WFC Fulham 2008-09 Season

National Premier League: 12th, relegated.
League Cup: 4th round; Chelsea a. 0-3
FA Cup: 4th round; Everton a. 0-4

Highlight:
2-1 win away to Blackburn Rovers, 19/4/09

Low Spot:
0-7 defeat away to Doncaster Belles, 31/8/08

Good:
Gemma Fraser
Provided most of Fulham‘s goals and almost all their threat during a difficult season.
Katie McIntyre
Fulham’s defence is probably its’ strong point and McIntyre was particularly impressive with her commitment and endeavour in the face of adversity. Works tirelessly but also has decent ability and is useful in midfield as well as being solid at full back or centre half.

In Brief:
WFC Fulham are a team that are doing well simply to survive following the withdrawal of funding by the mens’ club a few years ago and they had probably surpassed expectations by returning to The National Premier League at the first attempt in 2007-08. The major reason for that success was the prolific goalscoring of Ann Marie Heatherson, however, and when she decided on a move to Millwall Lionesses in the summer it left Fulham desperately short of top flight class and experience.
Not surprisingly the season was a struggle from start to finish with the club never really looking capable of pulling off a shock and avoiding relegation.
The spirit within the club remains outstanding and hopefully the club can continue to develop. Although it is no fun losing almost every week many of the clubs’ players looked to have grown stronger during the course of the campaign and the experience probably won’t have done them any harm in the long term.

Fulham Ladies FC were formed in 1993 and entered the Greater London League in Division Four.

By 2000 they were Greater London Premier League Champions, thereby winning promotion to the South East Combination League.

At this point the chairman of Fulham FC, Mohammad Al Fayed, took the decision to turn the Ladies team full time professional and launched the club into three years total dominance of the English game.

In 2001 Fulham Ladies won every game they played in the South East Combination League and also beat Arsenal Ladies in the final of the London County Cup.

They also made it to the final of the FA Womens Cup but fell to a 0-1 defeat to Arsenal Ladies.

In 2002 Fulham also remained unbeaten in becoming National Premier League South champions, scoring 234 goals in the process and conceding only 6!

The also retained the London County Cup as well as winning both the Premier League Cup (7-1 against Birmingham City Ladies) and the FA Womens Cup (2-1 against Doncaster Belles).

In 2003 they recorded the domestic treble of National Premier League, Premier League Cup and FA Womens Cup.

At this point, however, Al Fayed moved the club back to a semi professional basis and their dominance instantly ceased.

Fulham Ladies reached the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup in 2004, losing on aggregate to Frankfurt, and also made it to the final of the Premier League Cup only to lose 0-1 to Charlton Athletic Ladies.

The club has now lost most of its' big name players and is striving to consolidate its place in the Premier League with a side of promising youngsters backed up by a selection of experienced players.

Big hopes are held out for players such as Dunia Susi, a teenage forward captured from Arsenal Ladies, and Jess Wright, already the club captain at 22.

These players are complemented by established players like Justine Lorton, a former England international, and the experienced ex Doncaster Belles and Leeds United Ladies goalkeeper, Leanne Hall.

Hoping to keep the club moving forward is manager Marieanne Spacey, winner of 91 England caps as a player, who took charge in 2003, just as Al Fayed was tightening his purse strings. Spacey would appear to be doing a fine job in difficult circumstances.