English Football Hall of Fame
New members are added each year, with an induction ceremony held in the autumn, formerly at varying locations, but exclusively at the Museum itself following its move to Manchester's Urbis building in 2012.
The current panel features Neil Carter, Tony Collins, Jeffrey Hill, Peter Holme, Dick Holt, John Hughson, Simon Inglis, Alexander Jackson, Gary James, Graham Kelly, Tony Mason, Kevin Moore, Martin Polley, Dil Porter, Dave Russell, Matthew Taylor, Jean Williams and John Williams.
Jimmy Hill is to date the sole recipient of an honour styled as a Lifetime Achievement Award, in celebration of his unusual polymathic career in the game.
In 2007, the Football Foundation Community Champion award was created, with its inaugural holder being Niall Quinn.
He had been training with Oldham Athletic, in preparation for the 2008 European Learning Disability Championship, where he would captain the England LD side.
From 2014 to 2017, members of the England cerebral palsy team were honoured, with Matt Dimbylow,[134] Gary Davies,[142] Martin Sinclair[149] and Alistair Patrick-Heselton winning.
In 2008, Michel Platini, then president of UEFA, became the second figure outside the English game to be honoured by the Museum in a one-off European Hall of Fame ceremony.
Secondly, to Ebenezer Cobb Morley, the first secretary of the Football Association and often considered to be its founding father, inducted to mark the governing body's 150th anniversary.
[134] In 2015, Sun Jihai, the first Chinese player in the English game, was made "Anglo-Chinese Football Ambassador".
His surprise induction was announced as part of the state visit to the United Kingdom by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
A spokesman for the museum explained that Sun had been recognised for his "ambassadorial role in enhancing the profile and popularity of English football to a Chinese audience".
[230] Taylor remained the only inductee until 2024, when Rebecca Welch, who became the first woman to referee a Premier League fixture, was inducted in 2024.
