BLACKBURN supporters will get the chance to view some of the world's greatest football treasures when they visit Deepdale for the pre-season fixture against Preston North End tomorrow.
And what's more Blackburn fans will be amongst the first to benefit in the 2004/05 season from the fact that entry into The National Football Museum continues to be completely free.
The National Football Museum, which houses the greatest collections of football memorabilia in the world, has recently been loaned some truly outstanding football gems.
These include, the match ball from the first ever World Cup final in 1930 between Uruguay and Argentina, the shirt Diego Maradona wore in the infamous "Hand of God" game and John Motson's inimitable sheepskin coat.
These pieces are tremendous additions to the fantastic collection which already includes such priceless items as the match ball and infamous "Geoff Hurst" cross bar from England's 1966 World Cup Final triumph against West Germany, the oldest international shirt in the world dating back to 1872 and the Jules Rimet World Cup Trophy.
Richard Cuthbert, National Football Museum spokesman, said: 'This is a great chance for visiting Blackburn fans to enjoy some of the most important objects in football.
"Several of the game's greatest collectors are huge fans of The National Football Museum and have recently agreed to loan some of their most prized possessions.'
And Cuthbert was keen to point out that the Museums collections include some wonderful Blackburn Rovers related objects.
Of particular interest is a collection of memorabilia relating to the career of Bob Crompton, a pre-First World War Blackburn legend who made 530 appearances for the club in a tremendous career that saw him also capped 41 times for England.
Fans can view caps from Crompton's international appearances along with some other fabulous items connected to his career and Blackburn Rovers.
Cuthbert urged Blackburn fans to attend the game early and make a day of their visit to Preston.
This way Blackburn fans can make the most of their visit to the wonderful museum and enjoy the wide range of activities on offer: "It's not just about objects in cases.
"Our new penalty-shoot out interactive - Goal Striker, will be launched on the day of the Blackburn visit.
"Visitors can also replay tapes where all the action is filmed so that you can enjoy your favourite goals played back in slow motion, or they may want to join Gary Lineker as a guest pundit in the Match of the Day studio."
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