National Football Museum bosses in Manchester, England said that "they feel vindicated after it smashed its annual visitor target in the space of nine months," according to Mike Keegan of the MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS. More than 350,000 people "have already clicked through the turnstile at the Urbis-based attraction since it opened last July." That is "more than three times as many as visited the museum in its former home of Preston, which it controversially vacated to come to Manchester." Officials from the museum "are now expected to commission a report to find out how much money it is bringing into Manchester’s economy" (MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS, 4/26).
FIFA MUSEUM PLANNED: WORLD FOOTBALL INSIDER reported FIFA President Sepp Blatter "has unveiled plans for FIFA’s new museum project." Instead of being built in FIFA’s grounds on the Zurichberg in Switzerland as originally planned, "it will be constructed in" the Haus zur Enge in Zurich-Enge. The museum "is expected to open" in spring '15. FIFA said that the estimated cost is $111M -- for the renovation of the building, which is owned by Swiss Life, and "realisation of the museum project" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 4/26).
