UPDATE - Johnson’s deal is finally finished after agreeing to a four year deal with Fulham.

While he was forced to sit on the outside as he waited for Everton and Fulham to come to an agreement over past injury payments, Johnson’s eventual 10.5 Million Pound move was finalized.

Via The Sun

“I am glad that the agreement is now finalised and that I can concentrate on playing football for Fulham. Roy has been great over the last week or so of on-going discussions and his support in getting me here has only strengthened my ambition to give 100 per cent for him and the team every game.

“Fulham is a club with a lot of history and ambition and I’m pleased that I can be part of that. I’m now just looking forward to getting into the dressing room with the lads and to start training with them as soon as possible.”

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Everton have accepted a £10.5million bid from Fulham for striker Andy Johnson, according the Liverpool Echo. The England frontman’s future at Goodison Park has been the subject of constant speculation all summer with a host of clubs believed to be keeping tabs on him. And Fulham now appear to have jumped to the front of the queue - ahead of Wigan and Sunderland - by having their offer accepted.

I know everybody here is focused on the “Big Four”, but this would be a great acquisition for the Cottagers.

Image via BBC

Fulham and Northern Ireland striker David Healy will be investigated by not only his club Fulham, but also the Irish Footaball Association after his pretending to play the flute after coming on as a substitute during Fulham’s 3-1 win over Glasgow Celtic.

Although apologizing immediately after the match, Healy’s flute playing gesture riled up the 11,000 Celtic supporters in attendance due to the nature of the incident, symbolic of the flute-playing of Orange Order marchers which is highly offensive to Roman Catholics.

Paul Gascoigne pulled the flute imitation out during the famous 1998 Old Firm match at Parkhead. The gesture infuriated the Celtic home crowd as Gazza was fined 20,000 Pound and had his life threatened by the IRA.

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Middlesbrough (make that EX now) and Australian keeper Mark Schwarzer was Roy Hodgson’s first off-season signing today for Fulham after agreeing to a 2 year deal with the Cottagers and ending his 11 years with the Teeside club.

Hmmmm.  Kasey Keller to Bayern Munich or Seattle Sounders FC?

Let’s be honest, Antti Niemi isn’t going anywhere.

image via Footbal.Co.UK

DOUBLE UPDATE - Nope, no Uefa for Fulham as Manchester City grabs the last spot.
UPDATE - Looks like England wasn’t the only country that benefited from the Fair Play Rankings. Germany and Denmark also got an extra place in next seasons Uefa Cup.

Think about the clubs that are going to get a free pass into Uefa next season and how that affects their summer signings. And what about the players that are either thinking about leaving their current club named to the spot or the opportunities that could come out of playing European football.

If you weren’t happy and were thinking about leaving your club, but found out they were going to get to play in Uefa next season would you resign, just to get that opportunity?

Some tough decisions ahead.

If I told you that Fulham might be playing in the Uefa Cup next season you’d probably say pass the duchie, right? I mean they did just barely stay up on Sunday.
Since England has been rewarded an extra place in the Uefa Cup due to Fair Play, Fulham has the chance to wiggle their way in, but here’s where it gets extremely complicated.

Based on officials reports, yellow/red cards and “positive play”, the top rated team that has NOT qualified for a European Competition will get the bid.

We’ll get to know who it is next week!

image via FootballGroundGuide

If you’re a United States Soccer Supporter, then that man is the one you want to kiss right now after his goal secured Fulham FC/USA’s Premiership status for the 2008/09 season, and so far has kept 5 Americans (and one Kiwi named Simon Elliot) in England’s top flight.

Danny Murphy’s 76th minute winner at Fratton Park (the team’s first) was enough to secure goal differential over Reading, who drubbed Derby away at Pride Park 4-nil.

Hahnemann, Convey, Lewis and Feilhaber as of now are set for relegation to the Championship and a decent little golden parachute.

As of now you ask? Think Seattle (big name signing), D.C (old team), San Jose (old, old team) or L.A. (home town & college) might be looking to make some adjustments?

Some of these guys might have a little stipulation that changes contract status if the team was relegated.

image via Fulham FC

US National Team stud Clint Dempsey has just re-upped his Premiership contract with Fulham through 2010.

After making his initial transfer in January 2006, Dempsey kept the Cottagers in the Premiership last year with his winner at Liverpool and might have the chance to do it again this weekend as Fulham faces Portsmouth and are just out of the Relegation Zone by Goal Differential over Reading.

Dempsey has scored 6 Premiership Goals this season in 28 matches.

image via DailyMail

With all the Hicks/Gillett/Parry/Champions League Semi-Finals worries running around Anfield, you gotta give to Rafa. He’s been smart about his selections and getting the most out of an above-average squad, finding away to shield the squad from all the outside BS.

If his decision is to rest Fernando Torres for Tuesdays Champions League match at home, it could have two different effects this weekend in their match away at Craven Cottage.

If Torres plays against Fulham USA, he’s have the opportunity to tie the record for most goals scored by a foreigner in his debut season which was set by Ruud Van Nistelrooy of Man Utd in the 2001/02 season. As it stands, Torres has hit the back of the net 22 times this season, with most coming in front of the Kop.

If Torres doesn’t play and you’re a Fulham fan, then you’ve got to be just a little more excited about your chances to get some points out of this match, especially since it was Clint Dempsey’s winner against Liverpool that kept them up last season.

Sorry Neil Warnock and Sheffield United. Maybe this year it will be Steve Coppell and Reading.

image via Football-Wallpapers

Since returning from injury, Brian McBride has continued to show why he might be the most important man at Craven Cottage, today heading past Tim Howard and Everton (for their first loss in 2008) in the second half.  With a work ethic that is very rarely matched, the ability to hold the ball up while support makes their way forward and a professionalism that is first class, McBride is the type of player that every coach wishes they had, even at 35 years old.

Now with 23 points in 30 matches, Fulham is only 5 points behind 14th place Reading (remember it’s a 20 team table and the bottom three go down to the Championship).

image via NJMG

Looks like Los taught Billy the Badger some 909 Twinnie-Twin-Twins moves.  I gotta give it to Los, whether it’s the shovel or this, he’s always looking out for his friends back home.