After defeating the twenty-time

After defeating the twenty-time Italian champions Juventus on 18 March, Fulham advanced to the quarterfinals against reigning German champions Wolfsburg. On 1 April, Fulham defeated Wolfsburg 2–1 in the first leg of the two-legged home-and-away series. Sony VAIO VGN-NW320F/TC Battery

Zamora and Damien Duff scored within five minutes of each other in the second half, while Wolfsburg defender Alexander Madlung scored two minutes from time to cut the deficit in half. One week later at Wolfsburg, Zamora struck again, this time in the first minute to give Fulham an overall 3–1 lead in the series. Sony VAIO VGN-NW35E Battery

Wolfsburg were unable to overturn the two goal deficit, and Fulham advanced to the semi-finals of the Europa League. On 22 April, following a long coach trip due to flights being grounded because of the Icelandic volcano, Fulham attained a 0–0 draw against Hamburger SV in the first leg of their Europa League Semi-Final in Hamburg. Sony VAIO VGN-NW380F/S Battery

On 29 April, they beat Hamburg 2–1 at Craven Cottage to secure a place in the final.

On 12 May, Fulham lost 2–1 after extra time to Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Europa League Final. Fulham went 1–0 down, though it ended 1–1 after ninety minutes thanks to a Davies equaliser to force extra time. Sony VAIO VGN-NW380F/T Battery

Diego Forlán scored the winner on the 116th minute to clinch the game for the Spanish team.^[45]

Fulham qualified for the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League by virtue of the Fair Play league. They started their campaign in the first qualifying round, beating NSÍ Runavík, followed by a win over Crusaders in the Second qualifying round. Sony VAIO VGN-NW50JB Battery

A 3–1 aggregate win over Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk saw them into the group stages where they were drawn against FC Twente, Odense BK and Wisła Kraków in group K. They were knocked out of the tournament, when Odense BK equalised for a 2–2 draw in the very last second of the final group game, leaving Fulham stranded in third, with Krakow going through along with Twente in first. Sony VAIO VGN-NW51FB/N Battery

Fulham fans consider their main rivals to be Chelsea.^[46] Despite this fixture not being played that often in the years preceding Fulham's ascent to the top division, this is a clear local derby as Chelsea's ground, Stamford Bridge, is actually within Fulham. However, it is only recently that the two teams have been competing in the same league. Sony VAIO VGN-NW51FB/W Battery

Chelsea do not consider Fulham as rivals in quite the same way, as they are now usually competing at the top end of the Premier League and consider Manchester United and Arsenal as their main rivals.

Fulham consider their secondary rivalries to be with QPR and Brentford.Sony VAIO VGN-NW70JB Battery

Fulham last played QPR in the 2000–01 season before meeting them again twice in the2011–12 Premier League season in which Fulham were the victors with a "sensational" 6–0 victory at Craven cottage, and beating them 1–0 away from home at Loftus Road. Fulham last played Brentford in a pre-season Friendly money raiser for Sony VAIO VGN-NW71FB/N Battery

Brentford Legend Kevin O'Connor in 2010 where Fulham won 0–5 at Griffin Park, they also have small rivalries with other London clubs, including West Ham United.

Outside of London, Gillingham are still considered rivals to Fulham hardcore despite the two clubs having played in different divisions for the past eleven years. Sony VAIO VGN-NW71FB/W Battery

Fulham and Gillingham have been involved in several ill-tempered matches in the lower leagues, including the death of a Fulham supporter outside a game between the two clubs in Kent, in the 1990s.

Fulham's fan base has fluctuated over the years with high crowds coinciding with the clubs success in the Premier League so that the club now averages in the top twenty best home attendances in the country. Sony VAIO VGN-NW91FS Battery

Fulham supporters have played a vital role in the clubs long term stay at Craven Cottage. When the club moved temporarily to Loftus Road a committee known as 'Back to the Cottage'^[48] was formed, committed to ensuring the club continued to play at their spiritual home.

Fulham's more hardcore fans are known to congregate at the back of the Hammersmith end, Sony VAIO VGN-NW91GS Battery

the traditional home end of Fulham fans, in blocks H4 H5 and H6. Another area of the ground where Fulham fans who sing congregate is H-Block of the Johnny Haynes stand. Fulham has a selection of celebrity supporters such as Hugh Grant, Lily Allen, Michael Jackson, Keith Allen, Example, Tony Curtis, Daniel Radcliffe and John O'Farrell. Sony VAIO VGN-NW91VS Battery

On Tuesday, 3 July 2012, fulhamfc.com asked supporters using Facebook and Twitter, to pick their best FFC Premier League XI from 2001 – present. The supporters picked their favourite Goalkeeper, Full-backs, Centre-backs, Wingers, Centre Midfielders and Forwards, to create a classic 4–4–2 formation. Sony VAIO VGN-SR51B/S Battery

The results were announced on Monday, 9 July.^[51] The results were as follows:

Goalkeeper : Edwin van der Sar Right-Back : Steve Finnan Centre-Back : Aaron Hughes Centre-Back : Brede Hangeland Left-Back : Rufus Brevett Right-Mid : Clint Dempsey Centre-Mid : Danny Murphy Centre-Mid : Sony VAIO VGN-SR51MF Battery

Moussa Dembélé Left-Mid : Luís Boa Morte Forward : Brian McBride Forward : Louis Saha

Fulham have so far had 29 managers at the club in 102 years, meaning that the average length of service for a Fulham manager is three years and 189 days. Prior to the appointment of the first manager at the club (Bradshaw in 1904), Sony VAIO VGN-SR51MF/P Battery

duties normally assigned to a modern day manager would have been shared between club secretary, captain and other officials.

The West London Derby is the name given to a football derby played between any two of Brentford, Chelsea, Fulham andQueens Park Rangers. Sony VAIO VGN-SR51MF/S Battery

The West London derby is less prominent than other such derbies in English football, owing to the teams often being in separate divisions. Chelsea did not face Fulham between 1986 and 2001, and have not played Brentford since 1950. QPR did not face Brentford between 1966 and 2001, and did not play Chelsea between 1996 and 2008. Sony VAIO VGN-SR51MF/W Battery

The derby's most common match, Chelsea vs Fulham, has taken place 73 times. By contrast, the North London derby has been contested over 170 times, and the Merseyside derby over 200 times. The 2011/12 campaign was the first instance of three of the west London clubs competing in the top flight in the same season. Sony VAIO VGN-SR51MR Battery

According to the 2003 Football Fans Census, Fulham and QPR fans regard Chelsea as their main rivals, each other as their secondary rivals and then Brentford third. Brentford fans identified QPR as their main rivals, Fulham second and Brighton & Hove Albion third. Chelsea fans did not list any of the trio from West London, instead selecting Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. Sony VAIO VGN-SR59VG Battery

There is very little rivalry between Brentford and Chelsea, mainly due to the fact that they have been in different divisions for over 60 years. The only time that the two clubs ever shared a division was in the old First Division between 1935 and 1947, but despite the fact that both clubs are local to each other, it was never seen as a big rivalry to either side, Sony VAIO VGN-SR59VG/H Battery

as Chelsea had been in the Football League for a longer period of time than Brentford and had stronger rivalries with the likes of West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur. Whereas Brentford's main rivals are Fulham and QPR. Also Brentford developed a bigger sporting rivalry with Arsenal at the time as both clubs vied for the title of London's number one club. Sony VAIO VGN-SR70B/S Battery

The only bad feeling between the clubs was soon after Chelsea's foundation and admission into the Football League in 1905, the other West London clubs, including Brentford, lost many supporters and potential supporters to the only professional Football League club in the area. Other than that, Brentford and Chelsea have always had fairly good relations, even amongst supporters. Sony VAIO VGN-SR72B/P Battery

In fact, during the 1970s many Chelsea fans would come down to Griffin Park if their club were playing away. Chelsea reserves play their games at Griffin Park, and occasionally a pre season friendly is staged between the two clubs.

Chelsea hold the better head-to-head record with Brentford and the last competitive meeting took place in an FA Cup tie at Griffin Park in 1950, a game that Chelsea won by the odd goal. Sony VAIO VGN-SR72B/S Battery

Fulham and Brentford are each other's traditional and fiercest rivals. The two teams frequently competed between the 1920s and the 1950s in the Football League‘s various divisions. These games always drew bumper crowds and often caused tension on the pitch and the terraces. Sony VAIO VGN-SR73JB/S Battery

However, Fulham’s fortunes on the pitch changed and they went on to play in the upper leagues for several decades until the two sides were to meet regularly again from 1980 onwards, a time when the rivalry was most heated. Sony VAIO VGN-SR74FB/S Battery

The two clubs spent a majority of seasons in the same division until 1998 when Fulham begun their climb towards the top tier of English football and have since gone on to spend several seasons in the Premier League. But during the 1980s and 1990s, the rivalry produced many great and controversial moments. Sony VAIO VGN-SR90FS Battery

As with Fulham, Brentford and QPR played each other frequently in local cup competitions and leagues from the foundation of both clubs. In 1920, the Football League absorbed many clubs from the Southern Football League, including Brentford and QPR, who competed in the old Third Division (South) regularly in the 1920s, until Brentford’s rise up the leagues in the 1930s. Sony VAIO VGN-SR90NS Battery

After the Second World War, they spent practically every season in the same division for the next 20 years. At the time, the fixture was each side’s biggest game of the season and always attracted a big crowd. However, in 1966, despite an opening day 6-1 thrashing of their local rivals, Brentford were ultimately relegated whilst QPR were promoted and went on to enjoy many seasons in the upper leagues. Sony VAIO VGN-SR90S Battery

However, the bad feeling between the clubs runs deeper than locality. In 1967, QPR attempted a takeover of Brentford, which would have resulted in QPR moving into Griffin Park and Brentford F.C. ceasing to exist. The story infamously broke in the London press but Brentford supporters rallied to save their club. Since then, relations between the clubs have been frosty. Sony VAIO VGN-SR90US Battery

The rivalry resumed in 2001 and continued for several seasons until Rangers were promoted. During this time, the rivalry was intensified by Brentford player Martin Rowlands leaving to join QPR. He then went on to kiss his badge on several occasions in front of the Brentford support when the two sides met in 2003 at Loftus Road. Sony VAIO VGN-SR91NS Battery

Throughout the game and at full time, Rowlands and several other QPR players constantly goaded the away fans. No action was ever taken.

The most recent meeting between Brentford and Queens Park Rangers was in 2004.

In contrast to many rivalries in English football, such as the North London derby and the Merseyside derby, Sony VAIO VGN-SR91PS Battery

Chelsea and Fulham have spent much of their existence in separate divisions - between 1968 and 2001, the two were in the same division only five times - and have rarely been rivals for the major honours or played in many high-profile matches. This has greatly limited the scope for it to develop and actually served to weaken it. Sony VAIO VGN-SR91S Battery

In 1904, businessman Gus Mears approached the Fulham chairman Henry Norris about moving the club from their Craven Cottage home to the nearby Stamford Bridge Athletics Ground on the Fulham Road, which he had recently acquired. Norris declined following a dispute over the rent; as a result, Mears formed his own club to occupy the ground, Chelsea. Sony VAIO VGN-SR91US Battery

Fulham thus had an indirect role in Chelsea's foundation. It also ensured that, despite Chelsea's name, there were two clubs in the Fulham Borough.^[2] The geographical proximity of the teams is the basis for the rivalry, rather than religious or political reasons, as with other derbies. Sony VAIO VGN-SR92NS Battery

The first competitive match between the sides took place on 3 December 1910 in the Second Division, with a crowd of 35,000 at Craven Cottage watching Fulham win 1-0. The peak of the rivalry was arguably during the inter-war years and just after, when matches between the sides were always among the most popular (and most highly attended) on the fixture calendar. Sony VAIO VGN-SR92PS Battery

While both clubs were largely unsuccessful until the 1960s, they have since drifted apart and the significance of matches between them has correspondingly declined. Chelsea enjoyed successful spells during the 1960s and 1970s, and again from the mid-1990s to the present day, while Fulham spent much of that period in the lower divisions of the Football League. Sony VAIO VGN-SR92S Battery

As a caveat to that, when Chelsea and Fulham did meet in league games in the 1970s and 1980s, the attendances were always among the highest for the season, with the lack of regular matches often making the derby more eagerly anticipated.

The reduced number of encounters saw Chelsea fans develop rivalries with other teams, notably Leeds United, Sony VAIO VGN-SR92US Battery

other London clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur andArsenal. Fulham also formed rivalries with other teams from London like Brentford and QPR. All these reduced the prominence of the West London Derby. That is less true for Fulham fans, with the fact that their nearest neighbours have been more successful ensuring that matches against Chelsea retain a David vs Goliathfactor. Sony VAIO VGN-SR93DS Battery

Fulham returned to the top division in 2001, putting the clubs in the same division for the first time since 1983–84.

On 19 March 2006, Fulham beat Chelsea 1–0 for the first time in 27 years with a goal from Luis Boa Morte. Sony VAIO VGN-SR93JS Battery

The match was marred by controversy and crowd trouble and has arguably rekindled the derby somewhat. Chelsea gained revenge for this defeat on 23 September with a 2–0 win at Craven Cottage, in which Frank Lampardstruck twice. Sony VAIO VGN-SR93PS Battery

Thankfully, there was little trouble before and after the game, due to appeals for calm from managers and players of both clubs and a much higher than normal police presence, to deter fans from entering the pitch after the game. Two of the last games to played at Stamford Bridge have both been close contests. Sony VAIO VGN-SR93YS Battery

On the 30th December 2006 they played out a 2–2 draw with Carlos Bocanegra getting a late equaliser for Fulham (earlier in the match Moritz Volz had scored the 15,000th goal in Premier League history. On 29 September 2007 they stetled for a 0–0 draw. This draw was Avram Grant's first West London derby in charge of Chelsea and the same for Lawrie Sanchez of Fulham. Sony VAIO VGN-SR94FS Battery

During the 2008-09 season, Chelsea defeated Fulham 3–1 under Guus Hiddink, with goals from Nicolas Anelka, Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba, with Anelka's goal coming after just 51 seconds. In the 2009–10 season, Chelsea defeated Fulham at Craven Cottage with a 2–0 win, thanks to goals from Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. Sony VAIO VGN-SR94GS Battery

The win was Carlo Ancelotti's first London derby. In the 2011-12 season, both teams drew their home and away fixtures.

Despite QPR being members of the Football League since 1920, the two sides did not meet in a competitive match until 1968–69, when Rangers made their debut in the First Division. Sony VAIO VGN-SR94HS Battery

Their first match took place on 14 September 1968; Chelsea won 4–0. Since then, the sides have met a further 45 times, making it the most common West London derby since the 1960s. The clubs developed a rivalry in the 1960s and 1970s when both were playing top-flight football and competing to be among London's top sides, with Chelsea winning the FA Cup, Sony VAIO VGN-SR94VS Battery

Cup Winners' Cup and League Cup, and Rangers winning the League Cup and finishing as league runners-up by a single point.

Many QPR fans favourite game against Chelsea was a 6–0 victory on Easter Monday in 1986.^[3] Chelsea were second in the league table at the time, and the result all but ended their title challenge. Sony VAIO VGN-SR11M Battery