'Shame on you': Anger as famous Sheffield FC mural off Ecclesall Road is vandalised

Luke Horton created the ‘Home of Football’ artwork on the side of a building on Snuff Mill Lane, off Ecclesall Road, last year.

As well as Sheffield FC, founded in 1857, it pays homage to Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, The Leadmill nightclub, Henderson’s Relish, the Women of Steel, the old cooling towers which were among the city’s most famous landmarks, and Sheffield’s 0114 dialling code.

But Sheffield FC voiced their disgust as they shared photos showing the mural defaced with blue graffiti reading ‘M1’.

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, the club said: “We’re deeply saddened to see our mural in collaboration with @LukeHortonArt, depicting images of our wonderful city, being vandalised. #TheWorldsFirst#ShameOnYou.”

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Luke Horton’s mural had replaced one by the celebrated artist Phlegm, which was painted in October 2016 as part of the Feature Walls street art festival.

That black-and-white artwork featured Phlegm’s distinctive stooping, spindly-legged characters as human totem poles, balancing a variety of strange structures and creatures on their shoulders.

Sheffield FC have applied to build a new 4,000-seater stadium, which they would share with the Sheffield Eagles rugby league club, at Sheffield Transport Sports Club, just off Meadowhead Roundabout.