Fulham
The Cottagers
Craven Cottage capacity: 29,589
Distance from ER197 miles
Founded:1879

Weird ground as it has a 'Cottage' housed in the corner among its stands !

Owners;
Tony Khan is the son of businessman Shahid Khan, the owners also of the NFLs Jacksonville Jaguars. Tony holds executive roles at both organizations, being chief football strategy officer with the Jaguars & vice-chairman & director of football operations with Fulham.

Tony Khan is an American businessman & entrepreneur who has become one of the most important figures in pro wrestling history as the owner & CEO of All Elite Wrestling.
His current worth is 1.5billion dollars & his father Shahid Khan has a net worth over 12billion dollars.

Coach;
Portuguese Coach Marco Silva, a former player who played at right-back was prior coach at Everton & Watford.
He is known for his teams possession based play & his teams are built to control the ball via patiently build up play with structured fluidity
allowing wide players freedom for individual expression within the system, too, so tactically a 4-2-3-1.

Tactical weakness this season anaylisis;
1.Main weakness is in defending set-pieces, ranking among the bottom 5 for set-pieces conceded, while also being in the top 5 for shots conceded from dead-ball situations.

2.Their performance in aerial duels is below average, ranking 4th worst in PL, with key center-backs Joachim Andersen & Calvin Bassey showing individual struggles so far.👍

3.Substitutions of Marco Silva have been questioned, which have at times removed pace & effectively surrendered their attacking momentum, stats say.

Fulham are a bit different because while most teams in modern football want to play through the central parts of the pitch Fulham still prefer to play through the wide channels.

75 per cent of their attacks during the 2024/25 season originated from out wide, with 41per cent coming down their left flank.

Marco Silvas entire goal is to create 4 or 5 man overloads in wide areas, via short passes through their opponents & get the ball into the final third to 'send' crosses into the box.

The Fulham Locality, Early History;
The name Fulham is believed to derive from the Anglo-Saxon words 'Ful', muddy & 'Ham', homestead/village, referring to its location by the river Thames. So Fulham was a rural village centered on farming & market gardens, supplying fresh produce to London back then.

Bishop of London residence;
The areas historical importance is marked by Fulham Palace, which has been the residence of the Bishop of London since the 8th century.

Industrialization & Suburban Growth;
The 19th century saw significant transformation as Fulham developed into a suburb of London.
The arrival of the railway in the mid-1800s made it easier for people to commute into London for work, which accelerated growth.

It soon became an industrial hub with
industries including the worlds first energy utility company at Sands End in 1824 being established, transforming the area into a thriving industrial centre.

Modern Fulham;
After World War II, the area underwent significant regeneration, changing from a strongly working-class area to a sought-after residential location with a mix of modern & traditional architecture with the area home to many historic landmarks like Fulham Palace, with its museum, plus significant sporting venues like the home grounds for Chelsea, Fulham & QPR football clubs.

In 1965, the Metropolitan Borough of Fulham merged with Hammersmith to form the modern-day London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.

Fulham is a leafy, upmarket London neighborhood nowadays with a variety of dining & nightlife options, including gastropubs & Michelin-starred restaurants, a vibrant shopping scene centered around areas like North End Road & Fulham Broadway with numerous boutiques, independent shops & cinemas.

As a kid from the nearby Crystal Palace territory of SE26 London, we were quite envious of our swish upmarket SW London neighbours, for sure, & still are !😂