First look at new Leeds United mural celebrating Howard Wilkinson and his title-winning side
The artwork pays homage to the great ‘Sergeant Wilko’
A new Leeds United mural has been unveiled in Beeston, celebrating the great Howard Wilkinson and his title-winning side.
Located at the South Leeds Conservative Club, the artwork pays homage to ‘Sergeant Wilko’ and his squad of 1992, who won the final Football League First Division title.
Last year, Wilkinson earned a place in the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame for his contribution to English football.
The new mural was commissioned by the Leeds United Supporters’ Trust, designed by Kieran Bradshaw of Word on the Walls, and painted by local artist Karl Canning.
Karl, who was born and raised in Beeston and is a big Whites fan, said it was an honour to have had the chance to work on the design.
“This was my first time getting up on scaffolding, so it was a great experience for me,” Karl told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“I was nervous - when you paint on scaffolding it’s really hard to get between the scaffolding lines, and when you have the big reveal, you don’t know if there’s going to be something wrong.
“I think I nailed it and I haven’t had to go back and make any changes, so I’m glad the time I put in really paid off.”
The new artwork was sponsored by the Leeds United Supporters Club of Scandinavia and the South Leeds Conservative Club.
Karl is the artist behind a number of new murals in Beeston, including a Dewsbury Road mural that aims to inspire local children, and is part of the local LS11 street art group.
The 44-year-old added: “Murals bring so much to the people. It changes people’s mood.
“We are in a rough spot at the moment in our area - there’s a lot of crime and issues, a lot of neglected spaces and pot holes. But the community is working hard to make a difference.
“Seeing differences that stand out, that brighten your day and make you believe there are people out in the community making positive changes - that makes each individual person feel good.
“With my LS11 Street Art Group, we’re in contact with a lot of community groups to raise awareness, spread the opportunities to work with us in designing new spaces that bring colour and light - so that we can make as much impact as we can.”