December 24 – The National Football Museum is set to remain open in Preston for at least four more months after being given a late stay of execution.
A spokesman for the attraction said that “sufficient funding” has been found to keep the site running until April 30.
He said: “‘The museum has secured sufficient funding in order to keep the public galleries in Preston open until April 30, 2010.
“In addition, we will continue to work in close partnership with the Minister for Sport [Gerry Sutcliffe], in holding further discussions with the football bodies, to secure funding to remain open until after the World Cup.”
The site had been set to close on December 31 before moving to the Manchester Urbis exhibition centre in 2011.
Talks continue between the museum and Lancashire leaders who have offered to fund the site but only if it is treated equally to any Manchester attraction.
The Museum, which is located at Preston North End’s Deepdale, opened in 2001 and has more than 30,000 items of memorabilia, including the ball used in the 1966 World Cup final, the replica of the Jules Rimet Trophy, made in secret by the Football Association in 1966 after the original was stolen and which paraded by the England players after beating West Germany at Wembley and the England captain’s jersey and cap from the world’s first official international football match, England v Scotland, in 1872.
But in recent years the authorities have struggled to keep up with the rising costs.
The 2007 annual report – the last one available – showed the museum generated £791,256 from grants, donations and charitable activities.
But its outgoings totalled £1.2 million and bosses at the Museum have been seeking a new home and approached Manchester.
Manchester Council bosses have a target of up to 400,000 visitors a year – compared to the 100,000 who go to see the Museum at its current home in Preston.