As well as tonight’s European game at the Etihad another major event is happening at the home of Manchester City. The statue celebrating the achievements of England internationals Colin Bell, Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee is being unveiled. I will be there and I know the statue recognises the achievements of all those involved in winning the major trophies of 1968 to 1970, including City’s first European trophy of course.
I’m sure it will be an excellent day. For those who want to know more on the statues, here’s something the club issues a few days ago on the sculptor:
This installation will be located on the west side of the perimeter and will be unveiled on Tuesday morning ahead of a UEFA Champions League meeting with RB Leipzig later that day, where fans will be invited to visit the permanent tribute to an extraordinary era in the Club’s history.
Speaking of his appointment to the project David Williams-Ellis said:
“It is a great honour to create a work of art for Manchester City Football Club celebrating the diverse, talented players, Bell, Lee and Summerbee.
“It’s been an extraordinary last two years, working on this project that celebrates these players from a great era in Manchester City’s football history.
“I hope that the work will give a sense of history and place to the legions of fans and visitors that come to the football ground from around the world and become an enduring part of Manchester’s cultural landscape.”
David Williams-Ellis – Artist Biography
David Williams-Ellis’ sculptures, worked in clay directly from life, are inspired by the romanticism of Rodin and Bourdelle and are noted for their sense of movement and vitality.
David was classically trained in Florence under drawing teacher, Nerina Simi. From there he went on to be an apprentice wood carver and then joined a community of marble carvers beneath the Carrara Mountains in Pietresanta.
David’s reputation was cemented after his time in Italy. Today, his work is in private and public collections across the globe and can be seen in flagship buildings including Scone Palace in Perthshire, Aberdeen’s Maritime Museum, the IFC Building in Shanghai and Oxford House, Swires, Hong Kong.
Amongst his most notable work includes the D-Day Memorial Sculpture, unveiled on 6th June 2019 above Gold Beach in Normandy to commemorate the 22443 service men and women who fell on D-Day and in the Normandy campaign under British command.
Here’s the D Day Memorial:
Gary James' Football Archive 