Preview
The sun is streaming through the window here in Ladbroke Grove and I’m feeling positive about this afternoon’s game. We know that if we’re really going to move up the table this season, then we have to be getting results at places like Fulham. They’re on a bad run with four defeats in a row but they beat Arsenal not so long back so must be treated with respect. After our fighting performance against the Gunners and a fortnight off I think we’re going to take some stopping today. Tainio’s return is an extra boost and surely Kenwyne will also return for the big one next weekend. For Fulham, Zamora is always one to be careful of and their star player is Jimmy Bullard, who we’re rumoured to be after. Healy’s got to come off the bench and get one, hasn’t he? Result? 2-1 to us.

The Match
I met four mates in a pub at Notting Hill Gate and we got the tube to Putney Bridge. That walk through the park to the ground seemed to take forever and we didn’t get in till 2.55 just as the teams emerged. They took me by surprise as I was looking towards the dug-outs area while they sneakily came out from the corner to my right. The next surprise came thirty seconds later when an unhappy-looking man told me I was in his seat and we discovered we were in Row II instead of Row I. Anyway we were all in position by kick-off and as I hadn’t heard any announcements it took me a good while to figure out our line-up. No Diouf, but I suppose he was relaxing after the heavy business back in Senegal.

We started brightly and for the first ten minutes everything was rosy with our best effort coming from a good run and shot by Richardson. After that, though, Fulham had much the better of the first half and we led a charmed life as they fluffed a few excellent chances with Zoltan Gera’s miss after 19 minutes the pick of the bunch. Our defence was looking weak at times and too often our players failed to find their man with passes or didn’t see an opponent steaming up on them. Mid way through the first half we became aware of loud murmurings and occasional shouts of “Cheat!” coming from our left and it took a while to figure out who was the target of this collective ire till the name Jimmy Hill was passed around and sure enough there was that unmistakeable chin amidst a crowd of ageing blokes in suits who had emerged from an area next to our end. My neighbour and I explained to my mate’s wife Mel the tale of the Coventry v Bristol City game back in May 1977 as chants of “Jimmy Hill’s a wanker!” echoed around us. Most people around me were watching his reaction to all this, but meanwhile back on the pitch we hit the post from a free-kick, which was our best effort of the half. Shortly afterwards J.H. was advised by policemen to leave the area and as he did so a new chant of “It’s time to go. It’s time to go. It’s time to go-oh-oh – fuck off!” sent him on his way. At the break it was 0-0 and a host of ex-Fulham players, who turned out to be the afore-mentioned ageing guys in suits, were presented on the pitch including J.H., who acted up to the repeated boos from our end. Alan Mullery, though, did receive a good hand from our fans including myself. I noticed that a few lads from the London Branch were standing right behind me and we discussed the upcoming Charlie Hurley evening.

There were no changes at the break and again we started brightly, winning a couple of corners. Our pressure seemed to have paid off after 50 minutes when we got a free-kick just outside the box and, after much argy-bargy over the line-up of the wall, Rico slammed it straight home. The ref appeared to point to the centre-spot but after our celebrations died down we all wondered why Fulham were running up the wing with the ball instead of taking a kick-off until the awful truth dawned on us. Nobody could figure out why it had been disallowed.

Fulham fought back strongly and a combination of good saves by Gordon and the woodwork kept the score at 0-0. Reid replaced Leadbitter and from then on we looked a lot more dangerous as his skilful runs and long-range shots created some great chances. Healy came on for Chops around and immediately he won a free-kick in a dangerous position on the right but unfortunately I didn’t notice him do anything after that. Then Cisse burst through and hit a good shot that took a slight deflection and hit the bar. Fulham’s tall no.5 Hargeland was doing a good job for them; as Mel said, “He’s been in the way a lot” but I wasn’t particularly impressed by Bullard, apart from a good shot ten minutes from time. Murphy then replaced Cisse and made a great run into the box two minutes later but the ball ran out over the goal-line as he, in the words of several people around me, beat himself. Fulham got a free-kick just near the angle of our box in the last minute but mercifully it hit the wall and we stormed forward. I was happy to hear the final whistle as on this performance we’d done well to come away with a point. Neither side was very impressive but Fulham probably edged it on chances. I was impressed with Reid, as usual, as well as Ferdinand, Malbranque and Richardson, most of the time, and once again we had a rather bad day at the office but came away with a point.

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