Images of Coventry City of Culture's Three Lions art installation, Hillfields

A new mural has been unveiled in Coventry which recognises and celebrates the strength and resilience of the stars of England’s Euro 2020 campaign.

The ‘Three Lions’ artwork has been created by artist Jonny Martin at Primrose Park in the Hillfields area of the city as part of UK City of Culture

Coventry City of Culture Trust commissioned Jonny to create the artwork, which has been fabricated onto vinyl and will be installed at Primrose Park for the next 12 months.

It is not the first-time the artist has worked in Coventry. In 1991 he created a now iconic flyer for The Eclipse nightclub in Coventry, which saw 30,000 copies distributed across the country and promoted one of the club’s famed all-night events.

Thirty years later he has returned to create this new piece paying homage to Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

The design reflects not only the team’s successful Euro 2020 campaign but also recognises their resolution and dignity in the face of racial discrimination following their final defeat. 

He said: “It’s a very bold and brave piece. It represents the England team and the way they have played, but also how they have reacted in the face of adversity since losing in the final.

“I had been working on the piece before the final, but following the game and what happened in the aftermath I felt it was important that the artwork put the message across that the racist slurs in the wake of defeat are unacceptable and shouldn’t be tolerated.

“The team showed great courage, integrity and bravery before, during and after the tournament, and I hope that this piece reflects that.

“It has been exciting to be back working in Coventry again after 30 years away. The work I did when I was just 19 with The Eclipse has gone on to be iconic for that era, and I hope this latest piece of work will have a similar effect on people in the city.

“I’m honoured to have been brought back for this project by the Coventry City of Culture trust and hope to be doing more work with them in the future.”

Cara Pickering, Visual Arts Programme Producer for Coventry City of Culture Trust, added: “The tag-line for this work is courage, integrity and passion. They are exactly what the England team has shown over the last month and are values that all of us should hope to live by.

“Those qualities have been more apparent than ever after the torrent of racial abuse faced following the final and we hope this aspect of the work resonates with people.

“We have been fans of Jonny’s work for some time and when the opportunity presented itself to invite him back to the city for this project, we knew we had to take it.

“The mural looks fantastic and we hope the people of Hillfields, and the wider city, will head to Primrose Park to enjoy this iconic work. We would also like to thank Elite Gym who share the wall and have supported the installation.”