Apologies; This is written in a way that will come across as a bit 'dumbed down' on here, but I've written it in a way that could easily be altered to pass onto people within the council's regeneration department. There are one or two bits that I'm sure people could help add to with ideas and the truth regarding some of the possible 'facts' I have put into this piece: I was in Manchester for the weekend and visited the National Museum of Football, which has a very impressive array of exhibits (although it's not very informative, I imagine if you're not a huge football fan, without the story behind some exhibits, you'd probably be a bit confused as to why they're on show and would miss the whole point of them being there). The place was packed out, as I am sure it is most weeks. Football, as we all know is the most popular sport in the world, and England was the birthplace to the sport. With Hull City Council currently exploring new avenues for possible cultural/tourist additions to the city (David Hockney Gallery, HMS Illustrious etc...), it got me thinking could Hull lay claim to have strong enough tie's with football to be able to host a smaller 'National Football Museum 2'? It's the most popular sport in the world, so there would be no shortage of potential visitors, especially from passengers off the ferries - the Dutch, Belgians, Germans and Danish all love their football. When thinking about Hull's tie's to football; The rules to the most popular sport in the world were written by a man from Hull (Ebenezer Cobb Morley). The original draft of the rules are on display in Manchester, and sadly it doesn't mention the fact he was from Hull, simply calling him "an Englishman" (the descriptions were very poor). If a man from Hull creating the rules to the actual game aren't enough to warrant a Football Museum in Hull, there are also tie's such as: Alan Hardaker, born in Hull in 1912 - He was the Football League secretary from 1957 til 1979, introduced The League Cup competition to English football, and since 1990 every Man of The Match of a League Cup Final is presented with the Alan Hardaker Trophy. He was described as: 'the League's most celebrated enforcer', 'the great dictator' and 'football's Godfather'. The first ever penalty shoot-out in England took place at Boothferry Park between Hull City and Manchester United. I believe the floodlights at Boothferry Park were known to be the tallest in Europe (true?) It's said the Hull Boys Sunday League is the largest league in the UK (true?) (There are a couple of artefacts of the Hull Boys Sunday League in Manchester, but no description as to why they are there - possibly for this reason?) There were plenty of sections in Manchester on players from past to present, but there were unsung heroes that don't get a mention - it only seemed to be mainly the 'media darlings' who got a lot of attention in Manchester. I found it bizarre in the 'Midfield Generals' section one of the celebrated players was Keiron Dyer! For starters he's not even that type of player... Yet I couldn't help but think if there was a Hull museum, it would contain a piece about Ian Ashbee - a midfield general of Hull City who Piers Morgan even suggested should've got more recognition than the media has ever given him. He was the first man to captain a team through all 4 divisions in English Football, and then captained the side to survival in the Premier League - a feat made even greater by the fact that not only was it the first time the club had ever been in the top flight, but also because he came back from a career threatening injury to do so. A couple of other players not mentioned in Manchester in the 'strikers' section, that could be in the Hull version could be Ken Wagstaff and Chris Chilton, who Brian Clough described as "the best two players not to play in the top-flight". At the museum in Manchester there were all sorts of issues covered about footballers off the field too and areas such as gay footballers and racism - in a Hull version, I think it could tell the story of Matt Duke - a professional footballer who overcame cancer, to go on and play in the Premier League and who has now gone on to reach the League Cup final at Wembley with Bradford. It could even be a joint venture between the council and Hull City, considering the club started to create and collect items to create a mini Hull City museum with items such as an original shirt of (what is believed to be) an earlier form of Hull City called "Hull Town" amongst other interesting and historic items, like Dean Windass' Play-Off Final winners medal. They could even employ Dean Windass to greet people and give talks to people wanting to know what it's like to be a professional footballer - which would be a unique visitor attraction in itself. I'm sure he'd prefer talking about football to people for a job, rather than selling nuts and bolts? I'm sure a lot would come down to the council though, considering Terry Geraghty never seems to acknowledge football even exists in Hull, having recently said "Hull isn't just a rugby city, it's also a boxing city", and later when talking about Hull's bid to be Capital of Culture 2017, he claimed that Hull's rich cultural sporting events included Rugby League and Darts. I wonder why there was no mention of the Allam sponsored 'British Squash Open Championships 2013' to be held this May at the KC Stadium? ...nowt to do with the council, so not worth promoting, even for a second. Just shows why the council struggle to attract private investment in the city. That said, if that hurdle was to be overcome, even Hull City Council can't deny the popularity of football around the world, even if they don't wish to acknowledge it's popularity locally. Here is a picture of Ebenezer Cobb Morley's book in which he wrote the first ever official rules of football: please log in to view this image
Surely that book should be in Hull? The advantage Manchester has is Manchester United and Manchester City, currently the best 2 clubs in the UK with global appeal. I bet a lot of people that visit Old Trafford will also visit the museum (2 birds with one stone). If we had the museum, which I think should be here, football fans wouldn't necessarily travel to Hull 'just' for a museum, I think we'd only really appeal to visiting away fans.
Its a shame to write off dazzers good post with a short " I don't think its a good idea". Give some credit ti trying to promote something for our city, for as he said the council hate football and all that goes with it.
I didn't even know the museum had moved from Preston to Manchester. I think it's a great idea, but not an easy one to implement, particularly when you consider the muppets on the council would have to be involved.
let them have a rugby one as well. then we can have endless arguments about which one has had most visitors!
The museum was in fact located in Preston, but located to Manchester, for reasons such as space, visitor numbers, help from the council etc. It opened last July, and I was fortunate to work on it. As much as I would like it, I don't think we have a big enough shout for a 2nd museum dedicated to the National game, but I have already put proposals to Hull city for a Museum area within the stadium, which could in fact, utilise items from the National Football Museum, on a Loan basis. This is what tends to happen with numerous objects. I got the chance to hold many of the objects such as the football that Sir Geoff scored his Hatrick with. The ball had been nicked by the Germans believe or not and only returned after a number of years. Unfortunately many of the bigger Museums have been funded from the the lottery etc, but the manchester Museum was jointly funded through Manchester City Council and the European regional development fund. . Our council have no available funds for such projects or in fact any idea of how to approach such a project...as you said Lammy,.. Muppets!
I visited the old one which was sited at PNE- understandably given the early history of that club and Billy Sudell's role in shaping modern football. But a Mcr one will have loads more visitors so ultimately money talks. There's no point in having a museum unless you have famous or eye-catching rare stuff in it. I don't believe, sadly, we have enough items to do that.
Depends where you put it. If it was located somewhere close to The Deep, I think you'd get people off the ferries taking an interest, as i mentioned, the Dutch, Germans, Belgians and Danish love their football and there will be plenty of kids into football who's parents may see it as an opportunity to visit The Deep and the football museum. If the cruise terminal is built, those are extra possible visitors too. I think if you take the visitor numbers for The Deep added with visitors to all of Hull's othwr museums and galleries times'd by the popularity of football, I think the visitor numbers would be greater than just a few away fans.
They must have some money hidden away somewhere considering that they've put forward the idea of a fukl time David Hockney gallery, a cruise terminal and a bid to purchase the HMS Illustrious qhen it retires from service. I think there is room for 2 as well. The Manchester one is just a mass collection of items with little cards telling you what the item is... there is nothing to tell you a story of why they are there. The Hull one could tell a descriptive, interactive story of the history of football. Grassroots football was barely touched upon, nor is the impact of television deals. And as I've said a Hull twist could be added to each section too, as I've mentioned, like more about Ebenezer Cobb Morley, Alan Hardaker (who isnt even mentioned in the Manchester one) and some unsung heroes like the stories of Ashbee and Duke. If Windass was employed, thats something extra the Manchester museum doesnt have, a man who has been there and done it.
As I mentioned dazzar, I don't think anybody apart from ourselves appreciates the fact Hull has had an impact on the National game and as such any museum would have to be one mainly focusing on Hull City, like many other football clubs having a dedicated area within their own stadiums. Then we would be able to interprit to visitors how even that we might not have won that much over the years, Hull as a city has contributed much to Football in itself. We certainly can boast much at grass roots level, having I believe at one time the largest sunday football league in the uk, please correct me if I,m wrong. I am hoping things can move along on some sort of museum(visitor attraction), because as you have said, things are certainly getting mooted about such as the Hockney thing, and the aircraft carrier. Can't really say the thought of Deano being involved would be a good move...actually...an interactive Deano ride aound the museum....get chased by a blue flashing light...yeh it might work!!!LOL
Where did I say "I don't think it's a good idea"? Just keen to know, thanks! The post underneath I actually say - it's a great idea. The obstacle being that Manchester, due to the clubs that reside in the City is seen globally as a hotbed for football. The Cobb Morley stuff should definitely be here and incorporated somewhere. I do like Dazzars idea.
Steven Bayes is the portfolio holder for regeneration, but heard nothing but negativity by people that have had to deal with him. Terry Geraghty is the portfolio holder for leisure, tourism and culture - nuff said! So both of those are non-starters. Kevin Priestley and Jon Pywell who work in the regeneration department on Bond St are generally quite helpful. Daryll Stephenson is the current interim chief executive of the council and since he came back in, he is the person who seems to have been pushing for more tourist offerings in the city, but haven't found an email address for him anywhere yet.
I get what you're saying, but think about visitors to the city, I'm sure it'd be easier to entice them to visit a museum about football (with each section having links to Hull and Hull City) than it would to entice them into a Hull City museum. If it's just branded as a Hull City museum, glennonslastpint's comment about it only appealing to away fans visiting and (obviously) City fans would be true. Make it about football in general with added significant Hull-links and you're far more likely to be able to tell the story of how not only 1, but 2 men from Hull have helped shape the sport we all know and love. Who knows, getting them there, then seeing loads about Hull City may even gain us some new support. City could even sell a few bits of merchandise in the museum gift shop? I think Deano in person as an attraction would have as much pull as some of the items thrown together lifelessly behind some glass in Manchester would. Kids hearing the story of a bloke working in factories who had been told he wouldn't be taken on by City, only to not give up and go on to play in the Premier League and score a £60 million volley at Wembley for his hometown club at the age of 38 to take the club into the Premier League for the first time in it's history, would be massively inspiring for young kids showing them that if they work hard they can achieve their goals.
usually, but still, I haven't seen it anywhere. If you google that email address with his name, nothing of note appears.
