Ex-Fulham women’s team skipper and former Republic of Ireland player, Ronnie Gibbons, has lodged a complaint of sexual assault against the deceased previous owner of the football club, Mohamed Al Fayed, dating back to the year 2000. At the time, Gibbons would have been 20 years old and had to endure forced kisses and inappropriate touching, in addition to feeling trapped in a room with Fayed twice. Fayed was the owner of Fulham FC from 1997 until 2013, passing away in 2023.
On 11th October, the Metropolitan police stated that they were probing into 40 fresh instances linked to Fayed, including newly surfaced accusations of sexual assault and rape. These new claims go as far back as 1979 and arose following a BBC documentary concerning the erstwhile Harrods owner. These allegations are over and above those reported against him relating to 21 women, which surfaced between 2005 and 2023.
Gibbons, who represented Ireland in 38 matches due to her grandparent’s roots in Galway and Mayo, was also part of Fulham’s triumphant domestic treble winning squad in 2003. She confided her experience about Fayed to the Athletic: “I hope that by speaking my truth and sharing my experience, I can start healing and let go of the years of shame, pain and embarrassment that I have carried. If my story can encourage even one person to come out in the open about their suffering, and realise that the blame doesn’t lie with them and free them of their shackles, I would regard it as a victory.”
Now 44 years old, Gibbons is the first past-player from Fulham to reveal her allegations pertaining to Fayed publicly. In a statement released, the Justice for Harrods Survivors group condemned the abuse perpetrated on Gibbons and praised her courage. They declared their commitment to advocating for justice for Gibbons and others at Fulham who were victims of abuse, with no regard for who the abuser was or where the abuse took place. They also vowed to expose any collaborators of Al Fayed’s repugnant behaviour.
In narrating her disconcerting experiences in two different scenarios at Harrods department store in London, Gibbons depicts a picture of feeling entrapped. She spoke about an episode where she was manipulated into a forceful proximity and an attempt was made to plant a kiss on her lips. She describes being held tightly and points out that it symbolised a demeaning power play.
When the same individual clasped her arms, lured her close, and aimed for a kiss on her lips, she skilfully turned her face causing him to peck her on the cheek instead. At that moment, she felt a rush of perspiration down her neck, standing attired in her Fulham tracksuit, engulfed in a cloud of instant discomfort.
On being recalled to the Harrods structure again, she goes on to tell about the despicable incident where he indecently touched her. Moving his hand from her face, she was groped on her breast, and his hand slid down her waist.
In response, Fulham expressed their deep concern on learning about the distressing experiences faced by their former women’s team captain, Ronnie Gibbons, giving her their unequivocal empathy and support.
Stating their utter denouncement of any form of violation, the club plans to probe if anyone linked with the club has been subjected to similar deeds as stated in current reports involving Mohamed Al Fayed. The club strongly encourages anyone with related experiences or details to reach out either to the authorities or the club at [email protected].