Newcastle to erect Alan Shearer statue

Alan Shearer to be honoured in Newcastle with statue dedicated to him



Newcastle United’s record goalscorer Alan Shearer is to be recognised by a statue in his home city. The former Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has resurrected plans to establish a permanent tribute to the now 44-year-old, who scored 206 goals for the club during a 10-year career on Tyneside.

The Northumberland artist, Tom Maley, who was initially commissioned eight years ago, will now complete the 9’6“ statue, which will take four months to cast, with Shepherd’s family business, Shepherd Offshore, covering the cost.

“It’s been resurrected,” said Shepherd. “We have commissioned Tom Maley to finish it off – the family thought it was the right thing to do. We, along with the Halls, signed him and he was a great servant to Newcastle, so that’s why we are doing it.

“The idea was to put it in the Exhibition Park Museum but we have had so many enquiries from the city about where to put it, so what we are doing is getting it finished first and then we will worry about where it’s going to go.”

Newcastle paid a then world record £15m to lure Shearer from Blackburn to St James’ Park and he surpassed Jackie Milburn as the club’s most prolific marksman. He remains a hero with the fans and was briefly handed the managerial reins by current owner Mike Ashley, although he could not prevent the club slipping from the Premier League at the end of the 2008-09 season.

Shepherd for one is in no doubt as to the place Shearer holds in Tyneside folklore, alongside former manager Sir Bobby Robson, whose own statue – also created by Maley– stands outside the Gallowgate End at St James’. He said: “He’s the best buy ever for Newcastle, nobody would ever contradict that. It was important that he was recognised, certainly by his own city, for his years of service. He certainly deserves it, in my opinion. Some people might disagree, but I think he deserves it and the family is pleased to do it.”

Guardian