How Rashford mural intrinsic to area’s makeover

A mural of Marcus Rashford which drew the national limelight when it was vandalised and then covered in messages of support has been "significant" for a Manchester suburb's visual transformation, a man who commissioned the artwork said.

It was damaged after Rashford missed a penalty during the delayed Euro 2020 final defeat in 2021.

Ed Wellard from the Withington Walls project said: “All that hate was drowned out by love and that was the lasting memory.”

Since then more murals have been added to walls and shop shutters across Withington, which Mr Wellard describes as an "open air art gallery".

Rashford's mural was completed in autumn 2020, by street artist Akse, in recognition of the footballer's campaign to extend free school meals during the coronavirus pandemic.

Months later, Rashford and two other black England players who also missed penalties faced a barrage of racist abuse - and the damaged mural provided a place for people to visit to show their solidarity and support.

Hundreds of messages were left to cover up the vandalism.

Mr Wellard said: "It was a significant mural when we painted it, when it was vandalised and then with the reaction.

"It was an important moment in our cultural history”.

Donations flooded in to repair the artwork, near where the player attended Old Moat Primary School in Withington, and surplus money was given to local food banks.

As one of about 100 street artworks that have sprung up across Withington since 2019, the Rashford mural is “one of the big cogs” in the area’s visual transformation, according to Mr Wellard.

Some depict famous Mancunians, while others are inspired by nature and space.

Mr Wellard said: “If you’ve got people demonstrably investing positive energy, I think that inspires more positive behaviour and shut downs negative behaviour.”

Mr Wellard said the team had to fundraise hard to be able to achieve the many colourful and uplifting pieces of art that can be seen across Withington.

He said feedback had been “overwhelmingly positive” – ranging from a former resident who wrote that it was “beautiful to finally see Withington shine” to patients at the nearby Christie cancer hospital saying the art helped them through their treatment.

Recalling a recent tour with a group of six to eight-year-olds, Mr Wellard said: “It was lovely seeing their excitement about murals they'd not seen before and how they all shouted ‘Rashford’,” on seeing his mural in Moorfield Street.

“It was interesting working out how to explain to kids that young - in simple language that they would understand - why we had done the mural in the first place,” Mr Wellard said.

"And how the people of Withington had become famous around the world after the last Euros for their messages of love and support, and how it’s important to look after one another and not tolerate bullies.”

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