The Kettering Draw...

Makes me a bit nervous. We've been playing well, but I can see Roy playing a lot of reserves in this one and on the road, that makes me nervous. Hopefully he will put out a reasonably strong side, as this draw on paper is a bit of a gift.

To make it to the final 16 (5th round) of the FA Cup would be huge if you consider where we were last season.

Tickets will be hard to come by for our friends in England. I read where Kettering's stadium only has 890 standing room only spots for away supporters.

 

Agree Dawg.

There's still plenty of quality opposition left in the round of 32, so drawing this bunch is a godsend. They also have an interesting history, as seen in my brief offside write up.

There's some banana peel potential and redefining "Fulhamish" for generations, but we should take this.

 

I've been waiting for a draw like this since I moved to England. TERRACING!!!

It will be a tough match just from the fact that it is probably the biggest game in their recent history and who knows what team we'll put out...keep in mind we play Sunderland that next week as well (away).

 

I was looking around Kettering Town's history and it looks like they haven't been to the 4th round of the FA Cup since 1988-89 (they lost to Charlton Athletic).

 

Looking forward to this round. Hopefully the boys can keep the good run of form going and advance further in the Cup.

 

The FA Cup is great because of matchups like this. However, it does feel strange that the role of Goliath is played by Fulham.

This will be a great day out for all involved, can't wait for the first-hand account from the Godfather. Here's a New Year's wish...the long awaited first Witch Report of the season from Kettering Town, it would be priceless.

 

When is Am Mike going to start doing video podcasts??

That would be quite a venue in the visitors terrace at Kettering. They could cover Mikey jumping the wall...

Speaking of sneaking in, or really sneaking things in, what's the success rate of carrying your own adult beverage (concealed of course) in to venues for football matches in England?

 

I've heard/read some speculation that the "Poppies" are thinking of moving the match? Anyone else heard this?

Also, does anyone know if Fulham has ever played Kettering Town before? I haven't been able to find any history.

Very interesting little match - and fortunate to have drawn the lowest seeded club remaining. It's funny, reading the offal boards, even the locals are having to google-map 'Kettering Town'...

 

Unless they move it (and I kind of hope they do not), look for Mikey here:





More images: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/caim.johnson/page47.html

 

I don't know about league play (I don't think so), but I do know that Fulham has never played them in a FA Cup/League Cup/Other Cups.

 

Thanks for the linked info Christian.

One thing for sure about Kettering -- that ground is a pearl.


Fulham -- the complete record states that this will be the first meeting between the Ws and KT.

 

Swanky!

 

I owe timmyg a podcast, I said I would do one but then got wrapped up in the amount of work I have on. Hopefully I can do one in the next few weeks.

Regarding changing venue, you can no longer do that...the FA has banned the moving of matches...don't know why or the full story.

Lastly, sneaking adult beverages in? Not a problem usually but most grounds offer beer and such...but probably not Kettering.

 

Oh, and their manager is Mark Cooper...former Fulham player (if you can call him that) and HATED by some of the old school FFC.

 

Somebody clue me in - why is Mark Cooper hated? (I see from Wikipedia he's played for sixteen different clubs, which certainly seems to suggest he rubs people the wrong way.)

CCN pointed out that this match isn't going to be on TV, which is disappointing since this kind of matchup is one of the coolest things about the FA Cup.

 

From GBLB on TIFF:

"Quick run down of the history of Mark Cooper for those fans who weren't around at the time, to see, AFAIC, our worst EVER player.

September 1992. After releasing Peter Scott in the summer, we do our entire transfer budget on Mark Cooper from Birmingham to replace him. Warning bells should have rung, as it was his own father who sold him.

September 1992. Makes his debut at home to Bolton in a team that was doing pretty well - 7th place, and unbeaten at home. Bolton overrun a clearly unfit Cooper, partnered by Onwere in midfield and win 4-1 at the cottage.

February 1993. By this point, Cooper had made 10 appearances for fulham, but had been so bad that the likes of Junior Lewis and Martin Ferney were even preferred to him. He was sent on loan to Huddersfield, where he scored 4 goals in 10 games, presumably made possible by him eating opposition players.

October 1994. Having come back to the club, made 4 more appearances, and eaten the equivalent of a large european nations pie qoutient, tubby was freed from his contract, at an estimated cost of 15k to the club. He went on trial at wycombe, where he scored on his debut. Unfortunately for him, Wycombe noticed him eating everything in south bucks and didn't take him on, so he bloated off to Exeter, who, only 3 months into the season were already looking relegation certainties along with Barnet.

April 1994.

On his return to the cottage, in a must win game for Fulham against already relegated Exeter, spongebob fatcnut scored at the Hammersmith end and celebrated like he'd won the world cup. Actually, all he'd managed was to finish the job he started when he joined, and get us relegated. The fat, evil, no mark assmaster.

February 1995.

The human bouncy castle scores the winner, for Exeter, again. This time at St James' park, he again celebrates wildly, in front of the fulham fans. Any who didn't have a seething hatred for the fat, muggy loser before then, certainly did now.

August 1996.

Although we recovered to win promotion this season, Cooper still managed to sustain his highly irritating record against us, banging in a winner for Hartlepool, which took 98 deflections, Lampard stylee, before dribbling over the line. Did that stop him celebrating as though he was on a promise with Jenna Jameson? Not on your nelly.

So, Mr cooper. I await the fourth round with much -anticipation. I may even get some t-shirts made, but be careful fulham fans. Anyone attending, may actually get eaten, by the lardy, disgraceful waste of space."