A bronze statue honoring Manchester City legends Colin Bell, Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee has been unveiled outside the Etihad Stadium.
The Premier League champions were keen to honor the trio for their combined 30 years of service to the club in the 1960s and 1970s.
Now, ahead of Tuesday evening’s Champions League match against RB Leipzig, the bronze statue, which sits on a single plinth, has been unveiled.
“This is a truly special moment for me and my family,” said Mike Summerbee.
‘I joined Manchester City in 1965 and it was the best decision I could have ever made. 50 years later I’m still here, and I’m still treated with so much respect.
Francis Lee (left) and Mike Summerbee (right) have been honored with tributes by Man City
Colin Bell was also immortalized in the permanent tribute outside the Etihad Stadium
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“I feel incredibly fortunate to be recognized in this way, among friends whose contribution to our history this club never forgets, despite the tremendous success we have enjoyed in recent years. It is an honor to be part of this special club.’
Jon Bell said on behalf of his late father Colin: “This football club meant so much to my father. He gave so much to Manchester City, not only during his playing career but also later in life.
“His bond with the supporters of this club was truly exceptional and that he will always be remembered in this way is something that our whole family has been incredibly touched by and of which we will be very proud.”
As well as paying tribute to the famous trio, City have also chosen to celebrate everyone who contributed to those two decades – which saw them win a First Division title, an FA Cup, a League Cup and a European Cup Winners’ Cup won – of rich success.
To do this, the names of all 29 players who contributed to the trophy-winning period will be engraved on the bronze plaque that sits atop the statue’s plinth.
Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has chosen a world-famous sculptor
“My father enjoyed the most successful period of his career at Manchester City and to see that legacy immortalized in this way is so meaningful for his whole family,” said Jonny Lee on behalf of his late father Francis.
‘We only said goodbye to him in recent weeks and it was important to us that the club was central to that. The supporters gave him the best farewell and to follow that up with such a permanent tribute is everything he could have hoped for.”
The statue, which measures almost 4.5 meters high (14.5 feet) and four meters wide (13 feet), weighing approximately 2,000 kilograms (4,409 pounds), stands on the west side of the Etihad Stadium, near the Colin Bell. scaffolding.
World-famous sculptor David Williams-Ellis was the man tasked with creating the tribute.
Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak was instrumental in carefully choosing the sculptor, and he is delighted with the end result.
“This statue honors three players who are without doubt City legends and have rightly earned a special place in the club’s history and in the hearts of the entire City family,” he said.
‘The artist’s decision to display the three moving men on a single plinth, and also include the 29 names of their teammates, gives us the opportunity to recognize a trophy-winning era in City’s football history that has, and will, resonate for generations to come.”
The three honored players not only had illustrious playing careers at Man City, but all also had post-play roles at the club.
Bell worked as a coach, Lee was chairman between 1994 and 1998 and Summerbee remains a club ambassador to this day.
David Williams-Ellis is best known for commissioning the Normandy Memorial Trust’s D-Day sculpture, which was unveiled in 2019 by French President Emmanuel Macron and then British Prime Minister Theresa May.
A feature-length documentary will be released on Man City’s YouTube channel and their City+ platform on Saturday, highlighting the story of the footage from inception to construction.
“It was a great honor to work with Manchester City in celebrating their rich history and the enormous contribution of this very special team,” said sculptor Williams-Ellis.
“Throughout the process I have become aware of the depth of feeling towards all three players and how that has spread over almost six decades.
“I hope my work brings that legacy to life as a timeless memory for future generations of supporters.”