“Stand up if you still believe, stand up if you still believe.” It rang out like a mantra from each corner of Craven Cottage, followed by the clatter of plastic chairs as every home supporter sprang to their feet, writes Claire Harmer.
Fulham’s hopes of making the Europa League final had been dealt a sickening blow. In any other circumstances, Whites fans might have been able to appreciate the quite beautiful strike from Hamburg’s Mladen Petric. But not now. Not with their European final at stake.
Even at 1-0 down, with Hamburg scoring that all important away goal in the semi-final second leg, Fulham fans really did still believe they could get to the final. After all, in a quite incredible season, they had come back from behind to beat the mighty Juventus, seen off holders Shaktar Donetsk and brushed aside Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg. And that was just in the Europa League.
In the Barclays Premier League, they had comfortably beaten champions Manchester United 3-0 and outplayed Liverpool with a 3-1 win.
dire straits
Fourteen years ago, the thought of Fulham beating just one of those teams would have been laughable. Not even in the dreams of the most diehard fan.
A year before multi-millionaire Mohamed Al Fayed’s takeover in 1997, the club was in dire straits.
Bottom of the football league, with home gates averaging only 4000 and just seven full time members of staff, the club faced the prospect of non-league football and even the possibility of extinction.
Just months prior to Harrods owner Al Fayed’s arrival, the situation had started to improve, with the team securing promotion for the first time in 15 years. Al Fayed promised top-flight football within five seasons and there was even mention of Fulham becoming the Manchester United of the South.
While comparisons with the Red Devils still remain few and far between, Fulham found themselves in the Premier League in 2001, meeting Al Fayed’s pledge to play top flight football with a year to spare.
After a few mid-table finishes under managers Jean Tigana and Chris Coleman, the Cottagers flirted with relegation for two successive seasons. The second of which, the 2007/08 term, saw the departure of Lawrie Sanchez and the arrival of Roy Hodgson.
ultimate miracle
Few Fulham fans could have guessed that the former Blackburn Rovers manager could have had such a dramatic impact on the club’s success. Despite enjoying a successful career abroad, little was known about Hodgson on English shores.
But after masterminding the club’s escape from almost certain relegation in 2008, his reputation grew and grew, and he quickly became the darling of the Fulham faithful. When Fulham stayed up on the last day of the season, after three successive away wins for the first time since their promotion, many fans thought Hodgson had pulled off the ultimate miracle.
spine-tingling
However this was quickly bettered the following season. The club recorded their highest ever Premier League finish of seventh, thanks largely to Hodgson’s tactical nous, canny ability in the transfer market and excellent man-management skills that saw players low on confidence transformed in to world beaters. That fantastic season ensured Fulham’s passage to European football for the first time since they won the now defunct Intertoto Cup in 2003.
Fast forward 18 European matches later, and Fulham, who have never lost at home in the Europa League, are 1-0 down against Hamburg. In a spine-tingling second half, Hodgson’s side rallied, with well worked goals from Simon Davies and Zoltan Gera booking their place in the final.
Chants of “Stand up if you still believe” were quickly re-jigged. “Stand up for the Roy Hodgson” bellowed around the ground as Fulham fans saluted their manager and his well drilled team.
Few would have thought that when they lined up against Lithuania’s Vetra nine months ago, Fulham would be among the last two of 193 clubs left standing in the competition.
The last team in England left playing European football, Atletico Madrid await Fulham in the final at the Hamburg Arena on 12th May.
“In a spine-tingling second half, Hodgson’s side rallied, with well worked goals from Davies and Gera booking their place in the final” .
Credits: PremierLeague.com
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