ESPN Soccernet - Correspondents - Fulham- The World's Favourite Football Club

Posted by Phil Mison on 10/07/2010

OK, I have borrowed from an old BA advertising slogan for my strap line and I might be exaggerating things a touch, but to our international members, we salute you!

It was Blackpool in August when I became aware just how active our international fan clubs now are. Seeing the FFC Sweden contingent I got into conversation with president and founder Kenneth Bylund and his son Niclas at half-time. Sadly at the final whistle I failed to locate the young lady sporting a Team USA shirt in honour of Clint.

Running the blog this season has been something of an eye-opener for me when it comes to those who follow FFC from afar. It does make you question your own commitment when you meet people who are giving up their weekends and spending hundreds of pounds to fly in and feed their fetish for Fulham.

Nic in Sweden makes the point, mirrored by my own mailbag since July. "We do seem to have a huge following in the USA. Over half of unique visitors to the web site (Hammy End.com) which I help run are from the US or Down Under." Nic boasts 60 active members and knows that we are for many Swedes their 2nd favourite club. There's a Stockholm pub where they all meet to take in the TV games, while Nic's job in the travel industry means he gets over a few times a year to see the Whites in action. "I'll be in London for the World Travel Market in November and hope to take in the games with Villa and Chelsea. Over the years I've been to Motspur Park many times and been lucky enough to meet a lot of players, the managers and people behind the scenes. I'm also a bit of a ground hopper and you could say I do like coming to England. I consider myself an Anglophile and we put a lot of energy into content on our Hammy End site. At the start it was all being done in Swedish as well as English but that was too much work."

Closely linked to Nic are the FFC Sweden brigade, where Mattias Berg and his crew are also regulars at O'Connell's pub along Stockholm's Gamla Stan whenever the Whites feature on the box. Now in the past two months alone we've added official fan clubs in Norway, Finland and Holland! This club is really on the march.

So with our long time buddies Fulham USA finally getting their brand new site up and running I felt this was a good juncture to welcome all of the above into football's friendliest family. Just for your information, and for those from other lands who would also like to march behind Michiel Hageman's monster new flag (how's it coming along Michiel?), here are the rewards for getting aboard. It's well worth signing up.

The club officially recognises all overseas fan clubs with a minimum register of 10 paid members and enrolls them into the following programme: Ticketing priority, ticket discounts and an exclusive members' pack:

Official status awarded with Certification of Affiliation and details on official club website
Signed Kit plus Monthly Prize Draw

This blog is here for you guys. Do let me know when you're coming over to games or if you need any advice on travel, hotels, pubs and things to do around the game. Let us know what you're up to, why Fulham, and how it is for you in your own countries showing allegiance to Fulham FC. On a personal note, I'd like to hear from any Whites fans along Florida's Space Coast - I fancy a little winter condo one day in Brevard County...

In the meantime, if you wanna get all 'international' and exchange greetings, here's the list:
www.fulhamusa.com (rebuilding database having lost old data so get signed in yanks)
FFC Sweden and Nic Bylund welcome new members at www.FFCSweden.se
Michiel Hageman's Dutch group FFC web site http://cc.fulhamfc.com/profile/MichielHageman
Eric Bilet is behind our Norwegian followers on http://cc.fulhamfc.com/group/fscn
The Finns officially joined Oct 6th! Contact here http://cc.fulhamfc.com/group/fulhamfinland

I believe a Canadian group is pending, and let's also not forget the Fulham Exiles. Look forward to hearing from all of you and hope you get plenty to cheer this season!

COYW Fans...wherever you are. Follow me on Twitter @fulhamphil

Comments

Posted by JoeUSA on 10/08/2010

I'm American, and the only time I have been to England, I saw Fulham take on Birmingham in their home opener at Craven Cottage. It was a nil-nil draw in which Brian McBride had a goal disallowed, but the atmosphere before, during, and after the match, as well as the quality of play, even in such an ugly match, when seen in person, made me a Fulham fan.

Blog Central: And that goal was valid too...lino's error. Come back soon!

Posted by Tom the Yank on 10/08/2010

Phil - I appreciate the work that you've been doing on the blog and the fact that you're aware of the many international fans and groups, around the world, including the eXiles, which I've had the good fortune to become a part of. Over the last 4 years, I've been over to see Fulham 12 times, from Maine, and it's been a true love affair, if you will. I've taken in 20+ matches, including the Europa League Final in Hamburg, Shakhtar Donetsk at the Cottage, the Dempsey brace vs the Filth, Everton when we qualified for Europe and the Great Escape, among others. So many wonderful memories and friendships with some of nicest people you could meet. I'll be over, for the 4th time this year, in Nov. to do it all again and I can't wait. Hoping for a home win vs Villa and away points vs that lot down the road and Newcastle. Viva El Fulham!

Blog Central: An inspirational message from Tom in our Supporters Hall of Fame

Posted by Brandon on 10/08/2010

I'm an American. Clint is my favorite.

I have not been fortunate enough to make it to the Cottage for a match. I take a lot of stick for supporting Fulham (most football fans in this country are of the big four variety) and I watch a lot of matches alone. I also watch a lot of matches streaming over the internet with commentary in an unidentifiable language - the bars won't show Fulham without a top opponent. And I couldn't even buy the new Kappa shirt without paying overseas shipping.

That being said, I still get up at 700a on my weekends to watch the boys. I spend countless hours on the internet reading my Fulham news. When I'm lucky enough to watch Fulham at a bar, I'm surrounded by Chelsea fans. There isn't another club in the world that I would ever put in such an effort to support (this does not include my national team, of course). But Fulham is such an important club to me. I don't need it to be easy to support Fulham - I'm just happy to have them.

FULHAM!

Blog Central: Enjoyment watching FFC is a sharing thing. Don't know your location Brandon but get on to our friends at the newly relaunched fulhamusa.com and see who in your area loves FFC. Hope you make it over someday.

Posted by lepetitmonstre on 10/13/2010

If his countryman doesn't put Bobby out of action for half a year (yes I'm talking about you, Karl Henry), maybe England beats Montenegro?

Who could help the Whites, going forward? As an American, I have the "opportunity" to watch MLS. Although we endure a lot of mediocre play, we do get to see Thierry Henry, Beckham, Geovani, and other capable players.

Donovan's successful stint for Everton last year prompts thoughts of other MLS players in January. Donovan himself is in exceptional form right now. His touch, vision, and decision-making have improved from South Africa. Can you imagine him in center midfield or on the wing for Fulham? Not gonna happen, but it would work. Three other players I'd like to see: Sebastien Le Toux (26, Philadelphia, 13 goals); Dwayne DeRosario (Canadian International, 32); Guillermo Barron Schelotto (37, Argentine International).

I admire and encourage these great international Fulham fans!

Posted by Nick the Swede on 10/13/2010

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the mention and very nice to meet you in Blackpool. Hopefully we'll get a chance to chat more when I come over for Villa and Chel$ea soon. Maybe we'd have an opportunity to say hi to Tom the Yank as well :)

Just to clearify; Kenneth is my dad, but he's not the founder nor the president of FFCSweden, the co-founders are myself and Hampus Pettersson and I'm the current president of the Swedish supporters group.

Tom; please get in contact if you'd like to meet up when you are in London.

Blog Central: Warning - Swedes drink hard!

Posted by Hillary on 10/13/2010

Am feeling ffc i like there partan of football from nigeria

Posted by Anders Zimmer on 10/14/2010

Thanks for a great blog Phil.

We are a bit behind our Scandinavian equals here in Denmark, but we are desperately trying to establish a supporters club as well. I've had my Fulham-blog for a couple of years, but it has been quite tough to motivate myself writing in Danish, when nobody is reading the stories. I have a couple of loyal readers, but hopefully this will grow, if we can establish a members club.

Keep on the great work on the blog.

Cheers

Blog Central: Danish fans we need you to stand up and join our international fan club!!

Posted by Tom the Yank on 10/25/2010

Just back from a week in the SF Bay Area and pleased to report that Fulham scarves are now proudly displayed at The Edinburgh Castle Pub in SF and at Wellingtons in Sausalito, where a scarf was added to proprietor Jeremy John's framed photos of Johnny Haynes and George Best.

Hopefully, this will be the start of a run of wins for Mark Hughes and the lads.

Look forward to seeing you in London, Nic the Swede.

Posted by Nick on 10/26/2010

Hey Tom,

Drop me a line at nick@ffcsweden.com and I'll send you my mobilenumber should you want to track me down :)

Posted by Michael Read on 10/28/2010

I'm Michael from little old Newcastle in Australia.

Havent missed a match (live coverage of every game on our local cable) since the middle of the great escape year. Many late nights and very early mornings!

I will be over in January for West Brom at home, Wigan away and the cup weekend in the middle (FA Cup rd3)

And I must say, I recently have given all of my Fulham scarves (besides the Europa run scarves which are framed) to my girlfriend who is going to Nepal in January also. She will be leaving them with the little village that she lives in for those cold Nepalese villagers who need a bit of a warm up from the Fulham love!

We are a global club, We are the whites!

Michael, Australia.

Blog Central: Fulham scarves to Nepalese villagers...now who can top that? Reeespect!!!

Posted by Michael Read on 10/28/2010

I must say, she doesnt LIVE in this village, but she goes on charity work each January to different places around the world and lives with the locals while she is there. There is a fulham branded football already in use (and probably torn to tatters) in an orphanage in Rio. Love spreading the word!

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