The pillars in the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand’s lower concourse will bear tributes to 12 Blues legends for the first time at Saturday’s season opener against Morecambe.
In January 2000, almost 2,000 season ticket holders responded to the club’s request for votes on "icons, heroes, legends of the club [from] across the years” to be featured on the pillars.
John Wark topped the poll alongside Mick Mills, Terry Butcher, Kevin Beattie, Paul Mariner, George Burley, Frans Thijssen and Arnold Muhren from the FA and UEFA Cup-winning Sir Bobby Robson era, while Sir Alf Ramsey’s First and Second Division championship-winning team is represented by Ray Crawford with his strike partner Ted Phillips having finished just outside the top 12.
Matt Holland was second in the voting and Marcus Stewart and Jim Magilton, his colleagues in the team which was promoted in 1999/00 and then finished fifth in the Premier League the following season, are also in the 12.
Due to the pandemic the plans were put on hold but the 12 are now in place ahead of the opening fixture of the new season.