This season has been my favourite as a Fulham fan. Super results domestically and in Europe has me in tears on several occasions! Many of this years events could be my highlights. For example, beating Manchester United for the second year in a row was amazing. A victory at FC Basel to put us through to the knockout stages of the Europa League was awesome as well. Fulhams miraculous comeback against Juventus was one that had me pinching myself to make sure it wasn’t a dream! Roy Hodgson signing a new contract and Bobby Zamora becoming one of Englands most wanted strikers are memories that will never leave me.
But I have to say that out of all the happy times this season, my highlight has got to be the Hamburg game at the Cottage. My dad and I sat in our living room on opposite sides of our sofa, both to scared to break the silence. It was a tense game and I was actually shaking at parts of it! Whenever Murphy gave away a pointless freekick outside the box I remember saying to my dad, “Surely its too far out to trouble Marky.” But he simply replied, “But Petric is a good player though.” The quality of his free kick is undenyable but it silenced the Craven Cottage crowd, although thankfully for only a few minutes! Afterall, when do Fulham make things easy for themselves? I watched as Fulham tried to get themselves back into the game but half time came with the score at 1-0.
Although, perhaps out of desperate hope, I still believed that Fulham could get back into the game. My belief was obviously mirrored by those watching the game at the Cottage as everyone stood and sang “Stand up if you still believe!” I took the cue and stood in my living room with my extremly out dated scarf (bought so long ago that Leeds were still in the PL) held above my head. No more than 3mins later, Fulham equalized with a super goal from Simon Davies. I went exstatic! I had not celebrated like that about a Fulham goal ever. At least not until the winner came. Zoltan Gera has been excellent this year and it was fitting that he should score the winner. It was that moment that makes this my highlight this year. The adrenaline that went through me, I actually sprinted out the living room and out into the garden! I just couldn’t contain myself. Upon re-entering my living room I saw my dad sitting laughing on the sofa saying, “I’ve waited so long for this as a Fulham Fan!” Even my mum started celebrating. There was joy at the final whistle as well as the ultimate European run had taken us right to the final.
This game was my highlight because everyone associated with Fulham felt the same way. The players, the fans, the manager, the chairman…everyone. We were one. One big family.
I can identify with you. I live in greater New Orleans, Louisiana. When the Saints won the game against the Minnesota Vikings just to get TO the Super Bowl, we did the same thing. And again going to the Super Bowl. Now the Saints are only as old as I am, as a club, but many of us have waited our entire lives for this, as our team has been a laughing stock for most of its history.
My highlight was Zamora’s goal against Shakhtar. Sat in the Hammy End, followed the ball right from his foot into the top corner, it flew directly in line with me. Shakhtar were playing the best football I have ever seen at the cottage (I still think they were the best team we played all season) and I wasn’t too confident against them. But when that goal went in, even if we had gone on to lose that game, it wouldnt have mattered. The cottage erupted. Not only was it my favourite goal of the season, it was my moment of the season.