The 2008–09 Fulham season was the club's 111th professional season and their eighth consecutive season in the top flight of English football, the Premier League, since their return in 2001. They were managed by Roy Hodgson in his first full season as Fulham manager. They played in the Premier League by virtue of staying up on goal difference from Reading on the last day of the previous campaign and were hoping to improve on their placing of 17th. They eventually finished in seventh place in the Premier League table with 53 points, an improvement of ten places and 18 points. Their league position secured a place in the newly formed UEFA Europa League for the 2009–10 season as well as their highest League finish in their history. The club received a number of additional awards from the Premier League, namely the Fair Play Award, the Behaviour of the Public Award and the Barclays Spirit Award for manager Roy Hodgson.
Some of the most notable results of the season came against clubs who finished in the top four in the table. The club beat Manchester United and Arsenal at home and managed a draw at home against Chelsea and away against Liverpool. In other competitions, Fulham reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup before losing to league champions Manchester United. In the Football League Cup, they defeated Leicester City in the second round but were knocked out by Burnley in the third round.
Pre-season Roy Hodgson added to the team in the summer with signings including goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer from Middlesbrough and strikers Bobby Zamora from West Ham United and Andy Johnson who arrived from Everton for a club record £10.5 million (though Steve Marlet had cost more when including agents fees in 2001). Club captain Brian McBride decided to return to United States, where he eventually signed with Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire. Olivier Dacourt joined Fulham during the winter transfer window.
DateOpponentsH / AResult F – AScorersAttendance15 July 2008Southend UnitedA2–0Nevland 59', Murphy 61'3,75019 July 2008CelticH 3–1Nevland 2', Zamora 30', Andreasen 86'(Celtic: Barry Robson 41')16,00023 July 2008Busan I'ParkA 0–1(Busan I'Park: Choi Ki Suk 57')26 July 2008Ulsan Hyundai Horang-iA2–1Davies 57', Gera 79'(Ulsan: Lee Jin Ho 32')2 August 2008Birmingham CityA1–1Davies 17'(Birmingham: Larsson 77')9 August 2008TorinoH2–2Zamora 22', Gera 28'(Torino: Abbruscato 82', Ogbonna 88')
Fulham also put out teams in away matches consisting of first and reserve team players against Walton Casuals (won 3–1), Staines Town (lost 2–0), Banstead (won 3–0)Goals coming in from Jordan Wilson, Joe Anderson and Enrico dos Santos continued the win streak for the whites, Carshalton (won 2–0), Crystal Palace (drew 0–0) and Kingstonian (won 8–0).
Premier League Fulham started the season playing away at the KC Stadium against newly promoted Hull City. Seol Ki-hyeon gave Fulham the lead in the eighth minute. Their lead lasted less than 15 minutes because Geovanni equalised in the 22nd minute. Caleb Folan completed the Hull turn-around ten minutes from the end of normal time, capping a 2–1 victory for the home team. However, the following week the team gained their first victory of the season with a win against much-fancied Arsenal for only the second time in 43 years. The only goal of the game came from Brede Hangeland midway through the first half who scored directly from a Jimmy Bullard cross, from a couple of yards. A slightly off-colour Arsenal played their usual passing game but could not break Fulham down.
The team did not have another Premier League game to play until 13 September due to Manchester United's participation in the UEFA Super Cup, as well as the break from league football at the beginning of September for international World Cup qualifying matches.
On 17 May 2009, the club confirmed their highest ever league finish with a 1–0 victory over relegation-threatened Newcastle United at St James' Park. The victory kept them in seventh place in the table, with eighth being the lowest they could finish, bettering the ninth-place finish in 2004. Kamara scored in the 41st minute of a tense game which was full of chances for both sides.
DateOpponentsH / AResult F – AScorersAttendance16 August 2008Hull CityA1–2Ki-Hyeon 8'(Hull: Geovanni 22', Folan 81')24,52523 August 2008ArsenalH1–0Hangeland 10'25,27613 September 2008Bolton WanderersH2–1Gera 15', Zamora 41'(Bolton: K. Davies 82')23,65620 September 2008Blackburn RoversA0–1(Blackburn: Derbyshire 84')19,39827 September 2008West Ham UnitedH1–2Murphy pen 59' (West Ham: C. Cole 43', Etherington 45'+1)23,9464 October 2008West Bromwich AlbionA0–1(West Brom: Bednář 61')25,70818 October 2008SunderlandH0–025,11626 October 2008PortsmouthA1–1Dempsey 87'(Portsmouth: Crouch 61')19,23329 October 2008Wigan AthleticH2–0Johnson 11', 60'22,5001 November 2008EvertonA0–1(Everton: Saha 87')31,2789 November 2008Newcastle UnitedH2–1A. Johnson 23', Murphy pen 66' (Newcastle: Ameobi 57')24,74015 November 2008Tottenham HotspurH2–1Davies 33', A. Johnson 70'(Tottenham: F. Campbell 81')25,13922 November 2008LiverpoolA0–043,58929 November 2008Aston VillaA0–036,6256 December 2008Manchester CityH1–1Bullard 27'(Manchester City: Benjani 6')24,01213 December 2008Stoke CityA0–025,28720 December 2008MiddlesbroughH3–0Bullard 41', Murphy pen 54', Dempsey 59'23,72226 December 2008Tottenham HotspurA0–035,86928 December 2008ChelseaH2–2Dempsey 10', 89'(Chelsea: Lampard 50', 72')25,46218 January 2009West Ham UnitedA1–3Konchesky 22'(West Ham: Di Michele 7', Noble pen 60', C. Cole 76')31,83827 January 2009SunderlandA0–1(Sunderland: K. Jones 55')36,53931 January 2009PortsmouthH3–1A. Johnson 14', Nevland 71', 80'(Portsmouth: Nugent 84')23,7227 February 2009Wigan AthleticA0–016,49918 February 2009Manchester UnitedA0–3(Manchester United: Scholes 12', Berbatov 30', Rooney 63')75,43722 February 2009West Bromwich AlbionH2–0Zamora 61', A. Johnson 72'22,39428 February 2009ArsenalA0–060,1024 March 2009Hull CityH0–1(Hull: Manucho 90+3')23,05111 March 2009Blackburn RoversH1–2Dempsey 2'(Blackburn: Diouf 69', Roberts 85')22,25914 March 2009Bolton WanderersA3–1A. Johnson 42', S. Davies 56', Kamara 88'(Bolton: K. Davies 45')22,11721 March 2009Manchester UnitedH2–0Murphy pen 18, Gera 8725,6524 April 2009LiverpoolH0–1(Liverpool: Benayoun 90'+2)25,66112 April 2009Manchester CityA3–1Dempsey 50', 83', Etuhu 59'(Man City: Ireland 27')39,84118 April 2009MiddlesbroughA0–030,38925 April 2009Stoke CityH1–0Nevland 29'25,0692 May 2009ChelseaA1–3Nevland 4'(Chelsea: Anelka 1', Malouda 10', Drogba 53')41,8019 May 2009Aston VillaH3–1Murphy pen 6', Kamara 46', 60'(Aston Villa: Young 14')25,66016 May 2009Newcastle UnitedA1–0Kamara 41'52,11424 May 2009EvertonH0–2(Everton: Osman 45', 88')25,497 Fulham's home match against Blackburn Rovers was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch on 10 January 2009. Their match away against Manchester United, due to be played in August, was rearranged due to United's involvement in the UEFA Super Cup.
Premier League table
Results summary
Results by round
FA Cup The club entered the FA Cup in the third round, with an away match against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on 3 January 2009. Fulham took the lead through Andrew Johnson from a Danny Murphy through-ball in the 12th minute but were pegged back by a 25-yard goal from Tommy Spurr after 21 minutes. The game remained 1–1 until the 88th minute, when Andy Johnson scored his second of the game which turned out to be the winner.
Fulham next faced one of only two non-league sides left in the competition, Kettering Town. After a positive opening from the underdogs Kettering, Fulham took the lead in the 12th minute, Simon Davies scoring a volley from 15 yards from a Clint Dempsey cross. But the lead only lasted until the 36th minute as the lively Craig Westcarr scored a deflected freekick. Kettering continued to press after the break and with the additions of Danny Murphy and Bobby Zamora, they regained the lead in the 77th minute with Murphy scoring the goal. Kettering, however, were not finished and 9 minutes later, Westcarr scored a penalty after a trip from Brede Hangeland. With Kettering planning a trip to London, Andy Johnson and Zamora scored two late goals to seal the tie.
In the fifth round, Fulham were drawn away again to Championship side Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium. Roy Hodgson made three changes from Fulham's last Premier League match against Wigan, with Dempsey and Paintsil rested after playing abroad in midweek for their countries. to be replaced by Gera and Stoor while Zamora also dropped to the bench in favour of Nevland. Swansea created some clear-cut opportunities in the early stages, with Mark Gower, Alan Tate and Lloyd Dyer testing Mark Schwarzer. Fulham, however, found the breakthrough a minute before half-time with a slice of luck as Paul Konchesky's corner was deflected in off Swansea defender Garry Monk. Swansea continued to dominate and equalised in the 52nd minute when Jason Scotland scored, evading a challenge before firing the ball low past Schwarzer. With both sides playing attractive passing football the sides could not be separated.
Fulham and Swansea both went into the hat for the quarter-finals and were given the prospect of a tie with defending Premier League and Champions League champions Manchester United. They first had to get through the fifth round replay, which took place on 24 February 2009 at Craven Cottage. It was Fulham's second game in three days but Roy Hodgson put out a strong side with the only changes being Nevland replacing Johnson up front and Dacourt making his first start for the club in place of Danny Murphy. Jason Scotland scored just after half-time following an even first half, knocking the ball in from 15 yards. Fulham, however, did not give up, Zamora coming close on several occasions before they equalised through Dempsey in the 67th minute. Four minutes later, they turned the game around when Zamora scored his second goal in as many games. The home side held on to secure victory. DateRoundOpponentsH / AResult F – AScorersAttendance3 January 2009Third RoundSheffield WednesdayA2–1A. Johnson 12', 88'(Sheffield Wednesday: Spurr 21')18,37724 January 2009Fourth RoundKettering TownA4–2Davies 12', Murphy 77', Johnson 88', Zamora 89'(Kettering: Craig Westcarr 36', 86' (pen))540614 February 2009Fifth RoundSwansea CityA1–1Monk 44' (o.g.)(Swansea: Scotland 52')16,57324 February 2009Fifth Round replaySwansea CityH2–1Dempsey 77', Zamora 81'(Swansea: Scotland 47')12,3167 March 2009Quarter finalManchester UnitedH0–4(Manchester United: Tevez 20', 35', Rooney 50', Park 81')24,662
Football League Cup Fulham entered the Football League Cup at the second round stage after receiving the bye awarded to Premier League clubs in the first round. They faced a Leicester City side finding their feet in League One after relegation the previous season. Fulham took the lead in the 31st minute through one of their new signings, Hungarian international Zoltán Gera, but Leicester turned the game around in the early stages of the second half. Veteran Paul Dickov drew them level on 46 minutes and just two minutes later Andy King completed the turnaround. The match remained 2–1 until the 83rd minute when Jimmy Bullard levelled the score. But this was not the end of the scoring and with the game seemingly heading for extra-time, Danny Murphy scored the winner for Fulham in the second minute of stoppage time to win the encounter and send Fulham through to the third round.