The National Football Museum (NFM) at Deepdale Stadium in Preston, has announced that it needs extra funding in 2008 – on a par with other national museums.

The museum receives over 100,000 visitors and claims to be the country’s most successful DCMS-funded museum in terms of cost efficiency and attracting people from all social backgrounds.

Its visitor numbers increased by 166 per cent – compared to the average increase of 83 per cent – but according to the DCMS annual report 2006 receives less than £1 per visitor (The Geffrye Museum in London, for example, receives up to £18.42 per visitor).

The NFM has not received a funding increase since 2003, whereas grants to other museums have risen on average by 20 per cent.