Fulham F.C. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fulham

Full name	Fulham Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Cottagers
Founded	1879; 146 years ago (1879) (as St Andrews Cricket & Football Club)
Ground	Craven Cottage
Ground Capacity	29,589
Owner	Shahid Khan
Chairman	Shahid Khan
Manager	Marco Silva
League	Championship
2018–19	Premier League, 19th of 20 (relegated)
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Fulham Football Club is a professional football team from Fulham, West London, England. They play in the Championship, which is the top football league in England. Their home ground is Craven Cottage, where they have played since 1896. For a short time, they played at Loftus Road while their stadium was being updated.

Fulham has strong local rivalries with other London teams like Brentford, Chelsea, and Queens Park Rangers. Since 1903, their team kit has been a white shirt and black shorts.

The club started in 1879, making them the oldest professional football club in London. They joined the Southern Football League in 1898. They won two First Division titles in that league (1905–06 and 1906–07). They also won two Second Division titles and a Western Football League title.

In 1907, Fulham joined the Football League Second Division. They won the Football League Third Division South in 1931–32. They also won the Second Division title in 1948–49. A famous player named Johnny Haynes helped them stay in the top league until 1969. In 1975, they reached the FA Cup final.

After being bought by Mohamed Al-Fayed in 1997, Fulham quickly moved up to the Premier League by 2001. They won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2002. They also reached the final of the UEFA Europa League in 2010, which was a huge achievement. After 13 years in the top league, they were relegated in 2014. Since then, under new owner Shahid Khan, Fulham has moved between the first and second leagues. They won the Championship play-off finals in 2018 and 2020. In 2022, they won the 2021–22 EFL Championship title and have been in the Premier League since then.

Club History

Early Years and First Steps (1879–1907)

The Second XI team in 1886

Fulham Football Club began in 1879. It was first called Fulham St Andrew's Church Sunday School F.C. It was started by people who went to church in West Kensington. Many of them were good at cricket.

In 1887, they won the West London Amateur Cup. In December 1888, they shortened their name to Fulham. They won the West London League in 1893. One of their first kits was red and white shirts with white shorts. Fulham started playing at their current home, Craven Cottage, in 1896. Their first game there was against Minerva.

A postcard of the 1903–04 team

The club became professional on December 12, 1898. This was the same year they joined the Southern Football League's Second Division. They were the third club from London to become professional. In 1903, the club started wearing all-white shirts and black shorts, which they still wear today. Fulham won the Southern League twice, in 1905–06 and 1906–07.

Joining the Football League (1907–1949)

The "Rabbit Hutch" stand at Craven Cottage before its 1904–05 redesign

After winning the Southern League, Fulham joined The Football League in 1907. Their first league game was a 1–0 loss at home to Hull City in September 1907. A few days later, they won their first game 1–0 against Derby County. Fulham finished fourth in their first season.

They also reached the semi-final of the FA Cup that season. They beat Luton Town 8–3 away from home. However, they lost 6–0 to Newcastle United in the semi-final. This is still a record loss for an FA Cup semi-final. In 1910, they won the London Challenge Cup.

In 1928, Fulham was moved down to the Football League Third Division South. In 1931–32, they won this division. They scored 111 goals and won 24 out of 42 games. This meant they were promoted back to the Second Division. In 1935–36, Fulham reached another FA Cup semi-final. On October 8, 1938, Craven Cottage had its biggest crowd ever, with 49,335 people watching a game against Millwall.

Fulham's yearly performance in the Football League

Football was stopped during World War II. After the war, in 1948–49, Fulham finished first in the Second Division. This meant they were promoted to the top league.

Top League Years (1949–1970)

When Fulham reached the top league, they struggled. They finished 17th, then 18th. In their third season, 1951–52, they finished last.

Fulham FC in 1958 with Johnny Haynes, player number two from right in the front line.

Johnny Haynes is one of Fulham's most important players. He joined the club in 1950 and played for 18 years. He made 657 appearances, which is a club record. Many people think he is the greatest player in Fulham's history. He played 56 times for England, even while playing for Fulham in the Second Division. The Stevenage Road Stand at Craven Cottage was renamed in his honor after he died in 2005.

Fulham reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1957–58. They were promoted back to the First Division in 1958–59. In 1959–60, they finished tenth in the First Division. This was their highest league position until 2003–04. They also reached the FA Cup semi-finals again in 1962. During this time, many fans came to watch games at Craven Cottage.

The club often fought to avoid being moved down a league. In 1965–66, they were last in the league with only 15 points. But they won nine of their last 13 games to stay safe. However, they were relegated in 1967–68. The next season, they were relegated again to the Third Division.

Ups and Downs (1970–1994)

Fulham only stayed in the Third Division for two seasons. They were promoted back to the Second Division in 1970–71. In the mid-1970s, famous players like Alan Mullery and Bobby Moore joined the club.

In 1975, Fulham reached their only FA Cup final. They lost 2–0 to West Ham United at Wembley Stadium. They also reached the final of the Anglo-Scottish Cup, but lost to Middlesbrough.

George Best played for Fulham in 1976–77. The club was moved down a league again in 1979–80. In 1981–82, they were promoted back to the Second Division.

In 1980, Fulham started a rugby league club called "Fulham Rugby League." They played at Craven Cottage for a few years.

Gordon Davies became Fulham's all-time top goalscorer with 178 goals. This record still stands today. In 1982–83, Fulham almost got promoted to the First Division, but they lost on the last day. The club faced financial problems and almost went out of business in 1987. But former player Jimmy Hill helped save the club.

In 1992, the Premier League was created. Fulham was then in the Second Division of The Football League. However, they were moved down to the new Third Division in 1993–94.

A New Era with Al-Fayed (1997–2001)

In the summer of 1997, Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed bought the club for £6.25 million. He promised that the club would reach the Premier League within five years.

Kevin Keegan became the manager in 1998. He led the club to promotion the next season, earning 101 points. This was a huge success. In 1999, Keegan left to manage England.

Jean Tigana took over as manager in 2000. He signed young stars like Louis Saha. He guided Fulham to their third promotion in five seasons in 2000–01. This brought Fulham back to the top league for the first time since 1968. Fulham earned 101 points again, which is a record for any team.

Life in the Premier League (2001–2007)

Fulham (white) playing Portsmouth (blue) in front of Fulham fans in the Hammersmith End

Fulham played in the Premier League for the first time in 2001–02, finishing 13th. Because of new rules, Craven Cottage had to be rebuilt to have only seats. Fulham had to play at Loftus Road for two seasons (2002–03 and 2003–04) while their stadium was being fixed.

A minute's silence for Jim Langley

In 2003, Chris Coleman became the manager. Many people thought Fulham would be relegated because he was new to managing. But he led them to a club record ninth-place finish in his first season. Fulham had to sell their star player Louis Saha to Manchester United for £13 million.

Coleman continued to do well, guiding Fulham to 13th place in 2004–05 and 12th in 2005–06. A highlight was beating local rivals Chelsea 1–0. In 2007, Coleman left, and Lawrie Sanchez took over. Fulham managed to stay in the top league that season.

Fulham playing in their light blue away kit against Bolton Wanderers in the 2004–05 FA Cup.

Robin van Persie takes a free kick as Fulham players form a defensive wall.

Roy Hodgson's Success (2007–2010)

Roy Hodgson as manager at Fulham

Roy Hodgson became Fulham's new manager in December 2007. His start was tough, and Fulham was in the relegation zone. Many thought they would be moved down. However, in a key match against Manchester City, Fulham came back from 2–0 down to win 3–2. They then won another important game against Birmingham City.

On the last day of the season, Fulham needed to win against Portsmouth to stay in the league. With 15 minutes left, the score was a draw. But Danny Murphy scored the winning goal, keeping Fulham in the Premier League. Hodgson became a hero for saving the club.

In the 2008–09 season, Fulham finished seventh, their highest-ever league position. This meant they qualified for the UEFA Europa League.

The 2009–10 season was one of the club's most successful. Fulham reached the final of the Europa League. They beat famous teams like Juventus and Hamburger SV. In the final, they played against Atlético Madrid and lost 2–1 after extra time. Roy Hodgson was named the best manager of the year for this amazing achievement. After this season, Hodgson left Fulham to manage Liverpool.

Premier League Stability (2010–2013)

Mark Hughes became the new manager in July 2010. A highlight was a 4–0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup. Hughes left in June 2011.

Martin Jol took over in June 2011. Fulham did well in the Europa League, reaching the group stage. In October 2011, Fulham had a big 6–0 home win against QPR. Andrew Johnson scored three goals in that game.

Clint Dempsey scored a club record 50 Premier League goals for Fulham between 2007 and 2012.

Clint Dempsey scored a club record 50 Premier League goals for Fulham. In March 2012, Fulham won 5–0 against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Fulham finished the 2012–13 season in 12th place.

Shahid Khan's Era (2013–Present)

Shahid Khan became the chairman in July 2013. After a bad start to the 2013–14 season, Martin Jol was dismissed. Fulham was eventually moved down to the Championship in May 2014.

Fulham spent a record amount of money on new players that summer. But after a very bad start to the 2014–15 season, manager Felix Magath was dismissed. Kit Symons took over. The team finished 17th. In November 2015, Slaviša Jokanović became the manager.

The 2016–17 season saw big improvements. Fulham finished sixth and reached the play-offs, but lost to Reading. Shahid Khan's son, Tony Khan, became Vice Chairman and Director of Football Operations. The next season, the club had a record 23-game unbeaten run. They finished third and won the EFL Championship play-off final against Aston Villa. This meant they returned to the Premier League in May 2018.

During this time, Aleksandar Mitrović joined the club. He went on to score over 100 goals for Fulham, becoming the eighth player to do so.

After a tough start back in the Premier League, Jokanović was dismissed in November 2018. Claudio Ranieri took over, but results did not get better. Scott Parker became caretaker manager in February 2019, but could not save the club from relegation in April 2019. Parker was then made permanent manager.

In a season affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Parker led the club straight back to the Premier League. They beat London rivals Brentford 2–1 in the play-off final in August 2020. However, they were relegated again after just one season in the top league in May 2021.

After being relegated, Parker left, and Marco Silva became the new manager. Under Silva, Fulham won the Championship title and were promoted back to the Premier League. They started the 2022–23 Premier League season much better. They beat West London rivals Chelsea 2–1, a team they hadn't beaten in almost 16 years. They also won four top-flight games in a row for the first time since 1966.

Home Grounds

Between 1879 and 1896, Fulham played at many different places before settling at Craven Cottage. Some of these early places were likely parks. Even after buying Craven Cottage in 1894, they had to wait two years to play there.

• 1879–1883: 'The Mud Pond', Star Road, Fulham
• 1883–1886: Lillie Road, Fulham
• 1886–1888: Ranelagh House, Fulham
• 1888–1889: Barn Elms Playing Fields, Barnes
• 1889–1891: Parsons Green, Fulham and Roskell's Fields
• 1891–1895: The Half Moon, Putney
• 1895–1896: Captain James Field, near Halford Road, West Brompton
• 1896–2002: Craven Cottage, Fulham
• 2002–2004: Loftus Road, Shepherd's Bush (shared with Queens Park Rangers during Craven Cottage's updates)
• 2004–present: Craven Cottage, Fulham

Club Identity

Team Kit

Fulham's sponsorship by Betfair in 2002–03 was the first time a gambling company sponsored an English football team. This happened before it was common for such companies to advertise on TV.

In July 2021, World Mobile became the main sponsor for three years. In July 2022, W88, a gambling company, sponsored the team's kit for the 2022–23 season. In June 2023, SBOBET replaced W88 as the main sponsor for the 2023–24 season.

Team Mascot

Fulham's mascot is Billy the Badger. He was chosen after an online competition. Billy the Badger wears a Fulham shirt with the number 79, which is the year the club was founded (1879).

Billy the Badger has had some funny moments. Once, he tried to cheer up Chelsea's manager on TV. Another time, he was "sent off" during a game for break-dancing on the pitch! Billy said it was because of his "badger hearing and eyesight." He apologized to the referee.

Rivalries and Supporters

Fulham fans see Chelsea as their main rivals. Their stadiums are very close, only 1.8 miles apart.

Queens Park Rangers are Fulham's second biggest rivals. Fulham beat QPR twice in the 2011–12 Premier League season, including a 6–0 win at Craven Cottage.

Fulham's third closest rivalry is with Brentford. Fulham beat Brentford 2–1 in the Championship play-off final in 2020. They also have smaller rivalries with other London clubs like Crystal Palace.

Van der Sar

Hughes

Hangeland

Finnan

Konchesky

Bouba Diop

Dembélé

Malbranque

Dempsey

Berbatov

Saha

The fans' all time best FFC Premier League XI

Fulham's fan base has grown when the club has been successful. Fulham supporters played a very important role in keeping the club at Craven Cottage. When the team moved to Loftus Road temporarily, a group called "Back to the Cottage" worked to make sure the club returned to its traditional home. Fulham fans mostly come from the Fulham and Hammersmith areas, and other parts of South-West London.

In 2012, the club asked fans to pick their best Premier League team from 2001 onwards. They chose their favorite players for each position.

Records and Achievements

Fulham in Europe

Fulham has played in European competitions four times. They qualified for the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2002 and won it. This led them to play in the UEFA Cup. They also played in the UEFA Europa League twice. Fulham has never lost a home game in European competition, with 17 wins and six draws in 23 games. In 2010, Fulham reached the UEFA Europa League final, but lost 2–1 to Atlético Madrid.

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Bernd Leno (vice-captain) 2 DF Kenny Tete 3 DF Calvin Bassey 5 DF Joachim Andersen 6 MF Harrison Reed 7 FW Raúl Jiménez 8 MF Harry Wilson 9 FW Rodrigo Muniz 10 MF Tom Cairney (captain) 11 FW Adama Traoré 12 FW Carlos Vinícius 15 DF Jorge Cuenca

No. Position Player 16 MF Sander Berge 17 MF Alex Iwobi 18 MF Andreas Pereira 19 FW Reiss Nelson (on loan from Arsenal) 20 MF Saša Lukić 21 DF Timothy Castagne 23 GK Steven Benda 30 MF Ryan Sessegnon 31 DF Issa Diop 32 MF Emile Smith Rowe 33 DF Antonee Robinson

Players on Loan

No. Position Player 38 MF Luke Harris (at Birmingham City for the 2024–25 season)

Youth Academy

Fulham has an academy that helps young players develop their skills.

Women's Team

Fulham also has a women's football team.

Club Management

Coaching Staff

Managers Through the Years

Fulham has had many managers since 1904. Before that, the club secretary and captain handled team duties.

• * Frank Osborne worked for the club from 1948 to 1963, but was only the main manager during the times listed.
• ** Ian Branfoot stayed at the club after he was no longer manager.
• ^† Kevin Keegan was a chief operating officer, helping the manager, before becoming the main manager.
• ^§ René Meulensteen was a head coach, like an assistant manager, and took on manager duties for a short time.
• ^± Some managers are officially called "head coach" instead of "manager."

Managerial Facts:

• Only Frank Osborne has managed the club twice.
• The longest-serving manager was Phil Kelso, for 15 years (1909–1924).
• Several managers have stayed for less than a year.

Temporary Managers:

• Johnny Haynes: Took over for a few games in 1968. He was offered the job permanently but didn't want to be a manager.
• Karl-Heinz Riedle: Was a temporary manager in 1999–2000.
• Chris Coleman: Became caretaker manager in 2003 and then the full-time manager.
• Lawrie Sanchez: Took control for the last five games of a season in 2007.
• Ray Lewington: Was temporary manager twice, in 2007 and 2010.
• Kit Symons: Took temporary charge in 2014 before becoming permanent.
• Peter Grant: Managed for three games after Kit Symons left.
• Stuart Gray: Took over after Peter Grant.
• Scott Parker: Was caretaker manager in 2019 before becoming permanent.

Club Ownership

Shahid Khan, owner and chairman

Fulham Football Club is owned by Shahid Khan. He bought the club from Mohamed Al-Fayed in July 2013.

Before Khan, Mohamed Al-Fayed had given the club a lot of money as interest-free loans. In 2013, Al-Fayed changed these loans into ownership shares, which meant Fulham was debt-free.

Honours

Source:

League Titles

• Second Division / First Division / Championship (level 2)
  • Champions: 1948–49, 2000–01, 2021–22
  • Runners-up: 1958–59
  • Play-off winners: 2018, 2020
• Third Division South / Third Division / Second Division (level 3)
  • Champions: 1931–32, 1998–99
  • Runners-up: 1970–71
  • Promoted: 1981–82
• Third Division (level 4)
  • Runners-up: 1996–97

Cup Achievements

• FA Cup
  • Runners-up: 1974–75
• UEFA Europa League
  • Runners-up: 2009–10
• UEFA Intertoto Cup
  • Winners: 2002

Other Titles

• Southern League First Division
  • Champions: 1905–06, 1906–07
• Southern League Second Division
  • Champions: 1901–02, 1902–03
• Western League Division One Section A
  • Champions: 1906–07
• West London League
  • Champions: 1892–93
• London Challenge Cup
  • Winners: 1909–10, 1931–32, 1951–52
• West London Cup
  • Winners: 1886–87, 1890–91 1892–93
• London Fives Tournament
  • Winners: 1955, 1957, 1982

See also

In Spanish: Fulham Football Club para niños