Statue of Jimmy Armfield unveiled at Bloomfield Road

A statue of former Blackpool FC and England captain Jimmy Armfield has been unveiled in Blackpool.

The 9ft (2.74m) high statue of the Seasiders legend has been erected outside the main entrance to the club's Bloomfield Road ground.

Mr Armfield, who last played for the club on 1 May 1971, unveiled the bronze statue at 1830 BST.

Sir Trevor Brooking was also at the ceremony, which included a gala dinner.

The statue shows Mr Armfield in his 20s and was created by sculptor Les Johnson at his workshop in Hampshire.

It now stands on a plinth outside the south-west corner of the ground.

It has been funded by Blackpool Supporters' Association, who raised the 拢75,000 to pay for the statue through a series of fundraising events.

Glenn Bowley, association chairman, said: "It has taken 18 months of hard work by a dedicated group of supporters to make the statue happen."

"We are making sure Jimmy Armfield will be remembered for generations to come for his commitment to the football pitch and the Fylde Coast," he added.