One fan on Instagram commented: "This looks nothing like Jonny Wilkinson,"
A second said: "I don't know what you're talking about guys, I think the Wilkinson statue looks pretty good,"
Another wrote: "The Jonny Wilkinson bust has made my whole week."
Unfortunately, Wilkinson isn’t the first sports superstar to be spurned by a less-than-worthy statue with bad statues of Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham going viral in recent years.
The bust of Ronaldo quickly became the butt of countless jokes on Twitter due to its, let’s just say questionable appearance.
WORST SPORTS STARS STATUES:
#1. Andy Murray
#2. Cristiano Ronaldo
#3. Ted Bates
The outcry from fans over the oddly proportioned statue led to its removal. A year later, it was replaced by one that accurately depicts the late legendary Southampton player, manager, director, and president, much to the satisfaction of supporters.
#4. Michael Jackson
While the music icon may not be known for athletic prowess, his presence on this list is justified by the unusual placement of his statue. Michael Jackson, a friend of then-Fulham FC owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, had the statue commissioned. Initially planned for a spot within Harrods, it ultimately found its home outside the soccer stadium.
JONNY WILKINSON: DREAM TEAM
FRONT-ROW
1. Jason Leonard (England): He was seen by Wilkinson as “someone who inspired and brought energy to the game” with impact.
2. Keith Wood (Ireland): “You need someone here in this position who can bring you the set piece control but at the same time I think they need to be aggressive, be someone that runs hard, someone that doesn’t stop, never gives up.”
3. Craig Dowd (New Zealand): “As with all tight heads what you want is someone who doesn’t take no for an answer, someone who is maybe a little quieter but someone you just don’t mess with”
SECOND-ROW
4. Bakkies Botha (South Africa): "Someone incredibly fierce but very very down to earth” and “at times he’s exactly what a team needs.”
5. Martin Johnson (England): “intelligent, another massive leader, gets himself around the park. My captain"
BACK-ROW
6. Richard Hill (England): “A guy that stood the test of time and has remained at the best, the highest level of the game for that time. The best.most consistent player I played with.”
7. Richie McCaw (New Zealand): “A guy that stood the test of time and has remained at the best, the highest level of the game for that time.”
8. Pat Lam (Samoa): “He was one of the most creative, instinctive players as well as bringing his own brand of leadership and the way he saw the game.”
HALFBACKS
9. Gary Armstrong (Scotland): “The sheer aggression and resilience of the guy, his sheer character meant that anything, any ball that wasn’t good enough to go out to the number ten was never going to go out to the number ten. He would deal with everything himself and that meant control of the game”
10. Lynagh, Carter, Larkham, Stransky, Fox: “This is the key position for any World Cup winning team. You need guys that are going to lead and continue to do so right to the final seconds when it gets very, very tough. I can't just pick one."
CENTRES
12. Tim Horan (Australia): “A guy that knew how to win, knew how to play the game. His body language suggested he didn’t really know how to fail or what mistakes were, what under performance was.”
13. Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland): “The ability to change the game in a second, a heartbeat, with his movement, with his skill, his game reading but also his leadership.”
BACK-THREE
11. Jonah Lomu (New Zealand): “The guy is quite a remarkable rugby legend and deserves to be so. No Rugby World cup team would be complete without him.”
14. Jason Robinson (England): “His flair, his game reading, his sheer explosivity to really change a game is something that sticks in my memory. We wouldn't have won the World Cup without him,”
15. Serge Blanco (France): "He typified French rugby at its best with his audacity, ambition and flair. He was most famous for his scintillating counter-attacks, frequently running the ball out of seemingly impossible situations."
Happy Ted Bates Statue Day #Pompey fans. 16 years today this was unveiled. 😁
Also gave birth to the song (to the tune of Yellow Submarine) sung away at Watford a few years back:
“Ted Bates statue has tiny little legs
Fücking massive arms
Milan Mandric's head”