News:

Use a VPN to stream games Safely and Securely 🔒
A Virtual Private Network can also allow you to
watch games Not being broadcast in the UK For
more Information and how to Sign Up go to
https://go.nordvpn.net/SH4FE

Main Menu


Monday Fulham Stuff - 19/07/21...

Started by WhiteJC, July 19, 2021, 07:39:38 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

WhiteJC

Notes from July meeting with FFC

On Monday 12 July at 13:30, the Fulham Supporters' Trust met with Fulham FC via video conference.

The Club was represented by:

    Alistair Mackintosh (CEO)
    David Daly (Non-Executive Director)
    Carmelo Mifsud (Communications Director)
    Charlie Harris (Communications Assistant)

The FST was represented by Board Members:

    Ian Clarke (Vice Chair)
    Jerry Cope (Treasurer, Membership Secretary)
    Sue Couch (Board Member)
    Hayley Davinson (Board Member)
    Simon Duke (Secretary)

HOW IT WORKS

The Trust asks any questions that it judges are of interest to supporters, based on responses from Trust Members to the advance notification of the meeting, and by generally interacting with the wider supporter base. There is no restriction placed on which questions the Trust choose to ask or points raised with the Club. These notes are then sent to members only, in advance of being posted on our website at a later date.

If any member has raised an issue that it was not possible to discuss in the time available, then please do contact us again in good time before the next meeting or alternatively we can seek to raise it between meetings if that is more appropriate.
TOPICS DISCUSSED

    Football preparation and staff changes
    Covid related issues
    Ticketing
    Trust initiatives
    Ground
    AOB

FOOTBALL PREPARATION AND STAFF CHANGES
Marco Silva's appointment


The Trust offered a warm welcome to Marco Silva; we are excited to see what he has in store for us. We also asked if anything more could be said about Scott Parker's departure other than has already been shared by the Club. There was nothing to add to information already in the public domain.

We were told that Marco Silva comes with excellent references and the desire to play exciting football, win games, and gain promotion.

Personnel changes and staff structure

The Trust noted a number of recent staff changes and potential new appointments and asked for an update regarding the current structure.

    We asked how the structure of the Club has been impacted by the departure of Scott Parker, who took five people with him. The Club said that Marco Silva is bringing a team of five whose previous roles match the vacant slots exactly, so there will be no gaps to fill on the coaching, performance and analysis team.

    The Club confirmed that the U23 Head Coach role is open and currently being advertised. We were told that Club policy is to recruit from within as well as from outside.

    Some changes to the Academy structure are planned and will be announced shortly.
    Since the meeting took place, the Club has formally announced these changes.

    In addition, James Ellis from the scouting team has accepted a role at Arsenal and leaves with the good wishes of all at the Club.

    The new Director of Scouting has not yet been appointed, but the search has progressed and is now at the interview stage. Both Marco Silva, and when he starts, the Director of Scouting will report to the Director of Football.

CLUB FINANCES

Accounts from our promotion year 2019/20 have been published and show an operating loss of £45 million after player trading (principally the sale of Ryan Sessegnon). We asked for the Club's thoughts on such a large operating loss. The Club told us that the Khan family continue to support the Club financially to the fullest extent possible and all agreed that these accounts underline their commitment. We also discussed the fact that losses at this level are not sustainable in the long term and the Club highlighted the new Riverside Stand as material evidence of the owners supporting the Club to become sustainable with new revenue streams.

The Club also explained that buying success on the pitch, however, isn't as feasible an option as it was when Mr Al Fayed took ownership, because of the Financial Fair Play regulations now in force.  Back then we were buying players and paying them salaries above normal lower division rates, with no immediate negative repercussions, because there were no FFP constraints. These days the rules are much tighter, and to remain within FFP the Club sometimes had to go for the loan rather than buy option on players.

The Trust would like to see the Club become financially self-sustaining as soon as possible and noted that the new Riverside Stand was an important element in achieving that objective. In acknowledging the significant financial support of the Khan family, the Trust understands that the spend on players and other overheads needs to be carefully balanced against revenue streams to ensure we remain compliant with FFP rules. The Trust agreed that there needed to be a careful balance of, for instance, ticket prices and spend on players.

COVID RELATED ISSUES

The meeting took place prior to the Monday afternoon Government announcements.

Matchday Covid rules

The Trust asked how the matchday experience would be affected if all Covid restrictions are lifted. The Club replied that they will be looking to return to a pre-Covid match day experience whilst complying with any Government and football authority rules. As things stood at the time of the meeting they were not planning to impose any additional restrictions such as wearing face coverings etc.

The Club also highlighted that, from the experience of operating at reduced capacity during 2020/21, Craven Cottage is disproportionately affected by social distancing rules.

Covid and ticketing

The Trust and Club both hope that there will be no return to reduced capacity stadiums. However, if restrictions are re-introduced, then tickets will be made available by ballot, which will be carried out fairly such that all supporters have an opportunity to see a similar number of matches. Pro-rata refunds will be provided to those season ticket holders who are asked not to attend in these circumstances.

Season ticket holders with particular difficulties around attendance due to Covid should contact the Club by email at [email protected]

TICKETING

Due to holidays, the ticketing team weren't able to be represented at the meeting. However, the Trust held a later session with the Club to discuss ticketing and members' questions in this area.

Season tickets

The Club is very pleased with both the renewal rate for season tickets and also the healthy number of new season ticket holders. All supporters will receive a new season card by post towards the end of July. New season tickets are available to be bought in all open areas of the ground.

Matchday tickets

The Club will encourage supporters to use the 'print at home' option where possible for match tickets and also ticketing by mobile phone (as was used for the balloted games in 2020/21) which will be introduced shortly. Physical match tickets will still be available for those that need them.

New ticketing system

The Trust asked for an update on the new Secutix ticketing system and highlighted some teething problems and questions from members in this area. In particular, we learned the following

    Loyalty points – all supporters' loyalty points have been transferred into the new system. The Club is aware that supporters cannot currently see their Loyalty Point balances. This will be corrected shortly.
     
    Cup Tie Scheme – the Trust asked whether the Home Cup Tie Scheme is still active. The Club confirmed that a Cup Tie Scheme would be in operation but that it had not transferred over from the old Ticketmaster system. There will be further communication about setting this up.
     
    Seat maps – some supporters have struggled to identify their seat on the seat plans provided by the new ticketing system. The Club explained that an enhanced seat map function would be available before the start of the new season.
     
    OneFulham accounts – any supporters who have been unable to link their season ticket to a OneFulham account are encouraged to contact [email protected] for assistance.

The Trust keeps in close contact with the ticketing team and will help iron out any early difficulties using the new ticketing system, if these cannot be resolved directly with the ticket office. We are encouraged by the hard work going on behind the scenes.

Championship tickets

On the day of the ticketing meeting, the first three Championship matches were put on sale to members with Hammersmith End adult prices of £30. The Trust believes that these are fair prices, in line with the those charged during our last Championship season, as we have previously recommended.

TRUST INITIATIVES 

(Standing agenda items, discussed each month)

We provided the Club with brief updates on progress and a heads up for future discussions on these FST initiatives:

    Annual Celebration / Memorial Day – One day a year to remember, honour, and celebrate members of the Fulham family who are no longer with us. The FST and Club will be meeting to discuss further.
     
    Women's football and the wider female supporters' experience – An exciting initiative to promote the female game and encourage more women and other minority support groups to  feel welcomed and safe at football. The Trust hopes to present further detail on this at our August meeting.
     
    Mental health – The Trust thanked Club and players for their support and planned future involvement in our mental health project, which will really get under way after 19th July.

The Trust will share further information about these initiatives via our website and emails to members.

GROUND
Riverside build progress


There is still fit-out work to be done. The Club hoped that anecdotal reports of shortages of building materials such as plasterboard will not have a negative impact.

Viewing the new stand

The Club appreciates the keen desire of supporters to visit the new stand, especially if they intend to purchase seats,  but it is unlikely for anyone to view in person because it is still a building site and there will be works going on right up to opening; virtual views will be made easily available.
Available seating this season

No Riverside as yet, but perhaps some partial opening towards the end of the season; seating will be in the remaining three stands
General ground maintenance

A repair schedule for the rest of the ground is being implemented, which includes toilet facilities.

AOB
Forever Fulham


We asked if the Club could create a space on their website with recipients of the Forever Fulham award, which is given to players who have played at least 100 games, and sharing the interviews if possible. The Club responded positively to this suggestion and since the meeting has provided this updated link on their web site.

Televised / streamed matches next season

We asked if televising of games would revert to pre-pandemic arrangements and whether midweek Championship games would continue to be available on Sky as they used to be. The short answer was yes. Some matches have already been selected for broadcast. The Club anticipates that as per last time, an annual subscription will be available for fans overseas, and the club will look to stream matches to UK subscribers where broadcast regulations permit.

Variety of food available on matchdays

We shared requests from members for catering concessions to sell food to accommodate special requirements around allergies and faith. For example, gluten free options including gluten free beer, and Halal food. The Club agreed to take these requests away but much depended on demand, given the limited catering space available.

Muslim Athletes Charter

A member had asked whether Fulham intended to sign up to this Charter which has been adopted by Premier League Clubs. The Club said they will look into it and assured us that they already do consider and cater for the needs of different faiths among the players, including places for prayer, which is one of the requests made in the charter.

Next season's kit

The new home shirt will be launched before the end of this month, and the away kit close to the first home match. The 3rd kit will as usual be last season's away kit, which was yellow. The new away shirt colour is a closely guarded secret, but we did manage to prise the information that it won't be lime green.

Away fans and away travel

Away fans are expected to be back as per the pre-pandemic situation, and the Club will be putting on coaches for travel to away games, as previously, from both Motspur Park and Craven Cottage.


The meeting ended at 14:30



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2021/07/notes-from-july-meeting-with-ffc-2/

WhiteJC

Birmingham City send 'SOS' to former Fulham goalkeeper as Neil Etheridge recovers from COVID-19

Marcus Bettinelli is a free agent after leaving Fulham at the end of last season, despite making 27 appearances on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship

Birmingham City have reportedly 'sent an SOS' to former Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli.

The 29-year-old is a free agent after being released by the Craven Cottage side at the end of last season.

Blues boss Lee Bowyer is searching for cover as Neil Etheridge recovers after being hospitalised with COVID-19.

Bettinelli slipped to the bottom of the pecking order under manager Scott Parker and spent last term on loan at Championship side Middlesbrough, where he made 27 league appearances.

The former England international is now a free agent and could now join the Blues after talks with Nottingham Forest 'collapsed', according to The Sun on Sunday.

Birmingham are currently taking a look at Wolves goalkeeper Matija Šarkić, who played for the club in the 3-0 friendly win over Cheltenham Town on Saturday.

Meanwhile, manager Lee Bowyer provided a positive update on Etheridge's condition over the weekend.

"Neil is great, he has gone home today from hospital, that's great news. We are all over the moon with that," Bowyer told BirminghamLive after the match on Saturday.

"It's early days but it's nice to think he's back home with his family – that's all we can wish for. It's a big relief.

"Hopefully he gets better and better but we can't push it because he wasn't very good when he was suffering."



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/birmingham-city-transfers-marcus-bettinelli-21081657

WhiteJC

Fulham: Jean Michael Seri keen on exit

Fulham midfielder Jean Michaël Seri is reportedly keen on a move to Turkish giants Galatasaray ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, according to GS Gazete.

What's the story?

Seri has been with Fulham since 2018, but his spell at Craven Cottage hasn't been the most memorable for one reason or another, with the 29-year-old finding his game time restricted in English football.

He signed for the Cottagers for the sizeable fee of £25m, but has only made 36 appearances in total for the London-based side, which doesn't seem as though it's the best return for a player that signed for the club for such a hefty price tag,

Seri spent the 2019/20 season on loan with Galatasaray, and made 37 appearances for the Turkish side, whilst also chipping in with two goals and four assists for them.

It appears as though he was content with life in the Super Lig as well, with GS Gazete reporting that Seri is keen on a return to the Turkish side.

No-brainer

Fulham have endured plenty of ups and downs in recent seasons, and it's somewhat understandable if they want to move Seri on permanently this summer, especially after they were relegated from the Premier League last term.

Marco Silva will know that player departures are likely before the new league campaign gets underway, and Seri is a player that plenty of the Craven Cottage faithful will be keen to see the back of moving forwards, so this update should be hugely encouraging news.

He's not been involved anywhere near enough to make a notable impact with the Cottagers, and Fulham should be looking at cutting their losses on the 29-year-old in the near future.

A manager won't want a player that is keen on a move elsewhere hanging around the dressing room for too long, especially when they're planning ahead for the upcoming Championship season.

Therefore, if Galatasaray are keen on a move for Seri once again but on a permanent basis, then it should be a no-brainer for Fulham to cash-in on Seri, as he's highly unlikely to feature in their plans at this moment in time, as they target promotion back into the top-flight at the first time of asking once again.

Seri is reportedly on wages of £65k-per-week, which will only strengthen the case for him to be moved off the wage bill at the earliest of opportunities this summer.

Fulham are set to take on Middlesbrough in their opening match of the Championship season, in what could potentially be a tricky test for Silva's new side at Craven Cottage.



https://www.footballfancast.com/transfer-rumours/fulham-jean-michael-seri-keen-on-exit


WhiteJC

What we know about Sylvester Jasper as a plan is revealed for Sheffield Wednesday's latest trialist
Sheffield Wednesday have young Sylvester Jasper on trial with the club – but what do we know about the teenage attacker known as 'Sylv'.

The 19-year-old Fulham youngster came on in the second half of Wednesday's 2-0 defeat to Barnsley, replacing Josh Windass as the Owls looked to try and push for a goal in the second half.

Jasper has an impressive record at youth level, contributing 29 goals and assists in 37 U18 Premier League games, as well as 13 goals and assists in 21 matches since stepping up into the Premier League 2.

Such is his promise that the teenager penned a long-term deal until 2023 less than a year ago, however the fact that he's made just a handful of appearances since his senior debut against Manchester City last year may suggest that The Cottagers are keen to see him test himself higher up the pyramid.

The youngster signed his first professional deal as a 17-year-old back in 2018, and has been linked with loan moves to the Championship in the past, but a spell in League One under the right manager could be exactly the sort of thing he needs to take his career to the next level.

But what sort of player is he?

In his own words he's 'unpredictable', and he told Fulham's YouTube channel last year, "I feel like I'm a creative player, an unpredictable player, someone that can maybe offer something different to the ordinary Joe - you never know what to expect, really, when I'm on the ball."

And that may be what Moore is looking for from the winger – who can play on the left or right – as he runs the rule over him, and the Owls boss says that the plan is to give him a week to show what he's capable of, rather than be asked to try and turn it on just for a couple of days.

When asked about the teenager after the Tykes defeat, Moore said, "He's a young boy we've got from Fulham, Sylvester Jasper... We've got him here for seven days just to have a look at him. Pre-season allows me to have a look at these players that have been on the radar in terms of where they've been over the last couple of seasons.

"What pre-season allows is for you to bring them in and look at them at close hand without really committing. He's come today, and had a good outing. He has wonderful technical ability, he carries a threat, is a clean striker of the ball and gets defenders on the back foot.

"It's an area where we feel if it's possible to strengthen, then we'll do so.

"We'll have another look at him on Tuesday. I like looking at trialists over seven days, I don't think one or two days is right in terms of settling down."

Jasper, who has also been deployed as a central attacking midfielder, is set to face West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday, but it remains to be seen if he will also be part of the side that goes up against Wrexham at Middlewood Road next weekend.



https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-wednesday/what-we-know-about-sylvester-jasper-as-a-plan-is-revealed-for-sheffield-wednesdays-latest-trialist-3312591

WhiteJC

Report: Chelsea now want to sign a player released by Fulham

Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea are interested in signing Marcus Bettinelli just days after his release from Fulham, according to The Athletic.

What's the story?

The Athletic are reporting that Chelsea are looking for a new goalkeeper in the summer transfer window.

Willy Caballero has left the 2021 Champions League winners, who need to bring in a third-choice goalkeeper.

The Blues have identified two players for that position – Wayne Hennessey and Bettinelli.

Free agent

Hennessey, 34, is a free agent after his departure from Crystal Palace at the end of last season.

Bettinelli is also a free agent at the moment.

BBC Sport reported in June that the 29-year-old was in talks with Fulham over a new contract following the London club's relegation from the Premier League.

The goalkeeper actually spent the 2020-21 campaign on loan at Middlesbrough.

However, no agreement could be reached, and, as reported by London News Online earlier this month, he was released by Fulham.

Big potential move

Not many would have expected Chelsea to look at a player who was playing in the second tier of English football last season.

Bettinelli is only 29, and it must be great for him to be linked with Chelsea.

Yes, the Englishman is only going to be the third-choice goalkeeper, but how many players get to join a club like Chelsea after playing for a second-tier side on loan?

It would be a remarkable move for Bettinelli.




https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/07/19/marcus-bettinelli-chelsea-crystal-palace-fulham/

Fulham1959

"Seri is a player that plenty of the Craven Cottage faithful will be keen to see the back of moving forwards".

I'm just trying to visualise that !   :005:


kiwian

Quote from: Fulham1959 on July 19, 2021, 09:58:33 AM
"Seri is a player that plenty of the Craven Cottage faithful will be keen to see the back of moving forwards".

I'm just trying to visualise that !   :005:
Moving forward-a phrase used to state the obvious, so unnecessary.
Is a dream a lie if it don't come true?

filham

This is hard for me to get my head around:-
Seri on £65,000 per week and cannot even make the Fulham bench.
Johnny Haynes English international , played regularly for us as captain, was the country's highest paid player at £100 per week.

Make no mistake a wage cap is needed.

Twig

Quote from: Fulham1959 on July 19, 2021, 09:58:33 AM
"Seri is a player that plenty of the Craven Cottage faithful will be keen to see the back of moving forwards".

I'm just trying to visualise that !   :005:

Remarkable use (sorry abuse) of English.


Marcel_Gecov

Quote from: whitejc on July 19, 2021, 07:39:38 AM
Notes from July meeting with FFC

On Monday 12 July at 13:30, the Fulham Supporters' Trust met with Fulham FC via video conference.

The Club was represented by:

    Alistair Mackintosh (CEO)
    David Daly (Non-Executive Director)
    Carmelo Mifsud (Communications Director)
    Charlie Harris (Communications Assistant)

The FST was represented by Board Members:

    Ian Clarke (Vice Chair)
    Jerry Cope (Treasurer, Membership Secretary)
    Sue Couch (Board Member)
    Hayley Davinson (Board Member)
    Simon Duke (Secretary)

HOW IT WORKS

The Trust asks any questions that it judges are of interest to supporters, based on responses from Trust Members to the advance notification of the meeting, and by generally interacting with the wider supporter base. There is no restriction placed on which questions the Trust choose to ask or points raised with the Club. These notes are then sent to members only, in advance of being posted on our website at a later date.

If any member has raised an issue that it was not possible to discuss in the time available, then please do contact us again in good time before the next meeting or alternatively we can seek to raise it between meetings if that is more appropriate.
TOPICS DISCUSSED

    Football preparation and staff changes
    Covid related issues
    Ticketing
    Trust initiatives
    Ground
    AOB

FOOTBALL PREPARATION AND STAFF CHANGES
Marco Silva's appointment


The Trust offered a warm welcome to Marco Silva; we are excited to see what he has in store for us. We also asked if anything more could be said about Scott Parker's departure other than has already been shared by the Club. There was nothing to add to information already in the public domain.

We were told that Marco Silva comes with excellent references and the desire to play exciting football, win games, and gain promotion.

Personnel changes and staff structure

The Trust noted a number of recent staff changes and potential new appointments and asked for an update regarding the current structure.

    We asked how the structure of the Club has been impacted by the departure of Scott Parker, who took five people with him. The Club said that Marco Silva is bringing a team of five whose previous roles match the vacant slots exactly, so there will be no gaps to fill on the coaching, performance and analysis team.

    The Club confirmed that the U23 Head Coach role is open and currently being advertised. We were told that Club policy is to recruit from within as well as from outside.

    Some changes to the Academy structure are planned and will be announced shortly.
    Since the meeting took place, the Club has formally announced these changes.

    In addition, James Ellis from the scouting team has accepted a role at Arsenal and leaves with the good wishes of all at the Club.

    The new Director of Scouting has not yet been appointed, but the search has progressed and is now at the interview stage. Both Marco Silva, and when he starts, the Director of Scouting will report to the Director of Football.

CLUB FINANCES

Accounts from our promotion year 2019/20 have been published and show an operating loss of £45 million after player trading (principally the sale of Ryan Sessegnon). We asked for the Club's thoughts on such a large operating loss. The Club told us that the Khan family continue to support the Club financially to the fullest extent possible and all agreed that these accounts underline their commitment. We also discussed the fact that losses at this level are not sustainable in the long term and the Club highlighted the new Riverside Stand as material evidence of the owners supporting the Club to become sustainable with new revenue streams.

The Club also explained that buying success on the pitch, however, isn't as feasible an option as it was when Mr Al Fayed took ownership, because of the Financial Fair Play regulations now in force.  Back then we were buying players and paying them salaries above normal lower division rates, with no immediate negative repercussions, because there were no FFP constraints. These days the rules are much tighter, and to remain within FFP the Club sometimes had to go for the loan rather than buy option on players.

The Trust would like to see the Club become financially self-sustaining as soon as possible and noted that the new Riverside Stand was an important element in achieving that objective. In acknowledging the significant financial support of the Khan family, the Trust understands that the spend on players and other overheads needs to be carefully balanced against revenue streams to ensure we remain compliant with FFP rules. The Trust agreed that there needed to be a careful balance of, for instance, ticket prices and spend on players.

COVID RELATED ISSUES

The meeting took place prior to the Monday afternoon Government announcements.

Matchday Covid rules

The Trust asked how the matchday experience would be affected if all Covid restrictions are lifted. The Club replied that they will be looking to return to a pre-Covid match day experience whilst complying with any Government and football authority rules. As things stood at the time of the meeting they were not planning to impose any additional restrictions such as wearing face coverings etc.

The Club also highlighted that, from the experience of operating at reduced capacity during 2020/21, Craven Cottage is disproportionately affected by social distancing rules.

Covid and ticketing

The Trust and Club both hope that there will be no return to reduced capacity stadiums. However, if restrictions are re-introduced, then tickets will be made available by ballot, which will be carried out fairly such that all supporters have an opportunity to see a similar number of matches. Pro-rata refunds will be provided to those season ticket holders who are asked not to attend in these circumstances.

Season ticket holders with particular difficulties around attendance due to Covid should contact the Club by email at [email protected]

TICKETING

Due to holidays, the ticketing team weren't able to be represented at the meeting. However, the Trust held a later session with the Club to discuss ticketing and members' questions in this area.

Season tickets

The Club is very pleased with both the renewal rate for season tickets and also the healthy number of new season ticket holders. All supporters will receive a new season card by post towards the end of July. New season tickets are available to be bought in all open areas of the ground.

Matchday tickets

The Club will encourage supporters to use the 'print at home' option where possible for match tickets and also ticketing by mobile phone (as was used for the balloted games in 2020/21) which will be introduced shortly. Physical match tickets will still be available for those that need them.

New ticketing system

The Trust asked for an update on the new Secutix ticketing system and highlighted some teething problems and questions from members in this area. In particular, we learned the following

    Loyalty points – all supporters' loyalty points have been transferred into the new system. The Club is aware that supporters cannot currently see their Loyalty Point balances. This will be corrected shortly.
     
    Cup Tie Scheme – the Trust asked whether the Home Cup Tie Scheme is still active. The Club confirmed that a Cup Tie Scheme would be in operation but that it had not transferred over from the old Ticketmaster system. There will be further communication about setting this up.
     
    Seat maps – some supporters have struggled to identify their seat on the seat plans provided by the new ticketing system. The Club explained that an enhanced seat map function would be available before the start of the new season.
     
    OneFulham accounts – any supporters who have been unable to link their season ticket to a OneFulham account are encouraged to contact [email protected] for assistance.

The Trust keeps in close contact with the ticketing team and will help iron out any early difficulties using the new ticketing system, if these cannot be resolved directly with the ticket office. We are encouraged by the hard work going on behind the scenes.

Championship tickets

On the day of the ticketing meeting, the first three Championship matches were put on sale to members with Hammersmith End adult prices of £30. The Trust believes that these are fair prices, in line with the those charged during our last Championship season, as we have previously recommended.

TRUST INITIATIVES 

(Standing agenda items, discussed each month)

We provided the Club with brief updates on progress and a heads up for future discussions on these FST initiatives:

    Annual Celebration / Memorial Day – One day a year to remember, honour, and celebrate members of the Fulham family who are no longer with us. The FST and Club will be meeting to discuss further.
     
    Women's football and the wider female supporters' experience – An exciting initiative to promote the female game and encourage more women and other minority support groups to  feel welcomed and safe at football. The Trust hopes to present further detail on this at our August meeting.
     
    Mental health – The Trust thanked Club and players for their support and planned future involvement in our mental health project, which will really get under way after 19th July.

The Trust will share further information about these initiatives via our website and emails to members.

GROUND
Riverside build progress


There is still fit-out work to be done. The Club hoped that anecdotal reports of shortages of building materials such as plasterboard will not have a negative impact.

Viewing the new stand

The Club appreciates the keen desire of supporters to visit the new stand, especially if they intend to purchase seats,  but it is unlikely for anyone to view in person because it is still a building site and there will be works going on right up to opening; virtual views will be made easily available.
Available seating this season

No Riverside as yet, but perhaps some partial opening towards the end of the season; seating will be in the remaining three stands
General ground maintenance

A repair schedule for the rest of the ground is being implemented, which includes toilet facilities.

AOB
Forever Fulham


We asked if the Club could create a space on their website with recipients of the Forever Fulham award, which is given to players who have played at least 100 games, and sharing the interviews if possible. The Club responded positively to this suggestion and since the meeting has provided this updated link on their web site.

Televised / streamed matches next season

We asked if televising of games would revert to pre-pandemic arrangements and whether midweek Championship games would continue to be available on Sky as they used to be. The short answer was yes. Some matches have already been selected for broadcast. The Club anticipates that as per last time, an annual subscription will be available for fans overseas, and the club will look to stream matches to UK subscribers where broadcast regulations permit.

Variety of food available on matchdays

We shared requests from members for catering concessions to sell food to accommodate special requirements around allergies and faith. For example, gluten free options including gluten free beer, and Halal food. The Club agreed to take these requests away but much depended on demand, given the limited catering space available.

Muslim Athletes Charter

A member had asked whether Fulham intended to sign up to this Charter which has been adopted by Premier League Clubs. The Club said they will look into it and assured us that they already do consider and cater for the needs of different faiths among the players, including places for prayer, which is one of the requests made in the charter.

Next season's kit

The new home shirt will be launched before the end of this month, and the away kit close to the first home match. The 3rd kit will as usual be last season's away kit, which was yellow. The new away shirt colour is a closely guarded secret, but we did manage to prise the information that it won't be lime green.

Away fans and away travel

Away fans are expected to be back as per the pre-pandemic situation, and the Club will be putting on coaches for travel to away games, as previously, from both Motspur Park and Craven Cottage.


The meeting ended at 14:30



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2021/07/notes-from-july-meeting-with-ffc-2/

New U23 Head Coach needed linked to the below I guess:

First Team Development Coach – Colin Omogbehin

Colin Omogbehin moves from the U23s setup to take on an exciting new role as First Team Development Coach. He will provide daily support, on and off the pitch, for Academy players transitioning into first team environments. Colin is an excellent role model, with vast experience of working with young players at Fulham FC and the South London area. He will help the players understand what is required of them to achieve success at senior level.

Huw Jennings said: "After 12 seasons at the Club, I am delighted to be moving into a new role. The Academy under Mike Cave and the excellent Academy staff team will continue to build the best Academy for Fulham. We are as determined as ever to compete with the best young player development programmes in the country, and Colin's appointment is a commitment to this objective. Similarly, the Club recognises the importance of the current exciting era for women's football, and I am looking forward to supporting Head Coach Steve Jaye and the team, as we build our programme for the future."