Volunteers linked to the trust which funded Nottingham’s Brian Clough statue say they ‘share the concerns’ of petitioners hoping to move it – but insist it should stay put.
The statue of the legendary former Nottingham Forest boss is on Speakers’ Corner, off Old Market Square.
An online petition was launched by Reds fan Bal Cheema to move it to outside the City Ground amid concerns the monument is at increasing risk of being damaged by passersby and political protests which use it as a rallying point.
Although it has attracted less than 100 names, it has sparked a heated debate about one of the city’s most famous landmarks.
The monument was funded by the Brian Clough Statue Fund (BCSF), a group of volunteers who raised around £70,000 to construct it in 2008.
The fund technically no longer exists, but volunteers who helped to organise it have released a response to the petition on a Facebook page.
They said the statue is “an important part of the fabric of the city” and a move away would be inappropriate, given thousands of people donated to the fund on the basis it would be in the city centre.
“It would be inappropriate to move it, especially [as] when we originally approached the club to have a statue at the ground we were told there were no plans for one, as there was already a bust [of Clough] there and a stand named after him,” the statement read.
The group said it does, however, share the concerns of some fans worried it could be damaged by protests, adding it has raised this issue with Nottingham City Council.
Its plinth is often used as a platform by speakers, and last August the monument was on the front line of a heated clash between an English Defence League rally and counter-protesters.
In the last four weeks there have been two protests against Donald Trump close to the statue, with crowds gathering at Speakers’ Corner to hear speakers using the plinth.
“We too share that concern and it is an issue we have raised with the city council a number of times, to seek assurances the statue is respected and protected from potential damage,” the statement continued.
Mr Cheema, 49, said he was “sick of all these protesters protesting all around the club trophy”.
“It is disrespectful to the man himself, if you want to argue, argue somewhere else,” he said.
Mr Cheema says he set up the petition in a bid to provoke the statue’s move from the city centre – but now wants it remain there and be “respected”.
“My initial reaction was to get the statue removed from the current location to the City Ground but, having thought about it, it is fine where it is.
“I just wish more people respected it more like us Forest fans do,” said Mr Cheema yesterday.
The statue was unveiled by relatives including Brian’s wife, Barbara, in front of a crowd of 4,000 people.
Nottingham City Council is responsible for the upkeep of the statue, although on Wednesday a spokesman had said it belonged to the fund.
The authority has since clarified that the statue falls under its remit and in a statement said it has not received any formal requests from fans to move the statue to the City Ground, nor is there any plan to.
The fund volunteers added a formal tribute to Clough outside the City Ground would be welcome, saying: “You can never have too many statues of a football genius who brought such fantastic, unforgettable success to Nottingham, was loved by so many and is still sadly missed.”
The current monument was funded by former Reds owner Nigel Doughty and through the fund selling Clough-related merchandise, organising fund-raising events and accepting donations from the public.
During Clough’s reign Forest won two European Cups, a European Super Cup, a League Championship and four League Cups.
