Fulham Newbie in NC

Gotta say this is an awesome site! I came across it a few days ago reading about Fulham’s history on Wikipedia. Like some of the other American members here I didn’t grow up a soccer fan, uh, football fan at all. But since the past World Cup I’ve noticed myself getting into the game more and watching Fox’s Soccer Channel for the first time in my life. Heck, I didn’t even know I had the channel the past year and a half. The crazy thing about my soccer background or lack thereof, is I’ve pretty much watched every U.S. Soccer World Cup match since 1994 but never really got into anything else related to soccer other than the occasional video game here or there.

Anyways, after reading Bill Simmons’ article on ESPN a month or so ago about choosing a Premiership team I thought it was time for me to do the same. Sort of like his criteria I didn’t want a front runner type of team. I wanted them to play in a quaint old-timey stadium, preferably in London (if I’ve ever fortunate enough to travel over again I could hopefully make it to a game), have at least one American player and a cool logo. To make a long story short, this site sealed the deal for Fulham FC!

Once again, this is an awesome site! Reading the blurbs and watching the videos on Fulham’s history is an extremely cool way for a Yank (a Southern Yank at that; is that even possible?) to get immersed into a culture that I really don’t understand at the moment. I hope you guys don’t hold it against me if I ask a few stupid questions over the course of the season. No better time than right now to start:

1.) How many teams make the playoffs?
2.) Are the playoffs a one and done type of deal?
3.) Is the cottage between the stands like the team office, locker room, etc.?
4.) Is the cottage also the building with the black triangle with “The Fulham Football Club” painted on it?
5.) Is #26, the one that unleashed that corkscrew from almost mid-field in the video, still on the team?
6.) Who’s the goat (the player everybody loves to hate) of this year’s team?
7.) How would y’all describe our English fan base?

Thanks for letting me become a part of the family. I look forward to discussing Fulhum FC with y’all in the future.

 

Welcome to the site! I can answer a few of your questions:

1. No playoffs in the Premiership. Whoever has the most points at the end is the winner...kinda like auto racing.

2. Once again no playoffs, but I could mention that the three teams at the bottom of the table at the end of the season are relegated to the Coca-Cola Championship league.

3-5. Others can probably answer these questions better than I can.

6. I like all the Fulham players...although Steed is being a pain with his transfer demands.

7. Once again, others can probably answer this better than I can...but I think small (when compared to some of the bigger teams, like the other SW6 club) and loyal would be a safe description.

 

Welcome turnbuckle! I'm amazed at how many people have found this site so helpful but in the end that was our goal.

As for your questions, you can thank Arwill1970 for asking them before you! Click here to read: http://www.fulhamusa.com/index.php?name ... pic&t=1512

As for the local fan base, while the Hooligan element is long gone, our fans are extremely loyal and passionate. 20,000 Fulham fans can make more noise than 60,000 Man U. fans, FACT.

Also, many locals have encouraged us to create this site and helped us do so!

Welcome again and COYW'S

 

Turnbuckle welcome! Something on the fan base. Let me start with what Fulham fans are not. There are many wanna-be fans in London that like Chelsea, or Arsenal, or whoever is doing well at the time, Fulham fans are not they. FFC fans are tried and true. You’ll see many older people at the pitch on game day, many kids and families, working class folk that love the team and the pitch and ambience. Craven’s Cottage is an old-style stadium and while watching a match you get the feeling this is what football was like in 40’s, classic. And that’s how I’d describe the fan base, classic.

 

Turnbuckle, welcome to FulhamUSA! Any and all are welcome and there is no such thing as a dumb question. I will do my best to answer your questions:

1-2. As Rumstove mentioned there are no playoffs. The most points over 38 games wins you the league. 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss. The bottom three teams are relegated (they drop to a division below the Premiership) and three new teams come up from that division. In England, that is called the Coca-Cola Championship.

3. The Cottage more or less has two features....inside of it is the player's dressing room and also it has a small meeting room where the players meet and greet people after the matches. Also, the second feature is that there are seats in the Cottage to watch the matches.

4. Yes, the Cottage is alos the building you see with "Fulham Football Club" written on it.

5. Which video are you referring to? I am guessing you are referring to Facundo Sava and no, he is not on the team any more. His last season actually playing for Fulham was two seasons ago.

6. Answering who the goat is will probably change based on the person you talk to, but in my opinion, it is Luis Boa Morte. He is the captain and is arguably the most talented player on the team. He is supposed to be the leader of the team and if things are going bad, you have to point to the leader first and look at his performances.

7. The Fulham fan base quite simply is like a family. There are all sorts of people...men, women and children who support the Cottagers week in and week out. Once you join the fraternity of being a Fulham supporter, you will be embraced by all Cottager supporters everywhere.

The supporters are not glory hunting and fairweather fans. There are going to be a lot of ups and downs following this club, but that is part of the joy. It is a great club to support for the history, the stadium and the fellow supporters you will find both here at FulhamUSA.com and other Fulham sites and in England as well!

You picked a great club!

Don't hesitate to ask more questions. There are no dumb questions my friend!

Cheers!
Tom

 

Heh... "Turnbuckle Jones"

A google search

Just to show I 'got it'...

Welcome!

 

Good to see that unlike the Sports Guy you’re not afraid to pick a team outside the top five. As much as he makes it sound like he’s not hoping on a band wagon; he is :shock: Yep no playoffs but I'll use an analogy that I've used before because I think it works.

European competition (Champions League, UEFA Cup) is in a way like the playoffs. For the EPL you must finish in the top four to qualify for the Champions League and the next two go into the Uefa Cup. Perhaps think of every European League as a Conference in College football. The strength of the league determines how many berths in European competition your league has. So the Spanish, Italian, English leagues have lots of teams in these competitions where as Swiss, Swedish, Belgian, ect. Probably have only one. Meaning of course you have to be the league champion to get into a European competition just as the only way to qualify for a bowl game from the Big Sky or WAC conferences is to win your league.

So just like college football there are no playoffs to determine the champion of your league, but in a way there are still playoffs. Qualifying for euro competition carries with huge $ rewards, so if Fulham could finish in the top six this year it would be huge!

btw the Champions League and Uefa Cup are set up sort of like the World Cup with group play than knock out rounds. Difference being that the tournaments are more spread out, rather than being all in one month.

Hope this helps.

 

Wow, your story is almost exactly the same as mine. I decided to support Fulham a few weeks ago after watching the EPL last year for the first time. All the reasons you stated are the same one I chose Fulham. In my few weeks here, this site has been incredible. Welcome from one new supporter to another!

 

Thanks for all the help guys. I’m out of town and this is the first internet access that I’ve had to respond.

pettyfrog,

I wish I was that slick - although that does sound like a good idea (hehe). I don’t know if my dad would care for that though. More I think about it, he probably would (hehe).

ChicagoTom,

The one American Mike cut together located in the download section. Great video!

BC,

Word!

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Go Whites! Kick Man U’s @ss!