Next up in our Get To Know feature series, we spoke to Iván, secretary of Fulham Spain, to find out more about another one of our Official International Supporters Groups.
How did your affiliation with Fulham start?
For me and most Fulham fans from Spain, the first time we could watch Fulham's games was the 2010 Europa League. The first game I watched was against Juventus and from that moment I had the feeling that this Club had a kind of greatness and resilience.
Then in the final against Atlético de Madrid, I was probably one of the only people in Spain rooting for the Whites, since then Fulham has always been a part of my life. Then in 2019, I decided to create a platform through social media to let people from my country know a bit more about Fulham.
How did you build the group/find other members?
Throughout the years, especially when my affiliation began, it was difficult to follow Fulham through TV. The only way to find out about the Club's performance was to look for info through English media and social media accounts. It wasn't until April 2019 when I decided that I would like to help people have easier access to Fulham performances through social media in Spanish, so creating our Twitter account. Through this platform I started to connect with fellow Fulham fans across Spain, even meeting on video calls and in person.
How do you keep up with all the action?
As of two seasons ago, a new TV deal between the Premier League and a Spanish channel has helped a lot of Spanish people to watch Fulham's games much easier. But I still have a little affection for when I had to listen to the games through radios from the UK!
Nowadays, I try to plan for Fulham's games on a monthly basis, writing a bit about what we can expect and posting some photos on game days.
Have you ever experienced Craven Cottage?
I had the pleasure of visiting Craven Cottage a few summers ago during my holidays and I was really impressed by the feeling of real football I had when walking around the stadium. Unfortunately, I've never been to a match and haven't felt the atmosphere of a game day, but hopefully I'll be able to attend a Fulham's Premier League match soon!
What is your all-time favourite Fulham moment?
A lot of Fulham moments have stayed in my memory forever and the UEL tie against Juve is one of them for sure, but if I have to pick my all-time favourite Fulham moment it has to be the 2020 Championship final in Wembley against Brentford. I remember Joe Bryan's freekick goal as one of my happiest moments and being able to share this feeling with the group as Fulham Spain was up and running.
What’s the best way for other Fulham fans to get in contact with you?
The best way to contact Fulham Spain is definitely through our Twitter account @FulhamSpain, where we are active through the week and especially during Fulham match days. We also have an email account (fulhamspain@gmail.com) and we are setting up an Instagram account (@fulhamspain) which we plan to be more active on from next season.
To find out more about Fulham Spain, you can view their page here.
To view a full list of Fulham's Official Supporter Clubs and find out how you can get involved, click here.
To get in touch with us and make your group officially recognised by the Club, please email supportergroups@fulhamfc.com.