Light on the US matter

Regarding the last post on the US Soccer Museum status, I turned to the former Director of the Museum (National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum) Mr Jack Huckel.

Q:
Do you have an updated version of the status of the collections and archives?
I fear that the valuable collection will be sold of.

A:
Let me put you at ease - the collection in general cannot be sold off as part of the agreement with the certifying organization - New York State Office of Museums.

The materials are located in the Eurosport warehouse in North Carolina. The warehouse is a climate controlled facility and the archives are, I have been told, stored separately in a caged area so there is not general availability to its contents. The plan, as expressed to me, is to work with museum and library studies students to work the collection. Hopefully, this will become true.

To make some corrections to your blog post, the National Soccer Hall of Fame is still organized as a non-profit corporate entity. A new Board of Directors is being instituted and it will be a separate entity from the U.S. Soccer Federation, though U.S. Soccer will continue to offer administrative support.

In actuality the two organizations will act together, but legally will be separate.

The key is, of course, that the archives are together and could be used to resurrect the Museum in the future.
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This future scenario is not likely anytime soon, so we just have to wait and see what the new Board concludes.
Jack Huckel is now his own man with a specialist firm offering services with work related to Halls of Fame: J.R. Huckel & Associates

What are the plans for the US Soccer Collection and Archives?

When the US National Soccer Hall of Fame & Museum closed down in Oneonta, 2009, little was known what was going to happen to the collection of objects. Over a year has passed since the museum's board of directors decided to give up their facilities and break up their displays. The collection and archive was said to be relocated to a warehouse in North Carolina, at a long term sponsor.

The press release of february 2010 said:

"As part of the operating change, the Hall of Fame will close its Oneonta, N.Y., facility and relocate the collections and archives. Preliminary plans include distributing permanent displays for exhibition in several locations nationwide, while elements of the Hall’s archives not on display will be preserved in storage facilities provided by one of the Hall’s longtime corporate sponsors, Eurosport, located in Hillsborough, N.C."

The ownership of the collections and archives is no longer with the former non-profit organisation but with the US Soccer Federation, apparently. The plans for the collection or any future plans for a museum are not known. Rumours has it that the US Soccer Federation wants to relocate the Museum to a larger city, preferably to the stadium of a MLS club.
No luck in that department as of yet.

Balls & Boots will try to get some fresh information on this case.

The National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum opened in 1981 and moved to their new facilities in 1999 before closing in 2009.
In relation to the type of colletcions what other football museums holds, the US one is of particular interest, especially in terms of women's football. For instance, among the world's football museum objects of fantastic players the Mia Hamm collection is a crucial one.

The US Soccer Hall of Fame is still running, still inducting, but without a physical space.

Hartman Donates Record-Setting Gloves

Today we learn from the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum in the U.S that goalkeeper Kevin Hartman of Kansas City Wizards has donated his record-setting gloves and jersey after setting a record in the MLS with 1137 saves.

Hartman presented Hall of Fame Director of Museum and Archives Jack Huckel his game-worn jersey and gloves from the record setting match following the Sunday, April 5 Wizards’ shutout victory over San Jose, where Hartman extended his own record for career shutouts to a higher level. "I am excited that the Hall of Fame will place this jersey and these gloves on display,” Hartman said. “Every player dreams of being in the Hall of Fame. I don’t know if I’ll get elected, but a piece of my history is there and that’s very special to me. I look forward to visiting Oneonta in the future and seeing all the displays at the Museum.”

Hartman’s jersey and gloves will go on exhibition in the Hall of Fame MLS Display during the month of April.