Everton's treasures are saved

Sep 29 2007 by Caroline Innes, Liverpool Daily Post

IT IS the biggest collection of football memorabilia in the world relating to one single club, and now a Lottery grant of almost £1m has secured its future, not just for Everton supporters but for footballing fans everywhere.

Trustees of the Everton Collection Charitable Trust last night proudly announced it had been awarded the Heritage Lottery Fund grant to acquire the David France Collection of football memorabilia.

It will allow fans, historians, and schoolchildren to access what was described by auctioneer Sotheby’s as the greatest collection of football memorabilia they had ever seen.

Now safeguarded for future generations, the collection, which will be housed at the Liverpool Record Office, includes items dating back to the 1800s, ledgers for the new stands at Everton’s former home at Anfield, as well as many enlightening directors’ reports and notes from the 1920s.

Trustees are now tasked with negotiating the acquisition of the memorabilia to add to Everton FC’s own archive, and will appoint three permanent members of staff to catalogue and manage the collection.

But they promised that not only would it be open to the general public within nine months but they would continue to add to it until they had every Everton match programme ever produced.

Everton FC chief executive Keith Wyness said: “This is a wonderful day for the club.

“We are very proud to be the first football club to do this and to show off just how integral a part of Liverpool’s social history Everton has always been.

“The collection dates back to the Dixie (Dean) era and right back to when we were at Anfield. It just shows that Everton’s history is such an integral part of what this club is about and shows how football has changed from the 1800s to the present day.

“It has really fired my imagination to read board members’ reports and notes about the club and players.

“Really, some of the reports from the 1920s are just incredible.”

Trustee Tony Tighe said: “We have worked so hard to get this funding in place but to get this grant is really the icing on the cake for us.

“We will now be able to conclude our negotiations with Dr France and have the collection and Everton’s own archive all go into the Record Office.

“We want to make this collection accessible from all over the world and we will introduce a new website to do that as well as tour certain items at various games.

“Parts of the collection will also be made available over future years to the National Museums Liverpool, the National Football Museum, Anfield and indeed at Everton FC’s own museum once the new stadium is built.”

With items such as Manchester United’s first ever programme, back when it was still Newton Heath, Jennifer Latto, chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund North West Committee, said the collection was not just a snapshot of footballing history but provided a social commentary of the region.

She added: “Football is deep-rooted in our popular culture and its story offers a unique window into social history.

“This news means that this treasure trove will be saved for football fans everywhere giving new generations the chance to take inspiration from the past.”

Lord Grantchester, chairman of the trust, which has raised £450,000 itself prior to the HLF grant, said: “We are delighted to be able to announce the success of our Lottery application.

“This means that the history of Everton Football Club and indeed the history of football on Merseyside has been safeguarded for future generations.”

David Stoker, Liverpool Record Office manager, added: “We are very proud and extremely excited to be providing a home for this remarkable football archive, which has important information on Liverpool FC as well as Everton FC.”

carolineinnes