On a chilly London afternoon, a father and his young son strolled along the River Thames, enjoying the crisp air. Their walk led them past a football stadium, where the path forced them to turn inland. As they paused, the father checked a message on his phone—until he felt a tug on his sleeve.
"Dad… who's that?"
The father looked down to see his son pointing at something ahead. He followed the boy’s gaze and frowned.
There, standing proudly outside the stadium, was a statue. But it wasn’t of a footballer, nor a legendary manager. It wasn’t even someone known for the sport at all. The figure had an outstretched arm, a striking pose, and a face that—well, depending on the angle—didn’t quite look right.
The father hesitated. "Well… that’s Michael Jackson."
The boy blinked. "But… why is he outside a football stadium?"
The father had no answer. Because, like many others, he had never really understood it either.
A Statue That Made No Sense
Football stadiums are filled with statues of club legends, managers, and even the occasional fan immortalized in bronze. But Craven Cottage, the historic home of Fulham FC, once housed a monument that had nothing to do with football at all: a statue of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
Its placement was met with confusion, ridicule, and even outrage. And yet, for a brief period, it became one of the most talked-about landmarks in English football.
The Man Behind the Madness
To understand why a statue of Michael Jackson ended up at a football ground, you have to understand Mohamed Al Fayed. The Egyptian billionaire, who owned Fulham FC from 1997 to 2013, was known for his eccentricity. He had a taste for the extravagant, having once owned Harrods, the world-famous department store, and was no stranger to controversy.
Al Fayed also had a personal friendship with Michael Jackson. The pop icon visited Craven Cottage in 1999, where he attended a match and even took to the pitch to wave to fans. While the visit itself was a brief and largely forgettable moment in Fulham’s history, it clearly meant something far more to Al Fayed. So when Jackson passed away in 2009, the Fulham owner decided to immortalize him—right outside the stadium.
The Unveiling and the Backlash
Originally, Al Fayed planned to place the statue outside Harrods. But after selling the department store in 2010, he needed a new location. Fulham FC’s stadium, for reasons only he could fully explain, became the next best option.
In April 2011, the statue was unveiled outside Craven Cottage. It featured Michael Jackson in a classic pose from his "Dangerous" tour, clad in black and white, with his iconic single glove. The reaction was swift and brutal.
Fulham fans were confused. Many were angry. Others simply found the entire situation hilarious. What did Michael Jackson have to do with Fulham? Or football in general? He had attended one game. That was it. And yet, here he was, immortalized outside the ground as if he had scored the club’s greatest goal.
Al Fayed, however, had no patience for the backlash. When questioned about the decision, he famously snapped back: "If some stupid fans don’t understand and appreciate such a gift, they can go to hell."
The End of an Era (and the Statue)
The statue lasted just over two years. In 2013, when Al Fayed sold the club to American businessman Shahid Khan, one of the first things the new owner did was remove the controversial monument. Unlike most statue removals, there were no protests, no petitions to keep it. Fulham fans largely shrugged, relieved that their stadium no longer bore the likeness of a man who had nothing to do with their club.
For a time, the statue was relocated to the National Football Museum in Manchester—where it seemed just as out of place as it had at Craven Cottage. Eventually, it was returned to Al Fayed, and its current whereabouts remain unknown.
What Stands There Now?
Where Michael Jackson’s statue once stood, there is now… nothing. No new statue has replaced it. The only remaining tribute outside Craven Cottage is one that actually makes sense: a statue of club legend Johnny Haynes, a man who spent his entire career at Fulham and remains one of their most celebrated players.
But the strange saga of the Michael Jackson statue remains one of the most bizarre moments in football history—a reminder of how eccentric football ownership can be and how sometimes, the most confusing decisions leave the longest-lasting stories.