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The ashes of legendary England centre forward, Tommy Lawton, put on display at The National Football Museum.
The National Football Museum has received the ashes of former Burnley, Everton, Chelsea, Notts County, Arsenal and England centre forward Tommy Lawton.
Lawton who made 390 League appearances between 1936 and 1956 and scored an incredible 231 goals was one of the most prolific natural goalscorers the game has ever seen. And it is his son Tommy Jnr, the current custodian of the ashes, who has made the plea that they be displayed at the Museum.
Mark Bushell from the Museum said:
"When I contacted his son to inform him that his father had been voted into The National Football Museum Hall of Fame I was taken aback when he asked me if his father's ashes could be placed within the Museum. It would appear that he had originally wanted them to be scattered at Goodison Park, home of Everton, but he is aware that there is some uncertainty about Goodison's future and is fearful that one day it could possibly become, in his words, a supermarket.”
And Bushell was keen to stress that the Museum had given the request serious consideration before a decision was made to accept the wishes of Mr Lawton. There were clear moral and ethical considerations to be taken into account and the Museum took the advice of its governing body.
But Bushell was clear about any future requests:
“I fully understand that many people now see The National Football Museum as the spiritual home of the game and as such may make similar requests. Obviously Tommy Lawton was not only a football legend but is also an Inductee into The National Football Museum Hall of Fame and it is on this basis alone that we can comply with his family's wishes."