A much different approach to this evening’s match as being in London, it was natural to take the train to Blackfriars and the remainder by Tube. With no car parking to worry about, we took it easy with a couple of pints at the historical Blackfriar pub, which dates back to 1875, 21 years earlier than the equally famous Craven Cottage ground we were heading for.

Arriving at Putney Bridge tube, the squad of 3 had a brisk 15-minute walk to the ground through a park alongside the Thames on one side and ridiculously expensive Fulham homes and flats on the other.

For the first time on our journey, we were amongst a seriously large crowd, including thousands of fellow Leeds fans. A police officer at Putney Bridge told us they were hoping for a well-behaved evening as “there were not many of as much of the Met were escorting Millwall to Luton Town”.

Craven Cottage is the oldest football ground in London, built in 1875, and entering the Johnny Haynes stand, it seems not much had changed; it even had wooden seats in the upper section on wooden terracing. The toilets held about eight at a time with one door for in and out, which was a bit awkward as the earlier Timothy Taylor pints were on the move!

Up to now, we had always been in the section of the team we were following, but being an all-premiership tie, huge Leeds demand and a relatively lower capacity ground, we could only get Fulham tickets, and that was only after the Spiv of us becoming a Fulham Member 😊.

Our seats gave a prime view on the halfway line just a few rows up and when the Fulham pre-kick-off anthem of The Clash – London’s Calling blasted out, we had to remind ourselves after joining in….lives by the river da da da dada da da da… that we were here to follow Leeds.

With the sad passing away of the inimitable John Motson a few days earlier and the BBC being there televising live, there was a fitting tribute to Motty just before kick-off, impeccably respected by all in the ground.

The game started at a frenetic pace and with the wall of noise from the 4,500 Leeds fans packing the Putney End, we were in a real FA Cup night under the floodlights. It was Leeds who found the net on 15 minutes when Georginio Rutter tapped in from close range only to be disallowed, having pushed the Fulham defender in the process.

When Leeds cleared a move down the left, Palhinha won a robust challenge to win the ball from Marc Roca and, with his second touch, sent a superb curling strike from 30 days into the Leeds net. With no other Fulham player involved, does that go down as a Palhinha, both Assist & Goal? The best goal we have seen all season and you could well imagine how Motty would have commentated that one!

Leeds responded with several great chances and Gnoto scored but was flagged offside. Shortly after, Rutter hit the bar with a thunderous shot and then somehow missed an open goal as a cross immediately from the rebound found him with just a tap-in invitation, but he completely missed the ball.

Half-time and off for a coffee on a cold night, but once again, the outdated facilities of the old stand resulted in there being no queuing system at the kiosk whatsoever so that once you fought your way through to get served, it was virtually impossible to turn and get back out without spilling. 

Sorry Fulham, but for the old ground’s much-lauded “quaint charm”, it’s only 3/10 for Fanfayre. The newly constructed, part-open Riverside stand on the opposite side looks fantastic and no doubt a wonderful experience and so we will bear that in mind if Fulham get through and are drawn at home again.

It could be argued Leeds was unlucky to be 0-1 down from the first half, but there was nothing lucky about the second Fulham goal. Solomon on the left had a quick one-two with Mitrovic and sent the sweetest curling shot into the far corner.

Leeds had several more chances towards the end, but Fulham held on for the win with two memorable goals. 

After 90 minutes sitting with the Fulham fans, we soon forgot our part-time allegiance to Leeds United and now await the dizzy heights of the quarter-final. Being a Fulham Member, we can hopefully get tickets to continue our journey and so roll-on the draw tomorrow evening.

So it was a brisk walk back to Putney Bridge mixed with the hordes of Leeds who were understandably subdued, obviously due to the result after the efforts of travelling all this way on a Tuesday, or maybe it was the realisation that most of them would be doing the same journey again in 4 days time, two stops prior on the tube for their Premier League match at Chelsea just up the road.