Where are they now? Fulham’s Division 3 runners-up 1997

by Neil Fissler

ROB SCOTT believes it was Fulham’s promotion from Division Three that attracted Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed to buy the club.

The Cottagers had almost dropped out of the league the season before, but under Micky Adams they won promotion by finishing second to Wigan, who scored more goals.

Within a matter of months Al-Fayed bought the club and pumped in millions, which would eventually get them promoted to the Premier League.

Helped by 21 goals from leading scorer Mike Conroy, Fulham were top for most of the season until losing out to Wigan after winning just three of their last eight games.

Scott doesn’t believe that Al-Fayed would have touched the club had it not been for the efforts of Adams’ side.

“If we hadn’t gone up that year I am pretty sure Mohamed Al-Fayed wouldn’t have bothered looking at the club,” he said.

“We would have still been in the bottom league and I’m sure it wouldn’t have been of interest to him.

“But he obviously picked up on the location and that we had just been promoted and thought ‘hmmm, maybe there is something in there’.

“So, it was the catalyst for the club to go on to better things over the following years.”

After Al-Fayed took over the club money became no object and many of the players that Adams had brought in were cast aside.

Adams had built a side who all had something to prove for one reason or another, according to Scott.

“Micky picked up on players that were down on their luck at the time,” Scott said. “He brought in the right mentality of player.

“Fulham had been in the doldrums for a long, long time prior to that. And, the season before had been horrendous, though we managed to pick up enough points to stay up.

“So it was the first bit of success for a long time and it was throughly enjoyed by fans and players alike at the time.

“It is a shame that most of us weren’t given the chance to play at a higher level by Fulham, but I guess that’s football.”

1. Terry Angus: Defender who worked in the youth justice system and is now community equalities executive at the PFA.
2. Mark Blake: Defender who has worked in IT and is now client director for Certeco from his base in Southampton.
3. Mark Walton: Welsh under-21 goalkeeper who has owned a Mexican restaurant and worked as a cricket coach in Wales.
4. Danny Cullip: Defender who is now working for the community scheme at one of his former club, Brighton.
5. Tony Lange: The goalkeeper has worked as a landscape gardener and then became a revenue protection officer for Southern Railway.
6. Simon Stewart: Central defender who now lives in Northamptonshire and is a key account manager for Ensafe Consultants.
7. Michael Mison: The former defender joined the Met Police and is working in Sutton in South London.
8. Chris Smith: Now working as a chartered physiotherapist with clinics in both Wimbledon and Hinchley Wood.
9. Darren Freeman: Former winger now in charge at Lewes after stints at Whitehawk and Peacehaven and Telscombe.
10. Martin Thomas: Midfielder who returned to Hampshire, where he has worked as a publican in Southampton.
11. Rod McAree: Midfielder who combines being assistant manager at Dungannon Swifts with working at a fitness club.
12. Lea Barkus: Striker who’s now living in Bracknell and has been the assistant manager at Hungerford Town and coached junior sides.
13. Chris Honor: Defender is now back in his native Bristol, where he runs his own property company and has coached in the Bristol City academy.
14. Rory Hamill: Northern Ireland international who’s now living and working in Bangor, where he still plays for Bangor Amateurs.
15. Paul Watson: The full-back is now first-team physiotherapist at Brighton, where he started as Young Seagulls project manager.
16. John Hamsher: Midfielder who works in field sales for Thomson Local and has also managed Combined Counties League side Hanworth Villa.
17. Robbie Herrera: Full-back who returned to Torquay United as assistant manager in October 2015 after a spell coaching in Plymouth Argyle‘s academy.
18. Rob Scott: Winger who was manager of Grimsby Town and is business development manager for Cannon Hygiene.
19. John Marshall: Youth team coach who worked with his father-in-law, Fred Kemp, supplying office furniture and is head of recruitment for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
20. Adam Grover: Now living in Chessington, Surrey, and working in the local area.
21. Glenn Cockerill: Midfielder who managed Woking and Winchester. Now living in Surrey and working as a painter and decorator.
22. Nick Cusack: The midfielder had a spell as Swansea’s player-manager and is now assistant chief executive at the PFA.
23. Len Walker: The assistant manager is best known for twice managing Aldershot and has since undertaken various scouting roles.
24. Micky Adams: Has had various jobs in management and was most recently in charge of Sligo Rovers after leaving Tranmere Rovers.
25. Alan Cork: Currently working as a scout for the Football Association and lives in Burgess Hill, Sussex.
26. Simon Morgan: An England Under-21 defender, he was the head of Fulham’s community scheme and is now the Premier League’s head of community development.
27. Mike Conroy: Striker who finished his career in Australia and currently works for Japanese golf manufacturer Mizuno. Coaches junior football.
28. Paul Brooker: Winger now living in Whitton, near Twickenham, and works in London.