National Football Museum

What National Football Museum does

The National Football Museum is England's national museum of football, operating as a registered charity (Charity No: 1050792) from the Urbis Building in Manchester's Cathedral Gardens. Founded in Preston in 2001 and relocated to Manchester in 2012 with investment from Manchester City Council, the European Regional Development Fund, and the National Heritage Lottery Fund, it houses the world's largest public collection of football objects and archives, comprising over 40,000 items of which approximately 2,500 are on display at any one time. The four-floor venue includes the Pitch, Match, Play, and Score galleries, a permanent Hall of Fame Gallery (established 2002 with 205+ inductees), interactive games including a Rezzil VR experience, the Dugout Cafe, and a gift shop. A Research Centre operates at Preston North End's Deepale Stadium.

The museum operates a diversified revenue model spanning direct-to-consumer admission (12-month season tickets priced £8.75–£49 by tier, including a reduced-VAT summer scheme), venue hire across three spaces (capacities 25–300), school and group bookings (£7–£17.50 per pupil; travel-trade rates £8–£12.80), birthday party packages, retail, and Gift Aid donations. Distribution is omnichannel: own websites (tickets.nationalfootballmuseum.com, shop.nationalfootballmuseum.com), on-site box office, the Digitickets platform, and partnerships with the National Art Pass and Museum Association. Marketing spans paid and organic social, a Mailchimp newsletter, a podcast ('Quite Unsuitable for Females' produced with MIC Media), and PR via the Museums + Heritage Awards.

In 2023/24 the museum welcomed 316,000 visitors, generated £16.4m of Gross Value Added, and supported 210 FTE jobs. It achieved Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation status in November 2022 and is governed by an independent Board of Trustees with notable Vice Presidents including Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Trevor Brooking, and Sir Geoff Hurst. Strategic partnerships with The Players Foundation, England Football, and Manchester City Council anchor its position as the canonical home of English football heritage.

Name

National Football Museum

Legal name

National Football Museum

Website

https://nationalfootballmuseum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The National Football Museum is a registered charity operating England's national museum of football from the Urbis Building in Manchester, housing the world's largest public football collection of 40,000+ items and serving tourists, schools, corporate clients, and community groups across four galleries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums (71211)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Football museum
• Heritage collection
• Sports education
• Venue hire
• Cultural exhibitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission Tickets: Season tickets sold direct provide unlimited 12-month entry. Includes all galleries, special exhibitions, guided tours, workshops, and Football+ interactive games. Advance online rates available until midnight before visit. Standard admission and walk-up rates available.
2. Venue Hire: Pitch Gallery seats up to 230 for dinners/conferences or 300 for standing receptions. Box Gallery hosts 25 boardroom or 50 dinner/80 reception. The Dugout Cafe holds 40. Corporate events, awards ceremonies, Christmas parties. As registered charity, proceeds support museum work.
3. Gift Shop and Online Store: On-site gift shop and online store at shop.nationalfootballmuseum.com. Range of football souvenirs and memorabilia for all ages.
4. The Dugout Cafe: Museum cafe serving drinks, light bites, and meals. Open daily 10am-4pm. Card payments only. Dog-friendly section.
5. Birthday Party Packages: Two-hour football-themed parties including Premier League/WSL trophy selfies, Yard Ball, penalty shootout, Play Gallery access, private Dugout Cafe area. Goody bag add-ons at £5, £10, or £15 per child. Minimum 10, maximum 20 children.
6. Group and School Visits: School self-guided visits at £7 per pupil (ages 5-15) or £9.80 (18+). Facilitated workshops at £175 per session or £145 for Manchester schools. Groups of 10+ receive 20% discount. Travel trade group rates at £12.80 adult, £8 child, £11.20 concession.
7. Research Centre Visits: Collection viewings by appointment at Preston Research Centre. Academic and non-academic visitors welcome. Email [email protected] to book.
8. Charitable Donations and Gift Aid: As registered charity (No: 1050792), accepts donations including Gift Aid from UK taxpayers claiming 25% additional reclaim. Visitor donations at point of ticket purchase.
9. Sponsorship and Partnerships: Tailored partnership packages with branding and activation opportunities across landmark building, gallery spaces, collections, displays, and digital channels. Contact [email protected].

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The National Football Museum operates as England's national museum of football, housed in the Urbis Building in Manchester. It curates the world's largest public collection of football objects and archives (40,000+ items), presents permanent and temporary exhibitions across four galleries, and delivers educational workshops, community programmes, venue hire, retail, and family experiences. Revenue is generated through admissions, school and group visits, birthday parties, corporate venue hire, gift shop sales, café operations, charitable donations, and grant funding.

Product overview

The National Football Museum operates as a single-site attraction with multiple integrated product lines: core museum admission (Season Tickets) providing year-long access to four galleries; interactive experiences including games and VR; educational services including facilitated workshops and self-guided school visits; venue hire for corporate and private events; community programs; and retail operations. The museum's centerpiece is its Football Heritage Collection with over 40,000 items. Major product components include the permanent galleries (Pitch, Match, Play, Score), the Hall of Fame recognition program, special exhibitions, The Dugout Cafe amenity, and Gift Shop. Additional services encompass venue hire, birthday parties, community events, and a research center in Preston. The museum was established in Preston in 2001 and relocated to Manchester's Urbis Building in 2012.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Admission (Season Tickets) General admission tickets providing access to all four galleries (Pitch, Match, Play, Score) and exhibitions. Tickets booked directly from the museum are valid for 12 months, offering unlimited visits for a whole year, with advance online rates and walk-up rates available. Concessions for students, seniors, and Blue Light Card holders.
• School Workshops and Educational Visits Curriculum-linked facilitated workshops and self-guided visits for KS1 to KS4 schools. Sessions last 60-90 minutes for up to 35 pupils, covering topics such as Scrap & Score (D&T/Science), Lily Parr: Raise Your Voice (History/Music), Peak Performance (Science/Wellbeing), History Hunters, Change Makers, and The Game That Changed the World. Self-guided visits at £7 per pupil; facilitated sessions at £175 (£145 for Manchester schools).
• Birthday Party Packages Two-hour football-themed birthday parties for children including Premier League/WSL trophy selfies, Yard Ball, penalty shootout, Play Gallery access, and private Dugout Cafe area. Minimum 10, maximum 20 children. £280 non-refundable deposit to secure booking, balance due 14 days before event. Goody bag add-ons at £5, £10, or £15 per child.
• Venue Hire Event venue rental suitable for dinners, awards ceremonies, conferences, Christmas parties, and brand activations. Pitch Gallery seats up to 230 for dinners/conferences or 300 for standing receptions. Box Gallery hosts 25 boardroom or 50 dinner/80 reception. The Dugout Cafe holds 40. As registered charity, proceeds support museum work.
• Travel Trade and Group Packages Special rates for groups of 10+ including 20% discount on self-guided visits. Group rates: Adults £12.80, Children £8, Concessions £11.20. Facilitation/private tour supplement at £6 per person additional. Bespoke packages with special tours available. Direct bookings through [email protected].
• Football Heritage Collection and Research Centre World's largest public collection of football objects and archives with over 40,000 items including the original Laws of the Game manuscript, world's first international football shirt, oldest surviving FA Cup trophy, and Jules Rimet Trophy replica. Approximately 2,500 objects on display at any time. Research Centre in Preston offers collection viewings by appointment for academic and non-academic visitors.
• NFM Gift Shop On-site and online shop offering football souvenirs and memorabilia for fans of all ages. Operated through trading subsidiary National Football Museum at Urbis (Trading) Limited.
• Hall of Fame Gallery New permanent gallery opened in June 2026 in the Match Gallery, celebrating icons, pioneers, and legends who have defined English football. Created in partnership with The Players Foundation, which owns 500+ items of memorabilia housed and exhibited by the museum. Hall of Fame itself established in 2002 with 205+ inductees; relaunched in 2019 with commitment to 50% female representation.
• Community and Adult Learning Programmes Community programmes including Baby Active sessions, Baby Pitch Play, City Play Together with City in the Community, Under-5s Story Time, Sporting Memories for over-50s, and adult learning programmes. Delivers over 1,000 outreach engagements annually, with programmes benefiting over 200,000 people annually.
• NFM x Yard Ball Interactive Experience Interactive street football experience transforming the Pitch Gallery into an all-action arena featuring street-style challenges where visitors compete to rack up points. Inspired by 1990s street football. Supports the Head, Shoulders, Knees & Goals exhibition (open 27 March to 1 November 2026).
• From Grassroots to Greatness Exhibition Special exhibition exploring player journeys from grassroots to the world stage, featuring personal objects loaned by England captain Harry Kane. Created in partnership with England Football, showcasing the inspirational journeys of England's brightest stars.
• Manchester Corinthians Exhibition Exhibition celebrating Manchester Corinthians women's football team from the 1950s and 1960s, including the documentary 'Manchester Corinthians – We Were The Champions'.

Quantifiable outcome

• 316,000 visitors per year with £16.4m GVA generated and £1.8m social and cultural value
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Village Manchester FCminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 August 2026Partnership for Museum Late: Queer Football event on 25 August 2026. Special after-hours celebration of queer football at the museum.
• The Players FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Head, Shoulders, Knees & Goals exhibition and Yard Ball experience kindly supported by The Players Foundation.
• The Players FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026Hall of Fame Gallery created in partnership with The Players Foundation, a charity supporting current and former professional footballers. Foundation owns 500+ items of memorabilia housed and exhibited by museum. David Harrison, CEO, and Brendon Batson OBE (Chairman) involved.
• England FootballcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026Origins special display created in partnership with England Football exploring grassroots to international pathways. Part of From Grassroots to Greatness exhibition showcasing England's brightest stars. Celebrates coaches, referees, managers, and players from park pitches to world stage.
• Walk92 CampaignminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Walk92 Campaign donating Football For Good digital archive to museum. Archive powered by Walk92 campaign showcasing grassroots football impact.
• KIT TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Peak Performance workshop exploring science of human body and health through football. Session designed for KS2 students combining science, wellbeing, and sport.
• MIC MediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Quite Unsuitable for Females podcast. Worked with four community producers to surface secrets of women's game through five-part series exploring pioneers and modern parallels.
• City in the CommunityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership on CITC: City Play Together sessions encouraging physical activity for toddlers through football-themed play. Free sessions open to walking babies and toddlers.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Beatles Story: The Beatles Story in Liverpool is a UK-based music heritage museum with collection-driven exhibits, retail operations, and ticketed admissions. It operates a comparable single-theme cultural attraction model with tourism trade distribution and educational programming.
• National Sports Museum (Australia): The National Sports Museum at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is a multi-sport heritage museum with extensive memorabilia collections, interactive exhibits, and educational programming. Comparable as a national-scale sports heritage museum with similar collection-based attraction model.
• FIFA Museum: The FIFA Museum in Zurich is the most direct peer — a dedicated football (soccer) museum operated by FIFA, the global governing body, with interactive exhibits, historical collections, and educational programming. Both museums serve as the central heritage venue for their respective football cultures.
• The National Rugby Museum (World Rugby Museum): World Rugby Museum in Twickenham is a dedicated sport-heritage museum operated by a national governing body, with memorabilia, trophies, and interactive experiences. It is a directly comparable single-sport museum model with similar collection, exhibition, and education programming.
• Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum: The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum is a dedicated sport-heritage museum located at the All England Club, featuring memorabilia, interactive experiences, and tours. It shares the model of a single-sport museum anchoring a major venue with significant collection assets and visitor programming.

Broad incumbents

• Madame Tussauds: Madame Tussauds operates multiple UK and global visitor attractions featuring celebrity figures and cultural content, including sports personalities. Comparable as a heritage/IP-driven cultural attraction with retail, ticketing, and tourism channels.
• Royal Armouries: Royal Armouries is a major UK national museum collection with heritage objects, exhibitions, and educational programming. Comparable as a government-supported national museum operating galleries, research access, and public engagement in a similar operating model.
• Chester Zoo: Chester Zoo is one of the UK's largest visitor attractions with conservation, education, and venue-hire operations. It is comparable as a major UK cultural/heritage visitor attraction with membership programmes, school visits, and venue hire that mirror NFM's diversified model.

Regional players

• Manchester Museum: Manchester Museum is the University of Manchester's cultural and natural history museum, also shortlisted alongside NFM for Museums + Heritage Awards. It is a directly comparable regional museum in the same city with collection, education, and exhibition programming.
• Storyhouse, Chester: Storyhouse is a cultural venue in Chester combining theatre, cinema, and library with visitor operations. It is comparable as a UK regional cultural attraction with similar revenue mix (ticketing, venue hire, food/beverage) and operational profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/footballmuseum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/nationalfootballmuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalFootballMuseum
• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/national-football-museum
• Instagraminstagram.com/nationalfootballmuseum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Football Museum