The Championship kicks off this weekend, and I’m faced with supporting a club in second tier English football from the other side of the world.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
In 2009, I fell off a plane at Heathrow and into a life in the antipodean heartland of SW6, London.
I had to do a lot of things when I arrived: find a place to live, a job, and visit the Walkie to have a snakebite. But the most important thing I had to do was find a football team.
Like most Australians around my age I had a certain affection for Liverpool, due to their exposure Down Under and the inclusion of several Aussies in their ranks throughout the years.
Sure, I could keep following Liverpool, or I could choose one of the football clubs in the capital to pledge my allegiance to.
Chelsea were just down the road, but I hated the way they’d bought the league a couple of years before, Arsenal were overpriced, Tottenham were too far north, Millwall too far east and QPR was QPR.
And so it was, for the princely sum of 10 quid, that I went to my first game of football in London at Craven Cottage, by the river Thames, to watch the Whites take on Roma in a midweek Europa League Cup tie.
The atmosphere was hardly electric, but the die-hards up the back of the Johnny Haynes kept singing the whole time.
Fulham were never a glamour choice. More or less rooted to the bottom half of the Premier League table, the Whites had enjoyed a decade of relative success in the top-flight thanks largely to flamboyant owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, of Harrod’s fame.
Throughout my time in London I made plenty of bad choices, but choosing to support Fulham was not one of them.
Over the next two years I attended many Fulham games and some were spectacular. Clint Dempsey’s goal to secure a 4-1 win against Juventus to advance to the quarter-final of the 2009-10 Europa League is seared into my memory. For a club that after 135 years could only boast an Intertoto Cup to its name, and for the fans that’d turned up week after week for their entire lives, that night was Wonderland.
Joy resonated around the entire ground, it was electric and infectious, and I’ve yet to experience a sporting atmosphere that has come close to it.
Of course, some games were less spectacular. A 0-2 loss at home to Aston Villa on a bitterly cold, grey Sunday afternoon in January as wind whipped into the stands and Roy Hodgson slumped deeper and deeper into the manager’s chair comes to mind.
After I left London in 2011 I continued to support Fulham. Being a Premier League team meant their games were televised, sometimes at ideal times if they happened to be playing one of the bigger clubs.
And then last year happened. The club was sold by Al-Fayed to Shahid Kahn. Loss piled up after loss. Manager after manager got the sack. Deep into February I continued to believe we were too good to be relegated.
We weren’t. Down we went, and here we are.
To make matters worse, Fulham has basically jettisoned its entire team due to their Premier League-level wages. Playing in the Championship means the club will barely get a mention anywhere but niche Championship football websites, and unless I find a dodgy interned feed somewhere, my chances of actually seeing any vision of the Whites playing are close to zero.
But I will not be deterred. Buoyed by the signing of Socceroo Adam Taggart, Scottish striker Ross McCormack, and the emergence of Moussa Dembélé version 2.0, my love for the Whites is stronger than ever!
So you can keep your Man U, your Chelsea, City and Arsenal. You can keep your top-shelf football and your glamour signings, your televised games and your easy access to news.
I’ll stick with my little club in SW6, toiling away in the Championship, hoping the penance we serve down there only lasts one season and that the mighty Whites will be promoted again in May.
Besides, who says we can’t do the FA Cup/Championship double?
Troy
Guest
Another Brisbane-based Fulham supporter here... first game of theirs I saw was a 2-0 win over Manchester United in 2009. I was looking for a team to support and didn't want to be a band wagon jumper and here was this team that just played well together without any superstars. Been an avid fan ever since... just hope that they can earn promotion back into the premier league. On a side note... anyone know if there is a Brisbane Fulham Supporters club?
BA Sports
Guest
I went to my first game here in England on Saturday. Millwall v Leeds at The Den. Neither team played particularly well (though the standard was so much better than just about any A-league match i have watched). But wow what an atmosphere! Millwall won 2-0, an early goal and a late penalty and the nutters were absolutely giving it to the Leeds faithful. Don't know if i am brave enough to go back to The Den, but will go to more games for sure.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Agree. Klopp has done a good job and what is not to like a team with the potential to show a couple of Aussies. Also Bayern (while playing well) just does not need the extra help, and friends kids in Germany are nuts on BVB09 so they would be my team if I had to chose a team to follow there - makes it easy to wear the shirt sent over as well ;-) .
Punter
Guest
Likewise, never had a team in the Bundesliga, just never liked Bayern. Dortmund keeps losing their best player every year Kagawa, Goetze & the Polish striker (can't spell name) this year, but keeps coming up with the goods every year. Hope to see a little more the Aussies there this year.
AZ_RBB
Guest
Yeah I'm not even a proper BVB fan, I simply love their style and the atmosphere at their stadium. I think they'll be strong again this season as long as they hold on to Reus and Hummels.
Punter
Guest
I have loved the way Dortmund has played over the last few years. Reus is one amazing player.
Stephen Martin
Guest
This will be an interesting test of the loyalty of Fulham's supporters after the most successful period in its history. Even then, crowds had to be bumped up by subsidised tickets, neutral ends, Michael Jackson statues, etc. Have they hooked a new generation of supporters, or will they slide back to the dark days of 20 years ago, playing in front of 3,000 fans? Good luck with your big derby against Brentford.
Dasilva
Guest
Actually there is a very good reason why Fulham should be the club for Socceroos fan to support. As Craven Cottage is essentially our home ground whenever we play friendlies in Europe so I guess it's out home away from home
DJW
Guest
There is definatly a neutral section. I think away fans usually try and get tickets here if they don't get one through away allocation.
stevjam
Guest
There is indeed a neutral stand at Craven Cottage, a real quirk of English stadia thats for sure ... I recall catching Everton spank the Cottagers at a home game there one sunny arvo :) Great little stadium, it's pretty creaky and right on the river so a great stroll towards the ground when the sun actually decides to turn up.
Kasey
Guest
I’m lead to believe Craven Cottage has the usual Home support , Away support signs above the designated entry turnstiles on the main road and (if you can believe it) an odd sign indicating entry through the turnstile below for ‘neutral support’ it might be a furphy, but keep an eye out for it if you do go. I’m interested and next time I find myself in London I’ll try to check it out myself.
AZ_RBB
Guest
That's very true! A friend of mine went over there and started following Fulham. I'm planning to do a London trip next year and Craven Cottage is the only London stadium I really want to visit.
AZ_RBB
Guest
Setanta's coverage of the Bundesliga always disappoints me. They always show English lower leagues over Germany. I generally just stream BVB games. I'm a big atmosphere snob and the contrast between the EPL and Bundesliga is remarkable.
Kasey
Guest
I'm all about the A-League as we all know, but this year after the German National Team's efforts in that recent little South American football festival, I've resolved to try to follow more Bundesliga football and less EPL this summer. I have Setanta and I've picked a team, Borussia Monchengladbach...die fohlen!(the foals) to follow. I'm sure Fox Sports News will keep me abreast of anything noteworthy in the EPL. I don't sprechen sie deutsch, so its likely to be slow going using German based news services, but I hope it will be worth the effort to expand my football horizons:)
Ian
Guest
Brisbane Roar I hear are a good team. and Brin is in Brisbane.
ciudadmarron
Guest
Yes I wonder what team is actually in Brin's backyard.
ciudadmarron
Guest
I spent as little time in west London as I could when I was there... there are plenty of aussies all around Australia if that's your thing, I always felt :lol: I already had my football allegiance sewn up though and fortunately it was at the other end of the city. Over the years I've had a few seasons following the championship and it's not nearly as bad as it used to be. Streams might be dodgy but it's certainly better than reading forum posts.
RBBAnonymous
Guest
What a top question Bill?. This was a well written piece and good on you for supporting Fullham, but like a lot of people on the Roar these days. Its all about the A-league these days and thats the way I like it.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Seems Fulham is popular with aussies who spend a year in the UK and don't want to support Chelsea/Arsenal/Liverpool and Man U and look like band wagoners. True anecdote: few years ago (5-6), was at a Sydney Pub watching football with 2 English mates when a young aussie bloke approaches us, tells us he is just back from London where he fell in love with football and Fulham. we: "oh really? great story, why Fulham?". The bloke: "because their main sponsor is my favourite brand of pizza".
Bill
Guest
When you left London for another country in 2011, was your highest priority again to find a local team to support?