A statue of the footballer Harry Kane, completed in 2020, was unveiled in Walthamstow, London, in November 2024.
| Location | Peter May Sports Centre, Walthamstow, London |
|---|---|
| Designer | Sculpture Machine[1] |
| Type | Statue |
| Beginning date | 2019 |
| Completion date | 2020 |
Statue
editThe statue was commissioned when Kane was a player with the north London team Tottenham Hotspur. It shows him seated on a bench with a football on his knee.[2]
The work was funded by Waltham Forest Council at a cost of £7,200 in 2019 and 2020.[2] Several locations were explored for the statue and it remained in storage while a location could be agreed upon. It was originally to be sited at Chingford railway station, but this was rejected following a risk assessment by Transport for London.[2] A plan to place it in Ridgeway Park was also rejected.[2][3]
The first pictures of the statue were obtained by the street newspaper Big Issue in 2024.[4] The images were met with some criticism with some questioning whether a footballer should be sitting on a bench in the way portrayed, while others made fun of its brown, chocolate-like appearance.[5]
The statue, along with a mural, were finally unveiled at the Peter May Sports Centre in Walthamstow on 18 November 2024. Kane began playing here as a five-year-old for Ridgeway Rovers.[6][7]
References
edit- ^ Taylor, Daniel (21 March 2024). "Why the Strange Case of Harry Kane's Statue could have a happy ending". The Athletic. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Harry Kane: Chingford statue revealed before going on display". BBC News. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Harry Kane: Chingford statue in storage for years with nowhere to go". BBC News. 21 February 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ^ "How a chocolate-like Harry Kane statue brought council spending into sharp focus". Big Issue. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "Pictures of Harry Kane statue 'kept in storage since 2020' emerge". Sky News. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "Harry Kane poses as his controversial statue is unveiled after years locked away". STV News. 18 November 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "Harry Kane: England captain looks to play on for country beyond 2026 World Cup". BBC Sport. 18 November 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.