COME ON YOU WHITES!

I am quite sure to our readers the title of this entry doesn't sound very PC. "Come on You Whites" is, however, what we were chanting today at our first "footie" match with Jean Franczyk and Chris Hall. Our friends invited us to join them at the Fulham v. Everton match this afternoon. Chris had to educate us on the ins and outs of football matches and mostly how the leagues work. Fulham was dangerously close to being "relegated," which means they are very low in the standings and risk being sent down a league. John, naturally, compared this to when a player gets sent back to AAA ball from the majors in baseball.

We saw quite a match! Thanks to a brilliant second-half "header" by team captain Brian McBride, (from Arlington Heights, IL incidentally) Fulham defeated Everton 1-0. This win saved Fulham from being relegated, for now anyway.

Here are Chris and John with the clappers/banners. These nifty give-aways, when folded like a fan, are slapped against hands, knees, the seats in front of you, etc. to make a very loud noise in the stands. Then when you pull the fan apart it becomes a banner to hold up proudly in support of Fulham.


Fulham has a mascot - a badger. But they are not called the Fulham Badgers so we were not exactly sure why they bother with having an oversized badger running about the pitch.

Throughout the game there is constant noise...the clappers, stomping, chanting ("come on Fulham" "come on you whites") and singing. A couple of "superfans" in front of us taught Jean and I one of the many songs..."hello, hello, we are the boys of Fulham, hello hello...blah blah blah blah" - superfan says, "we don't really know the rest, we just sing whatever." Alright then, we can do that!

Another interesting fact about the Fulham Football Club, the team's Chairman is Mohamed Al Fayed. In fact, the crowd erupted into a song that just repeats "Al Fayed" over and over. Very nice.

Being a very typical day in London, it was cold, cloudy and rainy. It was absolutely pouring during the game - thankfully the stands at Fulham's stadium, Craven Cottage, are covered so we remained dry but the wind whipped right through the stands and left quite a chill. By the time the game was over it "cleared up" which meant it stopped pouring, but the wind and clouds remained. After the game we stopped for hot coffees, hot chocolates and brownies before heading to the tube.

We had an absolutely great day with wonderful friends - many thanks Jean and Chris!
COME ON FULHAM!!