When you see statues they are usually of people who have long since passed away, and usually they have dodgy associations with issues such as the slave trade and they are quite rightly toppled, but this was not the case in 2014.

I was tasked to cover a funday organised by Carlisle United and I had the pleasure of meeting Hughie McIlmoyle who played for the club on a number of occasions during his career who unveiled the statue of himself way back in 2005.

I have to admit he was a totally nice guy and it was a pleasure to work with him. Having said that I was saddened to hear that he has since been diagnosed  with dementia and is currently being cared for in a care home in Huncote, Leicestershire.

When I first arrived in Carlisle I noticed the statue at the front of Brunton Park, the home of Carlisle United, and wondered who he was.

He played as a centre forward for Port Glasgow, Leicester City, Rotherham United, Carlisle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bristol City, Middlesbrough and Preston North End and in the Scottish Football League for Greenock Morton.

While he was at Carlisle he set a club record by scoring 44 times in a single season and he played for Leicester City in the 1961 FA Cup Final and scored 250 career goals.

The statue was commissioned to commemorate 100 years of Carlisle United Football Club at Brunton park and it was unveiled in July 2005 by the man himself.

Apparently he was chosen as the subject of this statue following a poll in the News & Star to decide upon the best player in Carlisle United’s history.

He is depicted in his trademark pose of arms to the rear whilst mid-heading an imagined ball. A vibrant sense of movement emanates from the sculpture, the dramatic pose suggesting a dynamism and force of motion akin to that shown in McIlmoyle’s football career.

Apparently the statue was paid for partly by Fred Story, the owner of the club, but also by donations from club supporters, and was unveiled by McIlmoyle in the company of other Carlisle United football players.

On a sad note He has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and lives in a care home in Huncote, near Leicester, which is just around the corner from his wife Rosalyne.

Last year a spokesman on wolvesheroes.com said: “And here’s an uplifting note on which to end the story, One of his pleasures in life is the 45 minutes a week he spends playing dementia-friendly walking football.  

“We are sure that all Wolves supporters, especially those of a certain age, will be keen to join us in wishing all the very best to Hugh and his family.”

I cannot help but think that his current health situation may have been contributed by the common practice of heading the ball during games.

I have to admit my association with Carlisle United started long before I started at the News & Star when the then club owner revealed that he had seen aliens, while I was at North News and Pictures, and I was sent across from Newcastle to get a snatched picture of him. Having said that, despite my failure to get the shot, I was sent across the following day to shoot some portraits after it was agreed by one of the red top tabloids. He even had an alien mask to use as a prop.

The reason why I decided to visit the statue today was when I read an online article which ranked the top 10 Carlisle players and the list did not include Hughie. And, while I was photographing the statue, fans who were leaving the fans zone after the match were more than happy to pose for their pictures by the statue.

Here is the original article: read more.

But here is the online reaction:

It’s all down to opinions, the factor that drives thousands of conversations on football.

Selecting the 10 greatest players in any given club’s history is hardly likely to be duplicated, especially when being assessed by the older fans.

Any assessments will be scrutinised by supporters of all ages and inevitably they will seize on the stars who are missed off any list.

So it is with respected football writer Gary Hutchinson, the founder and editor-in-chief of The Real EFL, which he launched in 2018 to offer dedicated coverage of the English Football League.

Hughie McIlmoyle, who has a statue in his honour outside Brunton Park, had three different spells with the club.

In total he played 174 games for the Blues and scored 76 goals. Of those, 44 came in his first stay from 77 games.

That scoring record, helping United win promotion from Division Four, earned him a move to Wolves.

He had been a young FA Cup finalist for Leicester, was regarded as one of Scotland’s best uncapped centre-forwards and is immortalised with that statue outside Carlisle’s ground.

Hutchinson’s top 10 should spark debate among the United faithful with not only McIlmoyle missing but the likes of Alan Ross, Ivor Broadis, Willie Carlin, Peter McConnell, George McVitie and Hughie Neil.

Here’s his pick:

10. Jon Mellish (2019–2025)

9. Bobby Parker (1974–1984)

8. Dean Walling (1991–1997)

7. Peter Beardsley (1978–1982)

6. Jimmy Glass (1999)

5. Stan Bowles (1971–1972)

4. Tony Caig (1990–1999)

3. David Reeves (1993–1996)

2. Peter Murphy (2001–2013)

1. Chris Balderstone 1965–1975)