World Cup Sculpture

The World Cup Sculpture, or simply The Champions, is a bronze statue of the 1966 World Cup Final located near the site of West Ham United Football Club's former Boleyn Ground (Upton Park) stadium in the London Borough of Newham, England. It depicts a famous victory scene photographed after the final, held at the old Wembley Stadium in London, featuring Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters and Ray Wilson. It remains the only time the England national football team have won the World Cup, and England captain Moore is pictured held shoulder high by his colleagues, holding the Jules Rimet Trophy aloft. Jointly commissioned by Newham Council and West Ham United, the statue stands at the junction of Barking Road and Green Street, near the former location of the Boleyn Ground. It commemorates West Ham's contribution to the victory, with Moore, Hurst and Peters having all been West Ham players at the time of the 1966 World Cup. Sculpted by the Royal Sculptor Philip Jackson, it was unveiled in 2003 by Prince Andrew, president of the Football Association. Jackson went on to also sculpt the statue of Bobby Moore unveiled at the new Wembley when it opened in 2007. Statue The work, titled by Jackson as The Champions or The World Cup Sculpture, is a one-and-a-half times life-size bronze piece, tall, weighing four tonnes. It stands in a prominent location at the junction of Barking Road (the A124) and Green Street in the London Borough of Newham, close to the former home stadium of West Ham, the Boleyn Ground (commonly called Upton Park). Inspiration The statue was inspired by the victory scenes in the immediate aftermath of the 1966 World Cup final. Moore, Hurst, Peters and Wilson had just been part of the England side which defeated West Germany in a famous 4–2 extra time victory over Germany in the final held on home soil, at the old 1923 built Wembley stadium (since replaced by the new Wembley Stadium opened in 2007).