Dennis Bergkamp statue

[nonshinyfinish]

Unveiled today: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/10655483/Dennis-Bergkamp-statue-unveiled-at-Arsenal-stadium-ahead-of-Sunderland-match-in-Premier-League.html

Bergkamp is my all-time favourite player, an absolute magician.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BhFLGBAIIAAm9sI.jpg:large

[Scouse Hibee]

A statue of Bergkamp WTF! A truly bizarre decision in my eyes.

[green.and.white]

It looks rubbish imo

[nonshinyfinish]

It looks rubbish imo

Agree the statue itself is not the best.

[(((Fergus)))]

Football statues are crap full stop. Once you start, there's no stopping. Celtic Park is starting to look like an extension of the Necropolis.

[snooky]

Unveiled today: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/10655483/Dennis-Bergkamp-statue-unveiled-at-Arsenal-stadium-ahead-of-Sunderland-match-in-Premier-League.html

Bergkamp is my all-time favourite player, an absolute magician.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BhFLGBAIIAAm9sI.jpg:large

I thought the statue was the McDonald's clown at first.

I think the statue's pose may be trying to capture the moment he killed a through lob before dispatching the ball into the net for his (IMO) best goal ever.

See the end of this video ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTSULy5LkKs

[leggeto]

I thought the statue was the McDonald's clown at first.

I think the statue's pose may be trying to capture the moment he killed a through lob before dispatching the ball into the net for his (IMO) best goal ever.

See the end of this video ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTSULy5LkKs

yip against Argentina,pure class

[weonlywon6-2]

A statue of Bergkamp WTF! A truly bizarre decision in my eyes.

did they fly it in from Holland or did it have to go by road ??

[snooky]

did they fly it in from Holland or did it have to go by road ??

:greengrin :aok:

[MWHIBBIES]

yip against Argentina,pure classNope, against Newcastle :wink:

12067

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2013/2/27/1361976380078/Arsenals-Dennis-Bergkamp-008.jpg

[nonshinyfinish]

Nope, against Newcastle :wink:

12067

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2013/2/27/1361976380078/Arsenals-Dennis-Bergkamp-008.jpg

Ideally, they'd have a series of statues representing a stop-motion version of this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJaU5Q5Jv8w

[Weststandwanab]

I thought the statue was the McDonald's clown at first.

I think the statue's pose may be trying to capture the moment he killed a through lob before dispatching the ball into the net for his (IMO) best goal ever.

See the end of this video ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTSULy5LkKs Thank you so much for posting that I am going to get a bottle of champagne and think about a suitable response.

Not to a statute but to a precious talent.


Nope, against Newcastle :wink:

12067

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2013/2/27/1361976380078/Arsenals-Dennis-Bergkamp-008.jpg Words fail me for now.

[weonlywon6-2]

eric cantona was better !!!!!!!

great player though

[DH1875]

Arsenal having a statue of Bergkamp is almost as crazy as ManUre paying Rooney £300k per week. No idea how they work thing down that way but they must have hundreds of statues around their ground if he's the latest to be getting one :confused:.

[Pretty Boy]

Bergkamp was an absolutely brilliant player.

Up there with Cantona and Henry as the best foreigner to grace British shores.

[NadeAteMyLunch!]

Berkamp, Ginola, Cantona, Sauzee

[lapsedhibee]

Arsenal having a statue of Bergkamp is almost as crazy as ManUre paying Rooney £300k per week. No idea how they work thing down that way but they must have hundreds of statues around their ground if he's the latest to be getting one :confused:.
Could be a meringue but I think it's 4. Chapman, Adams, Henry and Bergkamp. Wenger will undoubtedly join them eventually.

[rainman]

This says it all about Stuart Pearce!

http://futbolintellect.tumblr.com/post/34231714433/bergkamps-a-waste-of-money

[Phil D. Rolls]

This fad for statues is becoming tacky and tasteless. Football clubs are tarting their stadia up to look like drug dealers mansions. Does the Emirates have a bowling alley next to the changing rooms?

[lapsedhibee]

This fad for statues is becoming tacky and tasteless. Football clubs are tarting their stadia up to look like drug dealers mansions. Does the Emirates have a bowling alley next to the changing rooms?

Longest-ago one that I can remember is Billy Bremner's. I think that was put up after he died quite young - I don't think his death was drug-related though, and Leeds weren't financially doped at that time.

[RyeSloan]

This says it all about Stuart Pearce! http://futbolintellect.tumblr.com/post/34231714433/bergkamps-a-waste-of-money

That's brilliant! Pearce was and still is a grade A fud.

[nonshinyfinish]

Arsenal having a statue of Bergkamp is almost as crazy as ManUre paying Rooney £300k per week. No idea how they work thing down that way but they must have hundreds of statues around their ground if he's the latest to be getting one :confused:.

One of their greatest ever players...

[Phil D. Rolls]

This says it all about Stuart Pearce!

http://futbolintellect.tumblr.com/post/34231714433/bergkamps-a-waste-of-money

On a related note, Alex Miller wouldn't pay Crewe 100 k for Platt. Or was that Petrie?

[DH1875]

One of their greatest ever players...


You think? If he's entitled to a statue then what about the likes of Brady, Vieira, Wright, Seaman and even George Graham? All Arsenal legends are they not.

[nonshinyfinish]

You think? If he's entitled to a statue then what about the likes of Brady, Vieira, Wright, Seaman and even George Graham? All Arsenal legends are they not.

Yes, I do think. You can argue about whether clubs should be chucking up statues of players, but if any Arsenal player deserves one then Bergkamp does. A unique talent. Pretty sure that if you polled Arsenal fans, they'd agree.

In your previous post you had 'hundreds' that would merit a statue before Bergkamp. This leads me to believe that you don't know what you're talking about.

[RyeSloan]

You think? If he's entitled to a statue then what about the likes of Brady, Vieira, Wright, Seaman and even George Graham? All Arsenal legends are they not.

All about class. Bergkamp was head and shoulders above most players when it came to that.

[DH1875]

Yes, I do think. You can argue about whether clubs should be chucking up statues of players, but if any Arsenal player deserves one then Bergkamp does. A unique talent. Pretty sure that if you polled Arsenal fans, they'd agree.

In your previous post you had 'hundreds' that would merit a statue before Bergkamp. This leads me to believe that you don't know what you're talking about.


:applause::applause::applause:. Aye very good, 100s might have been a bit of an exaggeration :wink: but he wouldn't get near my top 10 arsenal legends. All about opinions and that.

[nonshinyfinish]

:applause::applause::applause:. Aye very good, 100s might have been a bit of an exaggeration :wink: but he wouldn't get near my top 10 arsenal legends. All about opinions and that.

Indeed it is.

[MWHIBBIES]

You think? If he's entitled to a statue then what about the likes of Brady, Vieira, Wright, Seaman and even George Graham? All Arsenal legends are they not.

Graham managed Spurs and got caught on the take, no chance of him getting one IMO. Cases can of course be made for the rest but Bergkamp was a lot more than a player for Arsenal, he was a symbol of what the club has grown into during Wengers time in charge a bit like Sauzee was for us, a lot more than just a great player.

[The_Exile]

Ahhh the non-flying dutchman, even as a Tottenham sympathiser I don't have a negative word to say about this guy, sublime football player.

[heretoday]

Folk just can't wait to make gestures now. Statues should be for club legends who have passed away,

[StokePogesHibs]

Folk just can't wait to make gestures now. Statues should be for club legends who have passed away,

time for one of the famous five

[StokePogesHibs]

Folk just can't wait to make gestures now. Statues should be for club legends who have passed away,

time for one of the famous five

[Scouse Hibee]

Folk just can't wait to make gestures now. Statues should be for club legends who have passed away,


:agree: Having the likes of Bergkamp totally devalues the honour of a statue in my opinion.

[lapsedhibee]

:agree: Having the likes of Bergkamp totally devalues the honour of a statue in my opinion.

I don't think anyone's trying to pretend that Bergkamp won a world war etc. I think it's just an investment by the club to help keep fans relatively happy. Current Arsenal fans (still) idolise Henry and Bergkamp and I don't imagine their statues were expensive in the context of EPL outgoings.

[Scouse Hibee]

I don't think anyone's trying to pretend that Bergkamp won a world war etc. I think it's just an investment by the club to help keep fans relatively happy. Current Arsenal fans (still) idolise Henry and Bergkamp and I don't imagine their statues were expensive in the context of EPL outgoings.

My point still stands, he was a very good player in the very recent history at a club that has had many very good players in it's long history, did he do anything that helped shape the club or what it stands for today? I don't think he did, similarly I would be totally against a statue of Sauzee at Hibs.

[MWHIBBIES]

My point still stands, he was a very good player in the very recent history at a club that has had many very good players in it's long history, did he do anything that helped shape the club or what it stands for today? I don't think he did, similarly I would be totally against a statue of Sauzee at Hibs.A majority of Arsenal fans, the ones whos opinion on who gets a statue actually matters (no offence), would disagree.

[Scouse Hibee]

A majority of Arsenal fans, the ones whos opinion on who gets a statue actually matters (no offence), would disagree.

What a player who joined in 1995 as many other foreign players arrived on our shores to join the Premiership helped shape a great club like Arsenal, I don't think so somehow, well maybe the youngsters would agree!

Put it this way I wouldn't be happy if Liverpool or Hibs went down this route, just my opinion others will differ I accept that.

[GreenLake]

The guy was a genius and if Nani can make a statue of himself (not one of him posing sitting on the subs bench (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/nani-immortalised-in-marble-statue/story-fn6s82ro-1225963046925)) a Bergkamp one outside his former club's ground does not seem unreasonable.

[Silky]

Football statues are crap full stop. Once you start, there's no stopping. Celtic Park is starting to look like an extension of the Necropolis.

Easter Road has 4 statues featuring regularly! :)

[PerfectlyFranck]

With Arsenal, they seem to have gone into overdrive to give themselves a feeling of identity and history at their new stadium.
Although it's difficult to ignore that the stadium is only known by the sponsor's identity, they've done a good job bringing some sense of belonging for Arsenal.

I think it's been very hit-and-miss though as there is so much around the stadium and inside that it feels cluttered with a variety of different ideas and ways to plaster something 'Arsenal' wherever they can fit. At lot of it makes the pieces look out of place.

It seems a bit odd, as others have pointed out, that some clubs are hurriedly commissioning statues for living (and some then-currently managing) icons. I use the word icons because I believe the word 'legend' is tossed around far too much, though I couldn't categorically state which players can or cannot be deemed legends by their clubs.

Whilst Hibs won't lift a finger to finance anything significant, to give the stadium the identity and soul that it deserves, Arsenal may soon find themselves with a bloated area that effectively makes the area/stadium look tacky.

The timing of this statue may be odd to some, it may be even more odd to some that don't feel he warrants one, but I think we can all agree that they've made a mess of the statue! The support robs the statue of any aesthetic appeal.

[lapsedhibee]

My point still stands, he was a very good player in the very recent history at a club that has had many very good players in it's long history, did he do anything that helped shape the club or what it stands for today? I don't think he did, similarly I would be totally against a statue of Sauzee at Hibs.
I think he probably did. As far as I understand it, he is the player who more than any other allowed Arsenal to move away from being the "boring, boring Arsenal" of the late 1900s who, if they won, won 1-0, to become the stunningly attractive footballing team of the early 2000s admired by everyone who saw how they were trying to play. Arsenal fans speak of him in reverential tones - not the same as Vieira, Seaman, Brady, etc, at all.

[Sammy7nil]

:applause::applause::applause:. Aye very good, 100s might have been a bit of an exaggeration :wink: but he wouldn't get near my top 10 arsenal legends. All about opinions and that.

Watch the "Bergkamp Magic Moment" on youtube 7 minutes of Genius :top marks:top marks:top marks

[Biggie]

They should build knome size ones and put them around the stadium....one either side of the entrance....say, bould and Adams.....then more in the tunnel to scare the ***** out of the opposition......

[Scouse Hibee]

I like this from an Arsenal fans forum:



This might not be a popular view but I think the statues and the giant murals outside the Emirates are bordering on being grotesque.

As Arsenal supporters, we have a history to be very proud of. A history that far exceeds what we are at the present and for me it is typical of what we are at present that we are choosing to display our history in such a gawdy way. The entire Emirates both inside and outside looks tacky to me and statues of former players are not necessary in my opinion.

In fact I cannot think of one good reason for them other than the club trying to cover up their inadequacies when it comes to act like a real football club. I don’t think the people who run the club have a clue what they are anymore. Remember the big fuss the club made when they brought the clock back into the stadium? There was a big fanfare for something that should have been in the ground from day one. They should have been embarrassed but instead they portrayed themselves as being respectful to our history and traditions.

I accept there is an argument for youngsters seeing the statues of these legends and then learning who they are but I didn’t need to see statues of Ted Drake and Frank McLintock and other players before my time to know who they are … as I’m sure nobody here did.

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for celebrating our past legends – seeing Bergkamp and the reception he got last Saturday was my favourite moment of the season. But I would have preferred him just returning as a guest of honour for the day or something.

Also football is a team game. Singling out individuals is not always right because of who it excludes. Concentrating on one era isn’t right either. The 3 statues we have so far all played in the same team. Where are the players from the 30s or the 1971 double team?

The problem with statues is that it creates a sort of pecking order. Some players get left out altogether and even those who get done might be made to feel less important than those who were done before them. I would also question why Henry got a statue before Bergkamp? Bergkamp was at the club first, he was with us longer, he didn’t leave us for another club, arguably he was actually a better player and he is retired -which personally I think should be the case for anyone having a statue made of them. Which reminds me … making a bust of Wenger while he is still in charge was both an appalling and damaging decision.

I just wonder why in our 93 years at Highbury the did the club not feel the need to commission statues? Or plaster giant images of former heroes onto the façade of the stadium? Was it because we had class? We knew how to do things in a classy and understated way?

Where do we draw the line with these statues? Will we eventually end up with a statue of a shirtless Eboue milking the applause of his adoring public like he used to do at the end of every game?

I realise I am rambling on a bit (okay a lot) about something that doesn’t really matter but I can’t help thinking the way the club are honouring our past is too forced and too false

[lapsedhibee]

I like this from an Arsenal fans forum:



This might not be a popular view but I think the statues and the giant murals outside the Emirates are bordering on being grotesque.

As Arsenal supporters, we have a history to be very proud of. A history that far exceeds what we are at the present and for me it is typical of what we are at present that we are choosing to display our history in such a gawdy way. The entire Emirates both inside and outside looks tacky to me and statues of former players are not necessary in my opinion.

In fact I cannot think of one good reason for them other than the club trying to cover up their inadequacies when it comes to act like a real football club. I don’t think the people who run the club have a clue what they are anymore. Remember the big fuss the club made when they brought the clock back into the stadium? There was a big fanfare for something that should have been in the ground from day one. They should have been embarrassed but instead they portrayed themselves as being respectful to our history and traditions.

I accept there is an argument for youngsters seeing the statues of these legends and then learning who they are but I didn’t need to see statues of Ted Drake and Frank McLintock and other players before my time to know who they are … as I’m sure nobody here did.

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for celebrating our past legends – seeing Bergkamp and the reception he got last Saturday was my favourite moment of the season. But I would have preferred him just returning as a guest of honour for the day or something.

Also football is a team game. Singling out individuals is not always right because of who it excludes. Concentrating on one era isn’t right either. The 3 statues we have so far all played in the same team. Where are the players from the 30s or the 1971 double team?

The problem with statues is that it creates a sort of pecking order. Some players get left out altogether and even those who get done might be made to feel less important than those who were done before them. I would also question why Henry got a statue before Bergkamp? Bergkamp was at the club first, he was with us longer, he didn’t leave us for another club, arguably he was actually a better player and he is retired -which personally I think should be the case for anyone having a statue made of them. Which reminds me … making a bust of Wenger while he is still in charge was both an appalling and damaging decision.

I just wonder why in our 93 years at Highbury the did the club not feel the need to commission statues? Or plaster giant images of former heroes onto the façade of the stadium? Was it because we had class? We knew how to do things in a classy and understated way?

Where do we draw the line with these statues? Will we eventually end up with a statue of a shirtless Eboue milking the applause of his adoring public like he used to do at the end of every game?

I realise I am rambling on a bit (okay a lot) about something that doesn’t really matter but I can’t help thinking the way the club are honouring our past is too forced and too false

That's an argument against statues, not against Dennis Bergkamp getting one. Inasmuch as it's specifically about Dennis Bergkamp's statue, it's an argument that it should have been commissioned earlier!

[patlowe]

Statues can be pretty crass IMO but if it reminds people down the years of the joy that Bergkamp brought to football fans, and not just Arsenal supporters, then I guess it has some merit. I'm not an Arsenal fan but as a kid I used to watch Bergkamp in awe; an amazing player, so graceful and oozing with class. That goal against Newcastle when he spun the defender is one of the greatest ever, unlike anything I've seen before or since.

As it happens I never felt Bergkamp had the outrageous, god-given, natural talent of a Ronaldinho or Zidane, I believe his skill was more about intelligence (both mental and physical), good instincts and a sheer determination to improve. I'd say he was the perfect role model for young players but I seem to remember he had a bit of a nasty streak, not that I can think of any particular incident off the top of my head.

[Hibrandenburg]

Hope the Hearts don't get similar ideas, otherwise a visit to tincastle would be like a real live episode of Dr Who.

[Scouse Hibee]

That's an argument against statues, not against Dennis Bergkamp getting one. Inasmuch as it's specifically about Dennis Bergkamp's statue, it's an argument that it should have been commissioned earlier!


Yes I know, I did read it before I posted it!

[lapsedhibee]

Yes I know, I did read it before I posted it!

Couldn't really sympathise with the boy's argument that it was unfair to previous generations of Arsenal stars who didn't get statues put up. That's a bit like saying it was unfair that old time fitballers didn't get paid as well as modern ones. True, but so what? Offer Rooney a fiver a week and his bus fare? And didn't follow the logic of his point that fitballers, managers should be retired before they're commemorated. Why? Because we grew up with statues of people (mainly sojers) who were long gone when were growing up?

[Scouse Hibee]

Couldn't really sympathise with the boy's argument that it was unfair to previous generations of Arsenal stars who didn't get statues put up. That's a bit like saying it was unfair that old time fitballers didn't get paid as well as modern ones. True, but so what? Offer Rooney a fiver a week and his bus fare? And didn't follow the logic of his point that fitballers, managers should be retired before they're commemorated. Why? Because we grew up with statues of people (mainly sojers) who were long gone when were growing up?

The old saying that you only see what you want to see is very evident here!

[lapsedhibee]

The old saying that you only see what you want to see is very evident here!

Wasn't going to respond to his whole post, because it was about thirty pages long and at the end he concluded that the content didn't really matter!