The statue of England’s World Cup champions has been boarded up ahead of West Ham United’s match up against premier league rivals Tottenham Hotspurs tonight.
The 16ft bronze Champions sculpture shows former Hammers captain Bobby Moore atop the shoulders of his teammates and raising up the World Cup to mark the first and only time England won football’s biggest tournament back in 1966.
But the nation’s sporting heroes are now behind wooden hoarding after Newham Council acted to cover them up in a “preventative measure” ahead of the league clash at Hammer’s Boleyn Ground home, just a stone’s throw from the statue.
A council spokeswoman said: “We have boarded around the steps of the Champions sculpture as a preventative measure following advice from the Metropolitan Police.
“We’ve done this numerous times before. The sculpture is an iconic image of England’s 1966 Word Cup win and should be respected.”
In previous incidents the Champions statue, which currently sits at the junction of Barking Road and Central Park Road, has been desecrated by so-called fans.
Hammers and Spurs have a history of rivalry and this will be the last time they meet at Upton Park before Hammers move to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford. The statue is also due to move with them.
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