The MICHAEL JACKSON statue installed at Fulham's Craven Cottage by former club Owner MOHAMED AL FAYED "is set to be removed." The former Cottagers owner, who sold the club during the summer to American SHAHID KHAN, "has decided he wants to take the tribute to his former friend to one of his other properties" (London INDEPENDENT, 9/19). ... "Rush," Director RON HOWARD's movie about the '76 F1 season, "finished in second place in the UK box office standings in its opening weekend." The movie, which stars CHRIS HEMSWORTH as the late British F1 champion JAMES HUNT, raked in £2M ($3.3M) "over the two days following its launch" on Sept. 13 (PIT PASS, 9/19). ... J.League Vegalta Sendai Manager MAKOTO TEGURAMORI "is in the running" to coach the Japanese men's team at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Sources claim that Teguramori "is under contract" with Sendai through '15 but "is planning to leave the Tohoku outfit at the end of this season" (KYODO, 9/19). ... Former Netherlands player GERRIE MUHREN "passed away at the age of 67" in his hometown Volendam. Muhren "suffered from myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a bone marrow disease" (XINHUA, 9/19). ... Swiss alpine skier MARTINA SCHILD, who won the downhill Silver Medal at the 2006 Turin Winter Games, "has announced her retirement from skiing due to persistent back problems" (NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG, 9/19). ... Spanish second division side Deportivo La Coruña President AUGUSTO CÉSAR LENDOIRO, who has been president of Deportivo for more than 25 years, has announced that he will run for reelection. Lendoiro "is scheduled to hold a press conference in the next few days to explain all the details." One of Lendoiro's competitors will be Deportivo legal adviser GERMÁN RODRÍGUEZ CONCHADO, who announced in early September that he would run for the position (EFE, 9/19).
