It's hard to believe that just over two years ago Fulham Football Club was a mess. The team was near the foot of the table and relegation was almost a certainty. Now, 730 days later as 2009 comes to an end, the Cottagers are battling comfortably in the top half of the table and advancing in a European Competition. The transformation has been remarkable. 2009 had so many great memories for Fulham supporters that it is hard to pinpoint what the best one was.
Some of the things that will remain with me from 2009 include the tail end of the 2008-2009 season when Fulham qualified for the Europa League. For the last three months of the season it was being said my many pundits that Fulham would fade and not qualify for Europe. Nobody believed that the Cottagers could hang on to a club record 7th place and get into Europe. But with wins over Manchester United, Aston Villa and Manchester City, Fulham earned the right to represent the Premier League in the Europa League. While the Europa League is a step below the Champions League, for a club like Fulham to do so well in the Premier League that they were able to qualify for this competition was astonishing.
Additionally, it has been a pleasure watching the Cottagers' journey through the Europa League. From Russia and Bulgaria to Italy, Switzerland and other places, Fulham has represented England very well in the Europa League. So well that come February 2010, they will take on defending champions Shahktar Donetsk in the knockout stage of the tournament.
Some of the more notable league wins for Fulham included Liverpool, Everton, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Manchester United not just once, but twice. The Manchester United match played on December 19th was easily the best league match of the 2009 calendar year. Not only did Fulham win, but they dominated the Red Devils in every facet of the game resulting in a 3-0 beat down of the defending champions.
That 3-0 win over United came on the heels of Fulham's best European match of 2009 when the Cottagers went to FC Basel in a win or go home match in Switzerland. Fulham delivered the goods on the cold, Wednesday evening in Basel with a nervy 3-2 win over the Swiss champions. The win vaulted Fulham into the final 32 of the competition.
I could on and on about specific matches and highlights from the year, but I will simply let you the reader remember your fondest memories of the calendar year. The thing that excites me about Fulham that I saw happen over the last year is that Fulham is no longer a pushover and an automatic win for the bigger and stronger clubs. The Cottagers play hard under Roy Hodgson in every match and because of the strong foundation the team is built on, Fulham has been in most every match of 2009. They compete and fight hard for the black and white of the club and as a supporter it pleases me to know that my team will not just play hard, but will be in most every single match of the season. That is a far cry from where this club was when Roy Hodgson took over in late December 2007.
One could make a case that 2009 has been the most successful calendar year of football for this 130-year-old club from southwest London. With positive results on the pitch, there is more interest in the club from outsiders. The press is writing about the team, more people are coming out to the matches and here in the States there is a bit of a growing buzz about the club as every single match has been on either live or on same-day tape-delay since the 2009-2010 Premier League season begain in August. The fan base is growing and while some might be jumping onto the bandwagon, they are all still being welcomed with open arms by those of us that have followed the team for a number of years.
As 2009 comes to a close, it is hard to imagine that 2010 could possibly be any better. But with the team still alive in Europe along with the chance of fighting it out for 7th place in the league and another shot at Europe next season, I could be writing at this time next year about how 2010 was even better than 2009. I can't imagine it will be better, but with this club, anything is possible.
The strides this club is making both on and off the pitch has been astounding. For the sake of all the supporters and those involved with the club, I hope the magical run continues. But I do want to add, what Fulham has been doing on the pitch is not a fluke. This team is solid in most every area on the pitch and in the coaching staff. They are not and will continue not to be an easy team to defeat.
Your turn.....what are your favorite memory(ies) of the 2009 calendar year? Was there a specific moment or match that will stand out about all the rest when you look back at 2009? Let's read what you have to say.
Tip a beer back in honor of 2009 and have another one to ponder what 2010 will bring. The beer used to be thrown down to erase memories of a bad match or a bad Fulham season, but that is no longer. We do not need to drown our sorrows and chase demons of matches past because a new day has arrived and we should all drink to it.
Happy New Year to all my fellow Fulham supporters around the world! Bottoms up for 2010!!
Cheers!
Tom
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