By Deadly Submarine
July 24 2013

Minature model of statue honouring Tranmere's greatest-ever manager receives  King family seal of approval during visit.....  

A miniature model of a statue honouring Tranmere's greatest-ever manager has received the seal of approval from the man himself on a visit to sculptor Tom Murphy's home.

Johnny King accompanied his family on a visit to see the maquette of a bronze statue that the Tranmere Rovers Supporters Trust is fund-raising to erect outside Prenton Park.  King and his family were joined on the visit by Trust Chairman Ben Harrison, and they were thrilled with what they saw.  On arrival and without prompting, King immediately struck the pose of the statue and posed for photographs.

The creation of a maquette upon which the final statue will be based is the first stage in the production process, and the Trust and Liverpool-based Murphy have been working together for several months to ensure the final version will represent a truly fitting tribute to King.

Murphy is one of Merseyside's best-known sculptors, with works including some of the region's most iconic sculptures, such as John Lennon, Dixie Dean, Bill Shankly, Billy Fury, Ken Dodd and, most recently, a Hillsbrough Disaster memorial.

Speaking of the visit, Trust Chairman Ben Harrison said...... 

"Seeing the miniature model as it nears completion has been a real buzz for myself and all the Trust board members and we are sure that all Tranmere fans will be impressed when we are in a position to unveil it." 

"Throughout this process, we have been in regular contact with the King family and would like to thank them for their help and support.  Receiving their seal of approval and adhering to their wishes has always been our first priority throughout this process, and we were so pleased to see Johnny and his family's reactions to the model that Tom has spent several weeks crafting."

Sculptor Tom Murphy himself  added....

"It was a lovely day and Johnny and his family were charming and delightful.  It is crucial that everyone is happy with the maquette before we move to the next stage.  This will be great for Birkenhead and for Tranmere, I think having a sculpture produced is the greatest honour you can have."

The Trust will coincide the unveiling of the maquette with the launch of a series of initiatives through which they intend to raise the full £50,000 needed to complete the project.  In one initiative, supporters are currently voting to create a Johnny King XI that will feature on an exclusive t-shirt, with polls currently open now via the Trust's Website.

To vote in a poll or to make a donation to the Statue Fund, please visit www.tranmereroverstrust.co.uk.  Further details about the unveiling of the model will be announced shortly.

Family Approval for Johnny King Statue

Discussion started by Total Tranmere (IP Logged), 24/07/2013 21:38

Total Tranmere
24/07/2013 21:38

What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.

Reply Quote Report

Goto: Forum List•Message List•Search• Log In

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

We record all IP addresses on the Sportnetwork message boards which may be required by the authorities in case of defamatory or abusive comment. We seek to monitor the Message Boards at regular intervals. We do not associate Sportnetwork with any of the comments and do not take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed on the Message Boards. If you have any cause for concern over any material posted here please let us know as soon as possible by e-mailing abuse@sportnetwork.net