EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT

Everton Collection comes home

The Everton Collection Charitable Trust took delivery of the David France Collection last week, bringing to an end the first phase of the Trust's campaign to establish what will be hereafter called "The Everton Collection".

The Trust was established two and a half years ago to acquire the unique collection of football memorabilia collected over a 27-year period by David France, who now lives in British Columbia in Canada. His collection was described by auction house Sotherby's as the greatest collection of football memorabilia they have ever seen relating to one football club.

The deal to acquire the collection was finally agreed in late December last year after a long campaign of fundraising by the Everton Collection Charitable Trust culminating in a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Trust, set up by Lord Grantchester, grandson to Everton FC's late Chairman Sir John Moores, Keith Wyness,CEO of Everton FC and Everton supporter Tony Tighe agreed a business plan with the Heritage Lottery Fund. That plan outlined how the David France Collection would go to be housed in the Liverpool Record Office where it will be joined together with over 8000 items of memorabilia from Everton FC's own archive.

The photograph shows David France (left) handing over the keys to his collection to Tony Tighe, Trustee of the Everton Collection Charitable Trust at the Liverpool Record Office.

David France commented, " I am delighted that my collection, which took half of my life to collect, will be secured forevermore for the benefit of Evertonians and football fans alike."

Tony Tighe said," This is just the beginning of our work. The Everton Collection now comprises of over 18,000 items of memorabilia and it's all here in the Liverpool Record Office. We are currently recruiting two permanent archivists through the LRO, to work solely on our Collection. Their initial task will be to ensure that the Everton Collection is properly conserved, digitised and prepared for the future. This will take a minimum of 12 months. Then we will be in a position to show off our crown jewels. Evertonians and football fans worldwide will be able to view the Everton Collection on a special website or they can access it here in a controlled environment at the Liverpool Record Office. The Collection will also be taking to the road and various exhibition themes will be staged at venues such as the National Football Museum, The new National Museums Liverpool and of course a rolling programme of themed exhibits will be staged in the exhibition centre at Everton FC's new stadium in Kirkby."

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