Links With The Past: Replica Model Of Filbert Street's Carling Stand
The old Main Stand at Filbert Street, built in the 1920s, was demolished in 1993 and replaced by the very impressive £5.35M Carling Stand.
However, after only nine seasons, this new stand was demolished, along with the rest of the Filbert Street ground when Leicester City moved to their new stadium - King Power Stadium - in 2002.
In 2016, five years after he had constructed his acclaimed model of Filbert Street in the 1980s, Mick Bates provided another unique record for posterity by constructing a stunning model of the short-lived Carling Stand.
Despite suffering a stroke which has meant he can only work with his left hand, Mick built this model from scratch. It took five months to complete.
He worked out his measurements from an architect’s drawing and from photographs. The 18 roof girders in the model, each consisting of at least 12 components, were all hand-made individually.
The roof is held up by the two girders at each end and the large girder across the top.
Its seats are made from strips of plastic, fitted five at a time. As there were 9,018 seats in the Stand, inserting the seats into the model took Mick about a month to complete.
The floodlights, meanwhile, were made on a 3D printer. The stand is illuminated by LED lights running off a concealed battery.
Whether it be Steve Walsh's late equaliser against Arsenal, epic League Cup semi-finals versus Wimbledon and Aston Villa, or European nights under the lights, every Foxes fan has a treasured memory of Filbert Street.