Statues of Jackie Milburn

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English: There are three statues of the Newcastle United and England footballer Jackie Milburn (1924-1988), two bronzes (unveiled 1991 & 1995) and one fibreglass (1996). All depict him in football kit with a football in various poses. The 1995 bronze has always been sited in his birthplace of Ashington, Northumberland. The 1991 bronze has been sited in three places in the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, latterly outside United's St James' Park stadium. The 1996 fibreglass statue was sited also outside the stadium, but is now in storage.

Summary[edit]

Statue Sculptor Base Pose Location Coords From To
1991 bronze Susanna Robinson Slate Right foot strike Northumberland Street
Newcastle
54°58′32″N 1°36′45″W / 54.975613°N 1.612544°W / 54.975613; -1.612544
(approximate)
15 November 1991 1999
St James' Boulevard
Newcastle
54°58′20″N 1°37′22″W / 54.972186°N 1.622692°W / 54.972186; -1.622692 1999 2012
St James' Park
(SE corner)
Newcastle
54°58′30″N 1°37′12″W / 54.97495°N 1.62004°W / 54.97495; -1.62004 23 April 2012 present
1995 bronze John W. Mills Red brick Left foot trap Station Road
Ashington
55°11′00″N 1°34′18″W / 55.183286°N 1.571611°W / 55.183286; -1.571611 5 October 1995 present
1996 fibreglass Tom Maley Stone block Left foot dribble St James' Park
(SW corner)
Newcastle
54°58′28″N 1°37′19″W / 54.974526°N 1.622054°W / 54.974526; -1.622054 5 December 1996 1999
in storage n/a 1999 at least 2011

1991 bronze[edit]

The 1991 bronze statue was the first statue of Milburn to be unveiled. Sculpted by Susanna Robinson, it was funded by the readers of the Evening Chronicle newspaper. It depicts Milburn in full stride; with his left foot planted he is about to strike the ball with his right foot.

Northumberland Street[edit]

The first location of the 1991 bronze was Northumberland Street, one of the major shopping thoroughfares of Newcastle city centre. Mounted on a slate plinth which also features an inscription, it was unveiled on 15 November 1991 by Milburn's widow Laura. It was positioned on the east side of the street facing south, at a point south of the entrance to the Eldon Square shopping centre (on the east side)

St James' Boulevard[edit]

The 1991 statue was removed from Northumberland Street due to resurfacing works. It was relocated together with the slate plinth to a position around 750 metres to the WSW onto St James' Boulevard (formerly Blenheim Street). This is a major north-south running dual carriageway on the western edge of the city centre; forming part of the A189 road it carries traffic to/from Redheugh Bridge to the south west to/from Barrack Road to the north east (passing the stadium). It was located at a sprawling junction where the Boulevard crosses the NW-SE running Bath Lane, with Corporation Street also arriving at the junction from the SW. It was positioned on the west side of the Boulevard where it meets Corporation Street/Bath Lane, facing east.

St James' Park, SE corner[edit]

Following talks between Newcastle City Council, the Milburn family and Newcastle United, the 1991 bronze was moved for a third time, to the football club's stadium, St James' Park. On 23 April 2012 both the statue and slate plinth were installed beside the stadium in Strawberry Place, outside the south east corner. It is sited at the bottom of the steps that lead up to the Gallowgate End/East Stand turnstiles, facing south (Strawberry Place being the road that runs along the outside of the Gallowgate End). This made it the second Milburn statue to be installed outside the stadium, after the 1996 fibreglass one was installed at the south west corner, being removed in 1999. Its installation was followed shortly after by the unvailing on 6 May 2012 of the Bobby Robson statue in the south west corner position where the fibreglass Milburn statue once stood.

1995 bronze[edit]

The 1995 bronze statue was the second statue of Milburn to be unveiled. Sculpted by Susanna Robinson, it was funded by the public through an appeal launched by Wansbeck councillor George Ferrigon. It depicts Milburn standing upright, trapping a ball with a raised left foot.

Ashington[edit]

As with the 1991 bronze, the second statue was unveiled by Milburn's widow Laura, on 5 October 1995. It was given pride of place mounted on a wide red brick base in the pedestrianised section of Station Road, the main shopping thoroughfare of Milburn's birthplace, the town of Ashington, Northumberland, where it has remained to the present day. Positioned on the south side outside No. 44, it faces east.

1996 fibreglass[edit]

The 1996 fibreglass statue was the third statue of Milburn to be unveiled, sculpted by Tom Maley. It depicts Milburn in full stride, controlling a ball with his left foot.

St James' Park, SW corner[edit]

The fibreglass statue was unveiled on 5 December 1996 outside St James' Park. It was sited on a stone block plinth built next to the steps outside the box office door, in the SW corner of the stadium (i.e. where the south end of the main stand named after him, the Milburn Stand, meets the west end of the southern stand the Gallowgate End. In this position it faced south west, i.e. away from the stadium.

In storage[edit]

The fibreglass statue was removed in 1999 during works at the stadium. There were apparently plans for it to be used as a cast for a bronze, which would be unveiled at the stadium. This never happened, with the 1991 bronze eventually being moved to the stadium on 23 April 2012 to be sited on the south east corner, followed by the unvailing on 6 May 2012 of the Bobby Robson statue in the south west corner position where the fibreglass Milburn statue once stood.