Mohamed Al Fayed 'tried to forcefully kiss ex-Fulham Ladies captain

by · Mail Online

The ex-captain of Fulham Ladies has claimed former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed tired to 'forcefully kiss' her on two occasions. 

Ronnie Gibbons has alleged the late businessman 'groped' her at the luxury department store when she was 20-years-old, according to The Athletic. 

Al Fayed owned the women's team, which was the first female squad to go professional in Europe, from 1997 and 2013. 

After breaking her silence she has said she hopes to 'rid of the shame, embarrassment and pain [she has] carried for years.'

It comes as scores of women several claimed they were sexually assaulted by the Egyptian tycoon in a BBC documentary last month.

Ms Gibbons, who was the squad's captain at the time, had been driven to department store by Fulham FC employees. 

 Former captain of Fulham Ladies,  Ronnie Gibbons (Pictured, has claimed former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed tired to 'forcefully kiss ' her on two occasions
Ronnie Gibbons has alleged the late businessman (Pictured: Mohamed Al Fayed) 'groped' her at the luxury department store when she was 20-years-old 

After arriving at Harrods, she claims she was left alone with Al Fayed, who tried to kiss her 'on the mouth'.

Recalling the incident, she said Al Fayed, who was then in his 70s, held her arms by her side' and she was unable to push him off. 

'It was a real kind of control stance, like ‘I’m dominating you,' she told The Athletic.

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'I was just like, "What do I do here?" I just felt like a huge responsibility on my shoulders at that point because we’d just turned professional.'

The athlete was once again summoned to Harrods by Al Fayed that summer, where he reportedly 'groped' her.

'This time he groped me. As he was saying goodbye, he was sort of grabbing me, trying to sort of hold on to me and kiss me,' she said. 

'He was like, "You’re not scared are you? You don’t need to be scared, I’m not going to do anything like that, you’re very precious, you’re a very special girl".'

Lawyers from the Justice for Harrods Survivors group have told the BBC that they are representing four former athletes from Fulham FC. 

The club told the publication that they are looking into if any other club members had been 'impacted' by the Egyptian entrepreneur. 

They said it was another 'horrible example of the monstrous abuse aided and abetted by the businesses he owned.'

The Metropolitan Police have said they received 40 fresh allegations of rape and sexual assault against Al Fayed in the last week. 

Recalling the incident, she said Al Fayed, who was then in his 70s, held her arms by her side' and she was unable to push him off
She alleges she was taken to Harrods by Fulham FC staff - which was owned by Al Fayed at the time
Another 65 more women have come forward since the BBC documentary with allegations against the former Harrods owner (pictured) 
Of the 65 new 'victims' to approach the BBC over the last three weeks, 37 worked for Harrods (pictured) 

Since the BBC documentary aired about the businessman's alleged conduct in September, another 65 women have been in contact with the publication regarding allegations of abuse.

A Harrods spokesperson said: 'We are utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Mohamed Al Fayed. 

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'These were the actions of an individual who was intent on abusing his power wherever he operated and we condemn them in the strongest terms. 

'We also acknowledge that during this time his victims were failed and for this we sincerely apologise.

'The Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010, it is one that seeks to put the welfare of our employees at the heart of everything we do. 

'This is why, since new information came to light in 2023 about historic allegations of sexual abuse by Al Fayed, it has been our priority to settle claims in the quickest way possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved. 

'This process is still available for any current or former Harrods employees - please go to https://response.harrods.com for further information.

'While we cannot undo the past, we have been determined to do the right thing as an organisation, driven by the values we hold today, while ensuring that such behaviour can never be repeated in the future.'

 Pictured: Al-Fayed  in 2005 at the unveiling of a memorial to his son Dodi and Diana, Princess of Wales 

A Fulham FC spokesperson said: 'The Club is profoundly troubled to learn of the experiences told today by former Women’s Team captain, Ronnie Gibbons. 

'She has our deepest empathy and support.

'We continue to stress our absolute condemnation of abuse in all forms. We remain in the process of establishing whether anyone at the Club is or would have been impacted by Mohamed Al Fayed in any manner as described in recent reports. 

'Should any person wish to share information or experiences related to this matter, we urge them to contact the Police or the Club at safeguarding@fulhamfc.com'