Statue of Michael Jackson (Fulham F.C.)

Last updated

Statue of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson statue 23444.JPG
The statue outside Craven Cottage, London
Statue of Michael Jackson (Fulham F.C.)
Location National Football Museum, Manchester
Type Statue
MaterialPlaster and resin
Height7.5 feet (2.3 m)
Opening date3 April 2011 (2011-04-03)

A plaster and resin sculpture of Michael Jackson stood outside Craven Cottage in Fulham, London, the ground of Fulham Football Club, from 2011 until 2013. Commissioned by the club's chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed, it was removed by his successor Shahid Khan. From 2014 to 2019 the statue was on display at the National Football Museum in Manchester.

Contents

Description

The statue is 7.5 feet (2.3 m) high and is made of plaster and resin. [1]

Inspiration

Jackson was a friend of Al-Fayed. He had attended a football match, in 1999, at Craven Cottage as a friend of Al-Fayed to see Fulham play Wigan Athletic. [2] Following Jackson's death in 2009 Al-Fayed commissioned a statue with the plan of siting it inside Harrods in Knightsbridge, London, at the time owned by Al-Fayed. After the sale of Harrods the department store's new Qatari owners did not want the statue, and Al-Fayed arranged for it to be placed outside Craven Cottage. [3] [4]

Unveiling and reception

The statue was unveiled on 3 April 2011 by Al-Fayed before Fulham's game against Blackpool. The reception of the sculpture was almost all negative. It was described as kitsch and received comments from some fans of Fulham F.C. such as, "We're a laughing stock. It has nothing to do with football." and "It makes the club look silly. I thought it was an April Fools joke." [3] [4] Some Fulham footballers, including Brede Hangeland, supported the club's decision to commission the statue. [3] After the unveiling Fulham won their game against Blackpool, 3–0. [3] Louisa Buck, the contemporary art correspondent for The Art Newspaper , described it as "a spectacularly bad piece of kitsch that doesn't even look all that much like Michael Jackson". Fisun Guner, an art critic for The Arts Desk website, said "It certainly looks as if his plasticky limbs were too stiff to co-ordinate properly so he's doing a bit of a constipated, Metal Mickey dance. However, I have a strong feeling that Michael would have simply loved it." [5]

Removal and resiting

In July 2013, Shahid Khan completed the purchase of Fulham F.C. from Mohamed Al-Fayed, for a fee believed to be between £150m and £200m. [6] In September 2013 it was decided that the statue would be removed and returned to Al-Fayed; the statue was not part of the ground's redevelopment plans. [7] On 3 May 2014 Fulham were relegated from the Premier League after 13 seasons in the league, the top tier of English Football. Al-Fayed blamed the removal of the statue for causing the club's relegation. [8] The statue was moved to the National Football Museum in Manchester in May 2014. [9] On 6 March 2019, the statue was removed from the National Football Museum. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craven Cottage</span> Football stadium in Fulham, West London, England

Craven Cottage is a football stadium in Fulham, West London, England, which has been the home of Fulham since 1896. The ground's capacity is 22,384; the record attendance is 49,335, for a game against Millwall in 1938. Next to Bishop's Park on the banks of the River Thames, it was originally a royal hunting lodge and has a history dating back over 300 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fulham F.C.</span> Association football club in London, England

Fulham Football Club is a professional football club based in Fulham, Greater London, England. The team competes in the Premier League, the top level of the English football league system. They have played home games at Craven Cottage since 1896, other than a two-year period spent at Loftus Road whilst Craven Cottage underwent redevelopments that were completed in 2004. They contest West London derby rivalries with Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers and Brentford. The club adopted a white shirt and black shorts as its kit in 1903, which has been used ever since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohamed Al-Fayed</span> Egyptian businessman (1929–2023)

Mohamed Al-Fayed was an Egyptian businessman whose residence and chief business interests were in the United Kingdom from the mid-1960s. His business interests included ownership of the Hôtel Ritz Paris, and Harrods department store and Fulham Football Club, both in London. At the time of his death in 2023, Fayed's wealth was estimated at US$2 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dodi Fayed</span> Egyptian film producer and partner of Diana, Princess of Wales (1955–1997)

Emad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Mena'em Fayed, commonly known as Dodi Fayed, was an Egyptian film producer and the eldest child of the businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed. He was romantically involved with Diana, Princess of Wales, when they both died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrods</span> British department store chain

Harrods is a luxury department store located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London, England. It is owned by Harrods Ltd, a company currently owned by the state of Qatar via its sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies, including Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air Harrods. Recognised as one of the world's leading department stores, it is visited by 15 million people per year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Cohen</span> English footballer (1939–2022)

George Reginald Cohen was an English professional footballer who played as a right-back. He spent his entire professional career with Fulham and won the 1966 FIFA World Cup with England. He is a member of the English Football Hall of Fame and was the uncle of rugby union World Cup winner Ben Cohen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zat Knight</span> English footballer (born 1980)

Zatyiah Knight is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre back.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Parker</span> English footballer and manager (born 1980)

Scott Matthew Parker is an English professional football coach and former player. He was most recently the manager of Club Brugge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fulham F.C. Women</span> Football club

Fulham FC Women, previously known as Fulham LFC, WFC Fulham and Fulham FC Foundation Ladies, is a women's football club based in London, England. The team were dissolved as of 16 May 2006, but were later re-established with independence from Fulham F.C. The club dissolved for a second time in June 2010 when sponsors pulled out following a second successive relegation. The club reformed again in 2014.

The West London derby is the name given to a football derby played between any two of Brentford, Chelsea, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers, all of whom are situated within West London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Morgan</span> English footballer (born 1966)

Simon Morgan is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender for Fulham and Leicester City. He also represented England at Under 21 level, playing two matches in 1986.

The history of Fulham Football Club, an English professional football club based in Fulham, West London, dates back to the club's formation in 1879.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shahid Khan</span> American businessman (born 1950)

Shahid Rafiq "Shad" Khan is a Pakistani-American billionaire businessman and sports tycoon. He is the owner of Flex-N-Gate, an American supplier of motor vehicle components. Khan is also the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) and Fulham F.C. of the Premier League, and co-owner of the American wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW), along with his son, Tony Khan.

The 2010–11 Fulham season was the club's 113th professional season and its tenth consecutive season in the top flight of English football, the Premier League. The season commenced on 14 August 2010 and concluded on 22 May 2011 after 38 league matches. Due to its 12th-placed finish in the league the previous season and defeat in the Europa League Final, Fulham did not qualify for European competition. In addition to the Premier League, the club entered the Football League Cup in the second round, and the FA Cup in the third round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcello Trotta</span> Italian footballer

Marcello Trotta is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie C Group C club Brindisi.

Thomas Frederick Wilson was an English professional footballer who played as a full back in the Football League for Fulham and Brentford. He later returned to Fulham as a director. As a player, he was described as a "right back of the industrial type".

Michael Cole is a former BBC television journalist and royal correspondent. After leaving the BBC, he worked as director of public affairs for Harrods, and thus also as a spokesman for its owner Mohamed Al Fayed.

<i>Innocent Victims</i> Statue of Princess Diana and her partner displayed in Harrods between 2005–2018

Innocent Victims is a copper statue of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Fayed, which was on display at the Harrods department store in London, England, between 2005 and 2018. It was commissioned by Dodi's father Mohamed Al-Fayed when he owned Harrods, and designed by William Mitchell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Khan</span> American sports promoter (born 1982)

Antony Khan is an American businessman, promoter, and sports executive. He is known for his involvement in American football, professional wrestling, and association football. He is best known as the founder and co-owner of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), in which he also holds the positions of president, chief executive, general manager, executive producer, and Head of creative of the promotion.

References

  1. ↑ "Michael Jackson statue outside Fulham soccer stadium even more appalling than feared". Los Angeles Times. 5 April 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  2. ↑ Staniforth, Mark (6 May 2014). "Michael Jackson statue removal to blame for Fulham relegation, claims Mohamed Al Fayed" . The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Michael Jackson Fulham FC statue defended by Al Fayed". BBC News. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  4. 1 2 Blackhurst, Chris (20 September 2013). "Gone Too Soon? You Must Be Joking – No One Wanted Jacko at Craven Cottage". The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "Michael Jackson statue: Art critics give their verdict". BBC News. 4 April 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  6. ↑ "Fulham: Mohamed Al Fayed sells club to Shahid Khan". BBC News. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  7. ↑ Hodgson, Andy (19 September 2013). "Beat It! Fulham owner Shahid Khan ditches Michael Jackson statue". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  8. ↑ "Removal of Jackson statue caused Fulham relegation — Al Fayed". BBC News. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  9. ↑ "Michael Jackson statue moves to National Football Museum". BBC News. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  10. ↑ "Michael Jackson statue removed". 6 March 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.

53°29′08″N2°14′31″W / 53.48556°N 2.24194°W / 53.48556; -2.24194

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.