Fulham v Fulham

64 page official handbook for the 1948/49 season. This publication is in very good condition.

<p align="justify">The introduction to the handbook was written by Jack Peart who had been the Secretary-Manager of Fulham FC since 1935. Sadly Mr Peart passed away on September 3rd 1948, just before this publication was released. The club decided to leave Mr Pearts message at the front of the book. Here it is:

<b>A Personal Message from Jack Peart</b>

After a lapse of many years, the Directors have decided to re-introduce the Club Year Book, and to judge by the large number of requests I have had from our patrons in past seasons, its reappearance will be most welcome. The articles by Director E. Dudley Evans, who has been associated with the Club for more years than he cares to remember, will be of special interest to our older patrons, who will readily recall those good old days.

For my own contribution, I have been asked to deal with our prospects for Season 1948-9. What I have to say will, no doubt, be remembered and brought up against me if my optimistic views prove incorrect.

Taking a retrospective survey of our team's performances last season, I can say that buy for the remarkable sequence of " Home " failures, we must have been promotion candidates, while our success in the FA. Cup Competition must also be taken as an indication of the capabilities of our side.

For many seasons past, our prospects have been ruined by a bad patch, usually in mid-season. Consistency in their displays is the keynote of a successful team. Like all other clubs, we have had to build up practically a new side since that fatal September day in 1939, and it is interesting to compare then with now. Here is a list of our players in the League matches of 1938-9: Arnold, Bacuzzi, Buckley, Clarke, Dennison, Easson, Evans, Finch, Freeman, Higgins, Hiles, Keeping, Miller, O'Callaghan, Rooke, Tompkins, Tuckett, Turner, Woodward and Worsley. It will be noted that, of these, only two are still on our playing staff Joe Bacuzzi and Harry Freeman. Our 1938-9 "A' team has proved of immense value, for Bacuzzi, Freeman, Wallbanks, Taylor and Sid Thomas were all members of that side.

For the present season 1948-9, we have made a few additions to our playing staff. No doubt chief interest will be focused on Jack McDonald, whose transfer we have secured from the Bournemouth and Boscombe Club in spite of very strong competition. I am certain Jack will prove a great acquisition. Another newcomer is Randolph Jenkins, a young Irish forward who played twenty-six games in Northampton's League side last season. We have also been fortunate in securing the signature of Bedford Jezzard, a Smithfield youngster, who is considered by many good judges to be a player who will quickly make the grade. Provided negotiations are successful, another experienced forward will have been added to our list by the start of the season.

We are primarily concentrating our efforts on strengthening the forward line, as failure to score goals was our most obvious weakness last season.

Supporters will be glad to learn that Arthur Stevens has made excellent progress after having had a cartilage removed from the knee-joint, and his return to the side will be a very great asset.

So it is that, always providing we can steer clear of serious injuries, I look forward to Season 1948-9 in a very optimistic frame of mind.

JACK PEART.