Manchester City unveil statue of legends Bell, Lee and Summerbee

Manchester City have unveiled a new statue of legendary trio Colin Bell, Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee.

The bronze artwork outside the Etihad Stadium commemorates the players' combined 30 years of service to City and also celebrates the club’s successes of the late 1960s and early '70s.

Three of the most popular players in the club’s history stand together on a single plinth in dynamic poses characteristic of their styles of play.

In a further tribute to the era in which City won the First Division title, the FA Cup, the League Cup and a European Cup Winners’ Cup, the names of all 29 players who contributed to this period are inscribed on a bronze plate on the statue’s plinth.

The installation was conceived and created by world-renowned sculptor David Williams-Ellis, and measures almost 4.5 metres high and 4 metres wide, with an approximate weight of 2,000 kilograms.

Positioned on the west side of the stadium, near the Colin Bell Stand, in a newly landscaped garden area, the statue is the latest in a series of tributes to key figures forming the club’s legacy project, first announced in 2019 and directed by chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak

Al Mubarak said: “This statue honours three players who are unquestionably City legends and have deservedly earned a special place in the history of the club and hearts of the whole City family.

“The artist’s decision to feature the three men in motion on a single plinth, as well as include the 29 names of their teammates, gives us the opportunity to acknowledge a trophy-winning era of City football history that has, and will, resonate for generations to come.”

Fans attending Tuesday evening’s Champions’ League game against RB Leipzig will be among the first to enjoy the statue.

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