On 10 April 1999 the King of Pop turned up and Fulham’s players were not dressed for the occasion when he came in after the match
On 10 April 1999, a little under two years since their takeover by Mohamed Al Fayed, Fulham were a third-tier club being propelled remorselessly upwards, running away with the league title – they were 16 points clear, with seven games to go – inspired by Kevin Keegan and rocket-fuelled by their owner’s chequebook.
Still, Keegan apart they were short of superstars. Their record transfer and most famous player was Chris Coleman – at £2.1m his was the highest fee paid by a third division club, a record beaten only when Sunderland signed Will Grigg 21 years later. The Welsh centre-back was a fine defender but not exactly box office, though they also had the Belgium international Philippe Albert, another centre-back, on loan from Newcastle. Hugh Grant, whose most successful film, Notting Hill, would be premiered in Leicester Square later that month, stood alone as their most famous fan. And then Michael Jackson turned up.
Written by Simon Burnton
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/apr/10/the-day-michael-jackson-visited-fulham-king-of-pop under the title “
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