Sports
Funfairs, river walks and Hugh Grant – welcome to Fulham (away)
As the Tube doors jolt open at Putney Bridge, a gruff cry of “eaaaaagles” echoes down the platform.
It is only 10am but the mood is of boisterous anticipation for what could lie ahead. By 2pm, these people could be having an unforgettable experience.
A young couple bemoan not having remembered there’s a football match on as the queue down the stairs to Station Approach moves at a crawling pace.
There are more queues outside at the River Cafe opposite the station exit as people wait for iced lattes and croissants. Very Fulham.
A tout is trying to sell three match tickets to sit in the Hammersmith End for £270 ($350). A punter tries to haggle and the tout loses his temper: “I just told you, no bidding!”
This is pretty much the angriest scene that’ll be witnessed today (other than home fans lambasting Calvin Bassey’s defending).
This is Fulham, after all, the Premier League’s nicest club and a favourite away day for thousands upon thousands of football fans around the country.
Why? Well, for a start, you’ve got the nearby surroundings. If your route to Craven Cottage is from Putney Bridge station, take a walk down the River Thames on a sunny spring morning and transport yourself to a place of calm and serenity.
Walks along the Thames are part of the matchday routine at Craven Cottage (Tim Spiers/The Athletic)
People are sat on benches eating sandwiches, or doing a crossword in a newspaper. Even the kids swigging from bottles of Corona are harmless. You don’t get this at Millwall.
Then take a wander through leafy green Bishops Park, with its mix of families, small dogs and runners, so many runners.
There’s a funfair in the middle of it, and watching a Fulham fan with a skinhead and a Union Jack flag draped around his shoulders (yes, this man does exist) while navigating the cones laid out for children wearing roller-skates is quite an image.
Crystal Palace fans are dotted around, proudly wearing their red and blue colours. The chances of recriminations for sporting their shirts, which would be a problem at dozens of grounds in the Premier League and below, are minimal here.
Something for everyone at Fulham (Tim Spiers/The Athletic)
They talk of wanting the late kick-off at Wembley at semi-final weekend. Presumptuous, but ultimately fair.
They also talk of this being an ideal away day. “Fulham away is always on my list for the season,” Palace fan Dan tells The Athletic.
“It’s friendly, the walk to the stadium is beautiful, they have away-friendly pubs and it’s a picturesque ground on the Thames.
“They’re probably the most accommodating club for away fans. Well, they’ve been pretty accommodating in the last few years anyway because we’ve won a few.”
Until fairly recently, Fulham were so accommodating that they even had a neutral stand where home and away fans could freely sit next to each other, a concept pretty much unheard of in English football.
It’s a notion in keeping with the middle-class surroundings: quiet streets, multi-million-pound houses and rowers training for the Oxford-Cambridge University Boat Race, which will pass by here in a couple of weeks. There was even (at least) one famous actor at the game on Saturday, with Fulham fan Hugh Grant pictured lending his support.
Actor Hugh Grant was also in attendance on Saturday to support Fulham (John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images
For most of the club’s history, though, Fulham haven’t troubled the headline-makers of English football.
From 1970 to 2001, they didn’t once set foot in the top flight. A 14-year stint in the top division followed under the ownership of the now-deceased and disgraced former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, who sold the club to Shahid Khan.
Under Khan and his son, Tony, who is vice-chairman and director of football operations, Fulham are moving towards not only becoming an established top-flight club again following a period of flitting between the top two divisions, but also to being a boutique club, where people are asked to pay high prices not just to watch a football match, but to enjoy a deluxe experience in “a location like no other”, in Shahid Khan’s words.
There is the £120million Riverside Stand that backs onto the River Thames and is being opened stage by stage. When fully completed, it will offer a restaurant curated by a Michelin-star chef, high-end bars (including one on the rooftop) and seats and a bar behind the dugout, plus a private pool. There are plans to offer an option to travel there by boat.
“No two visits are ever the same,” Fulham’s blurb on Riverside states. “One thing, however, is constant; exceptional service throughout.”
Obviously, this doesn’t come cheap. Just to sit in the Riverside Stand for Fulham’s next home game against Liverpool will cost £150. Season tickets reach the £3,000 level, the most expensive non-corporate season ticket in the Premier League.
Season tickets elsewhere in the stadium can still reach £1,024, while normal Premier League match tickets, again for Liverpool, range from £66 to £106, with a smattering of £35 seats on the sides of the Johnny Haynes Stand.
Exorbitant fees for Premier League tickets are increasingly common, especially in London where Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United will charge similar prices for matchday tickets.
It’s a lot for fans to stomach and they have tried to make their voice heard, with protests in 2023 and again recently at the Manchester United away game in the FA Cup, a joint-protest with home supporters after being charged at least £52 for a seat. In Premier League games, there is a £30 cap on away tickets across all clubs.
A Palace supporter on a successful away day for his club (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
“There definitely a sense of feeling fleeced by the club,” Fulham regular Liam tells The Athletic.
“I have friends who can’t afford to come anymore, but the club is going in a different direction. Fulham used to be open to everyone, home and away fans, but it’s becoming much more exclusive.”
The club’s chief executive Alistair Mackintosh recently defended the price rises, saying: “When I first spoke to the Fulham Disabled Supporters Association they gave me some advice — that Fulham is the sort of club that can have a business class or first class and have fans that turn left on a plane.
“They said to me, that is for some people, but the rest of us want a premium experience elsewhere.
“They may want to have this experience for the odd game, then may want to return to their seats.
“I feel stretching pricing means there is something for everyone at Craven Cottage.
“But the attention is on the top-end pricing as it is more interesting to report than the bottom end, but our game against Villa is sold out.”
Fulham are a club on the rise, fighting for Champions League football this season under Marco Silva’s management.
On Saturday — which starts with one of the most electrifying atmospheres heard at Craven Cottage for some time for their biggest game of the season, an FA Cup quarter-final against Palace — the task of turning Fulham into a club that offers a high-end experience on and off the pitch is brought home. You can’t really offer one without the other. Just ask Queens Park Rangers.
A comprehensive 3-0 loss puts Fulham’s season on a knife edge. Out of the cup, can they now reach Europe for just the fourth time in their history?
Those boutique ticket sales may depend on it.
(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Sports
Navy tops Army with late touchdown as Trump’s attendance in Baltimore sparks protests
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For the second year in a row, the Navy Midshipmen have won the Commander-in-Chief Trophy.
The Midshipmen earned a gutsy 17-16 victory over Army in one of the greatest rivalries in sports.
Navy got out to a scorching-hot start, as they scored a touchdown on their first drive, with Blake Horvath rushing for 45 of the 75 yards on the drive and running in for the score. He also had an 11-yard pass.
President Donald Trump greets players after the coin toss and before the start of the 126th Army-Navy Game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen at M&T Bank Stadium, Saturday, in Baltimore, Md. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Army, though, answered right back with an identical drive, going 13 plays for 75 yards — this one ended with Cale Hellums punching one in.
Navy’s offense was stalled for a long while after, as their next three drives ended in a punt, fumble, and interception. In the meantime, the Black Knights were able to tack on three more field goals to go up, 16-7. Late in the third, the Midshipmen finally added more points on the scoreboard with a field goal that cut their deficit to three.
Early in the fourth, Navy forced an Army interception. Navy had the ball at the goal line but fumbled on a quarterback sneak, losing seven yards. Horvath hit Eli Heidenrich in the end zone, though, and the ensuing kick gave the Midshipmen their first lead since the first drive of the game.
Navy promptly forced a three-and-out and got the ball back with less than five minutes to go. Navy lost a fumble when trying for a first down that would have iced the game, but the play was reviewed, and the call was reversed. Thus, Navy had a fourth-and-1 and kept the offense on the field. They got the first down that iced the game.
US President Donald Trump tosses a coin before the college football game between the US Army and Navy in Baltimore, Maryland, on December 13, 2025. (Photo by Alex Wroblewski / AFP via Getty Images)
CHICAGO RADIO HOST RIPS CUBS PLAYER FOR TURNING POINT EVENT ATTENDANCE, LIKENS IT TO ‘NAZI-ADJACENT PEP RALLY’
With the win, Navy earned the Commander-in-Chief trophy by also defeating Air Force earlier in the year.
The game was its usual old-school ground-and-pound style of football, as there were only 24 pass attempts compared to 86 runs.
President Donald Trump attended the game for the seventh time, and his second in as many years since being elected again. Trump participated in the coin flip, but not before protesters wielded lewd signs opposing Trump on the street leading up to the stadium.
Protests were expected for the game in the blue city, as Trump has suggested sending the National Guard to Baltimore to help address the city’s rampant crime. Baltimore consistently ranks among U.S. cities with high crime rates, often appearing in the top 5 for violent crimes, especially homicides and robberies.
U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd-L) walks onto the field for the 126th Army-Navy Game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen on Dec. 13, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. The teams are competing for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, with President Trump attending the rivalry for the second consecutive year. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
The protests against Trump also come on the same day that officials said two U.S. Army soldiers and a U.S. interpreter were killed in an ambush attack in Syria.
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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Sports
Jarred Vanderbilt hoping for an opportunity to help Lakers on defense
Perhaps Jarred Vanderbilt and his ability to defend can help the Lakers and their reeling defense.
Perhaps Vanderbilt can return to the rotation to help the Lakers’ defensive woes while guard Austin Reaves is out for approximately a week because of a mild left calf strain.
And perhaps Vanderbilt and the Lakers can get some immediate results for shoring up their defensive shortcomings when they face the Suns in Phoenix on Sunday afternoon.
The 6-foot-8 Vanderbilt is hopeful that his opportunity will come against the Suns and he turns that into a positive for the Lakers.
“Oh, yeah, I’m pretty eager,” he said after practice Saturday. “I mean, obviously, I think a lot of the stuff we lack, I think I can help provide on that end.”
In the last 10 games, Vanderbilt had only a three-minute stint against the Philadelphia 76ers because Jake LaRavia took a shot to the face that loosened a tooth.
The return of LeBron James and Vanderbilt’s offensive deficiencies left him out of the rotation. During much of that time the Lakers were winning, which meant Vanderbilt spent time on the bench.
In 15 games, Vanderbilt is three for 10 (26.6%) from three-point range. He was asked how he has been handling things.
“Good,” Vanderbilt said. “Controlling what I can control. Keep showing up to work, doing my part, supporting the team.”
Vanderbilt was asked if coach JJ Redick or any assistants have spoken to him about his role.
“Kind of here and there, I guess,” Vanderbilt said.
Vanderbilt was seen after practice Saturday working with an assistant coach on his shooting, just like he did after practice Friday and like he has done while not playing.
Redick said Reaves, who played against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, wasn’t sure when the calf became an issue, and “we’re obviously gonna be cautious with it.”
“It’s a mild strain, Grade 1, and he’ll be out for a week,” Redick said, adding, “I would venture to say every player is a little bit different, but players now are becoming more cautious — to use that word again — more cautious when they get those diagnosis with the calf. Everything looks clean. It’s not in the deep part.”
The Lakers have looked at the last 10 games during the film sessions as a barometer for their defensive problems. But in reality, the Lakers have not been very good on defense all season while producing a 17-7 record because of their stellar offense.
“It’s been a trending thing even when we was winning, so I think like you said, the defense still wasn’t there, but we was just outscoring everybody,” Vanderbilt said. “So, I think obviously during the loss, it’s an appropriate time to address certain things just so it won’t keep lingering and get worse.”
The Lakers are 18th in the NBA in points given up (116.8), 22nd in opponents’ field-goal percentage (48.1%) and 27th in opponents’ three-point shooting (38.2%).
They will face a Suns team that defeated them Dec. 1 at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers were unable to stop Collin Gillesipie, who had 28 points and was eight for 14 from three-point range, and Dillon Brooks, who had 33 points.
It hasn’t gotten better in the ensuing days. The Spurs loss was the Lakers’ third in the last five games.
“Nobody likes to go watch film after you get your ass kicked,” guard Marcus Smart said. “It’s tough because the film never lies. And it exposed us a lot, which we already knew. We were just winning a lot of games. So it was mitigated that way, but it was straight to it: We have to be able to guard.
“The scouting report against us is we’re not guarding people. And if we want to be great in this league and do what we’re trying to do, you have to be able to guard, especially in the West. These guys are no joke, and they’re coming. And especially [if] you got the Lakers across your jersey. They’re definitely coming with everything they have. So you can’t be expecting any surprises. And that’s what it was. It wasn’t no sugarcoating anything. It was, ‘This is what we got to do.’ We’ve been asked. Let’s fix it.”
Sports
Michigan football staffer who had alleged affair with Sherrone Moore still employed by university
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The football staffer who allegedly had a romantic relationship with fired head coach Sherrone Moore is still employed by the University of Michigan.
The woman has served as Moore’s executive assistant.
“There is no change in her employment status,” a Michigan spokesperson told Fox News.
The woman received a massive pay bump between 2024 and 2025.
Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore appears via video in court in Ann Arbor, Mich., Dec. 12, 2025. (Ryan Sun/AP Photo)
The individual allegedly linked to Moore, whose LinkedIn profile lists her as an executive assistant to the head football coach at the University of Michigan, made just over $58,000 in 2023 and 2024, according to public payroll information. In the 2025 fiscal year, though, her salary jumped to $99,000, according to a salary disclosure report from the University of Michigan.
During Moore’s arraignment Friday, prosecutors alleged he and the staffer had been in an “intimate relationship for a number of years,” which they say the woman ended on Monday. Prosecutors further claim Moore sent multiple text messages and made phone calls that prompted the woman to report the situation to the university and cooperate with its investigation.
Moore was released from jail Friday on $25,000 bond, according to police records obtained by Fox News Digital.
However, it’s unclear whether Moore will be returning home to his family.
Moore’s attorney, Joseph Simon, declined to say whether the coach will be going home to his wife and three children while speaking to reporters at an Ann Arbor courthouse Friday.
FIRED MICHIGAN COACH SHERRONE MOORE ACCUSED OF STALKING VICTIM ‘FOR MONTHS’ IN POLICE DISPATCH AUDIO
“I’m just going to not answer that question,” Simon said when asked if Moore was “going to be able to go home.”
Moore has been married to wife Kelli since 2015, and they have three daughters together — Shiloh, Solei and Sadie. Simon also declined to comment on the “mood” of his client after Moore was charged.
The conditions of Moore’s release require him to wear a GPS tether and continue mental health treatment and forbid him from communicating with the victim.
Moore was fired Wednesday, and the University of Michigan quickly announced it found credible evidence he had an “inappropriate relationship” with a staffer. Moore was then detained by police Wednesday after news of his dismissal broke.
Moore was arraigned in court Friday on stalking and home invasion charges. According to prosecutors, he faces a felony charge of home invasion in the third degree and two misdemeanor charges of stalking and breaking and entering without the owner’s permission.
Both misdemeanor charges are related to a “domestic relationship.”
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Michigan Wolverines head football coach Sherrone Moore during warmups before a game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Wrigley Field in Chicago Nov. 15, 2025. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
When Moore was fired from his position as head coach, prosecutors said, it prompted him to visit the woman’s home.
Moore then allegedly “barged” his way into the residence, grabbed a butter knife and a pair of kitchen scissors and began threatening his own life. According to prosecutors, Moore allegedly told the staffer, “My blood is on your hands” and “You ruined my life.”
Prosecutors claimed Moore “terrorized” the staffer and that they believed him to be a “risk to public safety.”
Fox News’ Patrick McGovern contributed to this report.
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