Maestro by Robert White. © The Lowry

The worlds of art and football are set to collide for a new arts prize in Manchester.

One Love: The Football Art Prize has been organised by The Lowry arts centre on Salford Quays and football equipment manufacturers UMBRO. More than 800 professional and amateur artists have entered the competition, with a total £25,000 of prize money up for grabs.

A panel of judges including figures from the arts world like Lindsay Brooks, Head of Galleries at The Lowry, and Greg Dyke, former Director General of the BBC were joined by David James, former England goalkeeper and keen amateur artist, to choose 81 of the entrants to be exhibited at The Lowry from December 2 to March 25 2007.

Contenders for the prize include a DVD installation of chanting isolated football fans by Natasha Morris, a framed football shirt entitled Who Flocked Over Rover? By Robert Grose and a 3.5metre high painting of a Subbuteo player by Robert White.

Cup Fever by Gerald Cains. Cains also exhibited in the 1953 show that inspired the current competition. © The Lowry

The winning artworks will be announced by art critic Sacha Craddock, along with Professional Footballers’ Association Chief Executive Gordon Taylor, at an awards ceremony at The Lowry on November 30 2006.

David James will also be at the ceremony along with former England teammate and Newcastle striker Michael Owen.

Lindsay Brooks explained the inspiration for the competition came from the LS Lowry paining Going To The Match, which won a similar competition in 1953 and has been on loan to The Lowry since 1999.

“Ever since the Professional Footballers’ Association generously loaned us their painting Going To The Match, we have seen visitors make a special visit – almost a pilgrimage – to The Lowry to see it,” said Lindsay.

Team II by Mark I’Anson. © The Lowry

“It’s become known as one of the most famous paintings of football, written about by art historians and sports journalists alike.”

Although the Lowry painting won the competition in 1953 it did not put off another artist who had entered – 21-year-old Gerald Cains. Cains has entered the current competition again with a new work which pictures a scene from the 1976 Southampton versus Crystal Palace FA Cup semi-final.

“I think I was the youngest exhibitor in 1953 and I was delighted to be in the exhibition with LS Lowry,” he explained. “I am thrilled to be exhibiting my oil painting Cup Fever in 2006, 53 years on.”