Euro 2024: Reason Harry Kane’s controversial statue wasn’t put up – with fears it could’ve lead to deaths

HARRY Kane’s controversial statue was not put up for safety reasons after fears it could lead to deaths.

A statue of England captain was not installed at a Transport for London (TfL) railway station because it risked “distracting train drivers”, officials have revealed.

Big Issue/Waltham Forest Council/Sculpture Machine Ltd IDA statue of Harry Kane was not put up for safety reasons[/caption]

Big Issue/Waltham Forest Council/Sculpture Machine LtdThe artwork cost £7,000 to produce[/caption]

GettyHarry Kane will lead England at Euro 2024[/caption]

WikipediaIt was not placed at a platform at Chingford Railway station[/caption]

The project was commissioned by Waltham Forest Council in 2019, which spent more than £7,000 on the artwork.

But the England striker‘s effigy still has no permanent home five years later.

Depicting a life-sized Kane sitting on a bench, it had initially been planned to live at Chingford Overground Station, where the striker was brought up.

Following a risk assessment by Transport for London, however, the plan was thwarted.

A TfL freedom of information case officer said: “Discussions with the Operations Team of Arriva Rail London – who operate the London Overground on behalf of Transport for London – around the proposal to locate the statue on the platform behind the buffer stops were high level and started in January of this year.

“After initial feedback the proposal was not progressed.

“A detailed assessment of the risks of locating the statue on the platform was not undertaken, therefore we do not hold this information.”

They added: “Initial concerns that were fed back related to the risk that having the statue in proximity to the buffer stops could cause a distraction to train drivers as they approach the terminal (dead-end) platforms at Chingford.

“The main distraction issue was not concerned with the statue, but the actions of persons around it, including posing for photographs on/next to it, hanging items on it such as scarfs, etc.

“Had the discussions progressed further, this would have led to the commissioning of a formal safety validation workstream, including hazard identifications and a risk assessment, but a further proposal was then made to relocate the statue off station premises at Chingford, negating the requirement for commissioning of a safety validation.”

Other potential locations, according to The Guardian, had included Chingford Rail Station and Ridgeway Park, which is where Walthamstow-born Kane played football as a youngster.

The images, first obtained by the Big Issue, show a metallic Kane sitting on a green bench and holding a football on his thigh with his left hand.

England’s record goalscorer, who now plays for Bayern Munich after moving from Tottenham Hotspur last summer, is said to have been positive about the statue.

In February, his representatives were quoted as saying they “will be happy to go” to unveil the artwork once the location has been decided.

Kane has led the Three Lions to Germany as they prepare to kick off their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia on Sunday.

Every member of the squad was then presented with a box containing a special shirt to be worn in the tournament.

It also featured the history of the number they would be wearing and a personalised reminder of how they fell in love with the game as youngsters.

Kane’s included a picture of him as a boy with the Ridgeway Rovers Football Club logo — and the words, “Harry Kane: All time goalscorer”.

But a permanent home for the statue remains undetermined.

The pictures, reportedly sent to the council by Sculpture Machine, have caused a stir on social media.

Some questioned whether a footballer should be sitting on a bench in this way and others poking fun at its chocolate appearance.

England camp schedule

Here’s how England’s schedule for Euro 2024 could look

Sunday June 9: Player Arrivals – 26-man squad arrives at St. George’s Park

Monday June 10: Squad fly to five-star hotel base camp in Germany

Tuesday June 11: First training session ahead of Euro 2024

Saturday June 15: Team travels to Gelsenkirchen for opening game vs Serbia and pre-match media conference

Sunday June 16: Opening game vs Serbia. KO 8pm

Thursday June 20: Game 2 vs Denmark. KO 5pm

Tuesday June 25: Final group game vs Slovenia. KO 8pm

Sunday June 30/Saturday June 29/Monday July 1 or Tuesday July 2: Last 16 if England win Group/Last 16 if England come second in Group/One of four best third-place teams

Saturday July 6/Friday July 5: Quarter-finals, Group winners or one of best four third-place finishers/Quarter finals, second in Group and or one of best four third-place finishers

Wednesday July 10/Tuesday July 9: Semi-finals, Group winner path or third-best path/Semi-finals, runner-up path or third-best path

Sunday 14: Final, 8pm KO

Prince William, who is an Aston Villa fan, plans to travel to Germany to watch the Three Lions when they take on ­Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia in Group C.

Those selected to shoulder the nation’s hopes of winning a first major international tournament since 1966 met up at St. George’s Park on Sunday.

And on Monday afternoon they landed in Germany as they headed to their five-star Golfresort Weimarer Land base camp, near the town of Blankenhain which the FA have reportedly paid £800,000 for.

England kick off their tournament on Sunday June 16 against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen.

The Three Lions will then play Denmark in Frankfurt on June 20, before their final group game against Slovenia in Cologne on June 25.

Since their strong qualifying campaign ended in November, England have not been in ideal form going into the tournament.

March saw England lose 1-0 to Brazil and draw 2-2 to Belgium.

England then landed their first win of 2024 against Bosnia Herzegovina on June 3 with a 3-0 victory, before being stunned 1-0 by Iceland last Friday.

Controversial footballer statues over the years

Footballers around the world have become victims of dodgy sculptures over the years.

Cristiano Ronaldo

The superstar had a weird-looking bust displayed at Madeira airport much to the hilarity of fans globally.

He also has another statue which fans were not to keen on.

Diego Maradona

One of the greatest players to ever kick a ball, Diego Maradona was further immortalised in a statue in Kolkata, India, in 2017.

But the Argentinian’s image was not exactly reflected in the monument, which he helped to unveil.

David Beckham

David Beckham once launched an H&M underwear campaign with a statue of him in his pants

James Corden also pranked Becks with a fake statue of him at LA Galaxy.

The hilarious prank had Beckham’s face looking unrecognisable.

Michael Essien

The ex-Chelsea star was honoured with a bizarre statue in Ghana back in 2018.

The out of proportion construction had fans questioning the artist.

Mo Salah

The Liverpool star has an out-of-proportion statue in his honour in Egypt.

Andrew Parsons / Kensington PalacePrince William presenting Harry Kane with a special shirt to be worn in the tournament[/caption]