Aberdeen To Commission Statue In Honour of Sir Alex Ferguson
In an announcement at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg this morning, Dons Chairman, Dave Cormack and Gothenburg hero, Neil Simpson announced that the club have commissioned a statue of Sir Alex Ferguson to commemorate his outstanding contribution to the club.
The statue of Sir Alex will be located on the external concourse outside the Richard Donald Stand, and is the first of a series which is being planned to celebrate and honour the Club’s heroes.
Renowned sculptor, Andy Edwards of Cornovii Edwards, will produce the statue based on a photograph taken of Sir Alex at Easter Road in 1980, celebrating the Dons winning the Scottish Premier Division – the first time in 15 years it had been won by a club other than Celtic and Rangers.
Dave Cormack told the club website: “Sir Alex’s contribution to the club was immense and it’s fitting that we honour him in this way.
“His arrival at Pittodrie heralded the start of the most successful period in the Club’s history and put Aberdeen firmly on the football map of Europe. The year after next marks the 40th anniversary of our European Cup Winners Cup triumph in Gothenburg, along with winning the European Super Cup, so while this honour is long overdue, it comes at a fitting time.
“We began exploring the idea of a series of statues to recognise those legends who have made a lasting impact on the Club, over 18 months ago, but the process stalled due to the pandemic. It’s now very much back on our agenda and, when it came to deciding the subject of the first one, there was of course only one option, Sir Alex Ferguson.”
Sir Alex commenting on the plans said: “I am thrilled and honoured by this recognition from Aberdeen Football Club, where I spent a fantastic and memorable part of my managerial career. I am particularly pleased with the image the Club has chosen to base the statue on and with the choice of sculptor whose recent work is incredibly lifelike. I can’t wait to see it!”
Chris Gavin of AFC Heritage Trust said: “We are delighted to be involved with this project. Sir Alex is not only the greatest Aberdeen manager, but one of the great living Scots, known throughout the World for the top‐class boss that he is.”
The Club expects Sir Alex’s status to be unveiled later this year and all the statues will be installed in such a way they can be relocated to AFC’s new stadium.
