Away At Fulham

Yes. Brilliant day out

 

Of course we were there but didn’t venture onto the pitch. Wonderful day.
A time when we felt a great affinity with the team. Unlike now.

 

I was there and was on the pitch as well

 

I'm on the phone to the Met Police tip line now...

 

I was on the pitch. I was playing centre half.

 

This was a great week and a great day. I was working at the Watford Observer and we'd been working on a souvenir 'magazine' to tell the story of the season. We'd beaten Bournemouth on the Tuesday night to keep the title hopes alive and knew it would all come down to the final game at Fulham. We had two versions of the front cover ready to go. One was called Champions 98. The alternative was the sub-optimal 'Going Up'. On the Thursday before the Fulham game Oli Phillips's phone rang when he was away from his desk and I picked up. It was GT. I told him Oli wasn't there and that I'd get him to call back.

GT had done all the interviews with Oli about how the season had panned out so he knew about the magazine and he asked how it was going.

'It's almost finished apart from the finishing touches and the front cover.'

'What are you calling it?'

'Well,' I said, 'Plan A is Champions 98. Plan B is Going Up.'

'Don't worry,' he said. 'I'll make sure you don't need to resort to Plan B.'

I also remember GT disliked the silver and blue striped away shirt we wore at Fulham that day and would have preferred the team to win promotion in the home colours but, as I remember it, there was some kind of clause in the contract with Le Coq Sportif stipulating how many times the team had to wear it during the season and they were still short of that and so had to wear it else there could be some sort of financial implication.

 

I was there, sat in amongst the Fulham fans in the stand along the riverbank. Not ideal, but at least I was there on that sunny heady day back in 98.

 

That can't be right because as I remember it the silver and blue kit was the next season's away shirt and we got a preview.

 

Wasn't the away kit in 97/98 the black and red stripes?

 

I went but didn't get on the pitch. But I made up for it at home to sheff wed a few years later.

 

Ah yeah, that’ll be it, thanks. The old brain box isn’t what it used to be. Whether or not it was a contractual thing they were certainly heavily pressured to preview the new away kit for the coming season in the title-winning game.

Either way, GT wasn’t at all happy because he wanted us to win the title in our home colours, especially as there was no need for us to change versus Fulham.

 

Bristol C blew it on the last day. Losing 2-0 away at Preston I think, otherwise they'd have won the title.
Very tough match to win at Fulham as they had everything to play for and the defeat stopped "Kevin Keegan & Peter Beardsley's Fulham" qualifying for the playoffs.

 

Sorry, you're right, they only got in via GD and if either of the 2 teams below tham had earned one more point they would have missed out. I remember it was a huge game for them...

 

This is why after the game, being in the home stand, a couple of us could show our true colours and celebrate a little. If they hadn't got into the playoffs, I think we might have tried our best to keep it under wraps where our loyalties lie. That is hard though when you see a few thousand Watford fans having a good time on the pitch!

 

Yes was there and my favourite game of all time, was on the pitch, favourite ever season, tried to convince myself that promotion was all that mattered and not winning the title, deep down I wanted that trophy, the seasons battle with bristol city was what watching football is all about and following a team like watford. Won a big bet on us winning the title as well what was the icing on the cake, the sun was out and it was shining on the great man that day

 

I arrived home very drunk with a piece of Craven Cottage pitch turf in my pocket, which I planted in my own lawn the next day.

 

Is it carefully sectioned off and labelled ? Could add to the value of the house.

 

I assume it was a divet kicked up by the players but my memory of the day is a little hazy so I may well have had a small spade with me

 

We moved not long after so somebody else had the benefit of enjoying this rare item of watford fc memorabilia

 

And I bet they mowed it just like any other strip of lawn. A sad end.

 

Are you my brother?

Clearly not. Brother planted his at our Mum's house where he was still living at the time and where the hallowed turf still lives to this day.

 

Great day out. Always debate with my best mate whether this or Bolton was the no.1

Anyone else at the Eight Bells pub beforehand having come out of Putney Bridge station?

Picture in your mind massed ranks of 'Orns stood on and around the tables outside singing as only football fans can. Just then a coach load of Japanese tourist came round the corner, stopped, cameras quickly out, click, click, click, click, click and away they went again. Very funny.

Then we were followed up the park to Craven Cottage by the police wagons.

When football was fun....

 

Absolutely criminal that Hooter hasn’t liked this post.

 

We paid for it three seasons later, however. One of the worst (and coldest) days.

 

I thought Fulham was unique among English football clubs in being on the bank of a river, but then I discovered recently that Forest (which I haven't been to) are by the Trent. Anyone know of any other clubs in that category?

 

There are several. Sunderland, Middlesbrough (The Riverside!), Swansea and Leicester for instance. I think Sheffield Wed and Blackburn too. I expect there are more, especially if you include ones that are close to if not right on a river, like Norwich.

 

Perhaps more unusual are grounds right by the sea like Inverness and Grimsby. But the closest of all is Arbroath.