A new sculpture which pays homage to Sheffield’s footballing heritage will be revealed in the city centre next week.
Sheffield Home of Football, a local charity, has commissioned the statue to raise awareness of the city’s rich footballing history.
The artwork, made by local sculptor David Westby, will be located near the Millennium Gallery and is set to be unveiled by South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard on Friday 13 March.
John Clarke, secretary of Sheffield Home of Football, said: “People think Sheffield doesn’t have a unique selling point, but we do: we created the world’s most famous and popular game and unfortunately we just don’t celebrate it enough.
“It is sporting history and although the work has been time-consuming, it’s very rewarding and all the people involved are so proud of it.”
Titled ‘Heads or tails’, the statue commemorates the only time an FA Cup match has been decided by a coin toss – a replay between Sheffield FC and Shropshire Wanderers in 1873.
1873 was a turbulent year for Sheffield with steel rail production collapsing amid the Great Depression, and the city also being hit by a hurricane.
Due to these economic factors, neither side could afford a replay when the game finished in another draw so a coin toss was used instead.
In the toss, Sheffield FC’s captain Harry Chambers guessed correctly and the Sheffield side progressed to the next round of the competition.
Mr Clarke said: “When that coin was in mid-air, it became apparent that football was going to have to change and it would have to be taken away from the rich and carried over to the common people.”
Sheffield Home of Football has dedicated the statue, which is crafted in stainless steel, to the late Martin Westby, who was one of the city’s most respected football historians.
The charity are continuing to push for further recognition of the Sheffield’s history and is now embarking on a new project to try and establish a football heritage museum.
The unveiling of the ‘Heads or tails’ statue will take place at S1 2LH and is free to attend, with guests encouraged to arrive from 10:30 am.
Images by Andy Kershaw.