Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
King of the Cottage
IN THE SECOND OF A TWO-PART FEATURE ON STRIKER BARRY HAYLES, CLIVE YOULTON TALKS TO THE FULHAM LEGEND WHO IS STILL INVOLVED IN FOOTBALL TODAY AS ASSISTANT MANAGER – AND OCCASIONAL PLAYER – AT ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER OUTFIT MERSTHAM
BARRY HAYLES, who turns 48 next month, was a massive favourite at Craven Cottage – and he loved his time at the club between 1998 and 2004 when he scored 44 goals in 175 games.
A self-confessed Spurs fan, he scored Fulham’s first ever home goal in the Premier League, in a 2-0 win against Sunderland, on August 22 2001 and another highlight was when he notched a hat-trick against Watford in the Championship.
“The Spurs game was my favourite for personal reasons,” he said. “I hadn’t been in the starting line-up the week before and we played one up top in those days. Saha was the main man, but Chris Coleman knew about my Spurs connection and told me on the Thursday I was starting. I scored twice and set up the other.
“For the third goal I ran from my own half, played a one-two and thought about being greedy and going for the hat-trick, but I dropped my shoulder, played it across the box and Boa-Morte came in and scored.”
For Hayles, who rates Louis Saha as the best player he played with, the step up to the Premier League felt natural.
“Because I love football in general, the level I played was just part and parcel of it,” he said. “I did think ‘hang on, I’m playing in the Premier League,’ but I was playing football first and foremost, no matter what level I was playing at.
“With Fulham, we made our debut in the Premier League against Manchester United, away. When I walked out I wasn’t, like, fazed by the crowd, I was just thinking ‘I’m playing another game here.’
“We lost 3-2 but we left Old Trafford absolutely buzzing, thinking ‘we played against the champions and we pushed them all the way’.
“We left there with a bounce in our steps and we played Sunderland on the Wednesday and beat them 2-0. I scored the club’s first Premier League goal [at Craven Cottage].
“I came on as sub having started at United. It was 0-0 at the time. It was when Jean Tigana was in charge. He was a very good manager, he had a very good coach and a very good fitness man. The three of them all knew what their jobs were.”
Other managers made an impression on Hayles, not least Kevin Keegan.
“You learn from each one and Kevin was a fantastic man manager,” he said. “He would make you feel 10ft tall. He’d say, ‘do what you’re good at.’ I had this turn where it was sharp, and he knew that.
“Kevin always used to say, ‘I want you to bring the turn out, it’s part of your game and is what other teams fear.’ I got some stick, though. The boys used to take the mickey out of me and say, ‘is that that 2.1million turn you’re talking about?’
“Kevin made me believe in my ability and wanted me to express it.”
A humble man, Merstham’s new assistant manager spent his entire playing career doing just that.
It is why the Fulham fans still idolise him.