Statue celebrating Coventry City legends unveiled

BBC News

17-04-2025

A statue to celebrate the careers of two Coventry City football legends has been unveiled. The monument honours George Curtis and John Sillett who managed the team that lifted the FA Cup in May 1987. Crowds gathered at the Coventry Building Society Arena, near the south entrance, on Thursday and applauded as the statue was revealed. Speaking ahead of the unveiling, Joe Elliott, the former club chairman, said it was a memorable day and commended the pair's "lifetime of service".
The monument captures the moment the pair lifted the Cup after the Sky Blues defeated Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 in a classic final at the old Wembley Stadium.
Curtis, a former captain and manager, appeared in 543 games for the club, the second highest in the club's history, and is remembered for helping the club rise through the leagues.He died in July 2021 at the age of 82.Sillett joined the club as a player in 1962 and took on the role as chief coach ahead of the 1987 victory. He went on to take sole charge of team affairs, achieving 10th, 7th and 12th place finishes before leaving the club in November 1990.He died in November 2021 aged 85.The plans to build the statue were revealed in January 2024 and a fundraising appeal raised nearly £250,000.Mr Elliott thanked everybody who had donated and said: "This statue will be here forever for us to remember."
The monument to mark their achievements was created by sculptor Douglas Jennings who said the pair "really were a double act" and it was an "emotional day". "There's a great turnout and you can see what Coventry football club and these men mean to the fans," he said.Mr Jennings said he had spoken to the pair's families in order to get to know them better. "That's the fun part, you get to know these people and find out what they were really like."He said the families had shown him personal pictures of the pair at home and on holiday, which enabled him to see their body types. "If they're on holiday I can see strong legs, broad shoulders and I can then link that to what the family have told me about them."
Singer Tom Grennan, whose grandmother is from Coventry, said he "fell in love" with the city after he watched his first Sky Blues game in 2018. He contributed towards the fundraising appeal and said the pair were "icons" of the club. "I know how much they mean to the city and how important their team was," the singer added.
Long-term season ticket holder Jane Dawkins, who was at Wembley when the Sky Blues lifted the trophy, said it was an "honour" to witness the club's success and she was "absolutely thrilled" to watch the statue being unveiled.
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