Fulhamerica

Exploring the connection between Fulham FC and the United States of America

By Matt Hancock-Bruce

Fulhamerica is a term commonly associated with Fulham Football Club by both media and fans alike. This is in great part due to the players who have represented the side but there was another twist in the tale in 2012 when the club was sold to American businessman Shahid Khan.

This article will explore how the players, the owners and perhaps most importantly, the fans have shaped this iconic connection between Fulham FC and the United States of America.

_{^{Featured image credit: Lokomotive74, via Wikimedia Commons}}

The Fans

With more than 1 million followers on social media Fulham FC are one of the best supported football teams in England, but is this fanaticism replicated across the pond?

_{^{Cottage Talk host Russ Goldman talks us through his connection to the club}}

In exploring the connection between Fulham FC and the United States of America there is perhaps no better authority than Russ Goldman, host of the popular Cottage Talk podcast.

Goldman lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts, just a stone’s throw from the Gillette Stadium – home to New England Revolution of the MLS and the Patriots of the NFL. It was from Goldman’s fanaticism with these two teams that his support for Fulham stemmed. When Clint Dempsey moved from Revolution to Fulham in 2007 Goldman found the club for him.

He said: “As the popularity of the Premier League grew over here, I was still searching for a team to call my own and then Dempsey went to Fulham.

Goldman (right) visits Craven Cottage with friend the day after Fulham's Championship play-off victory in 2018

Goldman (right) visits Craven Cottage with friend the day after Fulham's Championship play-off victory in 2018

A year later Fulham faced relegation and were able to secure survival on the final day of the 2007/08 season in what is now referred to as “the great escape” by the Fulham faithful.

For many American Fulham fans the players play an important role in their connection to the club but Goldman believes there is more to it than that.

He said: “Dempsey was the vehicle but throwing myself into a relegation battle is what really solidified me as a Fulham supporter.

“A lot of supporters have gravitated towards Fulham because of the American presence. That’s the way to get into the team but to really become a supporter I think goes above and beyond that.

“The hardcore Fulham supporters will stay with the club because it’s in their blood and there’s a ton of us over here now.”

Russ Goldman at Craven Cottage in 2012

Russ Goldman at Craven Cottage in 2012

Goldman will be best known among the Fulham fan base as host of the Cottage Talk podcast, which has more than 8,000 followers across Twitter and Facebook.

First launched almost a decade ago, Goldman has been joined by around 30 co-hosts from across the globe to provide coverage on every match and all the major news concerning the club.

He said: “The podcast has actually helped me with being a fan here. It’s not like I can just walk down the street and talk to someone about Fulham. It’s helped to keep my interest and gives me a way to express myself.

“I wanted this not to be an American podcast. It’s a Fulham podcast. I am as passionate as anyone, I just happen to live in America. If there were two of me the other would be living in London.”

The international fan is more connected than ever and perhaps in fact the very phrase 'international fan' is soon becoming a thing of the past.

The Players

11 players have worn the shirts of both Fulham FC first team and the United States men's national team

The heart of the connection between Fulham FC and the United States is in the players that have represented both teams. Over the years a total of 11 players have adorned both the black and white of Fulham and the stars and stripes of America.

The journey begins before the turn of the century with the arrival of Marcus Hahnemann. Hahnemann made a name for himself in the MLS with Seattle Sounders and Colorado Rapids but was unable to cement his place in the Fulham side. Following the arrival of Dutch legend Edwin Van Der Sar, Hahnemann was deemed surplus to requirements and eventually made a permanent departure to Reading FC where he became a staple of the team, playing over 250 times.

An uninspiring start to our journey of Fulhamerica perhaps and the second statesman brings little more to the table. Eddie Lewis played just a handful of times in two years at the club before departing for more successful spells at Preston North End, Derby County and Leeds United.

January 2004 saw the true birth of Fulhamerica. American duo Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra were signed from Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire respectively.

McBride was effectively signed as a replacement for Manchester United-bound Louis Saha who had been one of the side's top players for the past few seasons.

Having already made a name for himself in England with Preston and Everton, McBride wasted little time in settling in to life in South West London scoring five goals in his first half-season. In the following years McBride would feature over 150 times for the club and was named player of the season twice, scoring 40 goals across all competitions before departing in the summer of 2008.

Bocanegra was equally adored by the Fulham fandom. The centreback featured over 130 times and was affectionately referred to as 'the Jackal' for his defensive prowess and ability to score crucial goals, including a match winner versus local rivals Chelsea in 2006.

Like McBride, Bocanegra departed in 2008 but unlike McBride he remained in Europe playing in France before returning to Britain to play for Scottish side Rangers. Now retired, 'Boca' captained the national team more than any other player, wearing the armband on 64 occasions.

Clint Dempsey arrived in January of 2007 ahead of the infamous 07/08 season. While a low point for the club, this was the peak of Fulhamerica. Goalkeeper Kasey Keller joined the club in the summer before forward Eddie Johnson joined the American contingent in the winter transfer window to take the club's total to five American players.

Dempsey led the team's admittedly low scoring charts with six goals while Kasey Keller played a crucial role in the club's late run as they secured survival on the final day with a 1-0 win over Portsmouth.

Keller departed that summer while Johnson never truly starred for Fulham. The tale of Dempsey is another story. The man known as 'Deuce' remained with the club until 2012, making a brief loan return in 2014. Over that period he scored 50 Premier League goals in 189 appearances.

Memorable moments include his iconic lobbed goal in the Europa League against Italian giants Juventus and later his fantastic 2011-12 season in which he notched 17 league goals, making him the fourth highest scorer across the division.

For many, Dempsey's departure left a sour taste but he will undoubtedly go down as a Fulham and Premier League legend - a pioneer for US men's players in Europe. For his native land Dempsey is the all-time top scorer with 57 goals and four-time MLS All Star during his time with both Revolution and Seattle Sounders.

For a few years the Fulhamerican presence was solely among the youth. Emerson Hyndman who spent much of his early career with the club, unable to make the dent many expected of him. Luca de la Torre departed just last year having initially joined the club in 2013, also unable to make his mark.

In 2015 the American Dream was reignited with the signing of Tim Ream from Bolton Wanderers as the club sought to return to the top flight following relegation a year earlier. Ream's career in West London began modestly but in 2017-18 he was named the club's player of the year as they won promotion. Ream struggled in the Premier League as the club was relegated once more but returned to play a crucial part in their re-promotion the following season.

The most recent addition to this tale is Antonee Robinson who joined the club last summer. Nicknamed 'Jedi' the fullback has shown flashes of brilliance in a largely disappointing season for the Whites.

As for the future? There are currently several young Americans in the Fulham academy but across Europe the United States' presence continues to grow with the likes of Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Sergino Dest (Barcelona) and Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund) establishing themselves as some of the top names in the sport.

Brian McBride. ^{Source: JamesGrantGroup, via Wikimedia Commons}

Carlos Bocanegra ^{Source: U.S. Dept. of State, via Wikimedia Commons}

Clint Dempsey ^{Source: Erik Drost, via Wikimedia Commons}

Tim Ream ^{Source: Erik Drost, via Wikimedia Commons}

The Owner

In 2013 Fulham FC were purchased by Pakistani-born American businessman Shahid Khan

_{^{His son Tony currently serves as the club's Director of Football Operations}}

On Friday 12 July 2013 the story of Fulhamerica took an unexpected turn with the arrival of Shahid Khan who became the new owner following a reported £200m deal with the much-loved Mohamed Al-Fayed who departed the club after a successful 16-year stint.

Khan moved to America at 16 and made his wealth in the car industry, today estimated by Forbes to be in excess of eight billion dollars. He was better known however as the eccentric owner of NFL side Jacksonville Jaguars.

Since this time the Jaguars have played an increasing number of their regular season matches in London with a constant stream of rumours linking them with a permanent move to the English capital. The popularity of both the Jaguars and the NFL in the UK has soared since the Khan's takeover.

However, is this bond felt the other way round? For Cottage Talk host Goldman there is no doubt. He recalls going to see Fulham vs DC United in Jacksonville one year after the sale of the club and just weeks after the club’s relegation to the second division was confirmed.

He said: “I met a ton and I mean a ton of Fulham supporters from all over America.

“The presence that Fulham has here in America is much larger than I even thought. All these supporters came to this friendly, even though we had just been relegated.

“Shahid came and met all of us at a restaurant prior to the match – it was an amazing experience.

“From having him on the podcast and meeting him in person that day it solidified my thoughts that he isn’t just in this for the sake of it. He truly wanted this team and believes in it. He is full on and committed to Fulham.”

Shahid Khan has invested heavily in the club, spending many millions on new players alongside the redevelopment of one of Craven Cottage’s stands, which is due to be completed later this year.

Here is a picture with myself and Shahid Khan. pic.twitter.com/wRPLEd4yVW
— Cottage Talk (@CottageTalk) July 27, 2014

When it comes to the Khans at Fulham it is a tale of two generations. Shahid’s son Tony serves as the club’s director of football, a position which has seen him come in for much criticism.

Goldman said: “I think his heart is in the right place. While he’s committed, when you have that job, you have to take the good and the bad with it.

“People have this misconception that because I’ve had him on my show and because I’m an American that no matter what he does, I back. That is absolutely not true.

“I haven’t agreed with every move he’s made and I have been very critical of him.”

With the club faced with an impending third relegation under the Khan regime who knows what the future of Fulhamerica holds.

_{Image credits: Melissa Hillier, via Wikimedia Commons. Keith Allison, via Wikimedia Commons}