It was not the first relationship to be ended by fax but, when the machine at Stamford Bridge churned out its missive from Mohamed AL Fayed yesterday, the marriage of convenience between Fulham and Chelsea was abruptly called off. The west London clubs, just a couple of miles apart, have been in discussions for months to share Chelsea's home on the Fulham Road.
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Fulham Owner and Chairman Mohamed Al Fayed
continues the struggle to realise the dream of making
Fulham into a World class team |
Al Fayed had proposed and, after initial reservations, Chelsea's Ken Bates had accepted. But, at tea time yesterday, a fax arrived at Stamford Bridge from representatives of Al Fayed to say Fulham were still committed to a future next to the Thames at Craven Cottage.
The communication came out of the blue for Bates, the man who turned the Bridge from a dilapidated football ground into a visionary complex with a modern stadium two hotels and a string of restaurants, function facilities and a gymnasium. He had been against sharing with Fulham in principle but had been persuaded by his friends and colleagues within the Premier League to help a fellow member out of a bind.
Sportsmail understands that Al Fayed, the owner of Harrods, has been spending around £2.5million a month to subsidise his plaything.
It is believed the club owe him around £60m, money he invested in players and high-profile managers to drag the club into the Premiership.
The job started by Kevin Keegan and carried on by Jean Tigana has been a fairy-tale for the diehards of Fulham, who sat in their famous old home while Bates was rebuilding the Bridge to make it one of the most modem venues in the game.
But Fulham are now homeless and playing their football in the humble surroundings of Loftus Road, a 19,000-seater stadium in Shepherds Bush and still the home of Second Division Queens Park Rangers.
Bates eventually shelved his reservations about sharing Stamford Bridge and several weeks of consultation between two of the most colourful chairmen in the Premier League had all but produced a deal when Al Fayed pulled the plug.
Bates was understandably indignant last night that an act of generosity had been rewarded with what amounts to a personal snub. He felt he was performing a neighbourly act to help a club in need of a new home. It was to be an arrangement much more permanent than that between Wimbledon and Crystal Palace or indeed, between Fulham and QPR.
Chelsea were even going to allow some structural alterations that would let Fulham have their own buildings and function areas within Chelsea Village.