The Spirit of Sport is a tribute to Bolton’s sporting community. The stainless steel structure is approximately 30 metres tall ( almost a third taller than Angel Of The North ) and is covered with etched images of around 900 sportsmen and women, coaches, backroom staff and volunteers from the local area. It is intended to be a snapshot of sport in the borough, representing the elite as well as amateur sport from Bolton’s past, present and future. 
The Spirit of Sport is the largest piece of public art in the UK to be developed through public consultation. Local sporting heroes were nominated to appear on the monument by their clubs and associations in recognition of their lasting contribution to sport. Names were collected through appeals in the Bolton Evening News and by Bolton Council, and photographs were taken of participants in sporting activities around the borough.
I photographed this @ 14:00 today on my way back from lunch with my Mother and her fella at the royal oak on the A6 near Blackrod. I have driven past this sculpture many a time but only ever walked past about a dozen times but I have neither had the camera or the good weather to capture anything like I was able to today.
The Spirit of Sport is located just off Junction 6 of the M61 at the junction of De Havilland Way and Burnden Way.
It is situated outside the Reebok Stadium, the home of Bolton Wanderers FC, and close to Bolton Arena and Middlebrook Retail Park.
Posted on July 1st, 2008 by
Filed under: Daily Photography
Isn’t it mad to place this rather nice sculpture/monument or whatever it is in a spot where it’s next to impossible to look at all the images. Perhaps the Council should install a coin-in-the-slot telescope or two in safe places in the area, to enable viewing.