When Fulham were relegated from the top flight in 1968 they had to decide what
to do with the 21 First Division flags that flew over Craven Cottage. A concerned
fan wrote to the club, asking whether they now intended flying the flags of
their 21 Second Division rivals along the terracing that backed onto the River
Thames. The reply, in the match programme for their opening game of the season,
was no. No new flags were needed as Fulham were intending to stay in the Second
Division for one season only. The programme editor was absolutely right. They
did. But instead of spending one season in the Second Division and going back
up, Fulham dropped like a stone into Division Three.
It was the start of a long exile among English soccer's also-rans which has
now lasted 33 seasons. But the long wait for a place back among the elite could
soon be over. Former Scottish international John Collins, one of a number of
excellent players attracted to West London over the last three years, thinks
so. And he believes that Saturday's match against Wimbledon will bring them
another three points in their search for glory.
The clash with Wimbledon is a fascinating one. In 1968 when Fulham
last played in the top flight, Wimbledon were a semi-professional outfit playing
in the regional Southern League at their modest old Plough Lane home just three
miles away across the river.
Fulham had their moments after relegation, losing the 1975 FA Cup final to
West Ham and missing out on promotion back to Division One by a point in 1983.
But Wimbledon were a phenomenon. They were in the top flight by 1988 and beat
Liverpool in that year's FA Cup final while Fulham were in the backwaters of
the old Third Division. Yet Fulham always had a better ground and a bigger fan-base
than Wimbledon. It is only now, since Wimbledon's relegation from the Premier
League last season and Fulham's great start to this one that the "natural order"
has been restored.
Fulham go to Wimbledon having won 12 of their first 15 league matches of the
season and losing just once. They rattled off 11 wins in their first 11 matches
and after two draws and a defeat, recovered their momentum with a 3-0 win over
Huddersfield last weekend. The money invested in the club by Harrods owner Mohamed
Al Fayed, Fulham's owner since 1997, and the outstanding start they have made
under new French coach Jean Tigana looks like paying handsome dividends come
May. There would have to be a huge collapse in their playing form if they were
to miss out on promotion now.
Collins, who has played at the highest level for Hibs, Celtic, Monaco and
Everton, believes Fulham has what it takes to succeed -- and are expected to
do so. "I think confidence is back again...we're going to Wimbledon looking
to win the game as we always do," he told Reuters in an interview at the club's
training ground. "The key was to bounce out of that situation when we were drawing
and losing as quickly as possible and we have with the win against Huddersfield".
It is perhaps a measure of Fulham's ambition and quality that so much was
made of their dip in form, and it is easy to forget that as recently as 1997
they were in the bottom division. Even during the mini-slump, Fulham picked
up two points but as Collins acknowledged: "A draw's a poor result for us."
Coach Tigana can claim the credit for luring Collins, who played under
him at Monaco, to Craven Cottage. As France's World-Cup winning coach Aime Jacquet
said this week: "I would say that English football has suddenly fallen in love
with French football." Fulham is part of that trend.
Collins is full of praise for his manager, for whom he acts as interpreter
on the training pitch. He believes the Frenchman's pre-season fitness training
has provided a concrete base for the whole season. "With Jean, nothing is
left to chance, we're very well prepared....and without a doubt the players
really enjoy their football." The creative, free-flowing and attacking football
Fulham play reflects Tigana's desire for his players to take risks, free of
post-match blame or criticism. "We've been told by the manager to go out and
express ourselves, every player right from the goalkeeper and fullbacks... if
we lose the ball trying to pass, it's not important," Collins said.
Fine tuning may be needed but Fulham fans have little to complain about so
far. Indeed, they could even send the manager or the owener a token of their
appreciation -- bought from a new website Collins has helped start which enables
loved ones to send gifts to each other. If Fulham are to build another winning
streak, Collins thinks they will have to work hard on their first half performances.
"We have to start games better than we have been starting. We set ourselves
very high standards and we dropped those standards and our concentration levels,"
Collins said.
But overall things could hardly be better with only Watford a point better
off at the top of the table. And who knows, in a few months time someone may
even be sent to search the bowels of Craven Cottage for a set of dusty old flags
that have not seen the light of day since 1968.