million in the last few years.

So that explains why Wagner, with his bargain £3.5 million price-tag, is a man in high demand.

The Mail report that West Ham and Fulham want to lure the former Schalke youngster to London.

"There aren't that many good left-backs in the world, so many clubs have needs there. I want to move back to Europe in January or in July at the latest," Wagner said when asked specifically about interest from the Hammers and the Cottagers.

"But first, and this is particularly important, I want to win the MLS Cup with Philadelphia (in December). After that there is still enough time to deal with the future.

"I'll be 24 in February, so I think I'll have to change (clubs) soon. I am ready for one of the top three leagues in Europe – the Bundesliga, the Premier League or Spain, if you like.

"Many say I became the best left-back in the league here (in the MLS)."

Eastern Conference leaders Philadelphia Union have already sold the so-called 'American Havertz' Brenden Aaronson to Red Bull Salzburg, while centre-back Mark McKenzie has also been linked with Celtic.

According to Wagner, the in-form MLS outfit will let him go if they receive an acceptable offer.

"Philadelphia's plan was to develop me and sell me back to Europe two or three years later for a little more money," he added. "And that's what I want too."



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/11/25/i-want-to-move-reported-west-ham-and-fulham-target-is-keen-on-switch/


WhiteJC

he Jaguars Are Testing Just How Bad A Franchise Can Be And Still Get Stadium Money


The Jacksonville Jaguars have long been accused of wanting to beat feet out of town because, well, "Jacksonville" explains it as well as anything, I guess. Whether it's to London, where current boss Shahid Khan is watching his Premier League team Fulham accelerate its plan to return to the safety of the Championship, or St. Louis, which is still locked in a lawsuit with Rams owner/waxwork Stan Kroenke, or Area 51, or Krakatoa ... well, you get the point.

But Khan has always dismissed the notion with some platitude about being committed to the city and blah-blah-blah-de-blah-blah . . . until now. Now, club president Mark Lamping is playing stern uncle and saying that the city would have to come up with major stadium renovations that would pass a 75 percent vote of the other NFL owners before Khan would even consider signing a lease extension.

Now guess what this little bullying gambit sounds like, and your first guess will be how the Rams relocated to their ancestral Los Angeles home. Your second will be how the Raiders found their geographical soulmate on The Strip.

In an interview with columnist Gene Frenette of the Jacksonville Times-Union, Lamping spelled the game out clearly. Either the city comes up with more than half of the cash needed for the $450 million sprucing-up for "developments and incentives," including $50 million for an outdoor entertainment district, around $90 million for infrastructure upgrades and an interest-free $65 million loan to Khan, who as the fifth wealthiest team owner is worth a paltry $7.9 billion, or...

The "or" isn't spelled out, but the message is clear, and the m.o. is clearer still. Without the money, the lease won't be extended, and it won't be Khan's fault. It'll be the league's decision, and well, what can a lonely billionaire do?

Well, he could pay for his own upgrades (5.6 percent of that net worth), but billionaires don't get to be billionaires by picking up every check. This is the blackjack play, where you pay the gambler to make the bet and if he wins he keeps the money, and if you don't, he hits you with a blackjack and goes to another table to make the same offer to another sucker.

But the NFL has entered its relocation mania stage, with three teams having moved in the past five years and more willing to slap an industrial-strength chokehold on the local mayor to get free money, then complain that it isn't enough and eventually haul ass out of town.

The kicker with Jacksonville is that it has been mentioned endlessly as the logical and likeliest team to go to London to begin the league's colonization of the old world. Whether this happens or not depends largely on the possibility of expansion to other parts of Europe (which means your forlorn team could be next), or in the shorter term, as a way to avoid losing the St. Louis lawsuit. They could even do the old Canadian Football League trick of making up an imaginary team and waving it in front of a city (Halifax) and saying, "Stadium me or I can never leave the netherworld of your imagination."

This has time to play itself out, to be sure. For one, the city could cave. For two, the city could joust with the team and then cave. For three, the team could endlessly threaten to leave until the city caves. For four, the team could leave. There is no fifth option. It's how this always plays, and it is just another example of what the NFL really is:a banking and real estate holding company with mesomorphic statuary.  Football is just the thing it uses as bait, and in the case of the Jags, it's lousy bait. The Raiders have lost a lot in recent years but it had a history that hooked two unfortunate towns before Nevada stepped up. Jacksonville just has a rich guy with a hammer looking for a plank.

It will work because Florida has a long established tradition of doing anything to anything to host someone else's amusement. Jacksonville politicians will hump up the money because they think the Jaguars have a special hold on the community (read: re-election). Khan will want more than the original deal, and Lamping will trot out and explain why the league will look poorly upon civic hesitation, let alone refusal. And you wouldn't want to make the league cross because you know how Jerry Jones can be.

And in the end, somebody ends up sleeping with a horse's head. Sure it's an old plot line, but to a rich guy, what's a horse more or less?



https://defector.com/the-jaguars-are-testing-just-how-bad-a-franchise-can-be-and-still-get-stadium-money/

WhiteJC

Youth Cup Date With Fulham Set

Town's FA Youth Cup third round tie against Fulham at Portman Road will be played on Monday 7th December (KO 7pm).

The club is hoping to stream the tie live with full details released nearer the time.

The U18s progressed to the third round by beating Chelmsford City 5-0 on Monday with Ola Bello netting a hat-trick and Elkan Baggott and Fraser Alexander one each. The young Blues had defeated Southend 4-1 in the previous round.

Last season the U18s exited the competition at the third round stage having lost 2-1 at Cardiff City after extra-time after defeating King's Lynn and Exeter in the previous two rounds.

The Blues have won the FA Youth Cup on three occasions, in 1973, 1975 and 2005.



https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/39213/youth-cup-date-with-fulham-set

WhiteJC

Fulham residents hit with matchday parking fees - even with no fans at Craven Cottage

Tory MP Greg Hands has hit out at Fulham and Hammersmith Council for implementing matchday parking restrictions around Fulham FC's Craven Cottage, despite there being no fans at games.

The council is charging people £2.50 an hour to park in some areas around the Premier League club's ground, with £80 fines given to cars parked in this zone for more than one hour.

This is despite the fact that no fans are allowed to attend Premier League games due to Covid restrictions.

Fulham and Hammersmith Council told City A.M. that the football club had asked the local authority to maintain the parking restrictions for the "health and safety of players".

Hands, who is a trade minister and MP for Fulham and Hammersmith, said keeping the mathcday measures was "absurd" and that the council "went our ticketing everyone" last weekend.

"It is absurd and just a sign of greed from the Labour Hammersmith and Fulham Council – which claims not to have enough money to even put a single penny towards repairing Hammersmith Bridge," he said.

Fulham resident Nick Ingram also tweeted his anger at the rule, saying: "In what universe do 'match day restrictions' apply when there are zero fans at the game?

"Made even worse when a trip to the park is one of the only activities allowed."

Chelsea's stadium Stamford Bridge is also within the same borough, however no matchday parking restrictions apply around the ground.

Islington council also lifted parking restrictions around Arsenal's Emirates Stadium when fans were banned from attending games earlier this year.

A Fulham and Hammersmith councillor told City A.M. they had complained about the continuance of matchday parking restrictions with the club and the council, but was told it could not change.

A Hammersmith and Fulham Council spokesperson said: "The council has been asked by Fulham FC [to keep the restrictions] so that players and staff are safe in case of an emergency.

"A lot of vehicles and equipment from broadcasters clog up the area around the ground on match days and the club wants to keep the area clear for health and safety reasons.

"The zone is also in a smaller portion of Stevenage Road than in normal times."

Fulham FC was contacted for comment.



https://www.cityam.com/fulham-residents-hit-with-matchday-parking-fees-even-with-no-fans-at-craven-cottage/


WhiteJC

Ex-Fulham assistant director of football found in contempt of court

A former assistant director of football at Fulham could be jailed after he was found in contempt of court over his social media posts, reports Peter Rutzler.

On Wednesday a high court judge ruled that Craig Kline, who left Fulham in 2017, breached an injunction in relation to seven social media posts between August 19 2019 and April 5 2020.

Who is Kline?
Kline, who describes himself as a "whistleblower and data scientist" on social media, left his role as Fulham's assistant director of football in November 2017 in acrimonious circumstances. Police were called to the club's training ground but no subsequent inquiries were launched, while Kline made a series of explosive claims on Twitter which were subsequently deleted.

Kline was involved in player recruitment at Fulham, with a strong focus on analytics and statistical data. He worked under director of football operations Tony Khan, son of Fulham owner Shahid Khan.

What was he found guilty of?
Kline was found to be in contempt of court by a high court judge for breaching an injunction through seven social media posts between August 19 and April 5 2020. The injunction relates to an agreement made between Kline and Fulham on November 22, 2017, under which "various terms were agreed between the parties, which included a number of confidentiality and non-disparagement undertakings given by Kline".

The court heard that Kline had previously admitted to 42 breaches of the injunction between December 14, 2018 and February 4, 2019, and the judge rejected Kline's suggestion that "it was in some doubt that he was the author of a few of these tweets or posts".

Kline contested the claim that 16 subsequent posts breached the order. Mr Justice Butcher ruled: "I have carefully considered the tweets or posts identified in the second committal application. I am prepared to accept that there is a doubt as to whether a reasonable person would reasonably understand nine of the tweets or posts to relate to events or subjects or persons to whom or to which Mr Kline was prohibited by the order from referring.

"I am, however, in no doubt that in the case of seven of the tweets or posts, they would have been reasonably understood as relating to persons and matters to which Mr Kline was prohibited by the order from referring. In each of these cases, as Mr Kline had deliberately made the tweet or post, there was a breach, even if he may not have directly intended to breach the order. Mr Kline was accordingly in contempt of court."

The judgement also noted that Kline is "an intelligent and articulate man, with a legal background" who is "capable of sophisticated, but often misconceived reasoning".

When will he learn his punishment?
The high court judge who handed down his ruling, Justice Butcher, will set a further hearing date to determine his punishment. Those found guilty of contempt of court could face going to prison for up to two years, receive a fine, or both.

Earlier this month, Kline also lost a high-court action after he failed to file a defence in the libel action brought against him by former FA chief executive Martin Glenn.

Kline made a series of allegations against Glenn, which he strongly denies and in relation to which no evidence has been presented, including that he was instrumental in covering up corruption, child abuse and fraud at Fulham between 2014 and 2017.

Glenn is seeking £25,000 in damages.



https://theathletic.com/news/fulham-craig-kline-latest/B9tWvn3FBOTp?source=rss

filham

So Fulham & Hamersmith are experiencing a shortfall in car parking revenue, ah, is anyone going to shed a tear for them.

bog

Quote from: filham on November 26, 2020, 03:33:17 PM
So Fulham & Hamersmith are experiencing a shortfall in car parking revenue, ah, is anyone going to shed a tear for them.

No.