I mentioned on Twitter recently that I had tracked down one of Jimmy's missing England caps to the National Football Museum, where it's not on display, but in storage.
I've written to them to ask if I could buy it back, and received this response:
My name is Alexander Jackson and I am a Collections Officer at the NFM. I will take your request to our next Collections Meeting for discussion with the team. This will be on Thursday and we will replay as soon as possible afterwards.
Today is Thursday, so I wait with bated breath!
The cap was for the 1923 match v. Belgium, England's very first match against a foreign team (i.e. Non 'home nation'.) I'd forgotten we didn't have that one until I did the recent talk to the Bromley Addicks.
Jimmy played five times for England. He also skippered a Tour to South Africa (no caps awarded), and played in a few 'trial' matches, for which he did receive a cap.
He was a generous chap, and gave away all but three of his medals, and some of his caps.
We still have his 1921 FA Cup winners medal (only the 11 who played in the final got the medal. No subs!)
We also have one of his his league winners medals (he earned two as captain of Sheffield Wednesday), and a 'long service' medal given to him by the Football League).
Also my mum told me an alarming tale. Apparently my dad, also a generous chap, was contacted out of the blue (in the 1980's I think) by a Dutton who my dad invited to the house. He turned out not to be a relative, but my dad nonetheless gave him an England cap.
I'm wondering if it wasn't this Belgium one. I've asked the museum where they obtained it, so I may find out later today.
I've also have a chat with Anthony Hawken, the sculptor who made the Sam Bartram statue. He says that at the time he sculpted Sam he thought I'd be an idea to have one of Jimmy too, as they were so closely tied up in Charlton's history.
I'd love that to happen one day. A pair of statues outside the entrance would look fantastic.
The problem is the cost of the statue alone would be £100,000, rather more than I had anticipated!
Even with crowdfunding, and some backing from local business, I'm not sure we could get anywhere near that figure.
Or even permission from the club to have the statue in the first place.
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It wouldn't be an overnight thing, but with the right approach I would be confident the money could be raised.
But it's also quite possible that we'd have new owners once funds were potentially raised. Although 100k seems out of reach to me.
The wonderful museum chaps will know much more about this sort of project than I do.
I think there are other ways to do it other than free standing statues. Freezes, wall mounted statues, tiles and there is a stand after all.
When the dugs out are done the next stage will be to rebuild the Jimmy Seed stand and at that point something could be included in the build.
A JS statue would indeed be a highly worthy project. Perhaps if it were somehow linked with or timed together with a change of ownership it would surf what will be an absolute tsunami of goodwill for all things CAFC>
And there's no problem about new statues at The Valley - I saw at least eleven of them on Tuesday night !!
I don't think it was given a huge amount of publicity though and there was no Charlton Life (and far less social media activity full stop) then.
It's a really good likeness. Some bronze statues are less appealing, Anthony did a great job.
My thoughts are that it would only be worth it if Hawken was the sculptor, as the matching pair would be a wonderful thing. Or two wonderful things.
Luckily the Club had a very generous fan on side who helped out massively to get the statue finished.
if we had a wealthy owner who had say £700 mill im sure he would put his gand in his pocket for a triffling 100k ---if we had one that is
Perhaps any Seed statue would be best saved for the centenary of his joining the club (May 2033). Sounds a long way off, but I'd imagine we'd have new owners by then. And time flies...
I'll start you off by pledging 1% if it gets off the ground. No one buy a new iPhone on here and we'll be sorted by Christmas!
@JamesSeed I'm sure you are more than capable/have an in-road but if you wanted to start pushing this happy to speak to the club to sound them out etc.
If you asked him who Jimmy Seed was, I strongly suspect he wouldn't have the slightest idea.......and wouldn't think of putting up a statue of him if it meant the regime having to contribute towards it.
If this is a goer and he does contribute, l'll be only too happy to say I was wrong.
Having said that, it goes without saying all the very best in your quest for a successful outcome.
I would rather this be a fans initiative unless and until any new owner would be willing to contribute.
I don't have any ins with the club any more, and after the Jimmy Seed Stand sign saga the current management may be wary about getting involved.
But it would be a great way of celebrating a promotion or an anniversary perhaps.
Early stages...
I'll be happy to help where I can.
And do you remember when the confederate statues were pulled down they turned out to crumple up, because they were hollow and made on the cheap? So alternatives are available, but at a cost.
I would also imagine you get what you pay for in such a project .....and we know that this sculptor has done us proud in the past with Sam's and that would give us peace of mind.
It would also be nice to have a matching pair.
So do we set up a page for fund raising? What do people think? Ideally if we do a free one!