A SCULPTURE celebrating two trailblazing female pirates that was allegedly deemed "inappropriate" by a council in another county has found a new home at a football club.

Lewes Football Club has unveiled Amanda Cotton’s piece ‘Inexorable’ at its Dripping Pan stadium.

The sculpture depicts pirates and lovers Anne Bonny and Mary Read whose tale has been largely overlooked for their swashbuckling male counterparts.

In the 18th century both Anne and Mary had to dress as men to escape poverty in the UK and join a pirate ship, something barred to them as women.

Eventually they fell in love with each other, capturing ships around Jamaica, and leaving a trail of looted treasure.

And according to the football club, the 8ft high statue was initially designed to be in Devon, but was rejected by a local council for being ‘inappropriate’, Ms Cotton said.

The statue will spend a season at the football club, which in 2017 was the first professional club to pay its women’s team and men’s team the same.

Ms Cotton said the football club was a fitting location for her work.

“Anne and Mary should live somewhere where they will be appreciated and celebrated,” she said.

“‘Inexorable’ stands for the idea that you can live free and without constraint, and the piece should serve as a reminder that you can live authentically as yourself, exactly as Anne and Mary did.

“I’d love Anne and Mary to be as famous as their male counterparts and bring inspiration to all. For these reasons I’m delighted that for a season they will stay at The Dripping Pan in Lewes, watching the only fairly resourced professional women and men club footballers in the world play.

“It’s a match made in heaven.”

Director of Lewes Football Club Karen Dobres said she hoped the Lewes community would feel “inspired” by the artwork.

“We’re honoured that Inexorable will overlook our pitch, standing proudly by our old flint wall in Mountfield Road,” she said.

“As pioneers of gender equality in football, known for our radical stance on smashing gender stereotypes, we hope our community will be inspired by this incredible work of art.

“We’re grateful to Amanda for so powerfully drawing attention to these women’s stories, and to the Chalk Cliff Trust for funding the transportation of Inexorable to the Pan.

“We think Anne and Mary will feel very much at home in the town of Lewes and people will be able to come and see the statue on match days and open days.”