National Football Museum bosses today rejected criticism that the high-profile Hall of Fame awards ceremony should be held in Preston and not at Old Trafford. And they said it was NOT evidence that the museum was in the process of abandoning its home at Deepdale and moving to a higher profile venue in Manchester.
Frank McKenna, chairman of Downtown Preston in Business, condemned the decision not to hold the national event in Preston – where the museum is based.
He said: "It is a great opportunity to celebrate what is a wonderful facility and raise its profile to a national audience. Frightening. This is a missed opportunity and I think they need to rethink their strategy. The number of people who don't even know of the museum's existence is frightening."
Last July bosses came under fire for driving forward plans to develop a similar attraction in Manchester after they held talks with leading figures from Manchester City Council over proposals to open a World Football Museum.
David Pearson, general manager at the museum denied the attraction was relocating and said the Hall of Fame ceremony was intended to move to different locations and had already been held in Liverpool, Bolton and Preston.
He said: "It is an established policy to take it around the country and we will continue to do that. When we are out on the road we are taking Preston out on the road."
Mr Pearson said the event had also outgrown banqueting facilities available at Deepdale, and denied rumours that the museum was looking to relocate.
Last Updated: 17 August 2007 1:37 PM
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