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Sunday Fulham Stuff (14/07/13)...

Started by WhiteJC, July 14, 2013, 06:01:34 AM

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WhiteJC

 
View from the River: Fulham will never be the same again but thanks for the memories Mo

Last night the 16-year tenure of Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed came to an end when he confirmed the sale of the club to the billionaire NFL franchise owner of Jacksonville Jaguars Shahid Khan. Here Fulham blogger Ben Walker pays a fond farewell to the Egyptian.

Firstly a confession. I have never watched a Fulham team that hasnt been owned by Mo. Throughout the years I've stood and sat at Craven Cottage, the generous spectre of our Pharaoh has always loomed large.

In many ways it is hard to imagine following Fulham without Mo walking round the pitch, at a time slightly too close to kick-off, waving his scarf at everyone while surrounded by a rather large group of bodyguards.

Columns looking at our future and our new owner, Shahid Khan, deserve to be written (and will be) but for now I would like to thank Mo for everything he has done for the club.

I can remember many articles over the years detailing how Mo was about to sell the club and turn the prime real estate that is Craven Cottage into flats for a pyramid full of money. Time after time they were wrong.

Throughout 16 years of ownership he remained committed to our club when many, many others pulled out of theirs. Portsmouth, Leeds and others provide stark reminders of what can happen to Premier League clubs whose owners, for one reason or another, lost interest or spent beyond their means. Mo never did this and his final gift of turning a circa 160million loan owed to him into equity made us buyable and financially viable for the future.

From Kevin Keegan to Martin Jol via a Europa League final, Michael Jackson, Roy Hodgson's defence, Jean Tigana's attack, Captain Cookie, and the great escape, Fulham has not and will never be the same again.

Mo, gave me the opportunity to love and enjoy Fulham and I will be forever grateful for that.

Id like to echo other Fulham fans in encouraging the club to rename the Riverside Stand after him, here: http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/alfayedstand

Thank you Mo and in your own words - We're not Real Madrid, we're not Barcelona, we are Fulham, Al Fayed (was) the owner.



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/view_from_the_river_fulham_will_never_be_the_same_again_but_thanks_for_the_memories_mo_1_2277027

WhiteJC

 
Fulham said to be keen on signing Liverpool outcast

Fulham are keen to sign Uruguayan defender Sebastien Coates from Liverpool, reports the Daily Mirror.

The 22 year old has made only a handful of appearances in the past two years at Anfield, and could see his role in the first team further pushed reduced due to the arrival of Kolo Toure from Manchester City on a free transfer. With Jamie Carragher's retirement, it seems most probable that the Ivorian will replace the England veteran in the first team, which means that Coates' role at the club will hardly change.

In fact, the Uruguayan has seen his stocks plummet after arriving from Nacional eighteen months ago, with his only significant contribution a brilliant overhead kick against Queens Park Rangers. Coates has even fallen behind home grown youngsters like Andre Wisdom in the Liverpool pecking order. The 22 year old has just 12 Premier League appearances to his name during his time at the club.

Fulham manager Martin Jol is keen to sign a big central defender for the Cottagers this season, and a 5 million pound move for the Uruguayan international could soon materialize as Coates is available for a relatively cheap price and perfectly fits the requirements of the London club.


http://footylatest.com/fulham-said-to-be-keen-on-signing-liverpool-outcast/46324?

WhiteJC

 
Pak-American tycoon becomes owner of an English Premier League team

LONDON: American tycoon of Pakistani origin, Shahid Khan has completed the takeover of Fulham and will be unveiled as the new owner on Saturday.

Mohamed Al Fayed has confirmed he sold Fulham to Shahid Khan, who already also owns the NFL team Jacksonville Jaguars.

Barclays Premier League has already approved the transaction.

Khan assumes 100 per cent ownership of the club, debt-free. A formal announcement is scheduled to take place at 1pm on Saturday at Craven Cottage.

'My time of serving as the custodian of Fulham Football Club would one day come to an end, and I feel that time has now arrived,' Al Fayed said.

Khan, 62, is the first non-American to own a NFL club and sees the global sports picture. He describes London as 'the missing piece' in the growth of his NFL team. Buying Fulham for a price in excess of £150m would allow him the opportunity to promote both his sports brands to maximum effect in London.

Forbes ranked Khan last year among the world's richest 500 people with an estimated wealth of £1.7bn, putting him somewhere between Newcastle's Mike Ashley and Arsenal's Stan Kroenke in Premier League terms. His arrival is likely to provide Fulham with a lot more spending power.



http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-109179-Pak-American-tycoon-becomes-owner-of-an-English-Premier-League-team?


WhiteJC

 
Profile - New Fulham owner Khan will be up-front and personal

MIAMI: New Fulham chief Shahid Khan, the Premier League's latest foreign owner, is likely to break the mould and be one of the most open and public of billionaires to take control of one of England's top flight clubs.

Other international owners such as Russian Roman Abramovich (Chelsea) and American Malcolm Glazer (Manchester United) rarely talk to the media or engage with fans but Khan has shown that he enjoys attention.

When Khan bought the National Football League's Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011, he brought his yacht into port in the northern Florida city and set about a series of community meetings with local politicians and fans.

"He is kind of a rock star with the fans," Alfie Crow, editor of the Jaguars' fan blog 'Big Cat Country,' told Reuters.

"He comes out to practice, interacts with the fans and talks to them. He is very much out there and engaged. He has really energised people."

Any trepidation Jaguars fans initially had about the team's new owner quickly dissipated as he won them over with his charm, not to mention a thick handlebar mustache and flowing hair that is a marked change from the staid image of the traditional NFL owner.

Khan, after all, is far from a typical owner of an American sports franchise.

Born in Lahore, Pakistan, where he not surprisingly fell in love with cricket, Khan moved to the United States as a 16-year-old, sleeping in a YMCA and washing dishes on his way to earning an engineering degree at the University of Illinois.

He ended up buying the first company to give him a job, transforming Flex-N-Gate into a lucrative car parts business. In 2010 he was making his first move into the sports world with an attempt to buy the NFL's St. Louis Rams.

The man who foiled that attempt was Stan Kroenke, who took majority ownership of the Rams. At Fulham, Khan will be in close proximity to Kroenke, the majority shareholder in London club Arsenal.

While Khan missed out on the Rams he did win friends in the NFL's elite ownership group and that helped him when he finally got into the league with the Jaguars.

"I thought, I have developed a love and affection as a fan for the sport and I'd like to be part of it," he told Reuters in an interview last year.

As well as engaging with the local fan base, Khan has emphasised the opportunities to "put Jacksonville on the map" by taking the Jaguars to London for an annual game over the next four seasons.

It was typical of Khan's approach though that he responded to speculation that his move for Fulham might have a negative impact on the Jaguars by emailing the team's season ticket holders to reassure them.

"Fulham F.C. will operate as a fully stand-alone business from the Jaguars. Fulham and the Jaguars each have a great responsibility to their players, fans, partners and communities, and both deserve nothing less than a 100 percent commitment from ownership," he wrote.

"In short, our pledge to you - a Jaguars franchise that is proud, bold and committed - remains unchanged.

Fulham season ticket holders can expect the same sort of hands-on attention, including fan forums, emails, media appearances, the kind of things that most foreign Premier League owners shy away from.

"I want to be clear, I do not view myself so much as the owner of Fulham, but a custodian of the club on behalf of its fans," said Khan.

"My priority is to ensure the club and Craven Cottage each have a viable and sustainable Premier League future that fans of present and future generations can be proud of."

The Premier League, with its unrestricted free-market approach to wages and transfers, is a very different world to the closed, salary-capped business model of the NFL, and it will be fascinating to see how Khan approaches Fulham.

However it turns out, Fulham fans are certainly going to know they have a new owner.



http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Profile+-+New+Fulham+owner+Khan+will+be+up-front+and+personal&NewsID=383568

WhiteJC

 
Thank You Kind Sir
   
This week will go down as a very important week in the history of Fulham Football Club.

We`ve witnessed a changing of the guard with Mohamed Al Fayed deciding that, at 84 years of age, it was time to step aside and hand the club over, lock stock and barrel, to a new owner, with that new owner being Shahid Khan.

The change in ownership will see Mohamed Al Fayed step aside after 16 years as our owner. In that time the Egyptian has transformed the club beyond all recognition.

We`re no longer languishing in the third tier of English football, we`re back at our spiritual home and along the route we tasted a European Final, something we could only dream about back in those days when we were in the third tier.

Now I could wax lyrical about how Mohamed Al Fayed has changed our club but I guess that will be done by numerous other sites, instead I`m going to keep it very simple and simply offer a very big THANK YOU for everything you`ve done for Fulham Football Club sir and I genuinely hope that we`ll see your familiar face, somewhere, around Craven Cottage for many years to come.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=324876#ixzz2YzeGYDQC

WhiteJC

 
Should the Statue Stay?
   
The erection of the statue of Michael Jackson, outside Craven Cottage, never really sat easily with many Fulham supporters.

Whilst some accepted it, others just didn`t get it!

But now that Mohamed Al Fayed has sold the club to Shahid Khan, the big question on everyone`s lips is will the statue stay?

My feeling are that although it is a monstrosity and has naff all to do with Fulham Football Club, I`m tempted to say let it stay put as a lasting memory of everything Mohamed Al Fayed did for our club.

But that`s only my view, what`s yours?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=324877#ixzz2YzeRbBkv


WhiteJC

 
A Chest Full of Cash
   
With Shahid Khan having taken over Fulham Football Club, the indications are, from the tabloid press, there may be some serious money being made available to improve the club.

If so, Martin Jol will be licking his hands in anticipation knowing that, at last, he can improve the squad and take us forward.

But, if some serious cash is to be made available, the question remains as to who Fulham Football Club should pursue.

Has anyone got any ideas?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=324878#ixzz2Yzec4LXD

WhiteJC

 
Chelsea boss backs former Fulham man to challenge Cech

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes that Mark Schwarzer will be able to push number one goalkeeper Petr Cech.

The Blues made a surprise move on bringing in the 40-year-old Australian on a one-year deal but the Portuguese boss is happy with the signing.

"I always said even when I was coaching other teams that we have the best goalkeeper in the world but we need competition for him, we need protection, we need motivation," Mourinho said in Bangkok.

"We need somebody that can give us security and I think Schwarzer is perfect for that because he's a very good goalkeeper, he's very experienced.

"He spent all his career in the Premier League so the Premier League is his natural habitat, so, getting a good opportunity for a free transfer, we have in Mark the goalkeeper we need to complete our group of goalkeepers."



http://www.london24.com/sport/chelsea/chelsea_boss_backs_former_fulham_man_to_challenge_cech_1_2277124

WhiteJC

 
Martin Jol excited by pre-season tour of Costa Rica

Fulham manager Martin Jol has admitted his excitement ahead of the club's first pre-season match in Costa Rica.

The Cottagers are currently in South America where they will play CS Cartagines, LD Alajuelense and Deportivo Saprissa.

"We expect to play three very good games, for us it is wonderful to be here," Jol told the club's official website. "The facilities are good, we started training today and tomorrow we have two sessions and we play the first game on Sunday."

Fulham start the new Premier League campaign at Sunderland on August 17.



http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/news/jol-excited-by-pre-season-tour_93284.html


WhiteJC

 
Fulham announce sale of club to Shahid Khan

Fulham have announced the sale of the club to Shahid Khan, the CEO of Flex-N-Gate Group and owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League in the US.

"Fulham will be in very good hands with Shahid, whose success in business and passion for sport is very evident"
Mohamed Al Fayed


The transaction has been approved by the Premier League, after it satisfied the Premier League's rules for changes of ownership, and Khan assumes 100% ownership of the club, debt-free, as of Friday.  A formal announcement is scheduled at Craven Cottage, the club's stadium, on Saturday at 1pm BST.

The takeover brings to an end 16 years of ownership under Mohamed Al Fayed, during which the club rose from the third tier of English football to the Barclays Premier League.

"My time of serving as the custodian of Fulham Football Club would one day come to an end, and I feel that time has now arrived," Al Fayed said. "The time is right because I have found a very good man in Shahid Khan to accept the responsibility and privilege that I have enjoyed at Fulham since 1997. Fulham will be in very good hands with Shahid, whose success in business and passion for sport is very evident."

Khan expressed his respect for Al Fayed and his "honour" at taking over the club.

"Fulham is the perfect club at the perfect time for me"
Shahid Khan


"Fulham is the perfect club at the perfect time for me," Khan said. "I want to be clear, I do not view myself so much as the owner of Fulham, but a custodian of the club on behalf of its fans.  My priority is to ensure the club and Craven Cottage each have a viable and sustainable Premier League future that fans of present and future generations can be proud of.

"We will manage the club's financial and operational affairs with prudence and care, with youth development and community programs as fundamentally important elements of Fulham's future."


http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/2013-14/jul/shahid-khan-takes-over-fulham.html?

WhiteJC

 
Thanks for the memories Mohamed Al Fayed

TEAMtalk's Fulham FanZoner Henry Walmsley thanks Mohamed Al Fayed after the many highs of his 16-year stint in charge of the Cottagers.

I've been writing blogs for FanZone for about three months now, and I'm not sure whether this will be the easiest, or the hardest I've had to write; there's so much to say, yet it is so hard to do it justice. So here goes.

The only place to start is to say thanks. A huge thanks to Mohamed Al Fayed. It is inconceivable to think where we would be had he not taken over, League Two? Non-league? Maybe extinct. As it is we're an established Premier League team, watching some of the world's greatest players gracing our pitch each week.

I was about to say there have been highs and lows, but there haven't. When you think where we would be without him, there have only been highs. What is a Premier League relegation battle compared to playing in front of 500 every Saturday on an awful pitch? When he took over, he said he wanted to make Fulham the Manchester United of the South. We may not quite have achieved that, but I'm sure not many fans at the time would have predicted us beating them 3-1 away only six years later.

Perhaps the highest of highs was the Europa League final, how much I'm sure he would have loved to win that. Alas it was not to be, but the achievement of getting there was staggering, one of the great European stories and some of the greatest nights the Cottage has ever seen. I cannot thank Mo enough for all the memories, which will last with me forever.

I think he has left at the right time. The club are in a very healthy position, and I don't think he could have taken us any further. His parting gift was leaving us in the hands of Shahid Khan - a man who seems very capable of looking after us. Only time will tell of course but I've heard very positive things from Jacksonville Jaguars fans, the NFL franchise he currently owns, and he is certainly saying all the right things. Khan said: "I do not view myself so much as the owner of Fulham, but a custodian of the club on behalf of its fans. My priority is to ensure the club and Craven Cottage each have a viable and sustainable Premier League future."

This brings me to an important point, and one which I'm sure many fans will be concerned about. Craven Cottage is the heart of Fulham Football Club, and attempts in the past to move away have been vigorously opposed by fans. If the stewardship of Khan is successful, I think there will come a time when we have to choose between the Cottage or progression. Our history is something we're very proud of, but it should not be a barrier to progression. But that time is not now, and I'm getting ahead of myself.

It's important to fans that we do not lose our values as a club. There is always a worry with mega rich owners taking over that we will become, for use of a better word, plastic. We are Fulham Football Club, the oldest team in London, with the oldest stand in the football league. We do not want to become the Fulham Jaguars.

I move into next season with a sense of cautious excitement. I'm very excited about the prospect of us bringing in some much needed quality in certain areas of the pitch, and perhaps being able to move up the table a bit. But the Venkys and Tony Fernandes' have shown how disastrous owners who know little about the game can be. I hope with all my heart this does not happen to us.

I'll end by making the point that Al Fayed's first home game in charge of us was against Wrexham, his last was against Liverpool. Thank you Mo for putting this fantastic club back where it deserves to be.



http://www.teamtalk.com/fanzone/15164/8821555/Thanks-for-the-memories-Mohamed-Al-Fayed?

WhiteJC

 
Al Fayed was incredible - Khan

New Fulham owner Shahid Khan believes renaming the Riverside Stand after Mohamed Al Fayed would be a fitting tribute to the Egyptian.

After a week of sustained reports, the Cottagers on Friday night confirmed a deal had been struck with Khan, billionaire owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It brings Al Fayed's 16-year reign at Craven Cottage to an end - a period in which his money helped transform the west Londoners from a third-tier outfit to an established Premier League side.

Such generosity and support means the former Harrods owner is adored by Fulham fans, with more than 1,300 of them signing a petition to rename the Riverside Stand the Mohamed Al Fayed Stand.

"I would absolutely be open to that," he said when asked about renaming the stand. "I think we have to honour him, we have to respect what he did.

"That would be something we want to think about, but absolutely I would be open to that and everything.

"I think he has an incredible legacy here. I think if you are a Fulham fan, you understand that. How important that is, what the man did for this club.

"I have a huge amount of respect for that and it's history. I think we have to respect it but we have to move forward."

Khan and Al Fayed posed for the media at a photocall on the Craven Cottage pitch this afternoon, with the former Harrods owner putting on a fake moustache similar to that of his replacement.

One of Khan's first moves will be to get the development of the Riverside Stand under way, which would see Craven Cottage's capacity increased to 30,000.

However, the new owner was coy when asked how much he had paid for the club and was reserved when asked about his plans for the future.

"The goals for this club are very clear," Khan said. "I think it has to do community affairs, we have to have a youth development programme, we have to invest in Craven Cottage.

"On the pitch, we have to have sustainable results moving forwards.

"I have felt that football clubs, whether soccer or NFL football clubs, are civic institutions.

"We are custodians of that. It is business, yet it is a civic asset.

"Fulham is going to be Fulham. It has its unique character, unique history and our goal would be to develop that, respect that and move it forwards."

Born in Pakistan, the 62-year-old moved to the United States aged 16 for college and went on to create an auto parts empire.

Khan is now worth a reported £1.9billion and such riches allowed him to buy NFL franchise Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011.

The Jaguars will play one regular season game a season at Wembley for the next few seasons and, while keen to stress they are separate entities, hopes there can be tie-ups.

"Jacksonville Jaguars are going to be playing in London one game a year for the next four years," he said.

"They are the home team for London so we have a tie and a bond with London.

"I think these are independent clubs, they are going to be run independently, but there are best practices and there could be some synergies. We want to explore them and use them."

Meanwhile Al Fayed has told Khan the much-maligned Michael Jackson statue must stay at Craven Cottage - or his moustache will get the chop.

"Michael Jackson will stay. He can't go, he is here," Al Fayed said, turning to Khan.

"It is part of the deal, it is history, it is listed. You can't change otherwise I will come and take your moustache in public. He knows that."

Al Fayed insists Fulham is going to a good home.

"It is hard of course over so many years," the 84-year-old said. "I have done everything possible to help the club and give it what it deserves.

"It is time for me to have a rest. I have four grandchildren and I would just love to spend time with them.

"It is a hard decision but to find the right person, who really can takeover and look after the club and believe in the club, I find Mr Khan a great guy. He will follow my policy, he will look after the players, the fans.

"He is a great guy, he owns another football club in the United States and without me believing that he is a person who cares I would never pass the club to anybody."



http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/article/165/8821648/-?


WhiteJC

 
Shahid Khan Buys Fulham Soccer Team For $300 Million

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan has purchased the English soccer team Fulham FC from Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al Fayed for $300  million, according to my sources. The enterprise value paid by the NFL team owner is a modest 2.5 times Fulham's 2011-12 revenue, based on the soccer team's 2011-12 financial statements.

The reason for the low valuation, despite the attractive real estate Khan acquires in purchasing Fulham, is the soccer team's consistent mediocre performance on the pitch, which has prevented Fulham not only from qualifying for the Champions League tournament but also from capitalizing on the Premier League's television revenue since Al Fayed bought the team 16 years ago. As a result, Fulham loses money (in the sense of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) and had negative equity of $293 million.

In order for Fulham to become profitable, Khan will have to spend more money to get better players. A better performance on the pitch, in turn, will give Fulham a bigger chunk of the Premier League's television distribution, which would help make the team profitable. The economics of English soccer could be to the billionaire's advantage: In the Premier League, the better a team does on the pitch the more television money it receives, and there is no limit on how much teams can spend on player rosters; in the NFL television money is split evenly among the 32 teams regardless of performance and player salaries are capped at about 50% of league revenue.

Khan's entry into sports has clearly been as a value investor. The Jaguars have never been to a Super Bowl and have not qualified for the postseason since 2007. Khan snapped up the Jaguars last January for $770 million, or just 3.3 times revenue. In contrast, Jimmy Haslam recently bought the Cleveland Browns, another struggling football team, for $987 million, or 3.8 times revenue.

Al Fayed takes a small loss on the sale. He paid $45 million for Fulham in 1997 and has loaned the team $288 million.



http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2013/07/13/shahid-khan-buys-fulham-soccer-team-for-300-million/?

WhiteJC

 
New Fulham owner Khan will hold talks with Jol as Al Fayed dons comedy moustache

Fulham's new  billionaire owner Shahid Khan insists he will speak to manager Martin Jol this week before assessing the future of the club.

But Mark Lamping, president of the  Jacksonville Jaguars, Khan's NFL franchise, has warned that if people do not measure up to the new man's high standards  there will be changes.

Khan is due to fly to Costa Rica on Friday to watch Fulham in the club's pre-season tour and will speak to Jol, who Khan 'hopes' will start the  season as manager.


Welcome aboard: Al Fayed impersonates Khan with a fake moustache at Craven Cottage

 
All yours: Al Fayed has handed over the gauntlet to Khan after taking them from the third tier to the top flight


The Pakistan-born American, who built his Illinois engineering firm into a global business and is worth $2.5billion (£1.65bn), according to US magazine Forbes, said: 'I have a lot to learn. I love football — or soccer — and there is great management here. They have a plan.

'I am not a micro- manager so the business I developed — which is auto parts, from a garage to where we are now — there was a key lesson, which is to find the best people, empower them and  support them.

'My goal would be to  support the football  leadership and business leadership, give them all the resources, money and otherwise, and expect results.

'I have not met him [Jol] but I will meet him. I'm planning on going to Costa Rica this week. This  transaction happened late in the day and the team had already left. So I haven't had the chance.'


Thank you: Khan paid tribute to Al Fayed, who has helped Fulham rise since 1997

Asked whether Jol would start the season: 'I hope so. Everyone speaks very highly of him. He knows a lot more about football than I do. I would just like to understand what the plan is.'

Khan, who says he watched Fulham play  Liverpool at Craven  Cottage in 2007, makes frequent business trips to London. The Jacksonville Jaguars are due to play one of their eight home fixtures at Wembley each season between 2013 and 2016. But Khan does not appear to be an owner in the mould of Chelsea's Roman Abramovich or Sheik Mansour at  Manchester City, and is talking about running a  sustainable club.

'Fulham is unique, like any human being, and has its own virtues,' said Khan.

His NFL franchise,  however, have endured a torrid time since he took over in January 2012,  losing 14 of their 16 matches last season with head coach Mike  Mularkey sacked after one year in charge.

Lamping, who  accompanied Khan this week and will join Fulham as a director, said: 'We had a terrible year. He wants to give people the resources to be successful and in return there's a high level of accountability.'


End of the road: Al Fayed has always been a popular figure at the Cottage


Sky's the limit: The businessman has lent Fulham about £200m interest free since buying the club in 1997




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2362561/Shahid-Khan-hold-talks-Martin-Jol-discuss-Fulhams-future.html#ixzz2YzhUg6P2
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

WhiteJC

 
Damien Duff's new boss has a magnificent moustache

Fulham has changed hands as of last night, and their new owner has one of the finest moustaches around

The deal to sell Fulham was finalised last night for around £150 million, and seeing as our own Damien Duff is currently plying his trade at the London club, we just had to bring to your attention Shahid Khan's magnificent moustache. Check it out:



He also owns the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL, and he sent a letter out to fans of the American football franchise to ensure them that the ownership will treat both teams as separate entities, while also putting Fulham fans at ease by saying that he was a long time football fan.

No word on yet on his plans for the Michael Jackson statue outside Craven Cottage though...



http://www.joe.ie/football/football-news/damien-duffs-new-boss-has-a-magnificent-moustache/?


WhiteJC

 
Fulham Sale Adds to the Alarming US Takeover of English Football: Daily Soccer Report



The Guardian's resident anti-capitalist curmudgeon David Conn writes today that "no one seems to question why an increasing number of rich American businessmen are buying up England's leading clubs." It's a fair question considering 30% of the Premier League teams are owned by Americans. But his comments have a tinge of anti-Americanism. After all, 60% of all Premier League clubs are owned by foreigners, so why pick on the Americans?



http://worldsoccertalk.com/2013/07/13/fulham-sale-adds-to-the-alarming-us-takeover-of-english-football-daily-soccer-report/?

WhiteJC

 
On Khan's 1st full day as Fulham owner, pressing issue is future of Michael Jackson statue

LONDON — Standing on Fulham's field next to the River Thames, Shad Khan quickly discovered that the issues Premier League owners must tackle extend far beyond soccer.

On his first full day running the London club, the trickiest questions Khan had to face were not about the cash available for new players, or goals for the upcoming season.

The pressing issue locally for the owner of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday was about Michael Jackson.

Yes, the late "King of Pop."

A statue of Jackson sits outside Fulham's Craven Cottage stadium, commissioned after the star's death in 2009 by Mohamed Al Fayed in one of the most contentious decisions of his 18-year ownership.

Now that the Cottagers have been sold, might the statue be removed?

Khan hesitated.

"I've been an owner less than a day," he said, searching for a diplomatic response. "We have to preserve and respect history, but we have to move forward. I'll reflect on it and listen to the fans, then decide."

There's no decision to be made, according to Al Fayed.

"Michael Jackson will stay — it's part of the deal," the Egyptian said, before adding with Khan in ear-shot: "Are you listening to me about Michael Jackson? You promise now? Otherwise ... I will take your moustache off."

The moustache has been Khan's trademark since 1972 as he built his fortune in the automotive industry after moving to the U.S. from Pakistan. He bought the Jaguars in 2011 and now Fulham in a deal thought to be worth more than $200 million.

As Fayed bid farewell to the club he took from the third tier into the Premier League, the former owner of the Harrods department store donned a fake moustache to pose for pictures with Khan on a day of rare scorching heat in London.

The takeover was wrapped up swiftly ahead of Fulham's Aug. 17 opener at Sunderland as the 84-year-old Al Fayed heads into retirement.

But it was the NFL that first enabled Khan to establish a sporting bond with London. The Jaguars will play regular- season games at Wembley Stadium for four consecutive seasons starting with an Oct. 27 meeting against the San Francisco 49ers.

"We obviously have the commitment to London with Jacksonville so I was looking at that," Khan told The Associated Press, discussing the takeover in Fulham's locker room.

"I have watched Fulham and I know the history and I've been to a game here. I just thought about contacting Mr. Al Fayed about a month or so ago just to talk to him, and one thing led to another."

Khan's takeover means six of the 20 current Premier League clubs have American ownership, including four with links to NFL teams.

Aston Villa's Randy Lerner sold the Cleveland Browns last year, the family of Arsenal's Stan Kroenke own the St. Louis Rams and the Glazer family controls both Manchester United and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Khan said the abuse directed by some United fans at the Glazers over the debt they added to the club did not give him any reservations about buying Fulham.

"They have a right to express themselves," Khan said. "But on the other hand, I think the world of the Glazers. I think they have done a great job with Man U, so there might be a little difference of opinion."

Khan said his takeover preserves Fulham's debt-free status and hopes the association with the Jaguars will help to attract sponsors to the Cottagers.

"Certainly Jacksonville coming to London, that helps getting sponsors, but I'd love for Fulham to come to Jacksonville," he said, speaking beneath midfielder Kerim Frei's jersey.

Khan avoided making any lavish claims about how much of his fortune — estimated by Forbes magazine to be $2.9 billion — will be invested.

There were also no outlandish targets set for manager Martin Jol, whose team finished 12th this year in its 12th consecutive season in the Premier League.

Jaguars president Mark Lamping, who has become a director at Fulham, told the AP that Khan "has a philosophy of "hire the best people you can" and then expect results.

Khan made sweeping changes at the Jaguars after the first season following his $760 million-takeover ended in a franchise-worst 2-14 record in 2012.

"Virtually everyone on the football side has been replaced, along with over half of our roster," Lamping said. "When you don't achieve to the level you expect ... you owe it to your fans who have made an emotional commitment to your team to make changes."

And Lamping warned that the Jaguars ownership will act as decisively at Fulham.

"Give them the resources, allow them to make decisions, then hold them accountable," Lamping said.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/dcunited/on-khans-1st-full-day-as-fulham-owner-pressing-issue-is-future-of-michael-jackson-statue/2013/07/13/947fb1d6-ebca-11e2-818e-aa29e855f3ab_story.html?

WhiteJC

 
New Fulham owner to keep Michael Jackson statue after 'threats' from Mohamed Al Fayed


Warning Mohamed Al Fayed (left) has warned Shad Khan (right) (Picture: Reuters)

New Fulham owner Shad Khan looks set to keep the infamous Michael Jackson statue outside of Craven Cottage – after being threatened by Mohamed Al Fayed.

Khan completed the acquisition of Fulham on Friday from Al Fayed, who had owned the club for the last 16 years.

The Egyptian businessman was largely admired during his time at the club, with his bold decision making winning many over.

But Al Fayed was widely ridiculed after planting a garish statue of the Michael Jackson outside the club's ground in 2011 – as a tribute to the singer who he called 'a good friend'.

And despite much rumour and speculation, the figure looks like it will be remaining at Fulham in the Khan era, with Al Fayed admitting he has threatened the NFL mogul if he gets rid of it.

'The Michael Jackson statue is listed with the club and if he dares to move it, he will be in big trouble,' said Al Fayed.

'I will be forced to rip off his moustache if he dares remove it.'

Khan looks like he will be keeping his face fur though, as he told reporters that he plans on respecting Fulham's traditions – including the barmy statue.

'I have to preserve and respect history, and I will reflect on the statue,' said Khan.

'This is a special and historic place.'

Quite.



http://metro.co.uk/2013/07/13/new-fulham-owner-to-keep-michael-jackson-statue-after-threats-from-mohamed-al-fayed-3881297/?


WhiteJC

 
Khan targets 'next level' for Fulham

Shahid Khan has vowed to take Fulham to the "next level" following his takeover of the club.

Khan's buy-out ended Mohamed Al Fayed's 16-year reign as Fulham owner, during which the club were transformed from a struggling bottom-division side to an established Premier League outfit.

And the Pakistan-born billionaire paid tribute to Al Fayed, who has insisted "the time is right" to stand aside.

"I think it [what Al Fayed has done] is incredible," said Khan.


Khan was unveiled on Saturday.

"He rescued Fulham and had a great vision which he's shared with me. I think it's very, very important to all the Fulham fans.

"It's a very special place. This is the perfect club for me at a perfect time. It's the passing of the baton - taking it to the next level."

The 62-year-old Khan, who moved to the United States aged 16, made his fortune selling car parts and has owned NFL side Jacksonville Jaguars since 2011.

Al Fayed confirmed on Friday evening that he had sold the club, with the financial details remaining confidential.

"It has been a pleasure and privilege to be chairman of Fulham Football Club for 16 memorable years," said the 84-year-old.

"The time is right because I have found a very good man in Shahid Khan to accept the responsibility and privilege that I have enjoyed at Fulham since 1997.

"Fulham will be in very good hands with Shahid, whose success in business and passion for sport is very evident.

"I ask everyone who loves Fulham and our Craven Cottage home to welcome Shahid as he begins his journey as the next guardian of Fulham Football Club."



http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/khan-targets-next-level-for-fulham?

WhiteJC

 
Fulham will hope new owner has more success here than in the NFL



Shahid Khan has had a difficult time in charge of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Fulham's long serving chairman Mohammed Al Fayed has sold the club this week to Pakistani born US businessman Shahid Khan after the Egyptian former Harrods owner decided to sell the club he has been in charge of for 16 years.

In that time he has brought unprecedented success to Craven Cottage, and like him or not, the fact remains he bankrolled the clubs rise to the Premier League; where they are now an established member.


And who can forget the Europa League final? Another triumph under the rule of the charismatic 84-year-old.

The deal is worth between £150 and £200 million pounds and while the Flex-N-Gate owner may not be the richest man in the world he is a fair sight richer than most of us.

But Fulham are not his only sporting venture.

He has long been a fan of American Football and has twice tried to buy an NFL franchise.

In 2010 he went in for the St Louis Rams but current Arsenal supremo Stan Kroenke shafted him on that deal.

But at the start of 2012 he managed to get his hands on the Jacksonville Jaguars.

And Fulham fans will hope they do a far lot better than the Jaguars have since Khan became their owner.

In the last NFL season the Jaguars were the joint worst team in the competition; finishing bottom of the AFC South with two wins and 14 losses in their NFL campaign.

Of course the two sports are incredibly different and the structure of the hierarchy is not exactly comparable.

But his time at Jacksonville has not been without controversy and criticism from his fans.

The first piece of controversy was unfortunately due to rather bigoted views over his ethnicity; which obviously has no bearing on his ability to run a football team so is irrelevant.

But many fans criticised his decision to appoint Mike Mularkey as the new head coach in January after his poor showing as offensive co-ordinator for Atlanta Falcons in the play-offs.

And in the end they were proven right when he was sacked almost a year to the day later.

And Fulham fans will hope that The Cottagers have a much better season than The Jaguars did under Khan.

image: © joeshlabotnik



http://hereisthecity.com/2013/07/13/mn-fulham-will-hope-new-owner-has-more-success-here-than-he-has/?