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Blackpool lost 5-1 to Chelsea; Burnley 6-1 to Manchester United, Stoke 6-1 to Liverpool; and Blackburn Rovers 8-2 to West Ham United. In total 66 goals were scored that day, including West Bromwich Albion 4-4 Tottenham Hotspur; Bolton Wanderers 3-3 Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest 3-3 Sheffield United. This was the highest number of goals scored in a single day in the history of the football league. And the highest-scoring game wasn’t any of the above. 11 goals were scored at Craven Cottage as Fulham beat Ipswich Town 10-1.
This isn’t the only record Fulham hold. They are the oldest London club in the Premiership; have the record defeat of any FA Cup semi-final after losing 6-0 to Newcastle United in 1907; they signed one of the first non-British players (the Egyptian stiker ‘Heggy’ Hegazi); they were the first club to sell hot dogs and, in 1999/2000 and 2000/2001, they became the first club to reach 100 points two seasons in a row. And in 2011 they became the first, and only, club to erect a statute of controversial musical superstar Michael Jackson.
Jackson was a friend of Fulham’s now ex-chairman and owner, Mohammed Al-Fayed. Al-Fayed owned Harrods, London’s world famous department store. Jackson was a frequent visitor to the store and once, when he was visiting London, Al-Fayed persuaded him to watch a game at Craven Cottage. Jackson was not a fan of football, or Fulham, but he did say:
‘Fulham fans were like people at my concerts. I wanted to jump up and start dancing’ (Reported in The Guardian).
Getting up and dancing is a common feeling for those watching Fulham – particularly if they are black and white.
In 2008, Fulham’s mascot, Billy The Badger, was sent off during a game against Aston Villa after referee, Chris Foy, spotted the black and white bodger-baiter was spotted breakdancing at the corner flag. Billy was suitably contrite, he apologized to Foy, and then blamed his nocturnal vision and poor hearing for not knowing the game had started. Billy, for the avoidance of doubt, is not a real badger…
Fulham supporters ‘official’ anthem is ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ by Andy Williams which is played at the final whistle if Fulham win. No Michael Jackson songs are played.
Today, the team usually walk down the tunnel to ‘Palladio’ by ‘Escala’ and they emerge for the second-half to ‘I’ve Got a Feeling’ by ‘Black Eyed Peas’ or ‘London Calling’ by ‘The Clash’.
But it is ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ that has lasted. And, as Fulham are the only team in the football league to sing it, it is unique, just like a Michael Jackson statue.
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About the Author
After too many years as season ticket holder at Parkhead, Andy Todd renounced the SPL three years ago to support Queens Park. One team is a rank bunch of amateurs who play in a state of the art stadium and the other is…(I think we can all see where this is going).
Andy has been performing comedy for 18 months but is currently ‘between gigs’ while he writes a book on Scottish property law to be published in Summer 2012. Its potential audience will be less than 300 but his mum will be very proud.
Follow Andy on Twitter: @toddandy
Check out Andy’s website: www.toddandy.com
Nice article, although they only scored 61 points in the 99/00 season. It was the seaosn before that in div 2 (98/99) where they scored over 100. good article though!
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