Good afternoon to everyone who has joined us today for our first home game of the 2024-2025 campaign. It is my honour to welcome back our loyal Fulham Football Club supporters for another season in the Premier League, our third consecutive appearance in top-flight football. I am also pleased to welcome to Craven Cottage the travelling supporters from Leicester City as their club returns to the Premier League just one year after relegation. All of this combined with our unparalleled setting on the River Thames guarantees a fantastic environment for today’s match!
Making the afternoon even more special, however, will be the return of Bobby De Cordova-Reid to Craven Cottage. It’s a challenge to describe Bobby’s career during his five seasons at Fulham, because – no exaggeration – he did it all. What will not be difficult is showing our appreciation for Bobby’s service to our Club. No matter the manager, and no matter the assignment, Bobby delivered with good spirit and outstanding performances. I look forward to applauding Bobby De Cordova-Reid and know that I will be far from alone in showing our respect and gratitude. Thank you, Bobby, and may you have a rewarding new chapter at Leicester City!
I was impressed with our debut at Manchester United on 16 August. The result was a disappointment, of course, but there was much to like, particularly our excellent start and fearless play. The spirit that was evident within the squad through training and our pre-season matches in Portugal and Germany was on full display at Old Trafford, a tribute to our Head Coach Marco Silva and our players alike. We were reminded that the returning core of our team is strong, and our first look at Emile Smith Rowe wearing a Fulham shirt in Premier League action was extremely encouraging, as we expected.
We will continue to consider smart options to strengthen our roster through the balance of the summer transfer window, as we do annually. For now, though, I’d like to take this moment to acknowledge the five players we have acquired, all of whom will play important roles immediately and into the future.
Emile Smith Rowe represents a record transfer spend for Fulham, underlining our intention to invest in the First Team and our ambition to thrive in the Premier League. Emile arrived from Arsenal to make an instant impact in the friendlies vs. Sevilla and Hoffenheim, and we all hope his Craven Cottage debut this afternoon will offer more of the same.
Jorge Cuenca joins Fulham from Villarreal, where he gained vast experience as a left-sided centre-half and left-back while helping his squad reach the knockout stages of the Europa League just last season. Jorge is only 24 years old and strengthens the spine of our setup, which will always be a priority. It’s fantastic to have someone like Jorge, whose future is bright and will be realised here at Fulham.
Sander Berge arrived via transfer from Burnley earlier this week. Sander answers our need for a defensive midfielder and is no stranger to Premier League competition, having played for Sheffield United prior to his time at Burnley. Sander played every minute in both of our matches vs. Burnley last season, highlighted by a goal here at the Cottage just before Christmas. We are thrilled Sander is now on our side!
What a pleasure it is to welcome back Joachim Andersen to Fulham Football Club from Crystal Palace. Joachim has played centre back for club and country, and his positive impact here while on loan in 2020-2021 from Lyon was such that he became a fan favourite, even though we rarely saw him play in person due to the pandemic. Joachim excelled throughout that challenging campaign, fighting for Fulham on loan with the same spirit as though we were his boyhood Club. Joachim is now truly with Fulham, and that’s fantastic news for our back line and the entire squad.
Finally, Ryan Sessegnon is home. I spent time with Ryan and his family several weeks ago at Motspur Park, and it was an immensely joyous moment for all of us. The key factor, however, is what Ryan can and will contribute to Fulham on the pitch. That’s what enthuses me the most, and Ryan expressed the same. To Emile, Jorge, Sander, Joachim and Ryan, we are delighted that you now call Fulham Football Club your home. And, in Ryan’s case, happy homecoming!
Welcome, also, to Gonçalo Santos, who joins Marco’s staff following the departure of Luis Boa Morte. Gonçalo played for Marco when both were at Estoril and they are together again, illustrating the importance of trust and relationships in football.
In addition to Bobby De Cordova-Reid, we have said farewell to five other players who represented Fulham with distinction. Best wishes to Willian and Tosin, both of whom capably played crucial roles for us since our return to the Premier League in 2022. Marek Rodák was a Fulham Academy product with a magnificent disposition, always putting the team first. Marek’s performance in goal during our title season in the Championship was sensational, and he leaves with my deepest respect.
The spark and determination João Palhinha offered Fulham will never be forgotten. Few play football like João and, for that reason, we were far from surprised that João was attracting the attention of the world’s biggest clubs early in his tenure at Fulham. We concluded that the right thing for the player and Club was to do business that would benefit both. We feel we have done that with an incoming transfer fee that has the potential to be the largest in our team’s history, surpassing the previous mark set just a year ago. Thank you, João, for a two-year shift at Fulham that was intense, thrilling and memorable.
Finally, it seemed we would never say goodbye to Tim Ream, such was his reliability on the pitch and presence within our Club over nine seasons at FFC. Whatever the occasion was, Tim was there – to make a long pass with uncanny precision, to head a ball away from danger (and direct it to a teammate), to lead, to comfort, and to represent the values upon which Fulham Football Club is founded. There are too many warm memories to recite here, so I will just summarise for now that if ever someone defined the term servant, it was Tim Ream. Tim is now home in the United States with his beautiful family and new team, Charlotte FC, but he will always have a home here at Fulham and we look forward to receiving him at Craven Cottage in the future. Thank you, Tim!
There is one more player exit from Fulham that deserves recognition. Mary Southgate departed last month after more than 150 appearances for the Fulham Women’s Team, which she captained on the pitch and served as its ultimate ambassador away from the game. Fulham was Mary’s childhood club, and we hope it will remain so. Thank you for your brilliance and service, Mary!
The Fulham Women’s Team made quite a statement in its first outing of the new campaign with a dominant 6-0 victory over Barking at Craven Cottage earlier this week. We welcome newcomers Stella Gandee Morgan, Evie Gane, Charlyann Pizzarello, Lily Stevens and Amber Webber, and I wish all of our players and Head Coach Steve Jaye all the best in their next match Sunday at Motspur Park vs. Millwall.
One final but important note on the Fulham Women’s Team. Last week we announced that All Elite Wrestling, or AEW, would be the front-of-shirt sponsor for the current season. AEW is a family business announced in early 2019 that today enjoys global popularity and success that many observers deemed unimaginable, given the number of failed professional wrestling start-ups over many years and the worldwide pandemic that severely complicated AEW’s launch. Undeterred, AEW prevailed.
Today we are hosting a number of AEW athletes at Craven Cottage ahead of our return this Sunday to Wembley Stadium for the second edition of AEW All In London, which last year shattered multiple records across the professional wrestling industry. Fans representing 70 countries packed Wembley for a globally televised pay-per-view event that created history in 2023, and I hope you’ll take the opportunity on Sunday to experience the magic and spectacle of AEW at Wembley yourself. You will not be disappointed!
The reception to the AEW-branded shirts for the Fulham Women’s Team, from players and supporters alike, has been outstanding. For that, I thank you. What is more important, however, is everything the AEW sponsorship represents. AEW proudly features a deep roster of women athletes, and this partnership is making a stand for the continued progression of women excelling in sport. It is also an investment in the continued growth of FFC Women, consistent with our recent decision to transfer the program at the Club from Foundation to Performance. Together with AEW, we will continue to identify new and creative means to elevate the Fulham Women’s Team during the season ahead, and I encourage everyone to visit fulhamfc.com for the list of fixtures so you can make plans to join us soon for home match at Motspur Park.
It was a pleasure to support England on its journey to the final of the UEFA European Championship, take in Copa América in the United States, and follow men’s and women’s football during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. For fascination and excitement, however, nothing compares to the Premier League. I’m glad it’s back and that we’re able to share it together today at Craven Cottage, home to London’s Original Football Club. Whether you’re a season ticket holder or attending your first match with us, thank you for your support and let’s have fun this season!
Come On, Fulham!
