Thursday Fulham Stuff - 19/05/22...

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Sources: Fulham mulling over transfer swoop for Chelsea man

Fulham are monitoring Chelsea starlet Juan Castillo ahead of a potential move for the player, Football League World has been told.

Fulham are preparing for life back in the Premier League after storming to the title in the Sky Bet Championship.

The challenge for them and Marco Silva now, then, is to build a squad this summer that is capable of staying in the top flight and not coming back down straight away, as has been the case in recent years.

Their transfer radar is whirring away, then, and on it, this site has been told, is Chelsea's Juan Castillo.

The 22-year-old's future at Stamford Bridge is not clear at the moment and a number of Sky Bet Championship clubs are taking a look at him as well as Fulham, with him spending time in the second tier on loan at Birmingham City and also Charlton Athletic in Sky Bet League One during the 21/22 campaign.

He didn't manage to play too much for either side during those respective spells, but Fulham are still taking a closer look at him.

The club evidently wants to try and add to its defensive third, with Castillo regularly utilised down the left flank of the pitch.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/sources-fulham-mulling-over-transfer-swoop-for-chelsea-man/

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Dates For The Diary

Ahead of Fulham's participation in the 2022/23 Premier League season, here are some key dates to be aware of:

Thursday 16th June 2022

Fixtures for the new Premier League season are announced at 9am

Saturday 6th August 2022

The season commences, with matchday 1 happening earlier than usual

Saturday/Sunday 12/13th November 2022

Matchday 16, the final round of games before the season is halted for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

Monday 26th December 2022

Matchday 17, the recommencement of the Premier League campaign, following the World Cup Final on Sunday 18th December

Sunday 28th May 2023

Matchday 38, the Premier League season concludes with all 10 fixtures taking place simultaneously



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/may/16/dates-for-the-diary/

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Fulham in talks to sign 'extraordinary' 27-year-old but there's a problem

Premier League newcomers Fulham are in talks with Thomas Strakosha but there is a problem relating to the signing-on bonus the Lazio goalkeeper is asking for, according to Tuttomercatoweb.

The Greek-born Albania international will be a free-agent in July, after opting against extending his contract at the Serie A giants.

But 'free-agent' doesn't necessarily mean 'cheap'. It is not exactly uncommon for players coming to the end of their contracts to demand wages or signing-on fees far in excess of what they would usually command, with those interested suitors often forced to green-light eye-watering pay-packets in lieu of a transfer fee.

There's a reason why Juventus were forced to hand Aaron Ramsey £400,000-a-week following his departure from Arsenal, after all.

La Repubblica broke the news late last week, suggesting that Fulham had entered negotiations with 27-year-old Strakosha.

The report even suggested that Lazio's long-serving glovesman could be unveiled at Craven Cottage within a matter of days, the Championship champions seemingly fighting off competition from Southampton, Newcastle United and recently-relegated Watford.

Fulham in talks to sign Lazio's Thomas Strakosha

There is still one obstacle that must be overcome, however.

TMW claim that negotiations with Fulham are ongoing. But there are 'problems' regarding a signing-on bonus. Fulham believe the fee Strakosha wants is currently 'too high'. Talks are set to continue in the coming days, however, and there is a belief that a compromise can still be reached.

This feels less like a road block, more a pesky pothole. A bump in the road leading Strakosha to West London.

"I'm not an expert in goalkeepers but I'd give him 10/10," former Lazio youth coach Alberto Bollini said of Strakosha, who was valued at £25 million just 12 months ago.

"He has extraordinary athleticism. He is tenacious and has a cool head."

In addition to Strakosha, Fulham are also in talks to sign Manor Solomon from Ukrainian giants Shakhtar Donetsk for a bargain £7 million. The Cottagers have already snapped up Harry Wilson on a permanent deal and fellow Welshman Neco Williams could follow in his footsteps, with parent club Liverpool closing in on Aberdeen right-back Calvin Ramsay.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/05/18/fulham-in-talks-to-sign-extraordinary-27-year-old-but-theres-a-problem/

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Player 'negotiating with Fulham' – Work to be done in 'next few days' to 'get white smoke'

Two days ago, we carried a report from La Repubblica, who stated that Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha 'seems willing' to accept Fulham's proposal.

The 27-year-old has less than two months left on his contract with the Serie A side and as it stands he is set to leave them as a free agent.

Fulham's interest in the keeper is discussed by TuttoMercatoweb, who say he 'will leave Lazio on a free transfer'.

It's claimed the Albania international is 'negotiating with Fulham' to make a switch to Craven Cottage.

However, there are 'problems related' to the bonus payments in the potential transfer to the English club. Fulham are of the belief Strakosha's demands are 'too high'.

Despite these problems, TMW state the two parties will return to the table in the 'next few days' to sort it out so that they can 'try to get to the white smoke' for the Albania's move to Fulham.

Marco Silva's side have achieved promotion to the Premier League after finishing top of the Championship table this season, meaning their transfer targets a little higher quality than they would have otherwise been.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/player-will-leave-club-negotiating-fulham-work-done-next-days-get-white-smoke/

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Napoli trigger €15m option to sign Fulham man Anguissa permanently

Fulham's loaned-out midfielder Andre Zambo Anguissa has seen the €15m permanent option in his Napoli loan deal triggered by the Serie A side, it has been confirmed.

Fulham brought Anguissa to Craven Cottage back in August 2018 upon their promotion to the Premier League.

However, with the Cottagers back in the Championship, the Cameroonian midfielder headed to Italian giants Napoli on loan last summer. The 26-year-old has been a big hit in Italy and now, it has been confirmed he will be remaining in Naples.

As per trusted Sky Sports news reporter Fabrizio Romano, Napoli's president Aurelio De Laurentiis has confirmed that the option to buy Anguissa from Fulham permanently has been triggered.

The agreement will see the Cottagers land €15m, with the contract already signed, Romano has said.

The right move for all?

Anguissa was brought to West London with high hopes, but after four years contracted to the Cottagers, the club will likely look at the reported £22.3m spent on him as money wasted.

Fulham will be making a loss of just under £10m on Anguissa.

There's no doubt that he showed sparks of what he's capable of in a Fulham shirt – more so during the 2020/21 season, but overall, he will be a player the club would have wanted more from.

His time with Napoli has been a resounding success, with only injury and a call-up to the Cameroon squad for AFCON seeing him drop out of the side.



https://the72.co.uk/273505/napoli-trigger-e15m-option-to-sign-fulham-man-anguissa-permanently/

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Napoli: ADL confirms Anguissa's permanent move from Fulham

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis confirms André Zambo Anguissa will remain at Napoli next season.

The Cameroon international moved to the Stadio Maradona on loan with an option to buy from Fulham last summer and has been one of the standout performers for the Partenopei this season.

Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti has been pushing for his permanent signing and Napoli chairman De Laurentiis has confirmed that the 26-year-old will remain at the club next season.

"Anguissa will remain for sure, but I can't tell you everything we have in mind," De Laurentiis told journalists at a press conference today, answering a question about the club's transfer strategies.

Napoli will pay circa €15m to sign the midfielder permanently from Fulham.

ADL met Spalletti on Monday to plan the summer transfer window. The Partenopei will prepare for 2022-23 with a training retreat at Dimaro from July 9 to 19. Today, De Laurentiis and Spalletti held a press conference to discuss the team's pre-season with the media.

"There will be some friendly matches, as usual, and we'll have the chance to welcome more than 1,000 fans in the stands," said De Laurentiis.

"Hopefully, there won't be limitations, we want to entertain the fans.

"It will be a retreat dedicated to the psycho-physical reconstruction of the whole football movement since we are coming out of two years not very edifying for everyone. When I watch games like Man City vs. Real Madrid, I have a heart full of joy and I hope Italian football can return to certain levels.

"Someone said that Serie A's level has scaled down, but this season has been fought until the end and this is something new. If it were so easy to win one, one would always do it. Someone did it in the past [Juventus], but things have changed for them."



https://football-italia.net/napoli-adl-confirms-anguissas-permanent-move-from-fulham/

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8 Premier League players who Fulham should consider loaning in this summer

Fulham are back in the Premier League after a remarkable season that saw Marco Silva's side win the Championship title with relative ease.

Of course, playing in the top-flight is nothing new for the Cottagers, but they have found it tough in recent years, which is why they've been relegated.

And, there has been a whole host of reasons as to why Fulham haven't established themselves in the Premier League, with poor recruitment undoubtedly one of the factors.

Whilst the owner can't be accused of not putting his hand in his pocket, the reality is that they've spent money on poor players in the past.

There is a hope that under Silva things will be different and you can be sure that the Londoners are looking for more Premier League players to help them. With that in mind, we look at EIGHT players they could loan from Premier League sides ahead of the new season...

Dean Henderson
Whilst it would be harsh to replace Marek Rodak after another promotion, the harsh reality is that Fulham could still do with another keeper and they have been linked with several already.

One who should be on their radar is Manchester United's Henderson. You would imagine the Red Devils will want to sell the England stopper permanently but his wages may make that difficult. Therefore, Fulham should be positioned to bring the keeper in on loan if they can. He is proven at this level and could make the difference between surviving and going down.

Nat Phillips
Another area of the pitch that you would expect to be prioritised this summer is centre-back, and Nat Phillips could improve the squad.

The Liverpool man has just starred with Bournemouth in helping them to promotion, so it could be difficult to get ahead of the Cherries in the race for Phillips, and the Reds may also prefer a sale.

However, Phillips needs to be playing regularly and he could be the ideal partner for Tosin Adarabioyo to give Fulham a solid base moving forward.

Levi Colwill
Another centre-back, the Chelsea youngster has demonstrated his talent on loan at Huddersfield this season and his next step is the Premier League.

Some will argue he could get his chance at Stamford Bridge given their defensive problems, but they may want to guarantee Colwill minutes elsewhere to help his development, and Fulham will be ready to pounce.

He has the ability to thrive in Silva's setup and it could be the making of the defender, as well as helping Fulham stay up next season.

Joe Rodon
The final centre-back on the list is another who has shone in the Championship, former Swansea City man Joe Rodon.

Since his big-money move to Spurs things haven't really gone to plan and it feels like a pivotal summer for the player who really needs to leave to get regular game time to help his career.

That could come at Craven Cottage, with Rodon another who is capable of building out from the back as the manager wants as well.

Neco Williams
This is probably the most likely option on the list as the Liverpool full-back spent the second half of the campaign on loan with Fulham and impressed.

Therefore, the Welsh international knows all about the club, the players and the manager, so fitting into the group shouldn't be much of a problem.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of him in the pecking order at Anfield, he obviously won't play at Liverpool, so having had a taste for game time at Fulham this season, he may want to return for more.

James Garner
The Manchester United midfielder has been superb for Nottingham Forest this season and he will hope his performances can earn him a place in Erik Ten Hag's squad at Old Trafford next season.

Realistically though, it's still going to be tough for Garner to force his way in, so a loan could be ideal for his development.

Forest will be favourites to land the player if they beat Huddersfield in the play-off final, but if not, it's an open race and Silva could benefit from the quality that Garner would bring to the team.

Ross Barkley
Another midfielder that the Cottagers could consider is Chelsea's Barkley.

There have been signs under Thomas Tuchel that the former Everton man could rediscover his former levels but the competition for places means he simply doesn't get enough game time.

That could change at Fulham, and if Barkley is focused, fit and ready to go then he could be the Fabio Carvalho replacement that the Cottagers need, with his ability to drive forward and contribute in the final third.

Armando Broja
Fulham need to bring in another striker this summer and Broja has shown with Southampton that he can thrive at this level.

His form in recent months may have seen his stock drop somewhat, but he will still be in-demand and it will be difficult for Fulham to land the Albanian international.

But, Silva needs another option up top to help Aleksandar Mitrovic and whilst a formation tweak may be needed to start the pair, it would be an exciting partnership.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/8-premier-league-players-who-fulham-should-consider-loaning-in-this-summer/

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Fulham rule out winger's arrival – Marco Silva did not request signing

In the past few days, we've seen a few reports claiming Fulham are interested in signing Ecuadorian winger Gonzalo Plata.

With the player returning to Sporting from a loan at Real Valladolid, it was said Marco Silva would like to add him to the Cottagers' squad for their next challenge in the Premier League.

It turns out Portuguese newspaper A Bola today features a story on this case, and they end up dismissing the chances of his move to the London club.

The outlet writes that Plata was not a request from Marco Silva, as the winger was actually offered to Fulham and other English clubs by his agent.

A Bola adds that Fulham don't see Plata as a player who could feature for them. That's why the representatives' efforts to move him to the Premier League had 'no success'.

Real Valladolid had a €10m buying option over him, which they won't use.

Since he's not in Sporting's plans either, the Lions and his agents are set to work on a solution for him this summer.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-rule-wingers-arrival-marco-silva-not-request-signing/

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Sources: Details of Alfie Mawson's failed move to Birmingham City revealed, Blues could return this summer

Birmingham City informally agreed a three-and-a-half year deal with Fulham's Alfie Mawson back in January, The72 has been told.

But Birmingham City couldn't get a deal across the line as they couldn't permanently offload Harlee Dean, which would've freed up space in the wage budget for Blues to bring in Mawson.

The72 has also learned that Birmingham City will look to offload Dean again this summer – he's one of the highest earners at the club, and has a clause in his contract which would see his wage increase even further should he start several more league games for the club.

The number of league games that Dean would have to start to trigger this wage increase is believed to be 10.

We've also been told that Middlesbrough held talks with Dean in the January transfer window.

As for Mawson, reports have backed Birmingham City to return for the Englishman this summer. He's out of contract at Fulham next month and looks set to be released after a difficult spell with the Londoners.



https://the72.co.uk/273526/sources-details-of-alfie-mawsons-failed-move-to-birmingham-city-revealed-blues-could-return-this-summer/

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Fulham midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa to join Napoli permanently as Aurelio De Laurentiis confirms the Cameroon international will see his £13m option to buy clause activated

    Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa has impressed in his debut season for Napoli this year
    Owner Aurelio De Laurentiis discusses his permanent signing and their pre-season plans
    Napoli owner says he hopes Italian football can return to its previous heights

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa will remain with Napoli next season after impressing on loan this year with the southern Italian club planning to activate his option to buy clause.

Anguissa, a Cameroon international, joined Napoli on loan from Fulham last summer and has proved to be an inspired signing, performing consistently for Luciano Spalletti's side.

Speaking at a club press conference on Wednesday, Napoli's colourful owner Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed Anguissa would be staying but refused to be drawn on other details of summer incomings.


Andre Anguissa will remain with Napoli after they activated his option to buy clause

He told reporters: 'Anguissa will remain for sure, but I can't tell you everything we have in mind.'

Napoli will pay around £12.5m to keep the player at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona this summer and De Laurentiis will hope that his signing can maintain the level of his side.

In addition to discussing transfer plans, De Laurentiis announced that the Partenopei will ready themselves for the 2022/23 season with a pre-season training camp at Dimaro, in the Trentino region in the north of Italy.

He said that it would be a retreat 'dedicated to the psycho-physical reconstruction of the whole football movement'.

Napoli had looked to be challenging Inter Milan and AC Milan for the Scudetto until recently when they fell away.

He said of the club's pre-season plans: 'There will be some friendly matches, as usual, and we'll have the chance to welcome more than 1,000 fans in the stands,' said De Laurentiis.

'Hopefully, there won't be limitations, we want to entertain the fans.

'It will be a retreat dedicated to the psycho-physical reconstruction of the whole football movement since we are coming out of two years not very edifying for everyone.'

De Laurentiis went on to talk about how he hoped Italian football could return to previous levels, citing Real Madrid's Champions League semi-final win over Manchester City as inspiration that this could be achieved.

He said: 'When I watch games like Man City vs. Real Madrid, I have a heart full of joy and I hope Italian football can return to certain levels.

'Someone said that Serie A's level has scaled down, but this season has been fought until the end and this is something new.

'If it were so easy to win one, one would always do it. Someone did it in the past [Juventus], but things have changed for them.'

Meanwhile, Fulham will be looking to avoid the imperfect hat-trick of three straight promotions back to the Championship after being promoted when they return to the top flight in August.

Silva is on the record as saying that Fulham will much better prepared this time around and signs point to the west London club being more intelligent in the market this time around.

He said last month: 'We got the promotion earlier in the season, which I think will be a good help for us to prepare in the right way, because the next pre-season will be really important for us.

'The challenge is huge, but we want to be there and we worked so hard to achieve it. We have to be really positive and not go into the season with this concern on our mind, we have to go with full desire and ambition.'



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10830251/Fulham-midfielder-Andre-Anguissa-remain-Napoli-season.html

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Fulham Football Club wins appeal over youth player tackle injury claim

Fulham Football Club has won a High Court challenge against a judge's ruling that it was liable for a youth player's tackle on an opponent which allegedly led to the end of his professional career.

The incident occurred in an under-18s game between Fulham and Swansea City Football Club at Motspur Park, south-west London, on December 10 2016.

Towards the end of the first half of the match, Fulham midfielder Jayden Harris tackled Jordan Jones which resulted in the Swansea player suffering a serious injury to his right ankle.

Mr Jones later brought a damages claim against Fulham, arguing that the tackle amounted to assault or negligence and that, as Mr Harris's employer, the club was vicariously liable for his actions.

He ruled that Mr Harris was guilty of negligence, making his club vicariously liable for the injury to Mr Jones and its consequences.

Fulham appealed against the ruling on four grounds at a hearing in April this year, and a High Court judge overturned the original decision in a judgment published on Wednesday and said a new trial should take place.

The club argued that the first judge failed to apply a legal test over the standard for liability for personal injury claims in the professional sports context.

This requires the consideration of whether a defendant breached football's "laws of the game", followed by a determination of whether there was negligence – which is set at a "materially higher standard" than in other personal injury claims.

Fulham also argued the judge failed to give "adequate reasons" why he rejected the evidence of its expert witness, and was in error by not taking into account the context of Mr Harris's tackle and "the realities of the playing culture of professional football, which is a fast-paced, competitive game necessarily involving physical contact".

The judge also failed to take into account other evidence, such as the fact that the match referee did not issue a yellow or red card over the tackle, the club argued.

In the ruling on Wednesday, Mr Justice Lane said Fulham had succeeded on all its grounds of appeal, and that the previous judgment should be set aside.

He concluded that "by closely aligning serious foul play in the laws of the game with actionable negligence" the judge "wrongly reduced the ambit of the inquiry required in order to answer the question of whether, in all the circumstances, Mr Harris's tackle was not only a breach of the rules of game but negligent".

Mr Justice Lane said it "matters very much" whether or not the tackle was made in "a fast-moving, heat-of-the-moment" context where Mr Harris did not intend to cause injury.

He added that the judge "fell into error in his treatment of the expert evidence" and that his ruling was in error where it "purports to set a standard for reckless or quasi-reckless behaviour in the context of professional football, which is far below what is needed to establish such liability".

The judge also "erred in law in affording no weight at all to the fact that the referee did not award a foul", Mr Justice Lane said.

Following Wednesday's judgment, Matthew Harpin, partner at law firm Browne Jacobson, who acted for Fulham, said: "This is a really significant decision dealing with the circumstances in which a court may reach a finding of civil liability following an allegedly dangerous or reckless tackle in a competitive game of football.

"We are delighted that the judge found in Fulham's favour on all four of our grounds of appeal and agreed that civil liability must be a rare finding in this arena."



https://jerseyeveningpost.com/morenews/uknews/2022/05/18/fulham-football-club-wins-appeal-over-youth-player-tackle-injury-claim/

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Fulham's Prospects for the 2022/23 Premier League Season

For the third time in five years Fulham has achieved promotion and if you aren't now a hardened realist about the challenges of staying up in the Premier League then you have a severe case of unfounded optimism that may need professional help. However, Fulham has some advantages this time around that should give them a better shot at staying up.

First, so this ends on a high note, let's look at some of the marks against Fulham heading into the Premier League:

    Carvalho will no longer be with Fulham. Carvalho was a key part of Fulham's offensive capabilities and it will be difficult to replace his contributions.
    High-pressing teams consistently caused issues for Fulham in the Championship. The press will only get worse in the Premier League so if Silva can't figure out how to get his guys to play out from a high press Fulham will be in big trouble.
    The front office has not gotten Fulham anywhere close to safety in the prior two Premier League campaigns, so their past performance in the top flight does not give us much to be cheerful about.
    Fulham closed things out in poor form and may not have lived up to their potential. Despite scoring over 100 goals and sporting a loaded roster they still finished with only 90 points which is relatively low for a league winner and only two points ahead of when they finished third in 2017-18. Another blemish is that Fulham earned 16 points against the top six teams in the Championship while Bournemouth earned 21. Fulham might be good enough to run rampant over lesser teams, but maybe not good enough against better squads.

Fortunately, I think the above concerns are outweighed by the things that are going well. Here are my list of positives for Fulham for this latest promotion to the Premier League:

    Fulham are league winners and since 2014 every league winner not from Norwich has stayed up. In fact, all of them except Bournemouth have managed to avoid relegation entirely (although Burnley or Leeds are likely to end their run in the top flight this season). Since 2000 68% of league winners have survived their first season while only half of the playoff winners stayed up.
    Marco Silva has really improved Fulham's capabilities on set-plays. In their prior two promotion campaigns Fulham had been at the bottom of the Championship in set-piece scoring (9 and 10 goals those seasons) while in 2021-22 only two Championship teams scored more than Fulham's 17 from set-pieces. Silva clearly had plans designed in practice that were executed in games. This could be a huge advantage for Fulham over their previous two Premier League seasons when they scored the fewest goals in the league from set-pieces. Fulham will have fewer scoring chances in the Premier League and taking advantage of set-pieces will help maximize Fulham's goal scoring potential.
    Fulham have a number of players who could retain their starting positions in the Premier League. Mitrovic, Wilson, Reed, Seri (if he stays), Tosin, Tete, and Robinson should all be good enough to start - in fact, all of them except Wilson have played with Fulham in the Premier League before. So rather than having to do wholesale changes in the squad, Fulham can focus on a few key positions like CB and DMF and not radically change the team dynamic.
    Mitrovic is in great shape. We've all heard people say that he just can't cut it in the Premier League, that is easily rebutted by pointing out he had 11 goals in 2018-19 while playing for a terrible team and in 2020-21 he was never put in a position to succeed by the manager. This time around he'll have a manager who knows how to use him but he'll also have improved quickness and stamina that will make him more effective than before.

After promotion in 2018 I was singing in a duet with Joe Cocker - "up where we belong!" I thought Jokanovic had the talent to keep Fulham up, but that wasn't the case. After promotion in 2020 I said I felt like Fulham was the dog that caught the car. Despite some good additions in a very short window (Andersen, Tosin, Tete, Areola, Lookman) Fulham couldn't find a way to score. This time I'm more realistic about Fulham's odds than in 2018, but I feel more encouraged than 2020. Earning another season in the Premier League will be tough, but I'm looking forward to watching Fulham go for it again.



https://fulhamusa.com/threads/fulham%E2%80%99s-prospects-for-the-2022-23-premier-league-season.10322/

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Notes from May meeting with FFC

On Wednesday 11 May at 13:00, the Fulham Supporters' Trust met with Fulham FC via video conference.

The Club was represented by:

    Alistair Mackintosh (CEO, AM)
    Darren Preston (Chief Operating Officer, DP)
    Carmelo Mifsud (Communications Director, CM)
    Nicola Walworth (Supporter Relations Manager, NW)
    Eleanor Rowland, (Head of Safeguarding, ER)
    David Daly (Non-Executive Director, DD)

The FST was represented by Board Members:

    Ian Clarke (Vice Chair, IC)
    Simon Duke (Secretary, SD)
    Dan Crawford (Board Member, DC)
    Tamara Dragadze (Board Member, TD)
    Amelia Armstrong (Co-opted Board Member, AA)

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.

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

    Introduction
    Ticketing
    Female Supporters / #HerGameToo
    Away Travel & Fan Behaviour
    Craven Cottage
    AOB

INTRODUCTION
Congratulations and thanks

On behalf of the Trust and the wider Fulham fanbase, IC offered congratulations to Marco Silva, the first team squad, coaching staff and Club officials on winning the EFL Championship and promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

The Trust also recorded our recognition of a fantastic season at all levels of football, congratulating Steve Wigley and the Club's under 23 side on winning the Premier League 2 Division 2 title and heading back to the top flight, and recognized the achievement of Ali Melloul's under 18 team who reached the final of the Premier League Cup. The success of Fulham's Women was also noted, with Steve Jaye's team finishing the campaign very strongly.

In response to feedback, thanks were given to the Club for the way in which supporters have been assisted during the season, with particular mentions for Katy Brecht and her team in the ticket office and Nicola Walworth, Supporter Relations Manager.

IC congratulated the Club on the way in which the final game against Luton had been handled and the atmosphere created. The general view was that the scarves had been an excellent idea.

AM, on behalf of the Board and the Manager, thanked the Trust for their support during the season and the supporter base in general for the atmosphere created at the Cottage. The Trust have been asked to share with the Club any ideas we may have around atmosphere generation for next season. DC has offered to form a small working group to help the Club keep the atmosphere the same next season.
Planning for 2022/23 season

DC asked about progress in pre-season planning. AM reported that the Club were in the final stages of putting together their full fixture list and announcements would soon be forthcoming. The Trust reiterated the importance of early publication of friendly details to allow supporters to book their travel abroad. AM confirmed that Fulham would be holding a home pre-season friendly at Craven Cottage on 31st July, a week prior to the start of the Premier League campaign.

Following questions from members, DC asked about the recent decision to extend the contracts of Tim Ream and Neeskens Kebano. AM replied by saying that, whilst he was reluctant to discuss the contractual situations of individual players, he felt it would be fair to recognise this pair's professionalism, dedication and excellent performances and that we should be proud to have them both playing for Fulham Football Club.

In response to a question, AM confirmed that the process of identifying possible transfer targets continued to have 4 key components as Tony Khan previously explained: Data, Scouting, Head Coach and Finance.

back to topic list
TICKETING
Season tickets

Referring to the recent announcement of season ticket prices in the "horseshoe" (parts of the ground not including the new Riverside Stand), IC thanked the Club for a price model which was considered by the Trust and the majority of supporters who had provided feedback to be very fair, particularly as there had been some concern following the earlier announcement of Riverside prices.  We asked for an update on season ticket sales and plans for memberships and match day tickets next season.

AM said that season ticket sales were progressing well, with approximately 2,000 new season tickets already sold in addition to renewals. He reported that all season tickets in the lower tier of the new Riverside Stand had been sold and there was now a waiting list. The only match by match seats likely to be available in the lower Riverside next season will be returns via the ticket exchange. 
Memberships and match by match tickets

AM further explained that it is the Club's intention to keep selling season tickets at present, noting the requirement for a minimum of 5% of home capacity to be kept back for match day sales. At the present time there is no update available on membership packages or match by match ticket sales as these depend on the progress of season ticket sales. The Trust asked that these be shared as soon as possible.
Loyalty points

Loyalty points were briefly discussed and it was agreed IC/DC would revert to the Club with the observations of the Trust.
Away tickets

It is expected, although not yet confirmed, that Premier League away tickets will continue to be capped at £30 next season. IC noted that this will mean home and away supporters paying different prices for similar seats next season (for example in the Putney End), as has been the case in the Premier League this year. AM agreed, pointing out that Fulham away travellers will benefit from this scheme.
Other

IC reported the Trust are happy to continue to assist the Club in any way possible on ticketing, particularly reviewing the user journey through both website and app.

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FEMALE SUPPORTERS / #HerGameToo

ER thanked the Trust for their presentation last month, which had been shared with her by AM. ER said the piece of work was very informative and helps clarify why women may or may not attend Fulham games. This fits in with work already going on at the Club, which includes an internal workflow to develop women's involvement both directly within the workplace and across the wider supporter base. A 3-year strategy is being developed and ER has asked AA for support from the Trust to develop this piece of work. ER and AA will have separate discussions outside of the formal monthly meetings with the Club. 

ER also reported that in 2019, female season ticket holders / members accounted for 15% of the fan base, based on the supporters' survey. This will be re-run early next season where it is hoped there will be an improvement in this percentage.

DC reported that AA had been co-opted to the FST Board to develop work in the area of female engagement. AA wants to set up a female FFC supporters network and ER confirmed the Club would be supportive of a visit to Motspur Park to hold interviews with both female staff and FFC Women's players.

DC commented how well received the involvement of Mary Southgate had been in the trophy presentation.

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AWAY TRAVEL & FAN BEHAVIOUR

DC recounted the experiences of Fulham supporters, some of whom are Trust members, at the recent away games against Derby County & Sheffield United. Behaviour mirrored that seen at most away games during the season. DC included his personal experience at Sheffield, where he did not feel safe. The behaviour of certain followers of the Club is not acceptable, and a number of supporters are now becoming afraid to travel. The discussion then moved on to cover similar problems seen in the Hammersmith End at home fixtures where the main issue, brought up by the Trust, is Club / agency stewards not keeping gangways clear to prevent bundling forward. It was felt by the Trust that fan behaviour was becoming a real issue for the Club.   

AM commented that there was a vast majority of amazing experiences during the campaign in regards to fan behaviour. The Club of course acknowledges and recognises that there have been a number of exceptions. The treatment received by some individuals resulting in their negative experience is not acceptable. Getting stewards into away grounds is not always possible and requires the agreement of the home club. It is a minority causing the problem but this minority is having an impact. The Club does not wish to lose loyal supporters due to the behaviour of others.

Abuse of stewards is also not acceptable and by way of example AM gave details of a recent incident involving a female steward.

Safety of spectators is paramount and if a solution to the behaviour issues at away games cannot be found then AM said capacity at away games could be cut by authorities as a last resort.

In terms of what the Club are doing about it, AM reported that with DP he has met with the Police and it is clear this is not just an issue for our Club. The Trust are aware of this from our participation in FSA forums and Police liaison groups. On a calibration basis, the issues the Club face are not as great as the majority of clubs but that does not mean it is acceptable. For Fulham there is an increase in poor behaviour from a fairly low start point whereas other clubs are seeing much larger increases in poor behaviour from a higher start point. Where individuals can be identified, AM reported action will be taken including banning orders. AM & DP are working with Chris Baker, Head of Safety, to see what else can be done.

AM re-iterated that if the Trust had any ideas on how fan behaviour can be improved, they would like us to share them.

IC has offered to head a group of people to consider what could be done to improve the away experience.

It was noted that the Club are presently advertising for stewards.

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CRAVEN COTTAGE

A number of issues relating to Craven Cottage were discussed, based on feedback received across the season from a wide range of supporters.
Hammersmith End congestion

Congestion on the concourse at the Hammersmith End continues to be an issue. DP reported that the Club are undertaking a video analysis at the start of next season to observe people's movement on match days to see what could be done to improve experience. IC suggested that consultants should be engaged to look at improving usage of the limited available space and questioned whether the mound should be removed and if a mezzanine floor might be an option. Other suggestions made included moving the bars away from the stairs and reconfiguring and upgrading the toilets. It is likely space will increase slightly around the George Cohen statue as the new Riverside Stand opens, where ticket checks will be where they were for the old Riverside Stand.
Female toilets

Female toilets remain an issue and this will be progressed by ER/AA as part of their Female workstream.
Screens (Johnny Haynes Stand)

TD asked whether screens could be installed in the JH stand for those who cannot see the large screens. This becomes important next season when VAR will be in use. DP has undertaken to look at this but reminded the meeting that due to its listed status, works in the JH stand can be challenging.
Sound system

DP has agreed to look at the question of the sound system again. Trust attendees reported that the sound is muffled in most parts of the ground and that, in particular, it is impossible to hear the Forever Fulham presentations at half time.
Other

DP has agreed to a request from DC to have a review walk around the ground over the summer.

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AOB
Sky broadcasts

In response to a question about why the away support often seems louder on Sky transmissions than the home support, the Club said whilst they were not aware, this was likely to be due to the way the broadcasters position their equipment.
Mohamed Al Fayed

A member had asked whether the Club were still in contact with Mohamed Al Fayed and whether it would be appropriate to recognise him in some way. AM said that whilst MAF had not been a visitor to Craven Cottage, Mark Collins and Michael Cole were regular visitors and Karim Al Fayed, MAF's son, had been to a few games. 
Next meeting

There will be no Club meeting in June; the next meeting will be in July.

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Meeting closed at 14:50



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2022/05/notes-from-may-meeting-with-ffc-3/