Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed has pledged around
£50,000 to the supporters' group fighting to save York City. Fulham
play York in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
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Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed donates gate receipts to York supporters
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Al Fayed will donate his club's share of the gate receipts to the newly-formed
York City Supporters' Trust.
York chairman Douglas Craig has said the club will resign from the Football
League unless a buyer meets his £4.5million asking price by March
31.
But he rejected Fulham's initial offer of the cash windfall. Al Fayed
then approached the fans' group, who willingly accepted the money.
Trust spokesman Sophie McGill said: "This generous pledge will help
empower the trust in our efforts to ensure the survival of York and secure
representation for supporters in the future of the club. "In this era,
when football is often viewed purely in commercial terms, it is good to
see there are individuals who still have the game's best interests at heart."
Al Fayed added: "York are an historic club with fine traditions.
Supporters are the lifeblood of the game in this country, and it would
be a tragedy for York fans if their club were to die."
The Football Association has approved Fulham's generous gesture. The
governing body takes 10% of gate receipts from all FA Cup matches, covering
administration costs.
The two clubs take 45% each, with Fulham's cut from an 8,000-plus gate at
Bootham Crescent likely to be around £50,000