The 2008–09 Fulham season was the club's 111th professional season and their eighth consecutive season in the top flight of English football, the Premier League, since their return in 2001. They were managed by Roy Hodgson in his first full season as Fulham manager. They played in the Premier League by virtue of staying up on goal difference from Reading on the last day of the previous campaign and were hoping to improve on their placing of 17th. They eventually finished in seventh place in the Premier League table with 53 points, an improvement of ten places and 18 points. Their league position secured a place in the newly formed UEFA Europa League for the 2009–10 season as well as their highest League finish in their history. The club received a number of additional awards from the Premi