Fulham have threatened to take legal action over a newspaper report suggesting the club were planning to replace Roy Hodgson with John Collins.A report in Sunday tabloid The People claimed that Fulham were targeting a move to name former star Collins as their new manager in place of Hodgson.

Collins has been linked with a possible return to Craven Cottage for some time, but Fulham board member and club solicitor Stuart Benson who has asked The People to publish a 'complete retraction' of their story.

In a letter published on the club's official website, Benson wrote: "The article claims that John Collins looks likely to replace the club's current manager Roy Hodgson and that Mr Collins will be meeting Fulham's chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed, during the course of the current week to discuss taking over as manager.

"The article is wholly and utterly false; indeed I can only assume that it represents pure invention on the part of Mr Kidd given that there are and have been no plans either to replace Roy Hodgson, or to have any discussion whatsoever with Mr Collins, nor is there any wish or intent to do so.

"No discussions with him have taken place, nor will be taking place and no meeting between him and Mr Al Fayed is planned.

"I can only assume that this wholly fictitious story is deliberately intended to destabilise the club at a critical time as the season reaches its conclusion. And as such it is malicious, and any repetition will be the subject of proceedings."

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