Fulham F.C.

Did You Know?

• Fulham are unbeaten at home in European competition, with 17 wins and 6 draws in 23 games.
• The club's early grounds included 'The Mud Pond' on Star Road (1879–1883) and Barn Elms Playing Fields (1888–1889).
• Fulham's Academy offers BTECs and A-Levels alongside football training, with coaches and educators coordinating schedules.

History

Fulham originated in 1879 as Fulham St Andrew's Church Sunday School F.C., formed by worshippers at the Church of England on Star Road, West Kensington. The club shortened its name to Fulham in December 1888 after winning the West London Amateur Cup in 1887. They won the West London League in 1893 at the first attempt. Fulham began playing at Craven Cottage in 1896, with their first game against Minerva.

The club turned professional on 12 December 1898 and joined the Southern League's Second Division that year. They won promotion to the Southern League First Division in 1902–03 and claimed the Southern League title twice, in 1905–06 and 1906–07. Fulham was elected into the Football League's Second Division in 1907. They won the Third Division South in 1931–32, the Second Division title in 1948–49, and returned to the First Division in 1958–59.

After consecutive relegations by 1969, they were promoted in 1970–71 and reached the 1974–75 FA Cup final. They won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2002 and lost the 2010 UEFA Europa League final. Since 2014, under Shahid Khan, the club has moved between the first and second tiers, winning the 2021–22 EFL Championship title and settling in the Premier League from 2022.

Club identity

Fulham adopted a white shirt and black shorts as its kit in 1896, a combination used ever since. The club's sponsorship by Betfair in 2002–03 was the first gambling sponsorship in English football, predating the Gambling Act 2005. On 27 July 2021, World Mobile became the official principal partner for three years. In July 2022, gambling company W88 sponsored the team for the 2022–23 season, with its logo on both men's and women's kits.

In June 2023, betting company SBOBET replaced W88 as main sponsor for 2023–24. In February 2024, FlyFish Limited became an official partner. The club's mascot is Billy the Badger, designed by Kyle Jackson after an online competition; Billy wears the number 79 shirt, referencing the club's founding year of 1879. Billy attracted controversy on several occasions: trying to cheer up Chelsea manager Avram Grant during a home match, being sent off by referee Chris Foy on 3 February 2008 for break-dancing after the match had started, and walking across the goal during a match on 11 March 2009. The former mascot was Sir Craven of Cottage, the Knight, and the cheerleaders were known as the Cravenettes.

Rivalries and supporters

Fulham fans consider Chelsea their main rivals, a local derby as Stamford Bridge lies within Fulham, 1.8 miles from Craven Cottage. Secondary rivals are Queens Park Rangers, whom Fulham beat twice in the 2011–12 Premier League season (6–0 at home and 1–0 away). The third closest rivalry is with Brentford, defeated 2–1 in the 2020 Championship play-off final. Lesser rivalries exist with other London clubs such as Crystal Palace.

Fan numbers have fluctuated with the club's success. Supporters formed the Back to the Cottage committee during the club's temporary move to Loftus Road to ensure a return to Craven Cottage. Fans traditionally come from Fulham, Hammersmith, and other South-West London areas including Putney, Richmond, Sutton, and Worcester Park. In July 2012, the club asked supporters to pick a best Premier League XI from 2001 onward via Facebook and Twitter, and in August 2022 requested an updated all-time Premier League XI for the league's 30th anniversary.

Club staff

Fulham has had 38 managers in 122 years. Before the first manager, Bradshaw, was appointed in 1904, duties were shared among the secretary, captain, and other officials. Frank Osborne is the only manager to have served two separate spells (1948–49 and 1953–56). Phil Kelso holds the longest tenure, 15 years (1909–1924).

Several managers lasted less than a year: Bobby Robson, Ray Wilkins, Paul Bracewell, Lawrie Sanchez, Mark Hughes, René Meulensteen, Felix Magath, and Claudio Ranieri. Temporary managers include Johnny Haynes, who took over after Bobby Robson's dismissal in 1968 for a few matches but declined the permanent role, and Karl-Heinz Riedle, who managed briefly after Paul Bracewell's dismissal in 1999–2000, assisted by Roy Evans; Riedle injured a lung in the season's penultimate game.

Some managers have held the title of head coach rather than manager: René Meulensteen, Slaviša Jokanović, Scott Parker, Marco Silva, Álvaro Arbeloa, and interim head coach Peter Grant. Meulensteen served as head coach under Martin Jol before assuming managerial duties after Jol's departure, and remained head coach for four days after Felix Magath's appointment.