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Hope in our hearts

Evening Post, Thursday, October 15, 2009

How the LEP

is fighting to
save our
heritage
Evening Post FREE
LANCASHIRE

Community pulls together to back the

EDITION
sponsored by

lep.co.uk SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2009 Jewellery & Pawnbrokers

7 Corporation Street, Preston

Freddie
PR1 2UP Tel: 01772 203088

Flintoff
joins the
BIG names
backing our
campaign
4-PAGE SPECIAL

Save
ur
EXCLUSIVE
BY PETER STOREY, SPORTS EDITOR
PRESTON’S double Ashes hero Andrew

National Football Museum rescue package

Save our
Flintoff is backing the Evening Post’s Save
Our Museum campaign.
Lancashire and England cricket hero Fred-
die – an Ashes victor against Australia in 2005
Museum and again this summer – wants a U-turn over
proposals to move the museum from its cur-
rent home at Preston North End's stadium
to Manchester’s Urbis building.
The switch to the Urbis exhibition centre
–which could happen next year – is being
driven by Manchester City Council, with a
lack of funding likely to mean the present
Deepdale site will close to the public after
eight years.

Museum
And today, Flintoff said he was disap-
pointed at talk of a move and urged an im-
mediate rethink.
Said Freddie: “I was really sad to hear the
news about the plans to move the National
Football Museum away from Preston to
Manchester.
“I know from growing up in Preston how

build a bright future for the mu-

much people there love their sport.
“Preston is a proud city and to have the
National Football Museum at the home of

by David Coates
one of the oldest clubs has been a great hon-
our for all the football fans in the region.
“I hope they reconsider this suggestion so
the people of Preston can continue to enjoy

seum right here in Preston.”

having the museum on their doorstep.”

and Matthew Squires

david.coates@lep.co.uk UCLan vice-chancellor Mal-
colm McVicar said the bid could
Evening Post FREE not only secure the future of the
LANCASHIRE

EDITION
museum in the city but increase
Your campaigning
Evening Post believes
in fighting YOUR cor-
lep.co.uk SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2009

THE rescue package to its use by all parts of the commu-

keep the National Foot-
ner...Over the last few
months the LEP has

nity.
been:

ball Museum in Preston

● Fighting to keep the

He said: “Preston is the home

National Football Museum in
Preston
Your Evening
Post is cam-
Save
ur
paigning to

of football and the museum is an

stop the

was today welcomed by

National Foot-
ball Musueum
quitting Pre- Museum
ston and mov-

important part of Lancashire’s

ing to Manchester. The Save Our Mu-
seum campaign has already rallied
the support of sporting figures (PNE

its leading supporters.

players sported our specially-de-
signed T shirts at the Carling Cup
clash with Tottenham), politicians,

heritage.”
the business world and our loyal army
of readers, thousands of whom have
signed our petition.

Former Preston North End BBC football pundit Mark

● Backing the people of
Callon to help forge a better
life on the Preston estate

Callon
Challenge and Liverpool star Mark Lawrenson described the bid as
LEP: It’s the paper Lawrenson said the deal put “fantastic news” and urged the
Launched in the summer, the Callon
Challenge aims to support people living
on the once troubled estate realise their
dream of building a new community cen-
tre and showcase the work under way to

trustees to accept the offer and

put the area on the map for all of the

that stands up for together by Lancashire Coun-

right reasons.

YOU
● Supporting the drive to

keep it museum here.

honour Preston's unsung war

ty Council, Preston City

heroes

HONOUR

He said: “Where were Man-

OUR
HEROES
Since the end of World War Two dozens
of servicemen from the city have died
serving their country in conflicts across
LETTER: Ged Fitzgerald Council and the University of chester when the idea of the foot-
Central Lancashire should kill
the world. The Evening Post is helping
the drive by the Friends of the Queens

ball museum was born back in

Lancashire Regiment Museum and
Mayor of Preston to create a new memo-
rial for Preston city centre and interac-
tive tribute to the fallen.

lep.co.uk
off any thoughts of it moving 2001? It is a Preston idea, a Pre-
to Manchester.
14+ Evening Post, Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Mortgage
help for ston exhibition and now we are
families
FAMILIES in part of Lan-
cashire who fall behind on their
It is understood that the bodies saying we have the money to
behind the Preston bid are ready
rent or mortgage repayments

keep it here, I see no reason why

are being offered help.
Ribble Valley Council’s re-
possession prevention fund can

BACKING
provide up to £5,000 per house-
hold for mortgage arrears or up
to £1,000 for rent arrears.

to move immediately if the mu- it should go to Manchester.”

The money is available to
those in arrears through no fault
of their own.
A mortgage rescue scheme is
also available to enable families

PRESTON:
facing the threat of repossession
to stay in their homes.

seum’s trustees give the go- Bryan Gray, the former Pre-
This initiative reduces month-
ly payments by allowing house-
holders to sell a share of their
home to a housing association
or sell the property outright and
remain as a tenant on subsidised

Clockwise from
rent.

ahead. ston North End chairman who

Details about both initiatives
are available from the borough’s
housing strategy manager
Rachael Stott on 01200 414567.

Thousands fighting to
BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Football Museum is home to a remarkable collection of oddities chronicling the history of the game

It would cost much more to lo- above left – Ken

MP speaks
out over bank
closure plan helped set up the museum in
cate the museum in Manchester Hudson, Malcolm 2001, said: “I hope this puts to
save football museum
A LANCASHIRE MP has spo-
ken out about the closure of a
Lancashire bank.
Wyre MP Ben Wallace has
added his voice to growing

– and if that happened the public bed once and for all the crazy
anger over the upcoming clo-
sure of the Knott End Halifax.

McVicar, Mark
The branch is due to close on
October 30 and will reduce the
town to just one bank.
Mr Wallace said the closure

2,800 sign petition to

cash already spent in Preston
visitors a year in Preston – but Finney and former Football As- will hit those who are unable to

idea of moving the museum to

by Matthew Squires
matthew.squires@lep.co.uk bosses hope to pull in 400,000 a sociation chief executive Gra- travel the hardest.
year in Manchester. ham Kelly have also spoken He said: “Although there are
Among the big names to out. alternative branches in Poulton

keep attraction in city

Lawrenson, Frank
LANCASHIRE is back our campaign is multi-mil- Sir Tom said moving the mu- and Blackpool, this is no good
lionaire tycoon Trevor Hem- seum away from Deepdale to many Halifax customers in
backing the campaign mings who has said the muse- would be “wrong” and he Knott End who are elderly and
to keep the National

would have been wasted.

um “must not be stolen from would want his memorabilia would find it difficult to travel.

Manchester. What we should re-

Football Museum in Preston”. back if the change goes ahead. “With Knott End’s increasing
2,800 people who have signed losing the facility due to lack of Preston-born cricket star An- The Evening Post poll calls population I am disappointed
Preston. the Lancashire Evening Post’s funding. drew Flintoff and ex-Liverpool on Prime Minister Gordon with Halifax’s decision to close

McKenna and
The Evening Post has online petition, hundreds more Under the plans, the muse- legend Graeme Souness have Brown to step in to secure the this office.”
been inundated with thou- have written to our offices. um’s collections would stay in also publicly backed the drive, museum’s future at Deepdale
sands of petitions and They follow in the wake of a Preston but front-of-house ex- while PNE players have shown by signing the Evening Post’s

names from readers and res-
idents who want the muse-
host of famous names who have
backed the campaign.
The campaign follows the
A platform
Manchester confirmed yester- member is this would not be
hibitions are set to be trans- their support by wearing ‘Save online petition.
ferred to the Urbis exhibition Our Museum’ T-shirts. The petition runs until the
centre, Cathedral Gardens, Museum president Sir Bobby end of this month. Readers can

for success
um kept in its rightful home. disclosure in early September Manchester. Charlton, vice-president and still sign at the Save Our Muse-
In addition to more than that Preston is on the verge of The museum gets 100,000 North End legend Sir Tom um section of lep.co.uk

What you think...

Bryan Gray
A NEW community cafe has

Save
day it will cost £8m just to make moving, this would be starting
Join the campaign to keep our opened at Burscough Bridge
football treasures in Preston. railway station.

ur
Please sign this form and send The business, run by a part-
to: nership of local charities, was
Chris Visser, One reader, a Mr Hayhurst, from Longridge, Pre- ter United) won’t go the same way as Leeds? opened by Ryan Bowen from
Lancashire Evening Post, Burscough FC.
ston, who sent his petition form to the Evening Post, “How much would it cost to move the articles to a Visitors will be able to get ad-

the building fit for purpose.

Oliver’s Place, Eastway
Museum

again and I could see the bill

said: “Is it because the powers that be are deter- new site? Preston is the newest city in the UK and it vice, information and guidance
PRESTON mined to put (the museum) where the hotbed of
PR2 9ZA needs things like that to attract visitors.” on local services. It is open from
football is at this present time? 10am to 4pm Monday-Friday.
I, the undersigned, petition the Prime Another reader, Bryan Swan, of Moor Street,
Minister to keep the National Football “If that is the case it could be a grave mistake. Kirkham, said: “Preston Council should be ashamed
Museum in Preston What is to say in another 10 years’ time (Manches- if they let the museum move out of the city.”
Ladies’ night,
Name:

Address:
● What do you think? You can go online at lep.co.uk.
● Or e-mail lep.newsdesk@lep.co.uk and have your say online at our forum
● Text your reply to LEPTEXT (SPACE) and send to 81800
oh what a night...
RIBBLE Valley Wooden
Spoon will be hosting a charity
ladies’ night at the Marriott
A Manchester City Council reaching nearer £10m.”
report refers in vague terms to
Hotel, Broughton, on Thursday.

Frank McKenna, chairman of

81800 texts cost 25p plus your standard network charge. This will be charged to your mobile phone bill.By supplying your telephone number you’re happy to receive SMS/MMS messages
from Johnston Press and its approved business partners. Johnston Press (or via its agents) and its business partners may contact you about new promotions, products & services. It features Ramuro and

FIGHT: Geoff Driver

Messages must not exceed 160 characters per text. Please add the word EXIT at the end of your message if you do not wish to receive these. For quality and training purposes we may Dream. Tickets cost £10. Call
monitor communications. SMS services are provided by g8wave Ltd, London N7. 01772 200181.

money being provided by a part- business lobbying group Down-

nership of external stakeholders. town Preston in Business, said

Save
Join the campaign to keep our The report also reveals that offi- both offers and make a recom- museum a permanent future in the people behind the bid had to
football treasures in Preston. Please cials at the museum made the ini- mendation. Preston where it belongs. I would be given “all the credit.”

ur
sign this form and send to: tial approach to Manchester
Chris Visser, about the proposals.
Lancashire Evening Post, The Preston bid letter from
Oliver’s Place, Eastway county chief executive Ged
Fitzgerald to museum trustees’
PRESTON
PR2 9ZA Museum chairman Paul Dermody has
been seen by the Evening Post.
The letter states: “The muse-
I, the undersigned, petition the Prime um should stay in its home,
Minister to keep the National Football Deepdale, and we believe the na-
ture and speed of our joint re-
Museum in Preston
sponse demonstrates our com-
mitment to ensure that occurs.
“We believe this proposal se-
Name:
cures its short and longer-term
financial requirements and facil-
Address: itates future developments.”
A spokesman for the trustees
insisted that “no decision had
been made” on either offer and
that the panel had hired an inde-
pendent consultant to look at
That decision is likely to be
made by the 14 trustees at a
meeting next month.
Lancashire County Council
leader Geoff Driver, whose au-
thority has co-ordinated the bid,
said: “Preston is the first and true
home of football and the Na-
tional Football Museum is an im-
portant part of the life of the
county – and we are not going to
let the museum leave without a
fight.
“The plan we’ve put on the
table is a strong commitment by
the three leading public bodies
in Preston.
“It will deal with the immedi-
ate funding shortfall and at the
same time bring our significant
resources to bear on giving the
urge those who understand the He said: “I think it is an easy
history of the national game – decision to make for the trustees,
and the significant cultural and it should stay in Preston. Not only
economic benefits the National does it now have the finances to
keep it but the cost of moving it to
Football Museum brings to Pre-
ston and Lancashire – to get be-
hind our bid.
Manchester rules that out as an
option.”
“But this is now a matter for
previous
the board of trustees and we and
the people of the county are wait-
ing for its decision with anticipa-
stories
tion.”
Preston Council leader Ken
Hudson said the authorities were
“doing everything possible” to
lep.co.uk
keep the museum in the city. ● Bid to save Football Mu-
seum unveiled
He said: “We now sincerely
hope that the trustees will see the ● Football museum loses
very clear benefits of our pro- rare exhibits
posal and decide to remain loyal ● Urbis move could ‘ruin’
to Preston and work with us to museum treasures