A trip to Fulham

Last night, I paid a visit to Craven Cottage to see Fulham versus Arsenal with an Arsenal friend, Jon Williams. I had got us some good seats because at the start of the season, Fulham FC had sent me a Stadium Card - they had kept me on their books from two seasons past when I went there (again in the Hammersmith End) to watch them play Newcastle (the Magpies won 3-1). We were ten minutes late in arriving and just as we got to the outside of the stadium, we heard a massive roar go up. So we missed the opening goal. At first we thought that must be a Fulham goal, then we heard the Arsenal support pipe up so we thought again, but getting in inside it was Fulham who had opened the scoring, Brian McBride doing the honours. They went on to win 2-1, a first league victory over Arsenal since 1962. I had a good, old time cheering on Fulham, finding it amusing to see them humble Arsenal. Jon was not so enamoured but kept his feelings in check until after the game. The only goal we saw our end was the Arsenal goal by Robin Van Persie, a free kick which curled in (deceptively-looking slowly) and just beyond Antii Niemi who got his fingertips to it. The Gooner support had a good view of Fulham's two goals, of which Arsenal could only halve the deficit and despite being the other end of the pitch, I could see Tomas Radzinski's goal was well-taken. I read this morning in one of the match commentaries that this was one of Arsenal's worst performances in a decade, but Fulham did well and it was an enjoyable, full-blooded match that the home players gave.