On This Day – 24th October
Paul Peschisolido became Fulham’s record signing on this day back in 1997, joining the club for £1.1 million from First Division West Bromwich Albion.
The frontman became the record purchase for a club in the third tier, overtaking the £500,000 signing of Ian Selley the week before, also by his new club.
Peschisolido would be the record signing for just under two months before Welsh international defender Chris Coleman joined the club in a deal worth £2.1 million.
All of these signings came after Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed bought the club earlier in the season. The Egyptian bought the club for £6.25 million earlier in the year and declared that Fulham would be playing Premier League football within five years.
Fulham had been promoted from the Third Division (now League Two) in the 1996/97 season, narrowly missing out on the league title. They finished second to Wigan Athletic. With the clubs both level on points, the clubs were separated by goals scored (Wigan’s 84 was 12 goals better than Fulham’s 72). Fulham would have been champions nowadays with a goal difference of +34 to Wigan’s +33, as that is used instead of goals scored.
The Second Division league title came in 1998/99 and two years later the club won the 2001 First Division title, scoring over 100 goals and winning more than 100 points. This meant that Al-Fayed’s promise of Premier League football came a year earlier than he predicted!
Al-Fayed sold the club in 2013 for an amount believed to be around £150 – £200 million.
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