Richard Carpenter has formally joined Fulham from Gillingham this afternoon – with the Whites having to pay an initial £25,000 to sign the midfielder and another £10,000 should he make forty first-team appearances.
Gillingham claimed that Carpenter, who made 142 appearances in four years at Priestfield after coming through the Kent’s club youth-team programme, walked out on them to move to Craven Cottage earlier this month. The independent tribunal rejected that interpretation of events on the basis of personal testimony from the 23 year-old and dismissed Gillingham’s request for a fee of £125,000.
Carpenter’s contract with the Gills had expired at the end of last season and he opted to join Fulham for more regular game-time after talks with manager Micky Adams. The combative midfielder is expected to make his debut for his new club at Darlington on Saturday afternoon.
