Qatari Royal family set to grab stake in Fulham?

[Lighthouse]

I do not think we should be scared of the prospect of untold riches which would mean moving on from our heritage. But what would be in it for any investor? Mr AlF wanted us to move or improve the ground but failed bar a few more seats. There is no money to be made here and little prestige. We are not a sleeping giant but an over achiever wanting more. Still what ever happens lets not be scared of success. I was always miffed when told we could never push on to be a top six side. With or without huge investment we still could.

As for losing our tradition. We already lost that when we started to compete in arguably the top league in the World

[White Noise]

Ah so the rumours have resurfaced have they?? Just got back my hols so out of the loop a bit!

Where have the rumours come from this time?? I know the Daily Mail had them a month or so ago is there anything new this time???

It originated from a message on Twitter on Thursday - @MalawiMbuna -  saying that something appeared to be going on at Fulham because there is a lot of activity and staff are working particularly late.

Fox ‏@MalawiMbuna

Fulham FC being sold to the Qatari Royals? Something big is going down, long staff hours, giant hush hush #ffc #fulhamfc


Fox ‏@MalawiMbuna

@UncleUgs "friend of a friend" at the club, been working all day everyday and not allowed to say anything (& therefore has done by silence!)


It was pure speculation that it might be because things are being prepared for The Qatari's. There is a thread on here from a couple of months ago detailing the original story of their supposed interest. They are of course the people who bought Harrods off MAF.

http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?topic=21894.0

[Senior Supporter]

Qatari Royal Family? Spot the odd one in this photo...

They're already dressing in the right colours.

[White Noise]

Qatari Royal Family? Spot the odd one in this photo...

They're already dressing in the right colours.

But which one is about to stab Blatter?

[Me-ate-Live, innit??]

WE can't have forgotten the initial shock, when MAF first came and Mickey got sacked ????.  People belly-aches long and hard and we spent the early years stressing that he would sell us down the river.
As the years passed, we have become smug because we have the best 'foreign' owner England,  only THAT statue dented the love ..............
What will be, will be ................... 

[Jack Fulham]

I do not think we should be scared of the prospect of untold riches which would mean moving on from our heritage. But what would be in it for any investor? Mr AlF wanted us to move or improve the ground but failed bar a few more seats. There is no money to be made here and little prestige. We are not a sleeping giant but an over achiever wanting more. Still what ever happens lets not be scared of success. I was always miffed when told we could never push on to be a top six side. With or without huge investment we still could.

As for losing our tradition. We already lost that when we started to compete in arguably the top league in the World

I didn't think their was anything in it for an investor now when they buy a football club or a stake in one. If one buys a premier league football club, it just suggests they have far too much money.

[LBNo11]

I mentioned in an earlier post that I think we were incredibly lucky that MAF put his millions behind the club for reasons known to himself...perhaps as a personal profile raiser, perhaps as a hobby....it's open to speculation.

But lightning of such a benign nature doesn't often strike twice. Selling up to Middle East millions can involve going under a regime that tinkers with the organisation, location, nature of the club as it has done elsewhere. I was told on this board that the operating officer of the club can deal with any tinkering. Multi-millions of pounds can speak louder than he can.

And yes, I have spent time working in the Middle East including in Doha, and I have a fairly good idea of the established style of business and business culture there.

I think we need to be careful of what we wish for.

...I agree with you ron. I understand it is hype and speculation, but whoever should come in to alleviate the Fayed's financial burden would undoubtedly change The Fulham Football Club dramatically. It may suit the majority for the material body but would the soul of the club be gone? I didn't trust Mr Fayed when he came in, I had seen too many previous owners prepared to sell the club down the river for development purposes, in fact up until the Dairy Crest / sharing that tip in W12 I had my doubts until we moved back to Craven Cottage.

In more recent years I think Mr Fayed has become a fan as opposed to owner alone, it may be another vehicle at which to cock a snook at the establishment of this land, but I think there is genuine affection for the club and what he has achieved with his financial input and how the club has grown due to his stewardship.

I cannot see any one new owner - let alone a consortium, falling in love with the club and becoming altruistic towards the long-term future and stability of Fulham FC as Mr Fayed has over the years.

As ron quotes, be careful what you wish for, and hope that if this is true, that the Fayed family has some legally binding safeguards to ensure the soul of The Fulham Football Club is not sold for a mess of pottage...

[Logicalman]

So we become City south?

I would rather be City of the South than Man United of the South !!  098.gif

[Jack Fulham]

Pretty sure the new financial fair play would restrict us from becoming either City or United of the south as our revenue is too small to compete with those teams and I think you now have to spend within your means.

[zzamora]

I've put some of my thoughts on the situation up on Hammy End -

http://hammyend.com/index.php/2012/06/royal-investment/

Royal Investment?
by WILL on JUNE 9, 2012

We've all seen it happen in the Premier League- rich (sometimes royal, sometimes not even noble) men come along and see the chance to buy a football club that can be used to bring a certain respect to himself that cars and houses cannot bring. After all, Football is the world's most popular sport. Utter the words "Manchester United" in any country, and they will almost certainly be recognized by any person you speak to. The World Cup Final in 2010 had an estimated viewing audience of 715.1 Million people or 1 out of every 10 people in the world. Saying that you own the team that, let's imagine, won the Premier League will acquire you a certain respect that cars can't provide.

Now, excuse me for being a tad cynical in my opening statements, but the financial reports of our Blue neighbours and more recently the blue half of Manchester will almost certainly come back to haunt both clubs when the money sloshing round in football eventually comes crashing down (whenever that may be- 10 years, 50 years, or 100 years). You may wonder exactly what I'm talking about, why I'm discussing the idea of rich owners. Yes, you think, we have Al-Fayed. He's rich, but he's sensible-an example of the kind of owner every club dreams for. But then, Cottagers Confidential, posted something today that might just change that balance.

"Qatari Royal family set to grab stake in Fulham?"

This piece of news popped onto my twitter feed tonight. Intrigued, I quickly clicked on the link. The article states that the Qatari Royal family are "Willing to buy out a 49% share in Fulham" that would see "Al Fayed still have control over the club".

Now, going back to my opening statements of this article, I immediately rejected the notion in my head. On first sight, we would become just another rich man's plaything. Endless money would be poured in, the managerial door would swing about faster than you can say "Bazinga", a stadium move to a soulless bowl would soon follow and Fulham would lose the identity that made the club Fulham. The word "Fulhamish" would become just a past legend, a notion to something that used to be. Yes, we might win something, we might become successful, but Fulham would have entered into a Faustian Pact that would ensure we lose that something special that makes Fulham Fulham.

But then, I stopped. I thought. I pondered the subject for almost an hour, considering every possible avenue.

And my mind warmed to the idea. Not the idea of a Deal with Devil, not the idea of losing the very essence of Fulham but of welcoming these investors, as long as certain constrictions were made. The idea of controlled investment, sensible investment. Investment that may be done for more than a love of the club, but investment with owners that understood what this club means to so many people.

Fulham, and let's be honest here, are stuck in a rut. Too good for the lower end of the table, but not good enough at the moment to be playing with the big boys at the top of the league. Somewhere along the line there has to be something that not only takes us to the top 6 or 7 but reinforces our position there. Sure, we may get lucky during one fantastic, history-making season, but without the investment we would surely drop out. It took a lot for us to not only get into the top 10 but to stay there- the first summer transfer window of Hodgson cost almost 25 million pounds. The core of that team remains, and the reason why we are in the position we are. Players have been added for 5 million here (Dembele), 9 million there (Ruiz) and they have firmly secured our position as a top 10 side. But to even get close to the big spenders and their respective positions money must be spent. Qatari Owners, with control of course, would enable this. Fulham could become a regular top six side, with a few ventures into Champions League football perhaps. That is something that is even too tempting for me. But as I scanned the article it seems to be something that would require the exact Faustian Pact that I had so been dreading. That was until I read on...

Cottagers Confidential states that Al-Fayed would still have the majority share- the majority say on the board. He would, in effect, still be the business mind behind the Club. The Qatari owners would therefore be nothing but the extra cash fund that is needed to push the club towards that goal. Al-Fayed, as we are all aware, is a fantastic owner- shrewd, prepared to spend when necessary but overall loyal to the club. Somebody who would not let the club fall into financial ruin. He would sanction the transfers to get us there (and keep us there) but he would be aware of the need to bring in young, re-sellable talent, not old stars. He has learnt first-hand about the proud history that the club retains with Craven Cottage, about the fierce fight that Fulham fans put up when faced with a move away from what is our spiritual and historical home. He would, I hope, resist a move away from the ground- after all, he has just sanctioned the spending of 30 million pounds on a world class stand.

It seems to be the perfect deal- rich investors but a sensible Chairman. The realisation of a project that was started in 1997, the realisation to make the club great again.

Let them invest I say. Let them allow the club to take that extra step up, that step that all Fulham fans would want. But let them invest wisely; let them invest for the future. Make sure that they do not sanction outrageous transfers, make sure they don't ruin what Fulham has here at the moment. Make sure they don't take away the very soul of Fulham Football Club.

[nickmuir]

i would say yes but on the grounds we never move from craven cottage

[ron]

It seems to be the perfect deal- rich investors but a sensible Chairman. The realisation of a project that was started in 1997, the realisation to make the club great again.

Let them invest I say. Let them allow the club to take that extra step up, that step that all Fulham fans would want. But let them invest wisely; let them invest for the future. Make sure that they do not sanction outrageous transfers, make sure they don't ruin what Fulham has here at the moment. Make sure they don't take away the very soul of Fulham Football Club.

The reason for the air of caution that some of us have lies here.....in the word investors......benefactors wouldn't be so much of a sticking point, because investors generally want something in return apart from just their name being thought of kindly  !

[zzamora]

It seems to be the perfect deal- rich investors but a sensible Chairman. The realisation of a project that was started in 1997, the realisation to make the club great again.

Let them invest I say. Let them allow the club to take that extra step up, that step that all Fulham fans would want. But let them invest wisely; let them invest for the future. Make sure that they do not sanction outrageous transfers, make sure they don't ruin what Fulham has here at the moment. Make sure they don't take away the very soul of Fulham Football Club.

The reason for the air of caution that some of us have lies here.....in the word investors......benefactors wouldn't be so much of a sticking point, because investors generally want something in return apart from just their name being thought of kindly  !

But that is where Football come in! These men don't care, but if they can attach their name with a successful club they can have a respect that cant be brought otherwise.

The return they want is that respect.

[finnster01]

It seems to be the perfect deal- rich investors but a sensible Chairman. The realisation of a project that was started in 1997, the realisation to make the club great again.

Let them invest I say. Let them allow the club to take that extra step up, that step that all Fulham fans would want. But let them invest wisely; let them invest for the future. Make sure that they do not sanction outrageous transfers, make sure they don't ruin what Fulham has here at the moment. Make sure they don't take away the very soul of Fulham Football Club.

The reason for the air of caution that some of us have lies here.....in the word investors......benefactors wouldn't be so much of a sticking point, because investors generally want something in return apart from just their name being thought of kindly  !

But that is where Football come in! These men don't care, but if they can attach their name with a successful club they can have a respect that cant be brought otherwise.

The return they want is that respect.

You mean just like Blackburn...  :011:

[MontenegroWhite]

So we can be so mighty like City. Destroy CC and play on ground like this -

http://img3.photographersdirect.com/img/13725/wm/pd2334912.jpg

Have 140.000 tourists on the stands, and also forget what we are and what we have been all this years. Buy all players who dont give a damn about club, but money.

Well if you want it OK. But I will NEVER support such destroying idea for club like Fulham.

[zzamora]

If you go and read my article before slating me everyone, I welcome sensible, controlled investment, adding that it is only a good thing as long as Al-Fayed or someone similarlly sensible and passionate for the club is at the top.

Read before attacking.

[MontenegroWhite]

Sorry if I was toO offensive.  075.gif  I didnt want to be like that. I didnt mean to attack you.

I just dont want Fulham to be like PSG, Malaga, Anji, City, Chelsea... I want Fulham to be HIS OWN AS MUCH AS IT IS POSSIBLE.

Al Fayed does it ok...

[NogoodBoyo]

Double Deuce.  A thoughtful piece, but you to concentrate on a couple of important points:
1. MAF is old and may well want out.  His son has yet to show any meaningful involvement with the club
2. In business, 49% means a majority buy-out to follow in very short order with the previous owners only there to reassure employees and customers that the ship is still sailing in the right direction.
So, if the deal is genuine and it goes through, I predict MAF and his family will be out of the picture rather quickly - for better or for worse.
Nogood "a huge turning point, isit" Boyo

[MasterHaynes]

If you go and read my article before slating me everyone, I welcome sensible, controlled investment, adding that it is only a good thing as long as Al-Fayed or someone similarlly sensible and passionate for the club is at the top.

Read before attacking.

I'm with you, you make a well reasoned argument that this could be a welcome investment, especially with Mo retaining control.

It is a smart way to cancelling the clubs debt owed to Mo by converting it into shares purchased by the Qataris. The Qataris know Mo well enough to know if he has control he will run Fulham as he sees fit. If they are happy with this, even if they have agreement to buy the remaining shares at a later date, it indicates they have a longer term view.

Those of us that have experienced owners like Trinder, Clay and Bulstrode will be a bit sceptical of any new owners, as we were in fact with Mo, but this is the best scenario, if proved true. The new investors / benefactors coming in taking time to learn about Fulham, our heritage and soul  under the tutelage of Mo.

I think they(Qatari Royal family) may well want to try and achieve things at Fulham by building on our increasing reputation around Europe as a proper football club who are run and play in the right way. They have their big spend quick fix toy up and running at PSG, we offer an alternative which could give them much more Kudos and respect if we achieve success without buying it.

Imagine the banter when they  meet up with the Abu Dhabi owners of City after we have beaten them despite all the millions invested by their cousins

I think we need to continue trusting Mo, he has been our best owner in living memory, he has built an organisation that has a long term sustainable strategy by investing in Youth and developing the Cottage to ensure we remain there. I would think bringing the Qataris in is another block in securing our future and his legacy.

If you consider everything Mo has done, leaving an Al Fayed legacy which has him Accepted, remembered and revered by the Fulham faithful and commentators alike ihas been a driving factor in Mo's ownership of Fulham - How many Chairman walk across the pitch when they watch a game to receive the accliam from the fans. I really cannot see it just being another corporate sell out for money, his family have enough of that already, what he hasn't had apart from Fulham fans is acceptance and acknowledgement of his contribution. How sweet it would be for him to leave a continuing legacy that will continually grate on the establishment that always excluded him.

[HatterDon]

well, all this is good discussion and analysis, but we won't really have a say in it, will we?

If this does happen, I'd prefer MAF Redux to the abomination of Citeh. I want us to continue to be a small club, with a beautiful quirky ground hard by the River Thames. I want us to play in Black and White, and I want the "small town" sensibility that makes people on this site and others reach out to embrace supporters from nations like Argentina, Brazil, Norway, Sweden. and South Texas.

The affection that I used to have for Man City -- a family club in the shadow of a Megacorporation -- has disappeared. It's all money all the time, and that didn't used to be what they were about. I still have that sort of affection for Everton. Like us, they're never going to win the league with their limited budget, but they are also "a proper club."

The day we start spending in the same class as Chelsea and Man City, Fulham FC will have begun to die.