Inside the Box

2) 2/2/2011 Premier League - Fulham v Newcastle

So after arriving 45 minutes late last Sunday thanks to works on a rail line and a replacement bus service that only just beat walking pace, I was eager to make sure that I arrived at Craven Cottage in good time for my second of three games this week.

However I had not planned to arrive 2 and a half hours before kick off , and I feared the worst (the worst being me alone in the press room for 30 minutes while Fulham staff worked around me, casting judging looks in my direction as they wonder who this kid is and whats he even doing here) as the flood lights of this classic football ground grew ever closer on my walk from Putney Station. On my arrival to the Cottage I tried, in vain, to kill time by taking a walk around the outside of the ground in the search for a good picture of the floodlights and the stadium near the river, but this proved difficult as the enclosed area in which the Cottage stands, makes it almost impossible to get far enough away without recrossing the river for a good snapshot. Finally accepting that I couldn't kill an more time wandering up and down outside the ground, without looking like I might be trying to commit some sort of terrorist attack against Fulham FC, I stepped up to the press office door and pushed, waiting to see an empty room or worse the door to be locked and to be stuck outside looking like a bit of an oddball to the few staff that were outside the ground so early.

To my joy the door opened to a press room containing a handful of other journalists working and chatting, which reassured me that either others like me had planned there travel too well, or that this was an acceptable time to arrive at the ground. Taking a table at the back I opened my bag and pulled out my Mac, beginning final preparations for the game tonight.

Now there aren't many voices that will make your ears prick up when your in a busy press room with a number of people that you sort of recognise from the football world. Garth Crooks is one of them, and I had the pleasure of meeting him last week. But the voice I heard from behind me as I looked at my computer screen, was one that football fans all over the UK have heard for over 30 years almost every week on the BBC. Looking over my shoulder I saw the man himself John Motson picking up his press pass. Not only that but moments after Motson had left the press room Martin Tyler wandered in, chatted with a couple of the Fulham reps, picked up his pass, and headed to the commentary box. Even though I didn't get to speak to two of the greats in the football commentary business, just being in the same room on a professional level really game me a tingle down my spine. It was a great feeling.

After taking some pictures of the ground empty at night (making sure I grabbed a shot of the old wooden seats found in the Fulham press box as proof that they really did exist) I tucked into the lasagne the Fulham hospitality had provided us for the night, did some final checks and read through the match program before finally taking my seat in the stands 10 minutes before kickoff.

The Newcastle's night wasn't a pleasant one and the traveling fans (still obviously hurt by the loss of Andy Carroll to Liverpool as indicated by the “Judas Carroll” banner that appeared as the teams walked out onto the field) were forced to watch a Newcastle side that provided little spark in a very poor first half.

At the half time break I scampered from my seat back the the press room to find Katie. Katie, as I mentioned on Monday, works for Fulham and is responsible for handing out the mixed zone passes that allows journalists to get post match interviews with the players. As I approached her she recognized me from Sunday and was pleased to offer me the yellow sticker for my press I.D. that
granted me access to medias interview area. After a brief chat with Garth Crooks again (asking him if he was here as a fan or with the press as he'd been at the Cottage both that night and on Sunday but seemed to have no note or microphone, Garth replying with “I'm always working son, always working”) I went back to my seat for the second half.

With Duff scoring and Phil having asked me to have another crack at the article I wrote on the Irish man after last Sunday, I was desperate to get a brief chat with the scorer of Fulham's winner after the game. With the final whistle blown a hurried down to meet Katie to ask her to try and bring Duff down to me as I waited with the other journalists in the cold by the tunnel. We all chatted while the players were busy in their dressing rooms, mainly looking at how bad Newcastle were and should they be worried about slipping into the drop zone. Steve Sidwell and Kevin Nolan were brought down to us after about 20 minutes or so, and as Katie departed with the Fulham midfielder she told me that Duff had done some TV interviews and wouldn't be coming down to talk to us. Myself and David Smith from the Evening Standard waited to find out else who was available to come down and chat with us and in the end Mark Schwarzer, playing for the first time in a Fulham shirt after his departure to represent Australia in the Asia Cup, joined us for a few words about his return and that nights performance.

Having waited for so long outside for the players I had missed the managers press conferences, so with the Schwarzer interview over I left the Cottage and rushed to get back to Putney Bridge station for the long journey home.

Saturday will be my first trip to White Heart Lane to see Spurs take on Bolton. Match report will be up on Saturday night and Inside the Box will return Sunday, as I have a look at the differences between the small but scenic Craven Cottage, and the daunting home of Tottenham Hotspur.