Review – National Football Museum in Manchester by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
Oasis are finally back together and suddenly Manchester feels like it’s the centre of the universe once again.
As the Manchester City loving Gallagher brothers prepare to stage their first gigs together in decades, it feels like the perfect time to go mad for it and visit England’s second city and discover all it has to offer.
One attraction you can’t miss is the National Football Museum, which is welcoming thousands of visitors now the new Premier League season is up and running, and after England made such a superb run at the Euro 2024 tournament.
The museum opened in Manchester city centre in 2012, following a move from its previous home in Preston. As Oasis say, Prestonians shouldn’t look back in anger.
At least the museum is still in the north of England, where the best football is played and the most winning teams hail from.
I visited from Southport and it’s a handy two minutes’ walk away from Victoria Train Station.
Being situated centrally, a visit to the museum means you can make a day of it, with loads of other attractions, shops, restaurants and other places to eat.
I stopped at a local cafe on my way in, and ordered a bowl of ‘Oasis soup’ – you get a roll with it.
The National Football Museum in Manchester. Brian Clough
Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
The National Football Museum is a magnificent venue – the way modern museums should be.
It’s very family-orientated, in a great way. It’s the opposite of boring. There is so much for children of all ages (and adults) to enjoy throughout.
There is a Pitch Gallery (ground floor), Match Gallery (level 1), Play Gallery (level 2) and a Score Gallery (level 3).
Football is meant to be interactive, whether you’re playing or watching it.
Here there are opportunities to stop and do all sorts of things, from taking penalty shootouts, to doing crafts, making drawings, testing your skills, having a go as a football commentator.
You can even have your photo taken next to a replica Premier League trophy, something of a novelty to all but the oldest Manchester United fans.
Since opening in Manchester in 2012 the National Football Museum has welcomed over 3 million visitors from across the globe with a simple mission: to share stories about football.
The National Football Museum was developed in the 1990s and opened in Preston in 2001. Located at Preston North End’s Deepdale ground, it was home to a wide collection of football objects and archives, which has now become the Football Heritage Collection.
The National Football Museum opened in Manchester’s iconic Urbis Building in 2012.
It is now custodian to the world’s largest collection of football objects and archives. There are over 40,000 items housed in the Resource Centre in Preston and around 2,500 are on display at the museum at any one time.
How they choose what goes on show must be a non-stop task!
There is so much history to admire, in men’s football, women’s football, Premier league football, non-league football, international football, world football.
You can see lots of tributes to legends of the game from Pele to George Best, Eric Cantona, Kenny Dalglish, Brian Clough, the Dick Kerr Ladies’ Team, you name it.
The National Football Museum in Manchester. Lily Parr
Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
I was looking for signs of the greatest ever English centre forward, Dixie Dean, but maybe he’ll be on show next time.
It was good to see some famous Southport residents on show, such as Kenny Dalglish and Gary Lineker. The years of Southport FC as a league club would make a great feature…
There is an imaginative exhibitions programme that enables the museum to showcase the collection through impactful storytelling, and by exploring cultural and creative themes that truly represent the role of football in society and our lives.
It means you can keep visiting and discover something new, interesting, and challenging.
Football has a massive power to unite, and also to effect change in society.
The National Football Museum in Manchester. A tribute to Justin Fashanu
Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
The world still has a long way to go. A section about Justin Fashanu shows how it is still difficult for Premier League footballers to identify as openly gay, which seems astonishing.
Exhibits about the Dick Kerr Ladies, Lily Parr and England’s Lionesses show the progress the women’s game has made over a tortuously long time, while still having lots more to do.
There is a section about the horrific Bradford Fire which claims so many lives in 1985. There could be a whole floor dedicated to the Hillsborough Tragedy from 1989, with the families impacted by that terrible day still seeking answers and justice. There are parts of football’s history which we should never forget and where change is still needed.
The National Football Museum does well to connect its audiences, providing an inclusive and welcoming experience, breaking down barriers and increasing engagement from underrepresented groups.
In 2019 they relaunched the Hall Of Fame with a new commitment to achieve 50% female representation across the game. In 2022 and on the eve of the Women’s Euros, they launched the Crossing The Line exhibition showcasing the journey of women’s football from the Victorian era to the present day, from grassroots to the professional game.
Football should be for everyone.
The National Football Museum in Manchester. Eric Cantona in the Markers exhibition
Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
One of their current exhibitions is Markers, which brings together nine commissioned pieces of artwork from Manchester-based artists who have each selected a hero from the footballing world to honour.
It explores each hero’s journey and the steps taken to complete a mission, explore their call to action, skills they equip themselves with and their learnings. Focusing on the impact these heroes have made beyond the white markings of the football pitch, it explores themes of LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, women’s football and ethnic minorities.
The National Football Museum in Manchester. Raheem Sterling in The Markers exhibitiopn
Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
Heroes included in Markers include Eric Cantona, Raheem Sterling, Park Ji-sung, Mary Phillip, David Beckham, Lionel Messi, Pete the Badge, Justin Fashanu and Lucy Clark.
It gives a fascinating insight into some of football’s legends and what it takes for some people to succeed in the game.
There is so much to enjoy at the National Football Museum, across all four floors. It’s a huge building with so much to enjoy. Football fans of all ages will love it. Football is all about connection.
If you’re thinking of giving it a try, say Definitely – not Maybe.
- The National Football Museum is at: National Football Museum, Urbis Building, Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, M4 3BG.
- Visit: nationalfootballmuseum.com
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