Madi Parsonson began her career at Dulwich Hamlet before making the move to Fulham after two seasons with the FA WNL side. During her time at the London-based club, she became an integral part of a team that went on a remarkable two-year unbeaten run.
Across those two seasons, she helped Fulham secure the London and South East Regional Football League title, the London County Cup, and the FA Women’s National League Division One South East.
In an interesting twist, the Dulwich Hamlet defender’s father was part of the coaching team that handed Fulham their most recent league defeat.
I personally began covering women’s football for Since 71 this year, and my first assignment was Fulham vs Luton. It proved to be an entertaining encounter, with Fulham running out 3–0 winners. A photo diary from the match is available to view below.
The standout photo from that day, for me, is of Madi Parsonson, known as “The Moose”, raising her hands to her head to mimic a moose’s antlers, joined by several fans behind her, as you can see below.
The reason I love this photo isn’t just because it captures the unity between the players and the fans at the club.
There’s also a slightly selfish reason behind it. Not only was it my favourite image from the day, but it also helped me gain recognition within the women’s football space.
The photo was shared by Madi herself. The first time I’d ever had an image used by a footballer which made it an absolute honour.
I later reached out to the Fulham Women’s Supporters Club on Instagram to find out the origin of Madi’s nickname. Apparently, her mother used to call her “Madi Madi Moose” during her taekwondo competitions, a nickname that’s even stitched onto her black belt.
Over time, it was shortened to “The Moose,” and it’s stuck ever since. The nickname eventually evolved into the celebration captured in the photo.
At Motspur Park, the home of Fulham Women, I attended my second game; Fulham vs Tottenham Academy. A photo diary from that match can be viewed below.
When I wasn’t behind the camera, I often found myself watching Madi following our encounter the previous week.
Time and again, I’d see her surging up and down the wing, chasing every ball with relentless determination. Her role reminded me of how Smilla Holmberg operates in Renée Slegers’ system, a hybrid between a winger and a full-back.
At times, it felt like she would never stop running. She was a boundless source of energy throughout. On top of that, she proved to be a key creative outlet, delivering crosses that consistently caused problems for the Spurs youth side.
The final game of Fulham’s league season came against London Bees, with the photo diary from what turned out to be an unexpected classic available to view below.
With neither side having much left to play for in terms of league position, I went into the game expecting something fairly subdued, certainly not an end-to-end classic. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Fulham were excellent in the first half, which culminated in a penalty calmly converted by Stella Gandee-Morgan. However, the momentum shifted dramatically after the break as London Bees began to swarm forward.
Goals from Shamoy Campbell and Millie Isherwood turned the game on its head, putting Fulham’s two-year unbeaten league run in serious jeopardy.
Unfortunately, the match was overshadowed by Isherwood being stretchered off with what has since been confirmed as an ACL injury.
Everyone at Since 71 sends Millie our very best wishes for a full and speedy recovery. The lengthy stoppage for treatment resulted in a significant amount of added time.
Late in the game, Parsonson was introduced from the bench. After a stunning strike from distance by Leeta Rutherford brought Fulham level, Laila Lister delivered a ball out to the right-hand side.
Madi “The Moose” Parsonson met it perfectly, firing into the top corner to make it 3–2 and ensure her final league appearance for Fulham ended in triumph.
To bring this piece to a close, I want to speak directly to Madi.
Madi, if you’re reading this, firstly, thank you for taking the time to do so. More than that, thank you for being the first footballer to share my work. It meant a lot.
You’ve not only shown yourself to be a top player, but also a genuinely lovely person, and you’ve made my job as a photographer incredibly easy.
I wish you nothing but the very best, wherever football takes you next.
And to any clubs considering signing her… trust me — she’s worth every penny.
