A TOWN steeped in amateur football history could become home to the country's first major tourist attraction celebrating the local heroes of the national game.

Bishop Auckland MP Derek Foster hopes to establish a national amateur football visitors' centre at the heart of a land rich in lower league soccer heritage.

The town itself is home to the most successful amateur club in history - ten times FA Amateur Cup winners Bishop Auckland Football Club.

And West Auckland won the first World Cup trophy, when a team of pitmen beat Italian giants Juventus in 1909, and again in 1911.

Mr Foster said: "There is nowhere better to locate a visitors' centre about amateur football. The Bishops and West Auckland obviously have heritage to celebrate. Other local clubs such as Crook, Willington and Spennymoor have wonderful rich histories and fascinating stories to tell.

"The centre will be valuable for national heritage and as an attraction to the area."

A possible site in the town centre has already been identified and Mr Foster has teamed up with the local club and environment agency Groundwork to start planning the centre.

He plans to hold an exhibition by the end of the year to launch the scheme and start a fund-raising campaign and appeal for memorabilia. The project has already won the support of legendary soccer hero Lawrie McMenemy, who has agreed to become honorary president of the centre when it opens.

During the Sixties he turned Bishop Auckland from a struggling side into Northern League champions and into the third round of the FA Cup.

Mr Foster said: "He is a wonderful personality. I'm very grateful that he is still interested in the town and will be a wonderful figurehead while working towards opening the centre."

The centre would complement the Football Association Museum at Preston, which showcases the history of professional football.

Mark Bushell, spokesman for the museum, said: "We opened two years ago and are enjoying real success. In three years time we hope to be attracting 100,000 visitors annually.

"It is great that other people want to take responsibility for preserving our football heritage and sharing it with history fans and football supporters."