Our Guys in SW6
Daniel Crawford har intervjuat Tom Greatrex angående arenafrågan. En saga som aldrig tycks ta slut.
Tom Greatrex is a busy man. Hopping from one channel to another, representing Fulham fans at a Greater London Authority hearing as well as holding down a full-time job, would leave many exhausted. As spokesperson for Back to the Cottage, Greatrex forms a crucial link between Fulham, their fans and the media – one that the club’s PR department have handled badly over recent years as their performances on the field have increased beyond recognition.
An outsider might not understand just how important Craven Cottage is and how the old ground but the Cottage is a throwback to the days when football wasn’t a business, when money wasn’t the common denominator and a time when fans and players shared a common bond. "The setting is unique and beautiful – by the river and with a walk through the park," says Greatrex. "There is a real charm associated with the place that must be unique amongst football grounds. There are a significant number of fans whose love for the club, stems not from their footballing achievements but from the ground itself. Over the past 15-20 years there have been so many different plots to move Fulham Football Club away from Cottage, by a mixture of luck and determination – the decline of the property market in the 1980s and the brilliant support of the local council – have meant that one or another the Club have stayed at the Cottage. This has helped to reinforce Craven Cottage and the special place it occupies in Fulham fans’ hearts."
The move to Loftus Road was originally scheduled to be a temporary arrangement to allow Fulham’s traditional home to be rebuilt, but with journalists uncovering plots to sell the ground behind the fans’ backs, there has been a suspicion it could become a permanent abode. This has encouraged fans to take matters into their own hands, as they have on too many occasions in the past, to try and secure a return. Yet, Greatrex remains keen to point out that this is not a response to conditions in Shepherd’s Bush.
"No Fulham fans have anything against Loftus Road. But crowds have gone down, it difficult to get to and people are crammed inside the stadium. The most salient point is that Loftus Road is not our home and I’m sure QPR fans would feel the same if they were groundsharing at Craven Cottage."
‘Closer than we think’ … Recent developments might have made a return to Craven Cottage more realistic
The recent decision not to extend Jean Tigana’s contract hinted at cost-cutting and, as claimed in the last issue of Sportscene, the club are now seriously considering a cheap return to the Cottage. The relocation of their multi-million pound benefactor to Switzerland after his failed attempt to become a British citizen and reports of disharmony within the club have undoubtedly been partly caused by the uncertainty surrounding Craven Cottage. As Greatrex puts it: "Fulham fans are best placed to comment on how off-the-field uncertainty affected the team on the field. Perhaps, the best example of this is 1996, when the freehold of the ground was within the club’s grasp and immediate threat [of eviction] had receded. Micky Adams put together a team that stormed the Third Division after a low last year and the ‘feelgood factor’ was back. The atmosphere around the club has a massive effect on the players even though they say they are professionals and one of the reasons is related to where we play our games."
One of the major problems for Back to the Cottage was always going to be that they would have to form a working relationship with the management of the club. Greatrex admits that contact ‘hasn’t been brilliant,’ but hopes that recent developments leave a return to the Cottage ‘closer than we all think’.
"Everything that’s unfolded over the last couple of the years shows how far apart the fans and the Club are and if I had a choice, I wouldn’t want to be involved in Back To The Cottage, and having to be criticising the club, their decisions and the timing of their statement. Everyone at Back to the Cottage is a Fulham fan first. There has been a breakdown in the relationship between the supporters and club. It is not good for the club and both supporters’ group should sort it out. A better atmosphere around the club could have a positive impact on the results on the pitch."
Some fans have blamed Back to the Cottage for causing the departure of Al-Fayed and implied that the group has always had an anti-Fayed motive. According to Greatrex, nothing could be further from the truth. "Back to the Cottage has been about getting back to Craven Cottage," he insists. "It is not anti-Club, anti-chairman, or anti anyone. It is just about getting back to Craven Cottage – Fulham’s historic home, where they should be playing and because there is no viable alternative. Just because we are against the club over Craven Cottage doesn’t mean we are not ‘proper supporters’. I think it shows the exact opposite. It shows the amount of dedication and passion fans have – the extent that people care about the football club and how it progresses. It is about getting back to the Cottage and if the Club and the fans can work together to achieve that, then we can concentrate on supporting the team on the pitch."
Greatrex also refutes the popular myth that the group wants to see Fulham returning to the team they were only seven years ago, struggling for support at the Cottage and on the brink of extinction. "I don’t think I’m usual amongst the fans in saying I want to see Fulham Football Club playing at a higher level as possible. I didn’t expect to reach the UEFA Cup third round, get to the FA Cup semi-finals and play in the Premiership. I have enjoyed the revival in our on-the-pitch fortunes and I don’t want to go back to Division Two or Three because it wasn’t enjoyable. But a return to Craven Cottage doesn’t automatically mean Division 3 football. The obvious example of this is Charlton Athletic who play at the Valley, their traditional home, have been successful in the Premiership, play in front capacity crowds, and have just announced a small profit. They are a community club and the fans have a sense ownership of the club. Fulham has not ever been and will never be the ‘Manchester United of the South’ (one of Al-Fayed’s catchphrases when he arrived) because we are medium-sized London club and we should instead concentrate on being the Charlton of South west London."
Back to the Cottage have recently formed a Supporters’ Trust, like seventy of the other professional sides in the country. "It’s really about trying to represent views on the supporters," reveals Greatrex. "We are focussed on the ground issue at the moment, because it is the most fundamental issue, but we want to represent the views of the supporters as a democratic organisation. I hope the Trust would continue at Craven Cottage to representing the fans at Craven Cottage – fans views are properly represented and supported by the Club. Managers come and go very quick, chairmen don’t last forever but the fans will always be there for ever. There is a way forward to make sure that Fulham Football Club and fans are on the same side again."
Greatrex has fond m
