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 Monday, 18 November, 2002, 21:09 GMT
Owner commits to Fulham site
Loftus Road
Fulham are currently playing at QPR's Loftus Road
Fulham chairman Mohamed al Fayed says he does not want his team to carry on "squatting" at rivals' grounds.

The Cottagers are currently playing their home games at QPR's Loftus Road Stadium while a legal battle rages over plans for a new stadium in Fulham.

Fulham have planning permission to redevelop their Craven Cottage, although Al Fayed says the proposed 30,000 capacity would not be enough.

"We are doing our best to stay there (in Fulham) but we have the residents, upper class people, thinking they are royalty, fighting us," he told BBC Radio Five Live.

"They don't want ordinary people, the fans, who really enjoy the game and have enjoyed football there for 100 years.

Mohamed Al Fayed
Al Fayed says he has changed Fulham's fortunes

"So why did they come to Fulham? Why don't they go and live somewhere else?"

Craven Cottage has hosted football matches since 1896, but local residents say Fulham's surge in crowd figures since Al Fayed turned the club's fortunes around is too much for the area.

Earlier in November, Al Fayed turned down an offer from Chelsea to permanently share Stamford Bridge.

Fulham have a two-year deal to stay at Loftus Road, but Al Fayed said he did not want to continue sharing.

"We can't just sit squatting in other people's clubs. Fulham need to have their own home. We need a minimum of 36,000 all-seater stadium," he said.

"To the fans I say please be behind us, I have done my best, I have paid tens of millions to bring the club to the ultimate (level) and now we need the fans to help us."

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 ON THIS STORY
 Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed
"The upper-class residents think they are royalty"
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See also:

10 Jan 03 | Football
19 Jul 02 | Fulham
01 Aug 02 | Fulham
10 Oct 02 | Fulham
23 Oct 02 | Fulham
25 Oct 02 | Eng Prem
Links to more Fulham stories are at the foot of the page.


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