Mural of Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers on chip shop in Quinton becomes local sensation
Artist Dion Kitson created a giant mural of footballers Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers on a fish and chip shop in Quinton, sparking huge interest and boosting the shop's business.
On a busy junction in Quinton, a suburb of Birmingham, a giant lifelike mural of England football stars Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers has appeared on the side of Classic Fryer fish and chip shop. The two are depicted enjoying orange chips, a local delicacy. The mural was pasted on Friday by local guerrilla artist Dion Kitson, who aimed to foster West Midlands pride for both the area's football stars and its distinctive neon battered chips.
The artwork has gone viral on social media, attracting a steady stream of passersby, including excursions from a local old people's home and a group of children with Down's syndrome. The shop owner Ramesh Natwadia said he now opens two hours earlier and has hired two extra staff to meet demand from fans coming to see it.
Kitson, who has 27,700 followers on Instagram, said the mural received the biggest response he has ever experienced, including posts from Bellingham and Rogers themselves. "My phone's been on fire," he said. Other local businesses are begging him for similar murals.
The artist wanted to challenge "the dark side of patriotism" he saw online and instead channel positive feelings through football, sport, local pride, heritage culture, and chips. He hopes the focus on Bellingham, who grew up in nearby Stourbridge, will help reduce stigma around the Black Country and its industrial legacy.
Local resident Gerdas said: "They're local lads. We're just really proud of them. And it gives Birmingham and the Black Country a big boost." Some residents are frustrated when Bellingham is described as from Birmingham, since Stourbridge is in the Black Country. Joan Ingram, who came to see the mural, said it gives a sense of pride and brings people together.
In Stourbridge, locals are preparing to support their town's most famous export for Wednesday's match. West Midlands Railway is offering free train travel on its Stourbridge Shuttle all week. A pub, Cock'N'Bull, is fully booked for matches, offering free shots every time England scores. Manager Bobby George joked, "Bellingham is costing us a lot of money." Tattoo artist Dunc Henderson is considering a Bellingham tattoo if England win the World Cup.
