Plea for public's help in transforming entrance to Fans Museum in Sunderland

Fans Museum boss Michael Ganley has designs on making a stile-ish entrance.
Sunderland Fans Museum's Michael Ganley, and team members with the original Roker Park turnstile.Sunderland Fans Museum's Michael Ganley, and team members with the original Roker Park turnstile.
Sunderland Fans Museum's Michael Ganley, and team members with the original Roker Park turnstile.

Michael is appealing for help from local businesses to create an impressive new entryway to the building, using one of the original turnstiles from Roker Park.

“We want to create something a little bit unique,” he said.

The plan is to make the turnstile the centrepiece for a new entrance for the museum, without, of course, excluding wheelchair users.

“We want it to be our focal piece,” said Michael.

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“We are looking for a number of sponsors, who will have their logo represented next to it, so everyone can see the people who were involved in developing it.

“It is going to be £100 a year for sponsorship.

“From the size of the space available on the wall, we are looking to have 100 companies involved but we want to start if off with 50.

“The money we raise will go towards making this happen and what is left will got towards improving our security system.

The turnstiles were among a huge range of fixtures and fitting from Roker Park which were sold off when the 99-year-old stadium finally bit the dust.

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Roker Park went up for sale in 1996, with demolition of the old ground a condition of planning consent for the new stadium.

Black Cats’ bosses were quick to reassure fans that the ground’s heritage would not be forgotten, with memorabilia and fittings including the famous clock, Archibald Leech lattice work, the oldest turnstile and sections of the pitch transferred to what would become the Stadium of Light.

And fans were able to get their own hands on permanent souvenirs of Roker, with a massive auction held in June 1997.

Hundreds of fans snapped up auction catalogues to give themselves a chance of owning a piece of history as workmen moved in to dig up the famous pitch.

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A 50 sq yd section of the turf and one of the penalty spots went under the hammer, alongside items such as Peter Reid’s desk, sign boards from the ground and framed pictures.

A new stadium for Sunderland was initially proposed after a report on the Hillsborough disaster of 1989 
recommended all-seater grounds.

With Roker Park surrounded by residential streets, expansion was practically impossible, and the decision was taken to move.

An initial plan to develop a site near Nissan fell through in 1992, following objections, but the closure of Wearmouth Colliery in 1993 opened up new possibilities.