World Cup football has come home to Macclesfield with a mural dedicated to homegrown striker Peter Crouch.
A red ‘nine’, Crouch’s shirt number, on a white background adorns the wall of the South Park pavilion to honour the 6ft 7in footballer, with ‘Tailored by Macclesfield’ beneath.
The mural is Macclesfield’s initiation into a unique club – part of a series across the world painted in each of the squad members’ home towns.
The concept, based on Umbro’s Tailored by England campaign, features a wall in each squad member’s hometown painted with the player’s shirt number and the name of the place they grew up in – and have therefore been tailored by.
Umbro has even gone to the extent of creating a wall in Italy to celebrate manager Fabio Capello’s roots in his hometown of San Canzian D’ Isonzo.
A team from England’s kit manufacturer Umbro went to work overnight on Tuesday, June 1, moments after the squad numbers were announced.
Artists worked with Cheshire East Council to create the unique painting.
Councillor Andrew Knowles, cabinet member for health and wellbeing said: "World Cup fever is gripping the country at the moment and I hope for the next few weeks this will become a local landmark.
"It’s a bright distinctive painting and one that I hope the people of Macclesfield will take to their hearts."
He added: "I hope the England team do well in South Africa and hopefully Peter Crouch can help out with a few goals."
The sports manufacturer donated money to the council to involve youngsters in creating a new mural to replace the artwork once the World Cup is over.
Macclesfield West Councillor Darryl Beckford shared a taxi with Peter Crouch a couple of months ago after they both missed the last direct train from London.
They caught a train to Stockport and then took a taxi together to Macclesfield.
He said: "He was going to Alderley Edge. He was a very nice and down to earth chap and not at all what you would expect – he was the kind of bloke you would go to the pub with.
"We were walking around Euston Station together and all these people people were asking for his autograph. I love cricket and know nothing about football.
"I had to ask him who he was – he said ‘I’m Peter Crouch and I play football for England’.
"I think the mural is a lovely idea. We have always got a lot of stick in Macclesfield that we have no culture.
"It would be a lovely story if Macclesfield won the World Cup for England. We could have an open top bus through the town. I’ll be watching it but will have to ask what is going on."
