COVENTRY City fans gathered in their numbers to watch the unveiling of a new statue honouring the club’s FA Cup winning managers.
A large crowd of supporters watched on as a statue of George Curtis and John Sillett was unveiled at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Fans gather for a first glimpse of the statue. Picture by Marcus Mingins 1725012MMR3
Applause broke out upon the unveiling of the statue which stands in the south east corner of the Arena.
The statue depicts both Curtis and Sillett holding the FA Cup trophy while raising an arm aloft in triumph.
Curtis and Sillett guided the Sky Blues to FA Cup glory in 1987 – the club’s only success in the competition to date.
The two managers masterminded a 3-2 victory against Tottenham Hotspur in the final at Wembley.
Curtis passed away in July 2021 at the age of 81 while Sillett died in November 2021 at the age of 85.
The statue was sculpted by Douglas Jennings who has also immortalised legendary footballers Johnny Haynes, George Cohen and Jack Charlton.
A committee formed in 2023 to raise the required funds to complete the statue. The target of close to £250,000 was reached in July 2024.
Coventry beat West Bromwich Albion 2-0 the following day in a front of a league record crowd at the Arena.
Some 31,167 spectators watched on with thousands of home supporters taking a look at the statue for the first time prior to kick-off.
