Loyalty

Having been a Fulham fan for longer than I can remember, a Man U game is always something special, One special memory was when Fulham played the Reds a few months after the Munich air disaster in the semi final of the cup, we drew 2-2 at villa park but they beat us in an epic struggle 5-3 at highbury of all places, Fulham had a goal disallowed for an handball by Haynes, which i think would have made it 4-4, the next day the papers showed you a frame by frame that he did not handle it, these were the days before games were even shown on TV, the cup final being the only game usually shown live. But Man U that year were a shadow of the team they would have had if the crash had not happened, and nobody could have denied the team they had the chance to play bolton in the final, which turned out to be the Lofthouse final, and actually changed the game, Lofthouse was an old fashioned English center forward, and he barged Harry Gregg on the goal line, Gregg was their keeper, the ball got loose and in it went. Those were the days when you could make contact with the keeper shoulder to shoulder, but after that incident the rules changed forever. But some of the Man u players who graced the Cottage, I saw them all, Best, Chartlon, Law to name but a few. It was always an occassion for us Fulham fans. Well now many years later , and three kids and five grandkids later, I watch these games from Atlanta, and in my house this game still as a special meaning, especially now that my youngest son who is 25 is a raving Man u supporter, my house tomorrow is split right down the middle, we have to hear all about the Reds all year, not just twice a year like the old days. But for the fans going and watching it is a spectacle of a game, i just wished that fulham were playing better, because as i said in another post, i fear an old fashioned thrashing, something they have done to us oh so many times, as my time as a Fulham fan.