Fulham aim to 'create own history' in Women's FA Cup

Women's FA Cup: Fulham v London City Lionesses

Venue: Craven Cottage Date: Sunday, 12 January Kick-off: 12:00 GMT

Coverage: Watch on BBC iPlayer and the Red Button, live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app

Two-time Women's FA Cup winners Fulham want to create their "own history" as the lowest-ranked side left in the competition.

Fifth-tier Fulham host Women's Championship side London City Lionesses on Sunday at Craven Cottage, in a game being broadcast live on the BBC.

The club, who became the first fully professional women's team in 2000, won back-to-back FA Cups in 2002 and 2003 - but funding was withdrawn and the team was dissolved in 2006.

Fulham revived their women's team in 2014, and they now compete as a part-time team in the London and South East Regional Women's Premier Division.

This is the first time Fulham have reached the fourth round of the FA Cup since being reformed in their current guise, while Sunday's fixture will be the third time they have played at the men's Premier League ground this season.

They are unbeaten in the league this season - and in their past 16 matches in all competitions - and manager Steve Jaye said the current generation are ready to make their own mark.

"We are very fortunate to have a rich history in the competition, but that was a very long time ago," he told his pre-match news conference.

"We like to use this as a chance to create our own history."

Jaye has acknowledged Fulham's troubled past, with allegations about the behaviour of their late former owner Mohamed Al Fayed coming to light last October.

Former Fulham Ladies captain Ronnie Gibbons alleged she was groped on two occasions by Al Fayed, while former manager Gaute Haugenes told the BBC last year that extra precautions had been put in place to protect female players from the former owner.

Fulham told the BBC last year they were trying to establish whether anyone at the club "had been impacted" by Al Fayed.

"We restarted in 2014, and have had a 10-year journey to this point," said Jaye, when asked by the BBC on what impact these stories had on his squad. "We are looking ahead to what we can create as a team.

"We are aware of the historic stuff and sad to hear about it, but there's not much I can talk about on that when there's an ongoing investigation.

"From our perspective, we have 10 years of history ourselves, so we are looking to what we can showcase."

Fulham are focused on Sunday's huge challenge against a Lionesses side one point off the top of the second division and eyeing promotion to the Women's Super League.

Fulham are in a promotion race of their own, external. They have won seven and drawn one of their eight league fixtures so far and, although they are 10 points behind leaders Dartford, they have five games in hand following a series of postponements earlier in the campaign.

Defender Becky Stormer, who was in the original Fulham Ladies academy before returning to the club six seasons ago, says they are relishing the unfamiliar role as second favourites and will be well prepared, despite their squad only being able to train three times a week around their full-time jobs.

"Being realistic we are the underdogs, but this is a good place to be," she told BBC Sport. "We wanted a Women's Super League or Championship club, and are super excited for the test.

"It's very different opposition, so this week we have an extra training session and might be changing our tactics a little bit," added midfielder Stella Gandee Morgan.

"Mostly it's excited nervousness. We haven't been the underdog this season so the pressure is all on them.

"We are going in with a lot of confidence. We know if we can hold them, we have people who can score goals."

Fulham came through the preliminaries and have had to win five games before facing London City Lionesses, who entered at round three.

The Whites beat seventh-tier Epsom & Ewell 13-0 in the second round of qualifying before defeating two fourth-division sides and winning 2-1 at neighbours Brentford in round three to set up this tie.

"We have had a really good run, and with the magic of the cup, we will see what happens," striker Ellie Olds – who scored the opener at Brentford – told BBC Sport.

"Our main focus is the league, but to be on this amazing cup run is really cool. It is a free hit, there is no expectation for us to win."

As a part-time side, Fulham fulfil the FA Cup tradition of featuring players from all walks of life including a catering assistant, personal trainer and university lecturer.

Defender Ella Tagliavini combines playing with teaching at the University College of Football Business in Wembley, and is hoping to persuade her students to come and support the team.

"I'm fortunate, I have managed to juggle academics and football well but it is a challenge when we're training three times a week," she told BBC Sport.

"It takes a lot of time, energy and effort from us – but a lot of us would play for free. This club has given us so much, we want to give a lot back.

"I need to get the email around to students, to get them to come down."

Vice-captain Megalie Mendes is used to supporting some of the best women's footballers rather than being the star herself – she is the Football Association's senior marketing manager for the England women's team.

On Sunday she will be sharing the field with some of the biggest women's footballing names, with London City Lionesses featuring Kosovare Asllani, who was part of the Sweden side who came third at the 2023 World Cup.

The visitors have made headlines themselves this season following a takeover by billionaire Michele Kang, with eye-catching signings such as forward Asllani and former PSG manager Jocelyn Precheur.

"It's like comparing apples and oranges," said Portuguese defender Mendes, when asked by BBC Sport about how she will measure up against Asllani.

"It's an honour, hopefully I tackle her if she comes on the pitch. We want to give it a good shot, make it a good battle."