City mayor launches campaign to keep Lowry's iconic painting in Salford

Salford's mayor Paul Dennett has formally launched a campaign to keep LS Lowry's world-famous painting 'Going to the Match' in the city. The work which was painted by the Salford-born artist in 1953 and which features football fans on their way to the then Bolton Wanderers ground, Burnden Park, goes up for auction at Christie's on October 19.

Potentially, the painting owned by the charitable arm of the Professional Footballers' Association, could fetch more than £8million, according to experts. Speaking from The Lowry art gallery at Salford Quays, where the painting has been on display for the last 22 years, Mr Dennett appealed to people in the football community or other people in Greater Manchester 'of means' to bid for the painting.

He also said he was drafting a letter to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Michaelle Donelan, asking for a temporary export ban to prevent the painting going abroad should it be acquired by an international collector. Mr Dennett told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "We're here really to try to galvanise support to try to retain this painting in what is Lowry's biggest collection of paintings and drawings here at the art gallery which is free to access for members of the public in Salford, Greater Manchester and beyond.

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"To safeguard this painting as part of the largest collection of his drawings and paintings in the world is so important. "We're appealing and pleading with people in Greater Manchester, the footballing community and people outside that community, people of means