Nat Lofthouse statue

[TANGODANCER]

How about his 'header' against Harry Gregg?

Nat means many things to many people because we've known him and his history, but I think future generations will remember him for the F.A Cup more than anything else. A statue of him holding it aloft would be just grand.

[bobo the clown]

Well, he is the 'Lion of Vienna' isn't he. Something reflecting that would be nice. Or a simple one with him standing, in a suit, in his mature years ... which, let's be honest. is how 90% of us remember him ... even old 'uns like me.

Just so long as it's a well made one.

[TKIZ!]

Well, he is the 'Lion of Vienna' isn't he. Something reflecting that would be nice. Or a simple one with him standing, in a suit, in his mature years ... which, let's be honest. is how 90% of us remember him ... even old 'uns like me.

Just so long as it's a well made one.

I'm just hoping this too, Bobo

[Dujon]

I suppose that I shouldn't really comment seeing as I'll never see a statue should one be carved, poured and sited.

Nevertheless I shall do just that and accept the consequences. To me it seems (although I can sympathise with those who propose such) that a statue of the man which depicts a particular moment in his career is inappropriate. Mr Lofthouse was much more than that - as is the club for whom he played. The image above of Tom Finney's tribute is to me mightily impressive and one of which PNE supporters should be proud; mind you, the upkeep of a fountain can be somewhat off-putting in financial terms. Then again, such costs shrink into nothing when compared to the club's wages bill.

I am no great judge of aesthetics as many of you already know; nor am I an expert when it comes to the production of statues, whether sculptured directly or shaped and then poured; to me that's a mystery of skills which I will be forever beyond my comprehension. Therefore I'd like to see something that reflects Mr Lofthouse's roots as well as his accomplishments. To my mind this means the coal mining industry.

My mental picture sees a base comprised of either a pile of coal sacks - a nod to his dad - or the top of one of the trolleys the younger Bevin Boys used to push around (laden with coal of course). Out of the base soars the man himself, beginning at calf level, with a ball at his head, in the process of heading goal-ward.

Right, I'll shurrup now.

[seanworth]

Dujon I was thinking along your line. This was the picture I liked the most which isn't quite what you are describing but what a swagger he had.



When you listen to the stories by people from this forum it becomes very clear that Nat was not just Bolton Wanderers greatest player ever, he was a true gentleman and an ambassador for Bolton itself. Players come and go but so many people have incredible memories of the man and yet never ever had the chance to even see him play. He was much more than a great footballer he was the heart and soul of what Bolton represents. So I think a statue that doesn't even depict him in a football kit is just as appropriate.

[Bruce Rioja]

Tom Finney - The Splash

Now that is a statue!

The status of Nat should be of him drinking out of the cup

It most certainly is ...

I challenge anyone to find a better statue in Britain.

This magnificent photo is where it came from.

[seanworth]

It is a great picture.

[Zulus Thousand of em]

For me the statue should emulate that photo of Nat, on the shoulders of his team mates, holding the FA Cup aloft.

[boltonboris]

Definitely has to be him holding the FA Cup

[hisroyalgingerness]

Holding the FA Cup, on shoulders, and build it so that folk can have their pic as if they are lifting him up. Be mega

[TANGODANCER]

If yesterday's scenes in the town don't convince somebody that the people of Bolton care, not just about their team but about Nat Lofthouse as a man, nothing will. The mayor, the high end of the church, the services, the heirarchy of the football world and the people of Bolton were all out in force. Make it mean something lasting and get the man a statue....

[TKIZ!]

If yesterday's scenes in the town don't convince somebody that the people of Bolton care, not just about their team but about Nat Lofthouse as a man, nothing will. The mayor, the high end of the church, the services, the heirarchy of the football world and the people of Bolton were all out in force. Make it mean something lasting and get the man a statue....

Agreed

[Dujon]

It seems that seanworth and I are alone.

My concern about a depiction of Mr L. replete with the F.A. cup or being shouldered off after the, currently, last win in that competition is what people in the future would read into it. To me either of those poses smacks of a celebration of BWFCs past glories rather than recognition of the man who helped create them (that's the glories, not the poses).

seanworth, I salute your choice; the more I think on it the better I feel about it. Such an edifice would not only epitomise the man himself but his roots and his (apparent) love of Bolton, his club and the fans of that club. For visitors who might wonder why it was raised (wherever that might be) a suitably legible plaque or properly carved granite block - coal might be a bit soft - situated on its pedestal should answer that question.

No more contributions from me.

[TANGODANCER]

It seems that seanworth and I are alone.

My concern about a depiction of Mr L. replete with the F.A. cup or being shouldered off after the, currently, last win in that competition is what people in the future would read into it. To me either of those poses smacks of a celebration of BWFCs past glories rather than recognition of the man who helped create them (that's the glories, not the poses).

seanworth, I salute your choice; the more I think on it the better I feel about it. Such an edifice would not only epitomise the man himself but his roots and his (apparent) love of Bolton, his club and the fans of that club. For visitors who might wonder why it was raised (wherever that might be) a suitably legible plaque or properly carved granite block - coal might be a bit soft - situated on its pedestal should answer that question.

No more contributions from me.

The statue topic has been raised in the past on here, Dujon. Somewhere in the archives I played about with the pit lad photo and showed him swinging a pair of football boots instead of a billy can.

[John Pilkington]

I'd like to introduce myself as a new member of this forum as the sculptor who produced the bronze bust of Fred Dibnah which was commissioned by Bolton Art Gallery and Museum and is now on permanent display in Bolton Museum. The photo below is the image of my bust of Fred used by Bolton Museum in its publicity.


As someone who was born and bred in Bolton, and fortunate enough to see the great Nat Lofthouse in his playing days and carry the FA Cup aloft outside Burnden Park, I would like to help the fans of BWFC and the people of Bolton get a fitting permanent tribute to the great man. Because of my connections described, I feel passionately that Lofty should get a suitable commemorative statue and I wish to submit my work for consideration by those who might commission the proposed statue of Nat.

The pose which is chosen for the production of a statue is absolutely crucial, because once the work is cast in bronze it is permanent, and the statue can't be corrected if mistakes have been made. Whilst I have several ideas of my own, a statue which pleases the greatest number of people who see it, is going to be the best, so the use of gimmicky or "arty" tricks in a commemorative statue would be inappropriate. There are around 20 different statues of footballers and managers in the UK, and so it would be nice to pick a pose which hasn't already been used because there was only ONE Nat Lofthouse!

Obviously, any sculptor making a commemorative statue will have to work from photographs taken in Lofty's playing days, therefore, I'd be most grateful to any members of this forum who can give me links to photographs, or send me scans of photographs, that they think would give the poses that they'd like to see captured in a statue. Thank you!

[Gaz Tomorrow]

I'd like to introduce myself as a new member of this forum as the sculptor who produced the bronze bust of Fred Dibnah which was commissioned by Bolton Art Gallery and Museum and is now on permanent display in Bolton Museum. The photo below is the image of my bust of Fred used by Bolton Museum in its publicity.


As someone who was born and bred in Bolton, and fortunate enough to see the great Nat Lofthouse in his playing days and carry the FA Cup aloft outside Burnden Park, I would like to help the fans of BWFC and the people of Bolton get a fitting permanent tribute to the great man. Because of my connections described, I feel passionately that Lofty should get a suitable commemorative statue and I wish to submit my work for consideration by those who might commission the proposed statue of Nat.

The pose which is chosen for the production of a statue is absolutely crucial, because once the work is cast in bronze it is permanent, and the statue can't be corrected if mistakes have been made. Whilst I have several ideas of my own, a statue which pleases the greatest number of people who see it, is going to be the best, so the use of gimmicky or "arty" tricks in a commemorative statue would be inappropriate. There are around 20 different statues of footballers and managers in the UK, and so it would be nice to pick a pose which hasn't already been used because there was only ONE Nat Lofthouse!

Obviously, any sculptor making a commemorative statue will have to work from photographs taken in Lofty's playing days, therefore, I'd be most grateful to any members of this forum who can give me links to photographs, or send me scans of photographs, that they think would give the poses that they'd like to see captured in a statue. Thank you!

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h ... 9,r:16,s:0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h ... 66&bih=519" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TANGODANCER]

Hello John, and welcome to the forum.

The bust looks fine and a is good replica of Fred. Who decides what form a statue of Nat would take is unknown and what we express here are just personal opinions (which vary as you can see). Good luck with your bid.

[Bruce Rioja]

because once the work is cast in bronze it is permanent,

Two questions, Squire.

1/ Does it have to be cast in bronze? Does no-one chip them out of stone nowadays?

2/ Have you deffo got the gig?

[John Pilkington]

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h ... 9,r:16,s:0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h ... 66&bih=519" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for those links! I hadn't seen the first photo before and the second one is the best of that pose I've seen.

because once the work is cast in bronze it is permanent,

Two questions, Squire.

1/ Does it have to be cast in bronze? Does no-one chip them out of stone nowadays?

No, but not many figurative sculptors chip stone these days, and TBH, it would be difficult to select the right sort of stone that would suit enough detail and have sufficient strength for the shape of a footballer that would survive the relatively damp environment of Bolton. The lions outside Bolton Town Hall, in that lying down pose, are a much more suitable shape for stone carving because there are no weak or thin self-supporting sections.

2/ Have you deffo got the gig?

No. I intend to create a "maquette" (a smaller version of a proposed larger worker) that I can submit to the "powers that be", so that they can see exactly what I have to offer BEFORE I might be honoured with the task of creating a statue of Lofty. A maquette can be accurately copied and scaled-up to create a much larger finished statue. This way, the powers that be can see precisely what they would be getting so that they can be sure that the finished work would do the great man justice, unlike certain atrocious statues that get erected (not mentioning any specific ones, but we know which they are). If my work is not considered to be good enough, then I don't expect to be offered the task, and I would prefer it that someone better is given the job. At the end of the day, I want there to be the BEST commemorative statue of Lofty in Bolton, whoever creates it, but I'd like to try my best for me to produce it because, as a Boltonian, I feel as passionately about the influence of Lofty on the people of Bolton and BWFC fans, because I am part of you and extremely proud of it. I think that the people who have to live with the finished work should have a big say in what gets erected and this is why I'm seeking the opinion of the people who are really interested in Lofty, i.e BW fans as the members of this forum. If I were fortunate enough to get the task, it would be my intention to produce photos of the work in progress and seek the honest criticism of the forum members, BEFORE the work is cast in metal, so that the finished statue would be what people would want to look at for years to come. It's all about Lofty having a fitting tribute.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Could you do a statue of Riga?

I feel his contribution to the town and the team are just as deserving, if not more, than Lofthouse. Riga left a mark on this town. He left a mark on our very souls - the fibre of our being. He was not just a man, he was a myth, a legend, a whisper on the wind. People would walk down the street, feel a breath on their neck but when they spun round.....he was gone. But they knew. Oh boy they knew. They knew that Riga had been there - light of step and fleet of foot.

We will miss him. Age shall not wither him. He was Riga. WE were Riga - Riga is in us all. RIP in peace, sweet prince x