Ronnie Gibbons alleges sexual assault by Mohamed Al Fayed when she was a player for Fulham way back in 2000.
Ronnie Gibbons, former Fulham women’s captain claims that in 2000, the late club owner Mohamed Al Fayed sexually raped her.
The 20-year-old Gibbons said that Fayed, who controlled Fulham from 1997 to 2013, had twice made her feel confined in a room, forcefully kissed her, and touched her. Fayed passed away in 2023.
Following the broadcast of a BBC documentary about the former Harrods owner, Fayed, 40 fresh allegations, including those of rape and sexual assault, dating back to 1979, were confirmed by the Metropolitan police on October 11. These allegations are on top of the ones concerning the 21 women who were reported to the force between 2005 and 2023.
Gibbons, a defender who was part of the Fulham squad that won a domestic treble in 2003 and also played at international level for the Republic of Ireland, told the Athletic: “Speaking my truth and finally telling my story will hopefully help me heal and be rid of the shame, embarrassment and pain I have carried for years. If this can help one person open up and realise it’s not your fault and be free of the same burdens, then I’ll be happy.”
Gibbons is the first former Fulham footballer to publicly detail allegations about Fayed. A statement issued by the Justice for Harrods Survivors group said: “What former Fulham captain Ronnie Gibbons was forced to endure at the hands of Mohamed Al Fayed is yet another horrible example of the monstrous abuse aided and abetted by the businesses he owned.
“We salute our client’s bravery and are proud to advocate for Ronnie and others at Fulham who are searching for justice. We will do whatever we can to lift the lid on abuse, no matter where it was perpetrated, or who it was perpetrated by, including any enablers of Al Fayed’s abhorrent behaviour.”