Closing National Football Musuem could harm England World Cup bid it is claimed

January 12 -  Closing the National Football Museum in Preston could damage England’s World Cup bid for 2018, it has been claimed.

The museum is set to move from Preston North End’s stadium at Deepdale to the Manchester Urbis exhibition centre in summer 2011, though efforts are still being made to keep a site in Preston.

But, unless more money can be raised, it is due to close after the World Cup in South Africa in July.

It has already had one stay of execution, having originally been due to close its doors in Preston for the last time on New Year’s Eve.

Steven Broomhead, the chief executive of the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA), said: ”The museum in Preston will remain open for a period of time and I hope that will be until the end of the World Cup.

“We are still considering our position [on funding] on this, we’ll see how it goes.

“My position is I want to see a National Football Museum open in the region and if it’s not open, you have to think of any message that may give when trying to land the 2018 World Cup.

“I’m worried about that message.

“I understand they [museum offciais] have been able to draw some money from the Department for Culture, Media and sport but we have not advanced any further funding to it.”

Manchester Council’s opposition leader Liberal Democrats Simon Ashley, who is backing the move of the museum to his city, claimed parts of Manchester’s northern quarter would be sold off to ensure city taxpayers do not have to fund £8 million relocation costs.

He said: “Around the northern quarter, where the museum is going to be placed, our perception is the money would come from selling off pieces of land or developing it.

“It won’t come from the taxpayer.

“But if you pay money for this, it can’t be spent on other things.

“I think this [the football museum] is a priority for the city.”

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December 2009:
 National Football Museum to stay open until April