From the Lake District to the Premier League

At the end of November, 14 years after it first opened its turnstiles on the rain soaked streets of Ambleside the brilliant ‘Homes of Football’ museum is closing and moving, next year, to new premises fit for the premier league.

Although following in long line of ‘arty types’ that set up home in the town, such as Wordsworth and Kurt Schwitters, the stunning photography of Stuart Clarke always seemed somewhat at odds with the anorak shops and tea rooms of the English Lake District. Every time I popped in to gawp at the images on display it always felt like an unexpected treat, a little secret that I wanted to keep to myself. And now, after all these years the talent has been spotted and is set for a transfer that will mean the museum will get the bigger audiences it deserves. 

The way Clarke has documented the changing face of football has always been with the wit, hope and despair of a true fan, and it connects naturally with its audience. His more recent work exploring the surrounding countryside and, at a different angle, music festivals has the same insight that more often than not brings a knowing smile to your face.

Ambleside’s loss is Manchester’s gain, and in late 2011 the Homes of Football is to be housed alongside new National Football Museum in the city centre. So if you’re not passing through The Lakes in the next couple of weeks you’ll have to wait for quite a while to see the work. Until then, you can always make do with the digital version…

http://www.homesoffootball.co.uk/