From the Trust Archives: 20 years since Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
Twenty years ago this month, Fulham recorded their first SW6 derby victory in 27 years. Fulham had gone five games without a win and were looking over their shoulders at the wrong end of the table, whilst our near neighbours were closing in another title. Captain Luis Boa Morte scored the only goal of a dramatic game as Chris Coleman’s side stunned the champions’ elect on an electric afternoon at the Cottage. We asked some Fulham figures who have special memories of that day all about it
Manager Chris Coleman: “Nobody gave us much of a chance, but we felt we had seen some chinks in Chelsea’s armour. We had gameplan, but it only worked because the boys were disciplined and matched them stride for stride. Mark Pembridge was brilliant in midfield and hit the woodwork and Steed Malbranque sacrificed some of his skills to stop Claude Makele at the base of the Chelsea midfield. We created loads of chances and could have won by more.
It was obviously a very special win for the supporters and you could see what it meant. There was a bit of blood and thunder and controversy about Drogba’s ‘goal’, but as I said afterwards, Jose Mourinho was always a gentleman to me. I think I remember saying afterwards that this was my best win as Fulham manager and some people were surprised after some of the results in 2003/04, but that was because this was a victory that had taken 27 years. We had also gone five games without a win and that was the toughest period of my managerial career, so it was a big result that secured our place in the Premier League for another year.
Boa deserved that moment, too. He was a key player in my side and signed a new contract when there was interest from Newcastle United. He typified how we wanted to play and nobody gave an inch. I picked Mark Crossley over Edwin van der Sar but he proved with a superb save late on. I remember that win very fondly still now.”
Goalkeeper Mark Crossley: “I don’t think I was really sure how big a game that was between Chelsea and Fulham. I’d played in the Nottingham derby for Forest against Derby County, and I played in the north east derby, but I wasn’t really sure how much of a derby match the SW6 derby was until the actual build-up to it.
To keep a clean sheet – what with it being one of the only times that Fulham have beaten Chelsea – and to be part of it was absolutely fantastic. I remember making a save really late on from a John Terry header and thinking ‘this is going to be our day – we’ve won this game.’ Obviously, we did.
“My heart was in my mouth a little bit when Drogba scored, but I knew he’d handballed it. The lads were having me on after, asking ‘where were you going, were you off down the shops for a loaf of bread?’ I knew he’d handballed it but I’d made a bad decision to come out for the through ball. I committed myself and he used his hand to nudge it past me. Luckily the referee changed his mind – fair play to him because it was a very difficult one to see, but he quite clearly handballed it.”
Goalscorer and captain Luis Boa Morte: “I’ve said it before but I just had a feeling that we were going to win the game. I had to do interviews before the match because they had been some stories in the newspapers that there were problems in the dressing room. They were not any problems – our team was passionate about winning and we hadn’t been playing well. Chris Coleman was under pressure, but we loved playing for him.
“I’ve never stepped on a field thinking that my team couldn’t win. I knew as captain that I had to set an example that day and there were a lot of Portuguese players in their team. I don’t think my relationship with the Fulham fans changed because I scored that day. I always felt close to them ever since I first came to Craven Cottage on loan in the First Division. The club gave me a chance to stay in England after Arsenal and the fans gave me so much support. We had a special first season and did wonderful things after that – getting good results, winning the Intertoto Cup, playing in Europe and getting to an FA Cup semi-final.
I knew we could do well against Chelsea and it wasn’t my first goal against them. We got a draw at Stamford Bridge before and I scored a special goal there. I knew I could score again and the goal was just about getting to a loose ball first. Steed Malbranque was a great player and it broke towards me and I concentrated on beating Fereira and getting it in.
We played really well that day. Now people talk about Drogba’s handball and the red card for Gallas, but we worked really hard. McBride and Collins John were so strong up front and the midfield diamond was powerful. We had a lot of spirit and the crowd really helped us. I’ve always known how important it is to beat the neighbour next door and I am proud to have done it. Fulham is a special club and I am so pleased to see the team doing so well. The fans deserve it.”
Tom Greatrex (founding chair of the Trust and chair of the Football Supporters Association):
If, like me, you started watching Fulham in the grim days of the late 1980s, then it was a lifetime wait to regularly play Chelsea again, let alone beat them. For a couple of forlorn years, our London derby was Barnet and, as much as the disdain for Brentford was, and is heartfelt, one factor in the exhilarating progression from the fourth tier to the Premier League was the prospect of an SW6 derby again.
Unfortunately, our return to the top level of English football almost completely coincided with Abrahamovic’s millions turning Chelsea into serial trophy winners. So, to finally secure a League victory against the champions as we sought to scrabble enough points to avoid relegation moments, was amongst the had-to-be-there moments of Fulham’s early Premier League years.
The game itself was highly charged, with Mike Dean waving away a Fulham penalty, but to even things up, disallowing a Didier Drogba goal for handball. William Gallas was sent off and theatrically demonstrated his displeasure at that decision with a thumbs down as he left the pitch by what is now the Johnny Haynes Stand touchline. The regulars in the former Enclosure eruditely exchanged opinions with the Chelsea centre half as time ticked away.
Fulham were already a goal up by that point. As Luis Boa Morte slotted the loose ball home, it felt like a moment suspended in silence, shick and surprise before the Cottage erupted into jubilant celebration. Our joy was only tempered by the fact that there were only seventeen minutes on the clock, and holding on to a lead was a much a challenge to the Fulham side of twenty years ago as it is to today’s team. But we fought hard, battled well and challenged back all the way to the final whistle and a momentous result.
For many longstanding Fulham fans what made this all the more poignant was that this was the first home fixture since the less of legendary fan through every definition of thick and thin, Alex ‘The Traveller’ Ferguson, and it felt like a tribute to both him and the many others who yearned for the days when the SW6 derby was a fixture which was – if not a match of absolute equals, at least a competitive one once again, which it has proved to be since that day.”
Trust Board Member Roger Southgate: When walking through Bishop’s Park before the game, I had high hopes of a win against ‘that team’ – as always. I remember clearly how well we started the match and ‘that’ goal by Luis Boa Morte. The amount of time it took for Drogba’s cheating and his ‘goal’ to be ruled out by the referee in front of their supporters after he consulted with the assistant. No VAR needed twenty years ago! Walking back through the park, I had a huge smile on my face. Listening to the moaning C****** fans made the wonderful win even better.
