Football Bench
October 12 2010
An innovative sculpture depicting Saints players wearing shirts through the ages has been commissioned by Southampton Solent University to commemorate the club's 125th anniversary.
The ingenious twist is that the work of art actually forms a bench which allows fans to have their photographs taken as part of the traditional team shot.
The as yet untitled piece will be given to the city as a gift and is set to be placed in a prominent position – close to Guildhall Square in the heart of the cultural quarter looks favourite. It looks likely that the sculpture will be publically unveiled in a ceremony early in the New Year.
The steel sculpture will be fabricated locally and is the brainchild of Trevor Thorne, Southampton Solent's director of marketing and communications.
He said: “We wanted to mark the club's long history with something that is both traditional and fun. The crucial objective, though, was to create something that the Saints fans can get involved with. We are thrilled with the outcome.”
Southampton Solent University is one of the country’s leading centres for the academic study of football. The University has been providing training for the professional football industry, and undergraduate programmes for those seeking to enter it, for a number of years.
The University is also home to the Lawrie McMenemy Centre for Football Research,|| one of the Country’s leading research and consultancy centres for the professional industry. It is also an FA ‘Focus University’.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Van Gore said: “It’s imperative this landmark celebration is given a place in history in the city centre and we are delighted to be a part of that. Designing the sculpture in a way that visitors and existing Southampton residents can enjoy, will hopefully see it being used for many years to come.”
Funding to get the project underway has been provided by housebuilder Barratt Southampton, which is part of Barratt Developments, the largest urban regeneration developer in the UK. Managing director Ian Wallace said: “We are very supportive and passionate about the history of Southampton and the part which Saints has played in that. It was important to us to contribute to get the project underway and we look forward to seeing the completed sculpture.”
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