A statue of the controversial pop singer Michael Jackson, whose removal was blamed for Fulham FC's relegation, found a new home in Manchester before being removed from public display.
The 7ft 6in statue made from plaster and resin was commissioned by the football club's former chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed and put on display outside the stadium in 2011. As soon as the statue was unveiled it sparked a backlash from fans, who were less than thrilled.
One was quoted as saying: "We're a laughing stock. It has nothing to do with football." Another said: "It makes the club look silly. I thought it was an April Fools joke."
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During its two-and-a-half years outside the club's Craven Cottage ground, the sculpture of the legendary pop star caused huge controversy. What makes the whole thing even more bizarre is that Jackson’s only known link to the club was attending a Division Two game against Wigan Athletic in 1999 - but Al Fayed always insisted his friend was a 'big' fan of the club.
The Daily Star reported the shy star was tempted into a Craven Cottage trip after a tour around Al Fayed's Harrods department store. He was treated to a routine victory having been shielded from the sun by an umbrella before taking his seat, with Kevin Keegan's players greeted by the singer in the changing room afterwards.
Among those in Keegan's squad was striker Barry Hayles. Speaking exclusively to Daily Star Sport, Hayles recalled the surreal experience: "It was amazing meeting Michael Jackson... I have to say it was strange though. A lot of people thought it wasn't actually him but it definitely was.
"He was a character in himself, I remember him walking along the line saying 'great game' to the whole squad but only 14 of us played, not the 30 he said it to!"
The unpopular statue was removed in 2013 after Fulham FC's new owner, Shahid Khan, completed the purchase of the club from Mohamed Al-Fayed. Following its removal, the new owner said: "I respect Mr Al Fayed and know he had good intentions in paying an individual tribute. However, the removal of the statue is the right thing for Fulham Football Club."
However, a disastrous season on the pitch followed which saw Fulham FC relegated from the Premier League in 2014. After 13 seasons in the top-flight of English football the club's former owner, Mr Al-Fayed, blamed the team's plummeting fortunes squarely on the toppling of the statue.
He said: “When the new owner decided to move it I said: 'Fine, it is a lucky thing, you will regret it later.’ Now the new owner will regret it because I warned him.
“I said: 'You will pay with blood for that,' because it was something loved by people. It was a big mistake but he paid for it now. He's been relegated and if he wakes up he'll ask for Michael Jackson again and I'll say: 'No way.'”
Mr Al-Fayed was back in possession of the statue of Michael Jackson, whose death had shocked the world a few years earlier in 2009. But the former Harrods boss wanted the statue of his former pal back on public display.
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In 2014, Mr Al-Fayed donated the statue after being approached by the National Football Museum in Manchester and insisted the 'Smooth Criminal' singer would be thrilled with its new home.
He said: “I had to put him in a place which people love. All the fans love him and admire him. I think Michael would have approved of the choice of location. He was, after all, a man of the people and like football itself, he entertained the world.
"When the museum approached me, I hesitated because the statue means a great deal to me and my family. But on reflection, I decided that the statue of Michael should go to the place where it can be enjoyed by the greatest number of people.”
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With its new home at the National Football Museum, the statue was on display in Manchester for four years. But in 2019, museum bosses made the decision to remove it in light of a controversial expose TV documentary, Leaving Neverland, which was set to air in the UK.
The Leaving Neverland documentary centred on two men, James Safechuck and Wade Robson, who claimed that they were sexually abused by Jackson. The Jackson family spoke out on the claims, insisting that the documentary is "not telling the truth" and is "all about the money".
Before the documentary aired, the National Football Museum said their decision to remove the tribute to the late pop star has been planned "for a number of months".
A spokesperson for the museum said: "Plans have been underway for a number of months to remove the Michael Jackson statue from display as part of our ongoing plans to better represent the stories we want to tell about football.
"As a result of this, the statue has now been removed."
So what happened to the controversial statue of the late King of Pop? Since its removal in 2019, the statue's whereabouts have remained a mystery with no sightings of it reported.
But after the M.E.N. approached the National Football Museum asking what happened to the MJ statue after it was removed, we now have an answer. It seems the statue has found a new club, if not on public display there.
A spokesperson for the National Football Museum said: "The statue is still in the care of the museum up in our storage archives at Deepdale (Preston North End’s ground)."
Whether Mr Al-Fayed's homage to his late friend will ever see the light of day again remains to be seen.
Is the Michael Jackson statue the strangest statue to find a home in Manchester? Let us know in the comments section below.
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