Lowry's Going to the Match: Mayor wants £8m export ban enforced

Image source, Christie's Images Limited 2022

A mayor has called for an export ban be placed on an £8million painting of Lowry to buy time for a campaign to buy it so his town 'gains momentum'.

Going to the game is to be auctioned off by the Professional Footballers' Association charity later in October.

Salford Mayor Paul Dennett wants it purchased and displayed to the public.

Calling for a ban on taking it overseas, he said he would do whatever he could "to save this critically important painting".

LS Lowry, who died in 1976, spent a large part of his life in Salford and his work is strongly associated with the city.

His 1953 work Going to the Match w as one of many paintings that he made with a sports theme and was inspired by Burnden Park, which was then the home stadium of Bolton Wanderers.

He won Lowry first prize in an exhibition, which has been sponsored by the Football Association, and was last auctioned in 1999, when it was acquired by the charity Players Foundation for around £2million.

After the artwork was purchased, the charity loaned it to the city and it has been on display at the Lowry Arts Center for t...