Even for a man who made billions of jerks in the bumper business, Fulham has proved quite a ride for Shahid Khan.
He’s been an incredible rollercoaster of three relegations and three promotions under eight managers in nine years. “The highs and lows are much more extreme than I imagined,” Khan laughs wryly from behind his signature moustache.
The agony of degradation and the ecstasy of promotion. For me you take life as it comes. Wishing and dreaming is good, but reality and dealing with it is more important. That’s what I’ve been doing all my life.’
Shahid Khan is confident his side can stay in the Premier League on the third opportunity
Back in the top flight for its 10th season, there is quiet confidence in the camp that this time, after winning the championship in a 106-goal run, Fulham has what it takes to avoid the dreaded slide straight back from where they came from.
Manager Marco Silva appears to have evolved beyond the restlessness that defined his tenures at Watford and Everton, as Khan’s son Tony matures into his role as head of the recruiting department.
“I’m very optimistic about the season,” said 72-year-old Khan Snr. “We have a stronger team and a manager who has coached Premier League teams. I like Marco very much, he has shown leadership.
‘We are looking for leadership. We seek stability. He has done everything and more for the club and I couldn’t be more proud of him.
“When I was in London, I spoke one-on-one with a few players to get their senses, and it reassures me that they are very optimistic. Our ambition is that we want to survive.
‘Let’s face it, that should be the goal. We are a small club, but an ambitious one.’
Nothing is more typical of Khan’s ambition than Fulham’s new Riverside Stand, a triumph of design, expanding the capacity of Craven Cottage by stepping into the River Thames and reinforcing the personality of one of English football’s most charming venues.
“Fulham is blessed with great geography,” said Khan, a Pakistani-American who made his fortune producing bumpers for the US auto industry and bought the West London club from Mohamed Al Fayed in 2013.
“It’s always been what attracted me – and to see the development of Riverside Stand is really exciting. We’ve had an impact on London’s riverside landscape for a long time, and all the amenities will serve the community and give people an experience in London they wouldn’t otherwise have.
Fulham have been relegated three times in nine years – most recently under Scott Parker in 2020-21
‘To be on the river and enjoy the beautiful views of the city, which are second to none. Nothing like it currently exists. We have the London Eye and maybe the Shard, but that’s like flying on a plane. Nothing sits on the river like us.’
Seating in the lower tier of the booth will be available this season, but work continues on the indoor amenities, food courts, restaurants, rooftop terraces, spa and small hotel.
“Our goal is to have it ready by 2023,” Khan says. “It is an investment to serve the community and preserve the club’s legacy. It’s much better than even I imagined eight or nine years ago when we first thought about it.
“We’re talking about development and other revenue streams. We all create that, so that we can invest more in the football team and try to get higher.’
The Cottagers return to the Premier League as triumphant winners of the Championship
Khan has always had a habit of thinking big, as he did when he made a bold bid to buy Wembley Stadium from the FA in 2018.
He also owns Jacksonville Jaguars and proposed converting the world-famous venue into a permanent home for the NFL in London while preserving the heart of English football, but opposition proved fierce in some quarters and he withdrew it. offer.
“It was a win-win situation,” Khan emphasizes. “A lot of people saw Wembley as a white elephant, but I thought it made sense for us and the FA thought it made sense for them.
“But then it really deteriorated into a hostile takeover. That was never the intention and you don’t want to do something like that under those circumstances. I look back and think it was the right thing to say, “Okay, let’s blow this thing off.”
He does not rule out reviving the idea and making a new bid for Wembley Stadium. “Maybe,” Khan admits. “But that hasn’t been discussed, we haven’t had any discussions.”
Marco Silva has top-level experience, led Watford and Everton with limited success
Instead, his Jaguars team will return to Wembley in October to face the Denver Broncos, with a new commitment to play three home games there over the next three years.
“We’ve embraced Wembley, it’s been good for us and it’s part of our identity,” he says. ‘We like to play there. We look forward to returning to our home in London and looking forward to continuing our journey at Wembley.”
Fulham’s season starts on August 6 against Liverpool, while the Jaguars play against Denver Broncos at Wembley on October 30.