Statue of Michael Jackson (Fulham F.C.) facts for kids
The statue outside Craven Cottage, London
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| Location | National Football Museum, Manchester |
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| Type | Statue |
| Material | Plaster and resin |
| Height | 7.5 feet (2.3 m) |
| Opening date | 3 April 2011 |
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.
Description
The statue is 7.5 feet (2.3 m) high and is made of plaster and resin.
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. 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.
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. 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. 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. The statue was moved to the National Football Museum in Manchester in May 2014. On 6 March 2019, the statue was removed from the National Football Museum.
See also
