How Fulham's Relegation From The Premier League Was Blamed On A Michael Jackson Statue
Mohamed Al-Fayed, the former Fulham owner has blamed the relegation of the club due to the removal of Michael Jackson's statue outside the stadium.
By Darian Goh — 07 May 2014, 01:07 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
Ex-Owner Al-Fayed Claimed That The Removal Of Michael Jackson's Statue Caused Fulham's Relegation
Former Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed came up with an unusual explanation on Tuesday for their Premier League relegation - the removal of Michael Jackson's statue.
Fulham were relegated because they removed a statue of Michael Jackson from Craven Cottage, according to former owner Mohamed Al Fayed.
Al Fayed told Press Association Sport he believes the Cottagers would still be in the top flight if Khan had not had the 7ft 6ins sculpture of Michael Jackson removed from outside Craven Cottage last November.
The Statue Was Installed In 2011 But Was Taken Down In November 2013 By The New Owner
The much-mocked statue was commissioned by Al Fayed and installed at the back of the Hammersmith Stand in 2011.
Fayed was speaking as he presented the 7ft 6in statue of the late singer to the National Football Museum in Manchester. The much-mocked statue was commissioned by Fayed and installed at the back of the Hammersmith Stand in 2011 but was taken down last September.
theguardian.com
"The Statue Was A Lucky Charm" - Al-Fayed
"When the new owner decided to move it I said 'Fine, it is a lucky thing, you will regret it later'," Al Fayed said. "Now the new owner will regret it because I warned him. I said 'You will pay with blood for that' because it was something loved by people.
He said: "This statue was a charm and we removed the luck from the club and now we have to pay the price. "When (Khan) asked me to move it I said, 'you must be crazy'. This is such a fantastic statue which the fans are crying out for."
Shahid Khan, The Current Owner Asked For The Statue Back But Was Denied By Al-Fayed
“But now he has paid the price because the club has been relegated. He called me because he told me he wanted Michael to return. I told him: ‘No way’. “It’s really upsetting. This was a lucky place. Fulham never go down. Now they are relegated. Now he’s crying. "Michael Jackson had a charm, had a touch.”
mirror.co.uk"It was a big mistake but he paid for it now. He's been relegated and if he wakes up he'll ask for Michael Jackson again and I'll say 'No way'."
The Late Michael Jackson And Mohamed Al-Fayed Were Friends
Al Fayed, a friend of Jackson, installed the statue at the back of the Hammersmith Stand in 2011. The singer did visit Craven Cottage when he attended a match between Fulham and Wigan in 1999.