The first former Fulham player to manage the club was Andy Ducat. He was appointed in May 1924 and was one of the most distinguished sporting figures in Britain.
A Londoner from Brixton, he played for Brewery Road and Compton House Schools, Westcliff Athletic and Southend Athletic, before signing for Arsenal (and Kelso) in 1905. He was just 19 years old and scored a hat-trick on his debut.
A year later, he joined Surrey County Cricket club, and he ran the two careers side by side until his retirement from football in 1924. Arsenal sold him to Aston Villa in June 1912 for £1,500 to ease the club's crippling debts and he unluckily broke a leg which kept him out of the 1913 Cup Final. By the time he signed for Fulham (and Kelso) for £2,000 in May 1921, Ducat had won six England caps as a footballer, played once for the Test cricket side and captained Villa to the FA Cup in 1920.
A dispute with the Villa board who wanted him to live closer to Birmingham led to his move to Fulham, and between 1921 and 1924, Ducat played 68 times at wing half. His experience, stature and popularity with players and supporters made him a natural choice to succeed Kelso.
Unfortunately it was a bad move for all concerned. He inherited a struggling team which, even after many changes, continued to struggle. A run in FA Cup to the quarter finals in 1925-6 provided some relief but the very indifferent League form cost him his job. In May 1926, Ducat became the first Fulham manager to be sacked.
When he left the Cottage, Ducat was re-instated as an amateur and turned out for Casuals. He continued playing cricket for Surrey until 1931, coached at Eton College and reported on football and cricket for a national newspaper throughout the 1930s. In July 1942, whilst batting at Lords for the Army, he collapsed after lunch and died. He was 56.