Lobbyist plots football museum campaign

THE leader of a Preston business lobbying group has launched a campaign to keep the National Football Museum in the city.

Museum chiefs are planning a move to Manchester’s Urbis museum after struggling to make the attraction financially viable in Preston.

Frank McKenna, chairman of Downtown Preston in Business, said he is seeking urgent talks with those behind the decision and fears the move could prompt the Football League could follow suit and relocate its headquarters.

He said: “There is a £400,000 funding gap at the moment, and we don’t think it unreasonable that the football authorities, the FA, the Premier League and the Football League, be asked to bear those costs. To move the facility would cost between £6m-£8m, so the short term financial impact is negative.”

He added: “£400,000 equates to an average premiership players monthly salary. Surely, it is not too much to ask that between them the FA, Football League and Premier League commit this amount to maintain the Football Museum in Preston.”   

Preston MP Mark Hendrick has described the planned move as a “tragedy”. “The fact that the history and heritage of the game was born here does not seem to matter to them,” he said.

He added: “I’ll be working with the museum to do everything that we can to try and find alternative funding so that it can stay in Preston but I must say, at the moment, the chances of that look slim.”

The head of tourism at the Northwest Development Agency Nick Brooks-Sykes has also weighed in behind Preston.

He said: “The National Football Museum is an important visitor attraction for the Northwest, and it’s vital that it remains in the region. As the birthplace of football, and with a strong community programme in place, we hope that the museum can remain in Preston, however we also recognise that the trustees must look at the various options available in order to secure the museum’s future.”

Late last year there was a furious backlash in Preston after Football League chairman Lord Brian Mawhinney suggested the museum should move to London’s Wembley stadium.

The free attraction needs just under £1m every year to cover costs and the Football Stadium Improvement Fund (FSIF) stopped its annual contribution of £308,000 in March to direct its cash into grassroots sport.

The museum gets 100,000 visitors a year – but it is hoped that number will be increased to 400,000 a year by the move down the M61.