Museum gets footballer's ashes

Tommy Lawton scored a total of 231 league goals

The ashes of legendary England centre forward Tommy Lawton are to go on display at a Lancashire museum.

Mr Lawton played for Burnley, Everton, Chelsea, Notts County and Arsenal, as well as being a regular in the England team.

He made 390 league appearances between 1936 and 1956 and scored 231 goals during that time.

His son, Tommy Jnr, asked the National Football Museum in Preston to take his father's ashes after the footballer was voted into the museum's hall of fame.

He said: "I realise that this is somewhat unusual but I do genuinely feel that this is the right place for my father.

"The museum has showed a great deal of sensitivity and compassion in dealing with my request."

Football 'legend'

Mr Lawton was inducted into the museum's hall of fame

Mr Lawton Jnr had originally wanted the ashes scattered at Everton's Goodison Park home, but was fearful the land may be developed in later years.

Mark Bushell, from the museum, said: "When I contacted his son to inform him that his father had been voted into the hall of fame I was taken aback when he asked me if his father's ashes could be placed within the museum."

Mr Bushell stressed that the museum had given the request serious consideration before a decision was made.

He added: "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."