THERE’S ONLY ONE F In FULHAM |
est. 1987
FULHAM
toofif. co. uk • @ DMLTOOFIF DAVID LLOYD
FAVOURITE COVER Fulham’s rollercoaster ride through the divisions over the past 30 years has spawned several barbed front covers, especially as we plumbed the depths – but this Last of the Summer Wine- inspired effort ( right) captures the TOOFIF spirit as well as any. For one, it recalls our unlikely Euro tour of 2009- 10, which culminated in an oh- so- narrow Europa League final loss to Atletico Madrid in Hamburg. It also features stalwart Ray Lewington, whose own coaching career mirrored the club’s – former lower- league struggles who took giant strides to the top. A fan mag is always punchier when things aren’t going well, but this cover champions what every football fan craves: successful times when making the best of available resources.
STANDOUT MOMENT A half- hearted query led to an awesome weekend in the south of France in 2018, thanks to ( sadly deceased) former owner/ director Bill Muddyman. Within weeks of sheepishly asking Bill, “Do you still have Jean Tigana’s contact details?” we were in sunny Cassis for a chat with the famously media- shy Frenchman at his vineyard. Jean was superb company and remained incredibly fond – and proud – of his time at Fulham. Post- interview, he treated us to lunch at a fantastic beachside restaurant. It was as enjoyable as it was surreal. MEMORABLE PLAYER/ MANAGER INCIDENT
Seeing the TOOFIF book showcased in the club shop this year was a far cry from the time then- chairman Jimmy Hill took a page in the matchday programme to vilify the mag and its editor. Thankfully, relations between the fanzine and the club have generally been very good. MOST IMPORTANT STORY In 1990, Fulham were sinking fast. On the pitch we were headed for the basement division, while off it, Craven Cottage was under serious threat from property developers. The council had supported a Compulsory Purchase Order ( CPO) that would keep Fulham at the Cottage and out of developers’ hands, and a public inquiry was ordered by the Secretary of State. But on the eve of that inquiry, the club made a deal with the ground’s owners to drop their support for it and vacate the site, in return for £ 2m up front and further staged payments up to £ 13m – huge cash back then. That U- turn was perceived as a sell- out by most fans, and the mood was gloomy rather than triumphant. The deal also included a clause which barred club officials from making any details public, paving the way for a fledgling TOOFIF to keep supporters informed and rally them. They fought a magnificent fight and, with the collapse of the property market, did much to ensure one of the best results in the club’s history: Fulham 1- 0 Developers.
trophy room, where players from both eras joined us, as did local rock star Pete Wylie [ of the band Wah!]. I still have the specially recorded CD he signed for me... MEMORABLE PLAYER/ MANAGER INCIDENT
The time Phil Thompson asked Liverpool’s then- press officer, Ian Cotton, if he could meet me. Thommo had taken over after illness to Gerard Houllier, and the team performed superbly under him. The fanzine cover was headlined ‘ Man of the Year’, with his picture adorning it. We always sent copies to the club – still do – and Thommo had wanted to know what it was all about. Ian rang to ask if I could come to Melwood to interview our former captain, which was a no- brainer. Thommo not only spent over an hour talking, but also showed me around the facilities – it was fantastic.
MOST IMPORTANT STORY The boycott of Hillsborough in 1999. It was our fans vs Sheffield Wednesday’s, and we made sure they knew our feelings. They’d offered us in the region of 5,000 tickets, but only a few hundred went.
“HAVING PETER REID TRY TO START ON ME AFTER HE’D DRUNK TOO MUCH WINE IS RIGHT UP THERE”