Interview: Fulham's Northern Ireland connection

The arrival of Healy & co has seen our support swell thanks to the addition of Northern Ireland fans at the Cottage. FtF caught up with Richard Cathcart, one of the members of the London Northern Ireland Supporters' Club...



Q. There are a very welcome number of green shirts in the crowd at The Cottage now. Does this mean Fulham are now the adopted club for NI fans?
I guess there'll be a mixture between those who have become FFC fans (for however long); those who will adopt them as their Premiership team of choice without really describing themselves as a "fan"; and those (who perhaps already support another Prem team) who will look out for them with particular interest. A few things certainly help; FFC aren't so "controversial" a team as to deter many people, nor provoke the same emotions, as the likes of Chelsea, Leeds, MU, even Millwall, etc. Plus being in London, FFC is more accessible than many clubs and tickets are relatively easy (and cheap!) to come by compared with almost every other Prem side.

Q. How have you been welcomed by the Fulham faithful/the club? Do you have organised trips over for matches?
I have to say, the welcome has been excellent, both unofficially by the fans, and officially by the club. It's a bit of a cliché, but there is definitely more of a community feel around Craven Cottage than most other Prem Clubs - most of whom have their heads stuck up their arses (inc. my own, THFC, I’m sorry to say). When the London NISC approached FFC about buying some Season Tickets for club use, they were v.well received - we even got a couple of freebies for the Bolton game. Plus FFC have added a page on the OS with travel arrangements etc from NI. Top marks all round, I'd say. As for trips from NI, I wouldn't say there will be too many organised trips as such, at least not until the Season is under way and clubs etc have time to make arrangements. But tbh, it's relatively easy for individuals to sort themselves out, meeting up with mates/family etc already in and around London, for a weekend "in the smoke", with football thrown in. Certainly, "The Larrik" at Putney Bridge seems to have been adopted as the regular meeting place, with 2 or 3 dozen NI fans assembling already before/after each game. This may increase as it gets better known.

Q. You’ve been to a few matches at The Cottage, what’s your opinion of the ground and set-up?
Actually, I remember CC from years back when it was open terracing and I have to say that despite my being a mouldy old traditionalist, it's one of the few grounds which has actually improved since it was redeveloped. I guess this is because it has acquired enhanced facilities and comfort, without losing character at the same time. Obviously the listed status of the Johnny Haynes Stand and the Cottage itself helps, as well as the setting. And I like the fact it still has floodlight pylons!Plus if the trek from Seven Sisters Tube up the High Road to White Hart Lane has got to be the dreariest prospect in English football, then the walk from Hammersmith Tube down Fulham Palace Road and onto the Thames Path by the River has got to be one of the most attractive - much better than your typical trudge along congested roads to some featureless "Shoe Box Stadium" in the middle of an Industrial Estate, which is increasingly the case with football clubs these days.Also, I don't know if it's just early-season optimism, but the atmosphere is better than at a lot of clubs with bigger grounds/crowds. (That said, there is NOTHING like Windsor Park on a wet and dark Wednesday night, with a crowd of 14,000 Green and White Army absolutely tearing the place down! If any Fulham fan ever somehow gets the chance of a ticket, take it: it's like nothing you'll ever have seen or experienced, believe me!)

Q. Have there been many NI-Fulham connections in the past – apart from our George Best who also played for a little while in Manchester?
Too be honest, some clubs (e.g. Burnley & MU, or Arsenal before they "went foreign") traditionally enjoy a reasonable connection with NI, whilst others don't. I'm never quite sure why that is, but until now, FFC fell into the latter category. As regards NI players, Best's time at FFC was too brief and long ago to have made much of a lasting impression, but Big Maik Taylor is hugely popular with the GAWA, and I believe was well-liked at CC. (Good keeper and good lad)

Q. We’re yet to see anything of Aaron Hughes. What do you think of him and what can Fulham fans expect when he’s fit and starts playing?
AH is the consumate professional, of the type every club needs, to set an example. In that respect, he's like e.g. Dennis Irwin at MU, or Nigel Winterburn at Arsenal: not the most eyecatching of players, but very consistent and reliable. I imagine he's what Managers term a "Low Maintenance" player.I'm sure LS will pick him as centre back, from where he has long captained NI (though he has played nearly all his club career with Newcastle and Villa at right back)Whatever happens, he'll never be a "Big Time Charlie", nor a troublemaker, and it will only be when you've seen him over a period of time that you'll realise how important he is to the team - especially if they're going through a sticky patch.

Q. Chris Baird has received some mixed reviews from Fulham fans so far. What’s your take on him and where is his best position?
Fair enough, from the 3 1/2 games I've seen him play, CB hasn't been at his best - though he seems to make a miraculous goal-line clearance every game he plays!He started out as a very highly rated young fullback at Southampton, but for a variety of reasons, his career stalled, as the club was in turmoil with Boardroom and Managerial shenanigans . But he stuck by them, until George Burley took over and realised what an unused asset he had, especially at Centre Back. Saints fans loved him, and will tell you he was a "steal" at £3m.I know he has taken the place of a popular player in Rosenior, but I hope the FFC fans don't pick on him, since it never helps. Besides, if LS rates him, then it won't make a blind bit of difference what the fans think - Lawrie will do things his way, or not at all!Anyhow, he was made NI Captain for the first time in Aaron's absence last month and arguably was our Man of the Match (at Centre Back, admittedly).

Q. How good do you think David Healy can be? He has already been nicknamed ‘God’ by Fulham fans! .... Similarly, was Steven Davis worth the money?
In truth, there's no point in asking any NI fan about DH, since we are all totally and utterly biased! As far as we're concerned, he's a Living God. That's it, really. But if you want an explanation for the disparity between his modest club career and his exceptional international career (31 goals in 57 caps - better than Shearer, Rush, Law, etc), I can only give one explanation. DH is not the quickest of players (though no slouch), nor is he a big guy who can lead the line (though no pansy). In truth, there are a few things he can't do.That said, if you provide him with the chances, he is as good a pure finisher as any in England (the best in fact, imo) Which means you need to build the team round him to get the best from him. Leeds have been a total disaster for everyone else who got stranded there, so DH has an excuse (imo). Whereas, LS quickly cottoned onto his talent for NI, with stunning results. I can see why the bigger clubs were wary of trusting their fortunes around one player, but maybe LS feels that FFC, like NI, have no better option, so it's worth a punt (especially for a measly £1m).....My only reservation is that DH needs a big guy to play alongside him, to create space, lead the line, set up chances etc. Brian McBride was the obvious choice (sadly), but I don't think Kamara is. Perhaps Kuqi can fill in until McBride is back, but I fear it's a choice of either Kamara or Healy as the main man up front. And with LS having spent six million big ones from Mo's Piggy Bank, it will be hard to keep Kamara on the bench (unless he's not scoring).....As for wee Stevie Davis, once he settles in, gets used to London, his team mates and (most importantly) playing regularly, don't you worry, you've got a real gem there - Grand Larceny at £4m! In fact, unless something goes drastically wrong, your only problem will be keeping him when the big clubs come sniffing around after a season or two. (Alex Ferguson was very interested the season before last, when SD was Villa's POTY, but they wouldn't sell. Then O'Neill came along and clearly just didn't take to the lad, preferring that overpriced, overrated steaming heap of Bulgarian dung, Stilian Petrov...)In my opinion, Davis is the most all-round, naturally talented of the four NI guys at Fulham.Anyhow, you're probably thinking that I'm all those guys' Agent or something, since I've built them up so large! But in assessing Lawrie's NI buys, Fulham fans shouldn't think that he was being sentimental or rose-tinted: far from it! Instead, like that old TV advert which told us "It's the fish John West reject, which make John West fish the Best", it's the NI players whom LS hasn't signed which are the real mark of the ones he did. (Or to put it a simpler way, he has only signed the best NI players and in truth, four is not very many from a team which is currently on a bit of a roll)

Q. It must be great being a NI follower at the moment, how confident are you that you’ll be at Euro 2008…you might well be the only British team there!
In truth, it's Dreamland being in the Green and White Army these days! Think back to the bad old days at Fulham, when you were in the old 4th Division, crowds of 3,000, the ground looking like being sold, no hope anywhere to be seen etc...Then think about your best ever time at Fulham - getting back into the top Division....Well we've had exactly the same transformation, only in a shorter period, if anything (certainly many fewer games). And the thing is, it's with basically the same players!When LS took over a little over four years ago, we were 126 in the world in FIFA's rankings. Now we're 27th (and rising!) At the start of this Euro2008 Campaign, we were seeded 6th in our Group - behind Latvia and Iceland ffs! Now we're three big results from five games from qualifying in second place for the Finals (imo), ahead of Denmark (likely) and Spain (maybe), but behind Sweden (probably).In truth, we'll probably finish third, by a point or two, but what the Hell? It has been as enjoyable a time to follow Our Wee Country as I can ever remember - and it's 37 years since I first went to Windsor to watch them play. (Five-Nil vs Cyprus, with a certain G.Best notching a hattrick, now that you ask!)As for the other "home" countries qualifying, Scotland will probably just come up short, in an absolute killer group; Wales have less than zero chance; the Republic of Ireland will come third as the "Best of the Rest" (but miles behind Germany & the Czechs). And as for England... Oh dear, I really don't want to intrude on private grief, but let's just say that much more of Steve McClaren, and before long you'll be thinking fondly back to the good old days, under that Swede, or even the Turnip... (I mean to say, Emile Heskey. Just what is the guy thinking?)As it happens, such is the other rubbish in your Group, England might just scrape through to qualify, but that just means you will be stuck with McClaren that little bit longer, whilst your ultimate humiliation is played out on a bigger stage in Austria or Switzerland, for all to see.Sorry.

Q. Based on what you’ve seen so far, where do you think Fulham will finish this season – and feel free to be honest!
Tenth, give or take a place or two. And Sanchez will be raging at missing out on Europe. (He's a very focused, determined and ambitious man, is our Lawrie)

Q. Are there any other NI superstars that we should be looking at? Particularly the younger players at club we don’t hear much about.
Man Utd have three or four youngsters, inc. Jonny Evans, his brother Corry, and Craig Cathcart, who might just have what it takes to go all the way in the game. In which case, you've no chance of signing them. But if any should fall just short, they might come within Fulham's orbit. Beyond that, Lawrie has already put in a bid (said to be £3m or £4m, depending on who you believe) for young Kyle Lafferty at Burnley. He's a 20 year old Centre Forward in the Shearer mould, though not so precocious as he was, partly because he's still growing (He's 6' 4"!). Still got a huge lot to learn, and I'm sure Lawrie saw him as one for the future, but his attitude is good and he's getting well looked after by Burnley, who feel they've got a prospect on their hands.The other player you should watch is Chris Brunt, a left winger who's just signed for WBA from SheffWed for £3m (Lawrie was interested, but might have feared a price war, so signed Boazza and/or Cook, instead).Brunt was a highly rated youngster at Boro, whose misfortune was to be a contemporary of Stewart Downing. Downing, a local lad, was just that bit ahead of Brunt, who never really got his chance. Brunt then drifted for a couple of seasons at Wednesday, before emerging again over the last 18 months.My guess is that if he doesn't get promotion this season or next with WBA, then he might hope to make the Premiership, probably not with a top side, but perhaps for a middling team, who are prepared to take a punt. Fulham, perhaps? (Btw, don't be put off by his lazy appearance. Although he makes Chris Waddle look like Billy Whizz, it's kinda deceptive. I think. I hope. Or maybe not.)...Anyhow, there you go. Perhaps you wish you hadn't asked! I'm off to Latvia over the weekend, on manoeuvres with the Green and White Army. God knows how that will turn out, but win, lose or draw, I've no doubt our boys will do us proud - not least with the help of our "Thameside Battallion"!

Our grateful thanks to Richard (he's the one on the right hand side of the picture bottom right sheltering under the brolly) - and to the London NISC chairman Neal Anderson (in the top picture making a presentation to Lawrie) - for their help in this article and for supplying the photographs. Why not call into their blog http://londonnisc.blogspot.com/ - or better still, buy them a pint at the Larrick!