Footballer 'humbled' to be immortalised as statue

John Trollope MBE, now in his 80s, has a statue outside the club's community foundation

A footballer who made nearly 900 appearances for one club has been immortalised in statue form at the team's community foundation.

John Trollope MBE is now in his 80s and has been involved with Swindon Town Football Club since his playing days.

He said he felt "very humble" at the unveiling and said it was a good likeness, "the club means everything. I served it right through, most positions," he added.

Swindon Town FC Community Foundation raised £100,000 from public contributions, the supporters group, trusts and the EFL to pay for the statue at Foundation Park.

Shane Hewlett, head of the foundation, explained it was a "long journey".

"We're just delighted today that we've been able to get it done," he added.

Mr Trollope held the record for the number of Football League appearances for a single club until it was broken in 2023.

"To think that of all the people who served the club over the years, playing or behind the scenes, there are a lot of people who've done probably the same number of years as I did, and people chose to do a statue of myself, which is absolutely brilliant," he said.

Born and schooled in Wroughton, he remembers being offered a place at Swindon as a teenager.

"It was a great time," he said.

"The only thing I wanted to be was a professional footballer."

He said he still feels a part of the club, with many years managing and coaching after his playing days, and admitted he thought the statue had slimmed him down.

The statue has its own area at Foundation Park, which is next to Swindon's County Ground, including paving made to look like a football.