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uk Evening Post, Monday, November 9, 2009 9

Save THE 14 National Football Museum trustees have been asked 10 vital questions about the future of the
our
Museum Deepdale attraction. Today, we can reveal the answers from the chairman of trustees Paul Dermody.

1
‘We have to 8
Why did you leave it so ification before the final decision
late to deal with the finan- is made. We must get it right.”
cial problems?
“We didn’t. We have been bat- Did you consult all
tling to secure adequate revenue trustees before cancelling
the meeting?

decide what
funding for the museum for
many years. All key stakeholders “No, we took the decision in the
were fully aware of this, includ- best interests of the trustees, on
ing the national football bodies, the advice of our professional
Department for Culture, Media advisors.
and Sport (DCMS), Northwest “The overwhelming response of
trustees to this decision was posi-

is in the best
Development Agency (NWDA)
and Lancashire County Council tive.
and Preston City Council. “One trustee had called for a
postponement on the basis that
more information was required.

2
Have you actively put to- It was clear to most trustees that

interests of 9
gether the move bid with further information about both
Manchester? proposals was required.”
“All key stakeholders have been
aware of the museum’s financial When finances are tight
problems for some time. Follow- and the marketing budget
ing a meeting chaired by Gerry has been cut by £100,000

the museum’
Sutcliffe, Minister for Sport, at why has money been spent on
the DCMS on November 11, appointing a Cheshire-based
2008, the NWDA agreed to fund PR agency to handle this
a study by KPMG to explore how issue?
the future of the museum could “It has already been explained
be secured in the North-West. that Communicado are working
KPMG explored a number of on a pro bono basis, as part of

options, including the option of a
partnership with Manchester
City Council and alerted NFM to
this. KPMG completed this re-
executive Jim Carr and county
council chief executive Ged
Fitzgerald in 2008 where finan-
cial matters were discussed.
5
What will be the criteria
for choosing one bid over
the other?
“Trustees have to decide what is
“The back of house/curatorial sues which needed careful delib- their CSR (corporate social re-
staff will remain in post with eration and further information sponsibility) commitment to the
funding from Manchester City that is required before a decision charitable sector.”
Council. Front-of-house staff could be made.

10
port on May 28, 2009. Manches- ● Details of trustee meetings in the best long-term interests of would only have to be made re- “The trustees have a legal obliga- How will a museum
ter City Council commissioned where finances were discussed. the museum, given its primary dundant if funding was not found tion to show that they have con- in Manchester pros-
its own report to evaluate NFM need for sustainable, substantial, from another source to keep a sidered all the implications of per without impor-

4
moving public galleries to Urbis. If this is just a financial guaranteed funding.” front-of-house operation open.” both proposals. tant exhibits, eg Sir Tom
problem why do you not “In consultation with our profes- Finney’s collection?

“By the time of the meeting of
the NFM trustees on August 21,
2009, it was clear that no short-
term funding would be made im-
mediately available from football
bodies, and therefore at this
stage the Manchester plan was
the only option available to avoid
closure. Trustees unanimously
agreed discussions with Man-
chester City Council should be
pursued.”
accept the local bid now?
“It is primarily but not just a fi-
nancial issue. Trustees have to
assess what is in the best
long-term interests of the
museum as national institu-
tion. It must also be recog-
nised that for some time
the only proposal to
secure the future
was made by
Manchester.”
6 7
If financial problems are sional advisors, we have decided
If the museum “The museum has the world’s
goes to Man- so urgent why did you to postpone the meeting until we greatest collection of football
cancel the decision meet- have a complete picture.
chester, what memorabilia, consisting of over
will happen to the ing of October 23? “This is too important a decision 30,000 items. The majority of
to rush into and we believe there
staff during the likely “The museum management be- these are owned by the muse-
18-month closedown? lieved that there were further is- are points that need greater clar- um.”
VOW: PNE legend Sir Tom
Finney said he will
withdraw his memorabilia
from the museum if it

3 moves to Manchester
Why did you
not ask local
councils in
Lancashire for
help?
“We have been
asking for greater
support from LCC
and PCC from the
beginning of the
project.”
Mr Dermody at-
tached a series of
documents includ-
ing:
● A letter to Pre-
ston Council chief
executive and then
Lancashire County
Council leader
Hazel Harding
dated September
15, 2008, stating:
“There is an urgent
need to find a solu-
tion because, as it
stands, with the
Football Founda-
tion funding com-
ing to an end, the
museum would
have to close.” The
same letter also
went to leading
Government fig-
ures, such as then
Culture Secretary
Andy Burnham,
Preston MP Mark
Hendrick and
NWDA chief exec-
utive Steven
Broomhead.
● Notes of meet-
ings held with Pre-
ston Council leader
Ken Hudson, Pre-
ston Council chief