Mohamed Fayed to dump statue of Michael Jackson outside Craven Cottage

Fulham’s chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed will unveil a commemorative statue of Michael Jackson at Craven Cottage on Sunday 3 April to honour the friendship he shared with the singer. When Al-Fayed commissioned the statue in 2009 he planned to place it in pride of place outside Harrods in Knightsbridge. The sale of the landmark department store left him with a dilemma: where to put the statue? Craven Cottage was seen as the natural alternative, according to the club.

The statue, depicting the singer in one of his most famous poses, has been placed adjacent to the Riverside and Hammersmith Stands on the banks of the river Thames. Fulham’s Chairman enjoyed a long and happy friendship with the megastar. As well as making several visits to Harrods he also attended Craven Cottage at Fayed's invitation, accompanying the Egyptian to watch Fulhan's 2-0 victory over Wigan in 1999.



Fayed was full of praise for the singer when he made the announcement. "Michael Jackson was truly a legend, a term used too often in this modern world saturated in the hyperbole surrounding celebrity," said the millionaire. "He was my friend, a man with whom I shared many happy memories and who died a tragic and untimely death. He left behind a legacy of music so vast it takes one’s breath away; from a precocious talent to an ingenuity and groundbreaking modernity that shall never be repeated. It shall often be imitated, but it will never be replicated, Michael Jackson was, and shall always remain, one of a kind."

Fayed took care to compliment the fans - who might be somewhat surprised to find out who is now rubbing shoulders with the statue of Fulham legend Johnny Haynes. "I hope that many fans of his will visit the statue at the Cottage from far and wide, and that Fulham fans will appreciate seeing the finest performer in the world, in and amongst them, the finest fans in the world."