London's got all sorts of spectacular statues. There are the changing fourth plinth sculptures that highlight modern artists' work, the glorious Trafalgar Square lions, and countless iconic war memorials. But what about a statue of a famous footballer? It's been revealed that one London council spent more than £7,000 commissioning a metal casting of England captain Harry Kane, only to keep the statue hidden for five years.
Big Issue has obtained the first photos of a secret Harry Kane statue that was commissioned by the Conservative Waltham Forest Council in 2019. Costing £7,200 to make, the authorities kept Kane's likeness hidden away for five years. Was it a fiasco as bad as the Ronaldo statue in Madeira? Not quite. But Waltham Forest Council couldn't work out where to put the sculpture, meaning thousands of taxpayers pounds were essentially chucked down the drain.
🚨🏴⚽️EXCLUSIVE: This is the statue of Harry Kane which has been sat in storage for years@BigIssue has obtained pictures of the statue, commissioned in 2019, and as-yet-unseen
— Greg Barradale (@GregBarradale) March 20, 2024
Waltham Forest Council spent £7,200 on it, at the request of residents. But it hasn't found a home... pic.twitter.com/HdNMFKv7Xw
The statue, designed Warwickshire-based company Sculpture Machine, depicts the Chingford-raised striker sitting on a bench with a football on his knee. Emma Best, one of the Tory councillors for Chingford told the BBC she had spent ‘hours and hours’ trying to agree a home for the statue with ‘stakeholders’.
According to the Guardian, proposed locations for Kane's doppelgänger included Chingford Rail Station and Ridgeway Park, where Kane used to play as a youngster. Kane’s representatives said in February ‘the location of the statue is really important to us’, and that ‘when we get it right, we will be happy to go’.
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