The Mohammed Al Fayed Thank You Thread

[The Equalizer]

After 16 years of what I can only describe as an incredible roller coaster ride our chairman and owner, Mr Mohammed Al Fayed, is handing the reigns over to a new and unknown element - it is the beginning of a new time for Fulham Football Club and it's supporters.

But before that happens, let us all take a moment to walk back down memory lane and say thank you to Mr Fayed for all that he has given to the club and for everything that he has allowed us to achieve.

Let us all share our memories and our thanks, and hopefully get it passed across to him if the MODS can do such a thing.

[The Equalizer]

I was chatting to a Spurs supporter friend of mine in my last year at University when it came on TV that Chairman Mo had joined the club. I wasn't the only person to spit his tea out at that moment.  

Since then he has delivered in spades. He promised the top flight in 5 years - we got it in 4. He has taken us into Europe for the first time, and then a few years later into the final. He has made us a mainstay of the Premier League with only 7 other sides having spent more time continuously than us. Of course there has been rough as well as smooth. We've not won any cups (other than the one that We Won One Time), we had a battle on our hands to save the Cottage twice and for some reason we employed Lawrie Sanchez, but other than that it has been one heck of a journey.

We are known globally now, which is reflected by the Friends of Fulham membership. Plus we have more supporters now than probably at any other time in our history, taking 30,000 to Hamburg being the pinnacle. There was a day, not so many years ago, when seeing someone in a Fulham shirt was a rarity, these days it's relatively common.

We are here. We are established. We are going nowhere. All of this is thanks to our slightly eccentric benefactor.

Thank you Chairman Mo. We Love you!

[Rhys Lightning 63]

I was chatting to a Spurs supporter friend of mine in my last year at University when it came on TV that Chairman Mo had joined the club. I wasn't the only person to spit his tea out at that moment. 

Since then he has delivered in spades. He promised the top flight in 5 years - we got it in 4. He has taken us into Europe for the first time, and then a few years later into the final. He has made us a mainstay of the Premier League with only 7 other sides having spent more time continuously than us. Of course there has been rough as well as smooth. We've not won any cups (other than the one that We Won One Time), we had a battle on our hands to save the Cottage twice and for some reason we employed Lawrie Sanchez, but other than that it has been one heck of a journey.

We are known globally now, which is reflected by the Friends of Fulham membership. Plus we have more supporters now than probably at any other time in our history. Taking 30,000 to Hamburg being the pinnacle. There was a day, not so many years ago, when seeing someone in a Fulham shirt was a rarity. These days it's relatively common.

We are here. We are established. We are going nowhere. All of this is thanks to our slightly eccentric benefactor.

Thank you Chairman Mo. We Love you!

:plus one: :clap_hands:

Don't think there's a single word there that is out of place (apart from the whole when he signed bit, as I was only 5).

[JDH101]

THANK YOU MAF! You are a true Fulham legend.

Highs: Keegan. Tigana. Inter-two bob. Woy. Europe. Berbatov.
Lows: Sanchez. MJ Statue.

He will always be part of the family and I hope he doesn't become a stranger to the cottage.   

:Haynes The Maestro:

[alexbishop]

Met Mo as an 8 year old watching my first Fulham game in 1997. Thank you for changing the club forever.

[HatterDon]

Here's a quote I just saw on an American news blog:

"Now is the right time for me to retire and spend time playing football with my grandchildren," Fayed said in a statement. "I am sad but proud of our achievements. I am very grateful to Fulham's fans, the most incredible fans in the world. They have given me their support and affection whenever they have seen me at home games. I would never let them down."

We love you too, Mo. You are the very best. Enjoy your garden kickarounds.

[JDH101]

THANK YOU MAF! You are a true Fulham legend.

Highs: Keegan. Tigana. Inter-two bob. Woy. Europe. Berbatov.
Lows: Sanchez. MJ Statue.

He will always be part of the family and I hope he doesn't become a stranger to the cottage.   

:Haynes The Maestro:

How can I forget:

Al Fayed woooaaaaoo
Al Fayed, woooaaaaoo
He wants to be a brit
and QPR are sh!t.

[Adam87]

This man changed the future of this club forever and we as fans are so lucky that we were the ones chosen for this to happen to as it could have happened to any club. Thankfully he chose us.
Thank you so much for everything Mr Al Fayed.

[SKSW6]

Here's a quote I just saw on an American news blog:

"Now is the right time for me to retire and spend time playing football with my grandchildren," Fayed said in a statement. "I am sad but proud of our achievements. I am very grateful to Fulham's fans, the most incredible fans in the world. They have given me their support and affection whenever they have seen me at home games. I would never let them down."

We love you too, Mo. You are the very best. Enjoy your garden kickarounds.

:012:

[God The Mechanic]

"I have loved every minute of my 16 years at the helm of the London club that was established in 1879, before all the other great clubs in the Capital."

BOOM!

[F(f)CUK]

It would be nice if Fayed could come to a match and be given a final send off from the fans. I think we should ask the club to arrange it.

[CincyFulham1]

Now that it appears that this is a done deal I have to admit that I'm becoming a little misty eyed at the prospect of of Mo not being around any more.  

Chairman Mo...Thank You for all you have done for the club and you will always be a part of Fulham FC.

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

When the records are reviewed it will show Mohammed Al Fayed as one of the great Chairman of all time, not just of Fulham but of any football club.

And he did it while holding on to the spirit of the club through changing times.

Thank you.

[valdeingruo]

Take me home Al Fayed, To the place I belong, Al Fayed Stand by the river, Take me home Al Fayed!


Absolute brilliant chairman, put his heart and soul into the club and it shows. I will for ever be grateful. It seems he has found the ready made replacement in Kahn, based on quotes.

Honestly thinking of a "Chairman Mo" kit now. Would look great in the den

Thank you MAF!

[Daffy]

When there is so much cynicism in football these days, what an absolute joy it has been to have Chairman Mo in charge of the club. His final words as chairman sum it up, when he talks about the privilege and honour he has felt as custodian of the club.

There is so much to thank him for, because when you look at teams like Blackburn, Portsmouth and QPR you see how much could have gone wrong, and realise how lucky we have been with our chairman.

Thanks for running the club with responsibility, care, enormous generosity and just as important a real sense of humour!

We're not Real Madrid. We're not Barcelona. We are Fulham. FFC. Al Fayed's the owner!

[chiefo]

A sad day indeed. Nothing lasts forever and as our super Mo has said he knew the time was right. I'll always remember " where I was when the news broke " that Al Fayed was taking over. And here we are 16 years later I shall remember this night reading this club statement.

Thank you Mohammed Al Fayed for the greatest times in our long history and this quote ( I have loved every minute of my 16 years at the helm of the London club that was established in 1879, before all the other great clubs in the Capital ) to remind others of what Fulham football is. You enjoy your retirement, for what you have achieved you most certainly deserve it.   :Haynes The Maestro: :Haynes The Maestro: :Haynes The Maestro:

[CanadianCottager]

Give him 5 minutes in Costa Rica to let the fans say goodbye to him I say!

In all seriousness though, thank you Mo, you will be remembered!

[F(f)CUK]

Just hope we have the same affection for Shad in 16 years as we do for Mo.

[Travers Barney]

He never let us down and changed our Fulham supporting lives.

He gave Fulham fans hope and made them happy again.

God Bless Mohammed Al Fayed

coyw

[Fulham Tup North]

 092.gif 16 eventful, wonderful years.  When you grow up as a kid, when Fulham were not that clever, you got a load of stick, but you stayed with it.  My lad is 16 now and has only ever known the Al Fayed era.  He has missed out on Torquay away, or coming back from 0-2 away to Ashford Town, but he does not mind because he has witnessed 16 fantastic years.
My fondest memory will always be the two of us up the Putney end after we defeated Hamburg 2-1 and Mr Fayed sticking his fingers up to the Germans.  A great night we shared together.  Thank you Mr Al Fayed, for everything.  065.gif