Fulham's talks with Chelsea regarding sharing Stamford Bridge for the 2004-05 season broke down today. Mohamed Al Fayed's club have only committed to Loftus Road for one more season, after the Premier League ruled Queens Park Rangers' home would need significant improvements to host top-flight football beyond May 2004.
Fulham then revived talks over a short-term deal with Chelsea - but those discussions hit the buffers today amid reports of a row with Blues chairman Ken Bates over a 'golden hello' running into millions of pounds.
A Cottagers spokesman said: "We're disappointed negotiations have broken down. We've established a very good relationship with Chelsea and were confident we could do business for a short-term groundshare, which would have benefited both clubs."
Unless talks are revived, Al Fayed, who yesterday announced Fulham's record annual losses of £33.6million for the year to June 2002, has a tight timescale in which to secure a venue for his team to play at from next August.
Filed by Johnny Proby
