Al Fayed to sell Fulham - Reuters

Just read this a minute ago, the article quotes a source close to Al Fayed saying he is ready to sell Fulham.

From Reuters: http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/28032007/2/p ... ulham.html

 

In which case, I would put Fulham's actual worth at about 47 to 50 million. Reason being the seating capacity.
If MAF is asking 60 or above, I doubt he'll get it.

 

Well, I know I will be glued to the web all afternoon now! Let's have someone really really rich buy the team and get us a quality center back!

 

Well that was quick.

Club has issued a statement denying the report and is requesting the article be pulled and Reuters replaces it with an apology.

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsA ... ement.aspx

 

Isnt this the second or third time this has happened?

Loose lips sink ships.

someone n the FFC FO needs firing.. well, more than one, but not for this.

 

well, I was hoping this was true. I think it is time for new ownership. I also think there is some truth to this. Where there is smoke there is fire. I am guessing Al-Fayed does not want it public knowledge that he wants to sell. However, with him not wanting to put any more of his own money into the club, he has likely taken the club as far as he can.

I am greatful for all he has done in the last ten years, but the time is now for this club to head in a new positive direction. Unfortunately, I do NOT think Al-Fayed is the man to lead us.

 

I may be in the minority here but I very much don't want MAF to sell. We are a club playing at the top level in a stadium that holds 22K people surrounded by several big powerful clubs with large fan bases. Economically, it does not make sense. MAF is not putting in as much money as we'd would like him to but unless I'm mistaken, the club is a money losing operation at this level and it takes the really rich guy we already have to keep us up.

Remember, there is always the possibility that a new owner might not be willing to lose the kind of money it would take to keep us up. We also could get an owner who does stupid things like the guy who owns Hearts, or the Luton Town people who've sold many of their best players but expect their manager to win anyway, or Peter Angelos, or the Lerners (who own the Nationals and have decided to throw the season). We might not be the best team, but at least it's not a crazy zoo with an owner we hate who screws everything up.

In other words, don't expect some really really rich guy to come in and buy the players we'd love to have and lead us into the top half of the table.

 

I love Chairman Mo

 

I do not expect an Abramovich situation with Fulham. I just think over the past few seasons it has been evident by Al-Fayed's lack of funds for new players (lack of funds in relation to other Premiership clubs) has made Fulham a stagnant club that is simply happy to NOT get relegated.

In my view, if this club ever has ambitions to get bigger and better, new ownership needs to come in. Perhaps the new ownership would not make money hand over fist, but at least they could explore new potential ways to make money and more importantly, kick start this club that is stuck in Premiership mediocrity.

I just do not see what else Al-Fayed can and will do with the club right now. Perhaps I am wishfully thinking that someone will come in and spend some money on new players, marketing strategies, and other such things to grow the club. Who knows.

As I wrote inmy article, Al Fayed has been playing with fire over the past few seasons and had it not been for Coleman's guidance and managerial skills this team would have been relegated. Relegation for Fulham would be very costly and I sense it might take a bit of time to get bumped back into the Premiership if that does happen.

 

I recommend Hunt Sports Group to buy Fulham... oh wait, they dont know how to market the Crew, either.

 

New ownership is always a risk. I think MAF has done a good job the last ten years but I see him in a position similar to Bruce Arena and the USMNT: he's taken the team as far as he can. So, with caution, I'm in favor of new ownership.

 

New Owners

I've had a word with Bud Adams and he said he's Not interested he's got enough problems with the Titans and Pacman Jones?

 

It all depends who these new owners might be and what there intentions are.

As Tom says were a stagnate club and not going anywhere soon. I can't really even get excited for the Pompey game Saturday. Why does it matter? We ain't going down and we ain't going up much of anywhere and Coleman will probably field four defensive midfielders again :cry: . Pride? The players themselves have shown me that pride isn't a factor for them half the time, so I don't see this as a reason the game matters.

Under the status quo were doomed to have many games just like the up coming one which mean essentially nothing, yet I'd hate for a new owner to be a lunatic or cheapskate who ends up taking us down, that would make the status qup seem rather rosy.

So if the new owners are solid, competent, and have the right intentions then I'd be in favor.

 

In looking at Al Fayed from the outside looking in, I think the status quo he is going with WILL ultimately get this club relegated. Spending like a Coca-Cola Championship team and then expecting a young manager to perform miracles to keep the club up is not my idea of a solid business plan.

Fulham is at a standstill and Al-Fayed's decision to sell or stay will go a long way in determining where this club will go in the near future.

I agree with Spencer that things depend on the new ownership and their intentions. Al-Fayed has done some great things with the club, but the well seems dry and it does look to be getting filled up anytime soon.

 

In my opinion, no new owner will buy the club and want it to go down to the Championship. There is no advantage to this, financially or other. With that said, the same goes for Al Fayed...there is no advantage to being in the Championship.

I simply think that he wants Fulham to be as well run as he can get it to be and that is for Fulhams good. Where he takes it from there or where new owners will take it from there is for anyone to guess.

Either way, COYW's...and there are still points to play for...we're not out of the woods yet Spencer!

 

Good point Don. I guess I just wish I saw more desire and commitment in the brass of the club. However, that is asking for them to shell out their own cash. Perhaps I am the one living in the fantasy world thinking that way.

 

This has been a vigorous debate on TFI too. Often, we are compared to Bolton and Blackburn since we were all promoted at the same time, with Fulham found wanting financially compared to those clubs. I know it's not that simple--there was over 100 years of history before their joining promotion, but what do people think about comparing us to those clubs, and how do we compare to them (in terms of how big we are compared to them)?

 

What is interesting is that each club has gone about their business in completely different ways. Bolton has gone after some older players meshed with some younger ones and paid some decent wages and transfer fees for some players. They have decided to spend a decent amount of money.

Blackburn has gone about getting a gritty, hard-nosed team with some flair up front and they try to beat down opponents. Like Bolton, Blackburn has not been afraid to spend money. They have probably spent wisely because the players they have purchased in the last two seasons have made a huge impact on their team. Ryan Nelsen, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Benni McCarthy and Craig Bellamy come to mind.

Fulham has NOT spent nearly as much money as these two clubs. I do not see them spending money like these two teams either any time soon. As much as I would like to see it happen, I do not think it will.

If Fulham were to be compared to one of these clubs, I would say Blackburn as the stadium is not much bigger than the Cottage. Fulham is become a tough team that is hard to beat and Chris Coleman seems to trying to mold his team in this way. Now, if we can just get those defenders we need.

The bottom line is that both Blackburn and Bolton's owners have much deeper pockets right now. They are willing to spend over 2-3 million pounds on a player which Fulham has NOT done in quite some time. The reason these two clubs are in a upper half positions is because they both have quality players on their respective teams. That is huge. Not to say Fulham does not have any good players, but it costs money to have difference makers and game changers. Fulham does not seem to have many, if any, game changers.

So, Blackburn and Bolton remain ahead of the curve in comparison to Fulham. Neither club seems to be stuck in mediocrity as both have qualified for Europe in the last two seasons. While Europe may not happen every season for these two teams, it is a closer to happening for these two than it is for Fulham.