Fulham sold to American billionaire

[Geo_1875]

SSN reporting on who's bidding for Hearts, followed by Real Madrid paying £34m for an under 21 international. Is it any wonder the games ****ed?

[Part/Time Supporter]

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SSN reporting on who's bidding for them followed by Real Madrid paying £34m for an under 21 international. Is it any wonder the games ****ed?

Perhaps more relevantly, Fulham - who are arguably a smaller club than Hearts in terms of fanbase and success historically - being sold for between £150M and £200M to an American billionaire.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23297785

[CropleyWasGod]

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Perhaps more relevantly, Fulham - who are arguably a smaller club than Hearts in terms of fanbase and success historically - being sold for between £150M and £200M to an American billionaire.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23297785

... which leaves al Fayed as a potential late runner for Hearts.



(how long will it take Bazza to pick up on that exclusive?)

[johnrebus]

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SSN reporting on who's bidding for them followed by Real Madrid paying £34m for an under 21 international. Is it any wonder the games ****ed?

Who says the game is ****ed?

[steakbake]

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Perhaps more relevantly, Fulham - who are arguably a smaller club than Hearts in terms of fanbase and success historically - being sold for between £150M and £200M to an American billionaire.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23297785

Sorry? Fulham a smaller club than Hearts? I don't see how that an be argued. 13th season in the EPL, Europa League finalists a couple of seasons back and a 25k capacity stadium which is more or less full each home game.

Al Fayed to his credit, has had been a fine custodian of the oldest club in London.

The only similarity is that Fulham have a statue of Michael Jackson but HMFC have gone one further and employed a couple of dodgers...

[johnrebus]

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The FT ad was for the business and assets of Hearts, ie to continue as a football club.

It's only if the offers on that basis fall well short of expectations will they seriously explore the option of selling it on a break-up basis.



Perhaps more relevantly, Fulham - who are arguably a smaller club than Hearts in terms of fanbase and success historically - being sold for between £150M and £200M to an American billionaire.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23297785

Fulham smaller than Hearts?

Seriously?

Fulham recently reached the Europa League final and play in front of 25,000 every home game.

[Part/Time Supporter]

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Sorry? Fulham a smaller club than Hearts? I don't see how that an be argued. 13th season in the EPL, Europa League finalists a couple of seasons back and a 25k capacity stadium which is more or less full each home game.

Al Fayed to his credit, has had been a fine custodian of the oldest club in London.

The only similarity is that Fulham have a statue of Michael Jackson but HMFC have gone one further and employed a couple of dodgers...

Before Fayed pitched up, Fulham were basically Leyton Orient-on-Thames. You wouldn't argue that Leyton Orient are a bigger club than Hearts. Fulham take advantage of their location and PL status to sell a lot of tickets to tourists. They have a neutral section at every game to reflect this.

http://www.wsc.co.uk/wsc-daily/982-F...-floating-fans

[steakbake]

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Before Fayed pitched up, Fulham were basically Leyton Orient-on-Thames. You wouldn't argue that Leyton Orient are a bigger club than Hearts. Fulham take advantage of their location and PL status to sell a lot of tickets to tourists. They have a neutral section at every game to reflect this.

http://www.wsc.co.uk/wsc-daily/982-F...-floating-fans

That's fine, but Al Fayed has pitched up and Fulham are a different club because of it.

They are a bigger club than hearts by some way.

[jgl07]

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Sorry? Fulham a smaller club than Hearts? I don't see how that an be argued. 13th season in the EPL, Europa League finalists a couple of seasons back and a 25k capacity stadium which is more or less full each home game.

Al Fayed to his credit, has had been a fine custodian of the oldest club in London.

The only similarity is that Fulham have a statue of Michael Jackson but HMFC have gone one further and employed a couple of dodgers...

Back in 1961, Fulham were the first club in England to pay a player £100 per week. This was to then England Captain Johnny Haynes.

['Mon the Hibs]

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Back in 1961, Fulham were the first club in England to pay a player £100 per week. This was to then England Captain Johnny Haynes.

Spending beyond their means

[ScottB]

Fulham are a bigger club simply because they are in the Premiership and based in London.

It's easy to clarify that with 'if they weren't in the EPL they'd have smaller gates' well yeah. I'm sure if either Hibs or Hearts were for whatever reason in the EPL they'd probably be able to fill 30k or even 40k stadiums with the extra casual fans and tourists that would turn up just to see Man Utd or the other big hitters come to town.

[hibee_nation]

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Back in 1961, Fulham were the first club in England to pay a player £100 per week. This was to then England Captain Johnny Haynes.

There is another similarity to the yams then, thats how much they will be getting a week this season

[J-C]

Smashing buy and the fact he's trying to bring more Jaguar games over here to London for regular NFL games makes it all more sense. Fulham are a very steady decently supported club with great history, a wee bit of development and they can be regular top 8 team.

[Part/Time Supporter]

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Smashing buy and the fact he's trying to bring more Jaguar games over here to London for regular NFL games makes it all more sense. Fulham are a very steady decently supported club with great history, a wee bit of development and they can be regular top 8 team.

I suspect that he is thinking of relocating the Jaguars to become a London NFL franchise. Also owning Fulham would give him another argument for building a new stadium, which would otherwise be difficult in London.

[jgl07]

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There is another similarity to the yams then, thats how much they will be getting a week this season

The other similarity is that Haynes retired to Edinburgh after finishing his spell in South Africa and became something of a Jambo. He died at the wheel of his car in Dalry Road aged 71.

[ScottB]

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I suspect that he is thinking of relocating the Jaguars to become a London NFL franchise. Also owning Fulham would give him another argument for building a new stadium, which would otherwise be difficult in London.

Pretty much. It's quite widely discussed in the states that he wants to move his NFL team here.

[green&left]

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That's fine, but Al Fayed has pitched up and Fulham are a different club because of it.

They are a bigger club than hearts by some way.

Depends on how the individual defines bigger?

Sky Sports would have you believing Wigan are a bigger club than Ajax, Celtic & Red Star Belgrade combined 'cos they played in the sooper dooper Premier League for a few years.

All if's and buts I know but give Hibs, Aberdeen, Hertz 40m a season we'd have bigger supports than some EPL clubs, easily.

[Dashing Bob S]

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Fulham are a bigger club simply because they are in the Premiership and based in London.

It's easy to clarify that with 'if they weren't in the EPL they'd have smaller gates' well yeah. I'm sure if either Hibs or Hearts were for whatever reason in the EPL they'd probably be able to fill 30k or even 40k stadiums with the extra casual fans and tourists that would turn up just to see Man Utd or the other big hitters come to town.

Nutshell. TV money has made the smaller countries football backwaters. The success of clubs like Fulham, Wigan and Stoke should make Hibs/Hearts/A'deen, never mind the OF think hard about their (lack of) a future in the Scottish game.

IMO we need to be merging with the other smaller football countries, the Scandinavian and Benelux nations, to form viable leagues appealing to English speaking broadcasters. Otherwise we're going to be playing for a couple of diddy cups and 3rd/4th slots and the right to be gubbed by fit dross in their midseason, in Euro prelim rounds forever and ever.

Some may be satisfied with that, but my aspirations for Hibs are higher.