But in training, as a central defender, I face strikers who are an English international [Rachel Yankey] and an Olympic gold medallist [Marianne Pettersen of Norway].”Fulham’s general manager, Gary Mulcahey, promised: “I can guarantee they won’t score seven past us this time. This is a massive game because it will show how far we have come in just one year of being professional We have scored so many goals this season it is incredible But it doesn’t matter if we only get one against Arsenal As long we we don’t concede any, that will do it. For our chairman’s sake, and for the good of the game, a win for us would persuade other clubs to look at the possibility of going pro.”Fulham’s manager, Frank McMorrow, a PE teacher on a year’s sabbatical from Latymer Upper in Hammersmith, said: “Arsenal are a good, established, organised side, strong and physical, and the game will be a battle. But if we win more of our individual battles I don’t see why we can’t beat them.” McMorrow, who played for Barking in the old Isthmian League but got into coaching women 11 years ago when his girlfriend’s club asked him to help out, stressed the frustration for his players of operating in a league well below their level. “There is a danger of complacency setting in but we keep it at bay by the girls setting themselves individual targets.

No disrespect to next season’s opposition, but we should be in the Premier League now. But we can’t because of FA rules.”At 21, Ronnie Gibbons is a fine example of home-bred Fulham skills. Born in Wandsworth, she is an Irish international thanks to grandparents from Galway and County Mayo, but has been with Fulham since she was 13, becoming captain for three years at 17 before handing over to what she called “an older, wiser and more experienced player” in Petersen.”When I first started here we had absolutely nothing,” she said. “We were funded by our parents and we used to take it in turns to take the kit home and wash it Now everything has changed. Not only are we training at a great facility in Motspur Park, we have a fitness coach, dietician, doctors and physios to look after us.

Before all this happened I used to play through injuries and go out the night before a game. It has been very educational for us all.”It was very tough physically at the start but now my game and fitness have improved by about 70 per cent. I have really noticed the difference, particularly in cup games. At the end you feel you still have petrol in the tank and could run for another half an hour. That has been the main benefit, being stronger on the pitch.”Rachel (Macca) McArthur, central midfielder and vice-captain, agreed. “When I was with Southampton we used to train 90 minutes a week Here we work out for two hours a day.

No disrespect to the other teams in our league, but we are so fit it is frustrating.”What she does not find so frustrating any longer is the male attitude towards the women’s game. “You will always have the men who think you can’t play but now we are getting publicised more and most men can see for themselves how good we are.”"Going professional has meant everything,” insists Petersen. “We don’t have to do a 37-hour job at the same time any more. You can sleep and eat football, wake up in the morning and your whole lifestyle revolves around the game Wonderful.” Manager McMorrow agrees “We are making history here at Fulham,” he says “Let’s hope we can make a bit more history on Monday.”. Steve Kember had every right to smile, and then say no, when Crystal Palace’s chairman, Simon Jordan, last weekend offered him the job of helping to save the club from relegation for the second time in his career. Dismissed, while on holiday in the summer of 1982, after guiding the club to safety that season, he could have, perhaps should have, thought “once bitten, twice shy” and walked away. Instead, on Friday afternoon, he was on the team bus travelling north from London to Greater Manchester for this afternoon’s relegation showdown at Edgeley Park.