Scottish Mag 3 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley appears to have delivered another snub to Alan Shearer by shelving plans for a statue of the former club captain outside St James' Park The project to build £65,000-a-piece bronze statues of Shearer and legendary striker Jackie Milburn was commissioned by former chairman Freddy Shepherd but Ashley has not realised his dreams since taking over the club two years ago. That is the latest embarrassment for the club that was relegated after Ashley brought Shearer in as interim manager late last season and is now managerless after the sports retail tycoon went cold on the idea of appointing the former England skipper on a long-term basis. The Morpeth-based sculptor Tom Maley was given the go-ahead to make the eight-foot high statues of the club's favourite footballing sons in 2007 and they seemed destined to take their place outside the main entrance to St James' Park on Barrack Road. But then Sir John Hall stole his family stake in the club to Sports Direct founder Ashley who then ousted Shepherd from the corridors of power and the plans for the statues - " called Local Heroes – were effectively dropped to the dismay of the Milburn family. Maley, who built another statue of Milburn in Newcastle during the mid-90s as well as an eight-feet tall statue of the former Middlesbrough skipper Wilf Mannion outside the Riverside, was aiming to do something similar at their North-East neighbours. He liaised closely with Shearer following his retirement from playing football as well as the Milburn family as he developed prototype figurines in a process that lasted months. But now Maley is in the dark over the future of the initiative and with Ashley now trying desperately to sell the club he believes only the possible return of Shepherd will kick-start the project. "Shearer and Milburn are arguably the greatest players the club has ever produced, and the idea was to symbolise Milburn transferring the mantle of genius over the years," Maley said: "I don't envisage the thing going forward now. I did send the club a message, but I haven't heard anything back. "I spoke to Shearer about the two statues months ago and he was the same as me: â What's happening?' "Freddy was the one who kicked it off. If he comes back into the fold, I' d be able to speak to him." Jack Milburn junior expressed his family's disappointment at the stalling of the scheme. "I haven't spoken to Tom Maley for a long time now," Milburn said. "It could have been scrapped altogether. "I suppose there must be more important things going on at the club at the moment. "It's a shame because the prototypes are amazing, but it seems like it's not going to happen." Shearer secured his place in Tyneside folklore by striking his 201st goal in 394 Newcastle games in February, 2006, to break Jackie Milburn's 49-year record. Despite Shearer and Milburn's standing locally, club officials are remaining tight-lipped with a spokesman merely stating: "The club is unable to comment at the present time." Meanwhile, it has emerged that Newcastle managing-director Derek Llambias, who runs the club for Ashley, has been largely based in London since the club was relegated three weeks ago. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...an-Shearer.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketsbaia 0 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 It would've been daft so soon after his retirement so i'm not bothered by this 'news'. I say 'news' because there were articles back in 2007 all but confirming the plans had been shelved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ugly Mackems 133 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 (edited) There's a pic of the sculpture in tonights Chronic. Thank fuck it wasn't commisioned (sp) it looks fucking awful. Edited June 15, 2009 by Ugly Mackems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitman 2188 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Those statues are hilariously bad. They look like garden gnome footballers. There seems to be an unrelenting stream of bad press about the club at the moment, I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone like FFS was behind it [/conspiracy] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 13804 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Apart from Freddie seems to have commissioned these monstrosities. If they ever put up something so tacky and horrible of Shearer I would have liked them to take it down, especially if he is manager at the time, the entire prospect would be ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig 6287 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 One thing that Ashley has done that IS right IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitman 2188 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 IS that supposed to be wor jackie on the left?!! He looks like a one armed backy-slap with legs you can drive a pig through! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Park Life 70 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 IS that supposed to be wor jackie on the left?!! He looks like a one armed backy-slap with legs you can drive a pig through! Melt the pair down should be just enough for a statue of big Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitman 2188 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 IS that supposed to be wor jackie on the left?!! He looks like a one armed backy-slap with legs you can drive a pig through! Melt the pair down should be just enough for a statue of big Mike. I can picture it now, a fat bastard downing a pint and sticking two fingers up to the fans....the younger fans could pull it down with a rope Saddam-stylee and smash it to bits when he finally goes. Would make great telly for Sky now I think about it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooj 17 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Even though Shearer is our all time top scorer and does deserve some recognition, well a lot more than having a shitty bar named after him anyways. It doesn't seem right as of yet due to him still being involved with the club. I'd like to see something involving someone like Joe Harvey being honoured. I would say Keegan too but then again you're not allowed to say that are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitman 2188 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Even though Shearer is our all time top scorer and does deserve some recognition, well a lot more than having a shitty bar named after him anyways. It doesn't seem right as of yet due to him still being involved with the club. I'd like to see something involving someone like Joe Harvey being honoured. I would say Keegan too but then again you're not allowed to say that are you? Totally agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Park Life 70 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 IS that supposed to be wor jackie on the left?!! He looks like a one armed backy-slap with legs you can drive a pig through! Melt the pair down should be just enough for a statue of big Mike. I can picture it now, a fat bastard downing a pint and sticking two fingers up to the fans....the younger fans could pull it down with a rope Saddam-stylee and smash it to bits when he finally goes. Would make great telly for Sky now I think about it.... ...and then beat it with their shoes off for the toon jig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Park Life 70 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Even though Shearer is our all time top scorer and does deserve some recognition, well a lot more than having a shitty bar named after him anyways. It doesn't seem right as of yet due to him still being involved with the club. I'd like to see something involving someone like Joe Harvey being honoured. I would say Keegan too but then again you're not allowed to say that are you? Personally a KK statue should be godzilla size and when you pull the tail a voice from the heavens says, "I'd love it if we beat them". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 8947 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Anyone else hate that new Oasis advert? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 13804 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 To be honest If Shearer gets the job full time I think it would be a good idea to temporarily change the name of Shearer's bar, as much as it's obvious the bar is to reward his achievements as a player it would probably take a bit of pressure off and look less retarded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 8947 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 should never have been Shearer's, it should have been Gazza's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snakehips 0 Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Why the fuck doesn't he just come out and say, 'Fuck it, I'm off back to the BBC' ? He's been fucked about something rotten, and surely most of us would have lost patience by now and walked away from this shambles that is NUFC, especially if we had a job on easy street with a good salary lined up for the next ten years. It may be the club he loves etc etc, but he must have had enough by now? Unless...UNLESS....he does know something and is expecting a sale soon? The thing is, he's remaining remarkably quiet at present. It's not what he is saying, it's what he isn't saying!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Face 29 Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 because he wants the job. See the shit Keegan got for stropping off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renton 17597 Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Not dead? Thank fuck for that. Does anyone, including Shearer, really have any idea what the fuck is happening at the club at the moment? Clearly though as time passes it's becoming less tenable for him to be manager. If the transfer window passes, what happens then? Seriously, who the fuck can we get as manager? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid 0 Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Gordon Strachan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinofbeans 86 Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 you've a point there. strachans been mostly successful wherever he's gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooner 243 Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 cart before the horse gents, doesn't matter what the name is, no one will be appointed till the club is sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charvski 0 Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Maybe shearer has swine flu, and has been quarantined. Thats why we have heard nothing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Dynamite 5881 Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Rob Lee was on talksport before and mentioned we have/had 11 players on £50k+ per week. One can only assume he heard this direct from the horses mouth and finally confirms the rumours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen 0 Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Is Shearer's seat on the Match of the Day sofa still waiting for him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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