England: National Football Museum in Manchester

 

Last updated: 09/10/2020

Football was born in England and there is nothing fairer than having a museum in the country dedicated to the sport! The National Football Museum is located in Manchester, the English city that breathes football. In this post we share the reasons to include the museum in your itinerary in Manchester.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL MUSEUM IN MANCHESTER

The National Football Museum in Manchester aims to exhibit and preserve important collections of football-related articles. Founded in 2001, it was originally located at Deepdale Stadium in Preston City and was moved to Manchester in 2012 with the aim of attracting more audiences. Currently, it is located in the Urubus Building, a beautiful all-glass building with a very modern design. The museum was developed in partnership with FIFA, which approved the project and the rich collection.

The collection features more than 2,500 items, including football boots, balls, paintings, postcards and ceramics (including the prestigious FIFA collection). Temporary exhibitions that are frequently renewed are also part of the museum visit.

Read more: England: What to do in Manchester – 1, 2 or 3 day itinerary

VISITING THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL MUSEUM

Even before entering the museum, I was impressed by the beautiful building that houses it. Ahead, a kind of “walk of fame” with several players who made football history. Pele is in a prominent position right at the entrance. There is no need to pay anything to enter the museum, but you can make a contribution by purchasing a guidebook.

The National Football Museum in Manchester has 6 floors, but only the first 3 have actual exhibitions. Check out what you can find in each of them.

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GROUND FLOOR

• Entrance to the Museum
• Football Hall of Fame: a tribute to the greats of football in England, including players, managers and teams
• Shop and Café: Inside the museum there is a Café (daily from 8 am to 5 pm) that offers sandwiches and snacks. There is also a little shop with several football-related products, including autographed shirts and collector's items.

FIRST FLOOR

The first floor has the largest exhibition area in the museum and is where I spent most of my time during my visit. The exhibitions are divided into football-related categories:

• The game: This area briefly tells the story of the origins of football. Here are important historical items such as the first football rulebook from 1863; and the shirt of the first ever international football match between England and Scotland, held in 1872.

• fans: A tribute to football club fans, since without them, football would not exist. There has been a big change over the decades of fans and ways of cheering. The exhibit includes LS Lowry's original painting “Going to the Match”.

• Competition: Information on the various competitions, leagues, and cups with an original FA Cup trophy and replicas of various other trophies.

• Global Game: The changes that took the game of football from a joke to a global phenomenon. This is a section dedicated to world football, with important items such as the ball from the first World Cup final, Maradona's “Mão de Deus” shirt, among others.
• Stadiums: “If football is a religion, stadiums are its cathedrals.” In this area is a wealth of information on various stadiums and projects, featuring an original turnstile from the former Wembley Stadium and some original wooden seats.

• Press: From print to radio to TV and now 24/7 online coverage, the way we follow football has changed as much as the game itself. There are several images and videos of old games.
• Clubs: Clubs these days are big brands, but they all started somewhere. You can look at the origins and identities of some of the teams. There are interactive panels with information from most clubs in the League of England.

• Players: A brief look at the scope of footballers, the individuals who inspire, entertain, or maybe just annoy us. Here are the football heroes of historic matches.

• Our Beautiful Game: A 10 minute movie in a cinema showing a month of English football at all levels. The video is shown every 15 minutes.

SECOND FLOOR

The second floor exhibition continues what was seen on the first floor, bringing in other aspects of football. There are also several interactive areas to play and test your football skills.

• Football for All: An exhibition of how football is played by people of all abilities.
• Lawns: Interactive screens explain the original rules of football and how the referees run the game.

• Technical: Audios from key coaches and the original Coach of the Year Trophy.
• Kit: Shirts, balls, cleats and gear over the years. How technology contributed to the change in football uniforms.

• The team: Meet the different types of players that make the perfect team: the creators, the defenders, etc.
• Performance: The most important thing you need to play on the field is your body. Take an in-depth look at the strains and strains the body faces, and how the best players get game-ready. There are several on the medical side of playing football, including Willie Cunninghams' knee cartilage.
• Interactive areas to test your marksmanship and defense: For those who want to test their football skills, there are interactive spaces to test your football, take penalties, make saves, etc.

• Toys and Games: An exhibition of various football-related toys and games.
• Discovery Zone: An area for children under 5 to play.

THIRD FLOOR

On the third floor are the temporary exhibitions. When I was visiting the museum I had the opportunity to see a very interesting exhibition that celebrated the only World Cup won by England in 1966. Team uniforms, personal items, games and main opponents were on display in the exhibition.

FOURTH FLOOR

On the fourth floor is the so-called “Learning Zone” (translating into Portuguese: Learning Zone). This is a museum space dedicated to holding special events with school students and group activities.

FIFTH AND SIXTH FLOORS

For those who enjoy cool gastronomic experiences, in this area is a new restaurant recently opened called “The Rabbit in the Moon“. The restaurant is highly rated and has 1 star in the Michelin guide. It is open for dinner only, daily from 6pm to 11pm and serves upscale dishes.

HOW TO GET 

The museum is close to Manchester Cathedral and Manchester Arndale Shopping Centre. Its location is just a 3-minute walk from Manchester Victoria train station and a 15-minute walk from Manchester Piccadilly station, right in the city centre.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The National Football Museum

• Address:  Urbis Building, Cathedral Gardens, Todd St, Manchester M4 3BG
• Schedules: daily from 10 am to 5 pm
• Entrance: free / tours £3.50
• Tours: guided tours from Monday to Friday at 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 am, 2:30 am and 3:30 am / Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am and 3 pm

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Read more about Manchester:

• England: What to do in Manchester – 1, 2 or 3 day itinerary
• England: Historic Manchester Cathedral
• England: Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester
• Football: Museum and Tour at Manchester United Stadium

Read more about sports in England:

• Football: Museum and Tour at Arsenal Stadium in London
• Football: Museum and Tour at Chelsea Stadium in London
• Football: Tour at Wembley Stadium in London
• England: London Olympic Stadium Tour
• London: Discover Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
• london tennis museum and wimbledon court tour