5th anniversary of the unveiling of the statue to Johnny Haynes...

[LBNo11]

...On Saturday October 18th 2008 the Johnny Haynes Statue was unveiled. Here are two of my own photographs, but has anyone got their own favourites pictures, and what do you think about it. How many of you have had their photographs taken next to it..?

[LBNo11]

...and a copy of the letter that helped start it all off:-


: 
e-mail:

Johnny Haynes Tribute,
FFC Training Ground,
Motspur Park,
New Malden,
Surrey, KT3 6PT

Sunday, 30 October 2005

Subject: Johnny Haynes Tribute/Memorial

Dear Sir / Madam,
         I have for many years 'banged on' that a stand should have been named after the great man. I always hoped it would be whilst he was still alive; sadly, as ever, such tributes and honours are always left too late for the recipient to see.

After some reflection I now believe that the best possible tribute is not to have some temporary edifice but to have a statue, therefore a permanent likeness of the great man so that older generations can once again admire the likeness of their hero, and the new generations will have a visible image of the person their parents, grandparents and maybe even great grandparents talked about in such high regard.

In my opinion it should be outside the ground, facing the Cottage by the players' entrance and should depict either his victory salute after scoring his penultimate goal for us against Plymouth Argyle, or another Ken Coton classic of him typically standing hands on hips facing the Cottage, maybe it would be fitting to have the same pose on 'the other side'.

Yours Sincerely,



Ed
(LBNo11)

[cmg]

I salute you, sir  065.gif

I had no idea you were so personally responsible, not only for the idea of the statue, but also the location and even the pose.

The statue is a wonderful and fitting tribute to a unique player and always serves a reminder of a really great player (in the true meaning of the word) and of how lucky we are to be able to name him as one of our own.

It is also a fine piece of art capturing the attitude and the look of the man. This last is not always achieved in a statue. There is a striking (and somewhat similar) statue of Mooro outside the new Wembley. Its attitude and position makes it instantly clear who it is - but on, on closer inspection, it's not really a very good likeness. At Craven Cottage, Douglas Jennings has created an excellent likeness in a difficult medium.

[Burt]

A great statue for the club's finest.

And well done Ed for your hard work to get the club to go down this route. I always thought it somewhat ironic that there was no pressure at all for that Jackson statue which given his tenuous link to the club was always going to be a strange one, and yet heaven and earth had to be moved to get one for the Maestro.

Class always wins though though. We only have one statue, but it's the right one!

082.gif

[Fulham1959]

It's a fabulous work of art !

[Travers Barney]

As old James Brown used to sing.

Marvellous LB.

coyw

[Hersham Henry]

...and a copy of the letter that helped start it all off:-


:  
e-mail:

Johnny Haynes Tribute,
FFC Training Ground,
Motspur Park,
New Malden,
Surrey, KT3 6PT

Sunday, 30 October 2005

Subject: Johnny Haynes Tribute/Memorial

I have for many years 'banged on' that a stand should have been named after the great man. I always hoped it would be whilst he was still alive; sadly, as ever, such tributes and honours are always left too late for the recipient to see.

After some reflection I now believe that the best possible tribute is not to have some temporary edifice but to have a statue, therefore a permanent likeness of the great man so that older generations can once again admire the likeness of their hero, and the new generations will have a visible image of the person their parents, grandparents and maybe even great grandparents talked about in such high regard.

In my opinion it should be outside the ground, facing the Cottage by the players' entrance and should depict either his victory salute after scoring his penultimate goal for us against Plymouth Argyle, or another Ken Coton classic of him typically standing hands on hips facing the Cottage, maybe it would be fitting to have the same pose on 'the other side'.

Yours Sincerely,



For the benefit of our younger supporters I had the pleasure of regularly watching Fulham for the majority of the Johnny Haynes era when he was a regular member of the Fulham and England team. He was the best footballer (apart from possibly the cameo appearances of Moore and Best late in their careers) we have ever had and who turned down opportunities, especially that to join the excellent Spurs team of the early 1960's, to remain totally loyal to Fulham despite their shortcomings (10th was their best finish and had regular battles to avoid relegation) and it is most appropriate that his statue is now the only one at the ground and that a stand is named after him.

We have been fortunate to have had some fantastic players over the years like Bedford Jezzard, Bobby Robson, George Cohen, Allan Clarke, Rodney Marsh, Malcolm MacDonald who we converted from a full back to an international number 9, Alan Mullery, Edwin Van de Sar, Saha and Berbatov to name a few but Johnny Haynes was that class above. I'm sure he would have adapted to the modern game and would have been an excellent attacking midfielder. I'm just sorry that our younger supporters never had the chance the witness his exceptional skills.

[WhiteJC]

Johnny Haynes' Statue Reveal

[The Equalizer]

I got these beauties:

Chairman Mo and Mrs Haynes


The previous incarnation of Airfix and randomly Patrick Mower, (plus some nameless fuzzy-haired individual who probably doesn't want to have his name shared on here)


And the big man himself taking a picture of me taking a picture of him taking a picture of me etc...

[The Equalizer]

[Peabody]

A big thank you to you Ed.

Every home game, I have the pleasure of walking past the statue, turning round and looking right into his eyes and getting the reassuring look from him that we are going to win. Unfortunately, that is not happening at the moment but it will.

Like many  others, I was fortunate to watch the great man, from his debut against Southampton right through to the very end and I suppose it was fitting that he played in an era when football woad not so money orientated, because, I don't think a player of his quality could have stayed at a club likeFulham for his whole career.

[bog]

Great posting Les. And a brilliant letter sent by you. Having started going to the Cottage just as he started playing I feel so much emotion seeing the old footage. Stevens, Robson, Jezzard, Haynes and Mitten. What a forward line that was....     

[WhiteJC]

 

[LBNo11]

...it was a team effort to get the project started and without Southfield White it would have just remained a dream. Also the Shady1 recommended me to Neil as he said I was an 'anorak' and that I had actually seen the Maestro play, and so the nucleus of JHSAG (Johnny Haynes Statue Action Group) was formed and the early stages were not easy. I will have to do a little potted history of the campaign one day.

And much thanks to Ms Craven for her help along with Kevin Shea (whom the club accredited JHSAG as his group- I must have upset someone at the club!) and all the volunteers in the fund raising, and to all Fulham fans for the Fans Fair Play Award of £20,000 that the club agreed should go towards the design/build/manufacture costs.

Without Mr Al Fayed and his connections, and extra funding, it may not have been such a magnificent statue, which is testament to the skills  and extraordinary talent of sculptor Douglas Jennings, and designer William Mitchell's final design and of course ideas based on photographs by Ken Coton and other contemporaries...

[filham]

So good to have that statue in position to remind us of the great Haynes. A big thanks to those responsible.

Oh , Haynes, what memories.

[SouthfieldWhite]

Lb think you're being a bit modest, the hours you put in shouldn't be forgotten, I knew from the first moment I spoke to the club about it that you was the right man to front it, and what a bloody good job you did.
Will always remember the meeting we had when you brought along a surprise guest.... Tosh Chamberlain, great night of laughs that was

At the end of the day, we got what we set out to achieve.... The best football statue I've seen