After a run of 13 straight seasons in the Premier League, Fulham FC will return to the Championship. The Cottagers needed to defeat Stoke City on Saturday to stay alive heading into the season's final day, but it wasn't to be, as Stoke defeated Fulham 4-1. Combined with Sunderland's win, this mathematically eliminated the Cottagers and relegated them to the Championship for the 2014/15 season.
Fulham relegated from the Premier League
For the first time since 2001, Fulham will play their football in the Championship after being relegated from the Premier League on Saturday.
It was a season that started in a promising manner for the Cottagers, with a new owner, as Shahid Khan bought the club from Mohamed Al-Fayed. Khan immediately began working to sure up the club’s finances, committing money to improving the team on the pitch, and helping to get the club essentially debt free as well.
Unfortunately, the results on the pitch simply didn’t come.
Fulham spent the first four months of the season struggling at the bottom of the table, leading the club to fire manager Martin Jol, who’d led them to a 13th place finish the season prior. Jol had managed just three wins and 10 points from 13 matches.
Rene Meulensteen took over, but things did not improve as the Cottagers continued to struggle. In mid-February, Meulensteen, along with assistant coaches Ray Wilkins and Alan Curbishley, was sacked and the club brought in German Felix Magath to try and save their season.
The team continued to struggle, but an uptick of form in early April gave supporters hope as Fulham won two straight matches to pull close to safety. A bad loss against Tottenham ended the winning streak, and a cruel 2-2 draw against Hull City on April 26 left Fulham reeling.
Finally, on Saturday their relegation was confirmed with the loss to Stoke City.
