Posted April 3, 201114 yr Fulham has a new statue outside their stadium. It's their owner Mohammed Al Fayed who made the decision to have it. Is it of a famous Fulham player? No. Is it of a club legend? No. Is it perhaps a tribute to the fans? Hell no. It's a statue of Michael Jackson. And it looks like this: Two things. 1. I think I've heard that Michael Jackson liked Fulham, maybe even supported the team, but is a statue of him really a good choice? It's as if we were to raise a statue of Will Ferrell or Charlize Theron. It's just ridiculous. 2. Who was the blind and possibly deranged person who made it? It hardly looks like Jackson at all. In fact, it's f*cking ugly. It reminds me of a toy you can buy at the local toy store - a cheap thing that only remotely reminds you of someone. Here's what the owner has to say. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12950708 Fulham chairman Mohammed Al Fayed has told fans they can "go to hell" if they do not appreciate a new Michael Jackson statue at Craven Cottage stadium.Mr Al Fayed unveiled the statue on Sunday prior to the west London Premier League team's match against Blackpool. The statue was commissioned following Jackson's death in June 2009 and was due to be erected at Harrods before Mr Al Fayed sold the Knightsbridge store. "Why is it bizarre? Football fans love it," he said after the unveiling. Outside the stadium, Fulham fan Michael Tune said: "We're a laughing stock. It has nothing to do with football." Another Fulham fan, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "It makes the club look silly. I thought it was an April Fools joke." But Mr Al Fayed said: "If some stupid fans don't understand and appreciate such a gift this guy gave to the world they can go to hell. "I don't want them to be fans. "If they don't understand and don't believe in things I believe in they can go to Chelsea, they can go to anywhere else," he added. Mr Al Fayed's decision to relocate the statue of Jackson to Fulham's stadium has been unpopular with some fans. The singer was a friend of Mr Al Fayed's but his only known link to the football club is that he attended one game as a guest of the chairman, against Wigan Athletic in 1999. But Mr Al Fayed said: "The last game he attended here with me, he was running like a child, he loved the place. "He loved Fulham and he wanted to attend all of the matches. "People will queue to come and visit it from all over the UK and it is something that I and everybody else should be proud of." Tony Curtis Kit Symons, who played in the match Jackson attended in 1999 and is now under-18s manager at the Cottagers said: "It is great. "The big thing is it is obviously something that the chairman feels very, very passionately about and he has decided to erect this statue and fair dos to him." Reflecting on the time of Jackson's visit, he added: "It was just happy times. "The chairman obviously used to bring high profile people down the games. "Tony Curtis was here a few weeks after and it was just fantastic times." Central defender Brede Hangeland said the decision to erect the statue was backed by the club's players. He said: "Some of our players are Michael Jackson fans, some aren't, and that's the same in the general population. "His music has been on in the dressing room a couple of times. I'm sure we won when his music was played! "We have the deepest respect for everything about the chairman. If he wants to do this then it is all good." Inspired by the statue, Fulham beat Blackpool 3-0 in the match which followed the unveiling. So apparently the King of Pop had almost no relation to Fulham apart from being a friend of the owner and possibly saw a game once. If it's true then it's even more ridiculous to make a statue of him and have it outside the stadium. I really can understand the fans reaction. And the respons from Mohammed Al Fayed just makes him look like a complete twat. Thank God we have Roman. Hopefully this wont inspire Roman to get a statue of his own. Imagine if he's a big fan of Justin Bieber. I would kill myself.
April 4, 201114 yr Oh man, I feel for the Fulham fans. What a tit Al Fayed is - really... They are going to get abuse for years over this. The way that Fulham employees are pulling the 'its great, we love Al Fayed and he can do what he wants' line is so transparent as well. Sounds like a 'say its great' in the media or I'll get rid of you in the summer deal going on.
April 4, 201114 yr I was aware of this a week ago, but seeing this statue is jaw-dropping. As The Moos stated, it resembles an action figure: The arms are awkward and disproportionately long, the head is square and orange, and the big broad shoulders. Forgivable if it's 10" high, but this is huge, amateurish and tasteless. His song "Can't Get Out of the Rain" comes to mind. But I'll call this display "The Revenge of John Merrick". Thankfully, it's someone else's problem. Here's what could have been the inspiration: Edited April 4, 201114 yr by ThunderDan
April 4, 201114 yr They should have just knicked one from Madam Tussauds...but then again, they're not from Liverpool.
April 4, 201114 yr We've got the King of Stamford Bridge, they've got the King of Pop. This is the crux of it really. Joke team. Inspired by the statue, Fulham beat Blackpool 3-0 in the match which followed the unveiling. Heh, and that's a facht apparently.
April 4, 201114 yr I spoke to a Fulham season ticket holder this morning about the statue, he reckons some of the fans need to get things in perspective. When Al Fayed took over they were on the brink of dropping of the face of the football world and now they're a solid premiership team and reached a european final, that in his opinion give Al Fayed the right to put some of his personal belongings up at the ground if he so wishes. Seems like a sensible opinion - strange for a fulham fan!
April 4, 201114 yr Just seen the picture in The Sun of Al Fayed standing next to the Jackson statue,ugly and artificial lookiing and thats just Al Fayed!. If the fans wanted a Fulham themed statue,then thay should have put a big arse on a plinth so remind everyone of Jimmy Hill.Still,at least they've made the papers instead of beinging ignored like they have been for the last 120 years.
April 4, 201114 yr Hughes has been instructed to issue all players with one right-hand glove that must be worn during all games, and there are 23 left-hand gloves for sale on e-bay Edited April 4, 201114 yr by Tim W
April 4, 201114 yr That thing is f**king terrifying, I can imagine it coming to life at night and running amok in West London killing everyone that dares stand before it.....
April 4, 201114 yr Its Just some self indulgence,by a pretentious man who believes in his own importance,a bit of a prick actually,id be devastated to be ridiculed like fayed is going to be
April 5, 201114 yr It looks like they weren't sure whether to base his skin tone on when he was black or when he was white so they've combined the two and ended up with some kind of orange effect...
April 5, 201114 yr It looks like they weren't sure whether to base his skin tone on when he was black or when he was white so they've combined the two and ended up with some kind of orange effect... .....on the verge of melting in the sun.
April 5, 201114 yr Author There's one thing I wonder though - will it now be safe to bring kids to Craven Cottage?
