Stuart Gray: an unsung hero of positive change for a decade at Fulham
Written by Drew Heatley on 23rd May 2025
As we all fight back tears at the prospect of Tom Cairney leaving Fulham after 10 years at the club, it might surprise some that Stuart Gray was also closing in on a decade in SW6.
As the club announce his departure, it’s a good time to acknowledge his contribution to Fulham FC. Gray been an integral part of the coaching staff, advising no fewer than three managers across his spell. He’s experienced more highs than lows at Craven Cottage, leaving the club in a far better state than he found it.
Gray joined a very different football club in December 2015 as ‘Senior Coach’ – and his arrival wasn’t exactly welcomed. He’d been out of work since June that year, having led Sheffield Wednesday to an underwhelming 13th placed finish in the Championship.
We weren’t exactly on the up. We were languishing in 16th, and Kitt Symons had been relieved of his duties a month earlier, with no permanent manager in sight. Reading boss Steve Clarke had reportedly turned us down and Gray had come in to plug the gap until a manager was found. It was all a bit embarrassing.
He was thrust into the limelight in the West London derby against Brentford. We drew 2-2 at Craven Cottage, in front of 19,000 that day, but it’s apt that in his penultimate match we bested the Bees to keep our hopes of a top 10 Premier League finish alive.
Dual Wembley successes
Though Gray only won one game of the five he took charge of – a 4-1 crushing of Rotherham United – he tasted far more success as a member of Slav’s backroom staff. He played a role as the Whites went 23 games undefeated on the way to perhaps our most enjoyable day ever at Wembley.
Just three months later he left the club, only to return in March 2019 when it was all going a bit Pete Tong in the Premier League. Slav and Claudio Ranieri couldn’t stop the rot, and FFC put up the Gray signal. He returned to assist then-caretaker boss Scott Parker, who he’d worked with as a player in SW6. The Whites would, of course, end up at Wembley again, beating Brentford and returning to the Premier League.
Fuelling Marco’s magic
When Parker left for Bournemouth having failed to keep us in the Premier League, Gray remained, linking up with new boss Marco Silva. The task was a familiar one: escape the Championship and return to the Premier League. We all know what happened next.
His legacy
Gray’s been credited with having a huge impact on our defensive style of play. We conceded fewer than a goal a game in our title-winning season, and have maintained consistency since our return, conceding an average of 1.39, 1.6, and 1.4 goals per game respectively. Players like Calvin Bassey have flourished this season, testament to Gray’s impact.
The modern game, however, is changing, and there have been rumblings that the club is looking at a dedicated set-piece coach. It’s the sort of marginal gain that is paying dividends at the top Premier League clubs, and we’ve seen this term that marginal gains are the difference between the bottom half of the table and a place in Europe.
But in an era when loyalty is in short supply, Gray should be applauded. Sure, it’s been a naturally beneficial relationship, but he has quietly helped shift the culture at the club, taking us from a basket case of a Championship club battling the drop, to an established Premier League team on the cusp of European football.
So, thank you, Stuart. While you may have narrowly missed out on a testimonial, the testimonies from the fans who remember and appreciate your impact on Fulham FC will hopefully prove more valuable.
