FanchesterCity Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 Newcastle are to adopt the name "Sports Direct Arena" (temporarily) to illustrate the power of stadium naming, in the hope of attracting sponsors. I personally, am not a fan of such stadium names and loathe the way American trends are coming to European sport. It seems reasonably common place for this to happen now, and potentially MIGHT even come to Everton one day. I believe Man United said they would never rename Old Trafford, and I tip my hat to them, but what do fans think of - A) The general principle of naming a stadium in this manner (and of course it changing every few years)? and Of Goodison Park being renamed - either from 'just to make more money' or reluctantly, but in dire need of extra cash? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 What I don't understand is how it works. Why do the BBC for example, agree to call what was Ashburton Grove 'the Emirates'? How does the contract between sponsor and club control what third parties can refer to the stadium as. It never worked for Prince. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FanchesterCity Posted November 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 I would imagine it's twofold... One is purely habitual or by chance referral as 'The Emirates' and the other is probably a contractual obligation that all broadcasting or licensed image use be accompanied by the term 'The Emirates'. Certainly any broadcasting or imagery inside the ground will be subject to the club's rules and that may mandate the name (although there are possibly FA rules too that intertwine with club rules). When it's Champions League, they aren't supposed to call it 'The Emirates' - it gets called "Arsenal Stadium" !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FanchesterCity Posted November 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 I'd be curious to learn if anybody has ever measured the return on investment from stadium naming. Very probably impossible to measure, but clearly someone thinks it's worthwhile (possible the damn Ad Agency playing broker between the club and the sponsor!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubecula Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 (edited) BlueSky, what do you call your place? Eastlands or Etihad? (Never replace Maine Road IMO though) Not keen on the idea of renaming Goodison to be honest, However that is up to the owners. The important thing is the place that the fans can relate too. Just because someone renames the stadium Money Grabber Arena then why should the fans call it anything other than what they always have called it. If ManU want to keep the name Old Trafford then that is their decision too. Obviously they do not need to attract some investment with dodgy tactics like that. Edited November 10, 2011 by Rubecula Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete0 Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 (edited) BlueSky, what do you call your place? Eastlands or Etihad? (Never replace Maine Road IMO though) Not keen on the idea of renaming Goodison to be honest, However that is up to the owners. The important thing is the place that the fans can relate too. Just because someone renames the stadium Money Grabber Arena then why should the fans call it anything other than what they always have called it. If ManU want to keep the name Old Trafford then that is their decision too. Obviously they do not need to attract some investment with dodgy tactics like that. Worked there last season and only ever heard it referred to as Eastlands by City fans Or City's ground by other fans Edited November 10, 2011 by pete0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubecula Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 Worked there last season and only ever heard it referred to as Eastlands by City fans Or City's ground by other fans I think the media have to call the stadia by their new names. The fans are not constrained in the same way. Goodison will always be Goodison as far as I am concerned no matter what happens to naming rights. Besides I don't think (hope?) that we will go down that route anyway. Only way Everton will ever have home games at a place NOT called Goodison Park is with a ground move. But that is a different topic altogether and opens a new/old can of worms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FanchesterCity Posted November 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 You've got me thinking what I call it now... To be honest, I think I call it 'City' !! I'm not a fan of naming stadiums, but it matters less with a new one than it would for Goodison Park or Old Trafford etc. That said, if someone wants to put a fair bit of money into Everton to call it "Playstation Park" I think I'd take the money!. It'll always be Goodison Park to anybody who mattered! But if I didn't need the money, I'd say no. It must be 30 years ago (maybe) since shirt sponsorship started happening, and I can just about recall folks being very unhappy about that (I still don't like it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codders78 Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 The only people who will use St James' Park new name will be the media - because we have too. Just like KingPin and DW. A tweet from Stuart Rowson, Sports Director at the biased broadcasting corporation Don't know how it will work as fans won't say reet who is going doon the sport direct arena, it will still be the toon, st james or whatever else they affectionately call it. If some muppet corporation wants to shell out money then its up to them. When our stadiums were mooted I think it was mentioned at the time that Tesco might take up naming rights or have I just made that up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 Goodison Park is Goodison Park. It will stay that way and I will be sick if it changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FanchesterCity Posted November 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 In the case of Newcastle at the moment, it's not even a real sponsorship, it's being done to promote Mike Ashley's firm to show other firms that they COULD sponsor the ground name. I understand how it works etc, but what don't understand is - how, with ALL the money in the game is this necessary? It's a bit like winning the lottery and still keeping a penny jar to save up for little treats. I also suspect, that when it does happen at certain clubs, it's all part of a bigger package - to sponsor shirts, equipment, stadium etc (and inflate the price). e.g.. a club might get be struggling to win a certain shirt sponsor, so they throw in extras like 'and rename the stadium' or they get a sponsorship deal for 20 millions and say "and we'll throw in the stadium name for another 2 million" It's incredible that clubs get sooooo much money from TV rights etc that they spend 90% of it on wages and then are left begging for more money with deals like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowensda Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 In the case of Newcastle at the moment, it's not even a real sponsorship, it's being done to promote Mike Ashley's firm to show other firms that they COULD sponsor the ground name. Which in it's own right is disgusting, it's technically an 'experiment' for business deals. But as you've all noted, the toon army will still call it St James'. Agree with you BS regarding naming new stadiums and the old. Old Trafford could be named the DHL Stadium, EVERYONE bar the media will call it Old Trafford still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevO Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 i dont mind the naming of a brand new stadium, if its new and comes with a new name then fine. but to turn a stadium with so much history like st james, is just strange to me. im sure its a decent money spinner, but when its had a different name for so long it wont be called by its new name. arsenal fans will say they are going to the emirates, it has always been called that. newcastle fans will not be calling it sports direct arena im sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 When our stadiums were mooted I think it was mentioned at the time that Tesco might take up naming rights or have I just made that up? You made that up - I don't think anyone was ever found to be interested (a security company held talks). Robert Elstone went over to Asia to find someone who was, the club even sent DVDs out to the FTSE 500 companies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 i dont mind the naming of a brand new stadium, if its new and comes with a new name then fine. but to turn a stadium with so much history like st james, is just strange to me. im sure its a decent money spinner, but when its had a different name for so long it wont be called by its new name. arsenal fans will say they are going to the emirates, it has always been called that. newcastle fans will not be calling it sports direct arena im sure. spot on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FanchesterCity Posted November 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 Interesting point made by a Toon fan on talksport... He signed up for some great season ticket deal (350 quid every year for the next 10 years)... anyway, his point was - IF that stadium naming deal was helping to fund those lower ticket prices - great - bring it on. When expressed in those terms - it sounds a lot more attractive. If someone said, with 100% transparency - we've got 10 million to call it ToffeeTown and that money goes right back into the fans - by lowering the ticket prices - what then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 Interesting point made by a Toon fan on talksport... He signed up for some great season ticket deal (350 quid every year for the next 10 years)... anyway, his point was - IF that stadium naming deal was helping to fund those lower ticket prices - great - bring it on. When expressed in those terms - it sounds a lot more attractive. If someone said, with 100% transparency - we've got 10 million to call it ToffeeTown and that money goes right back into the fans - by lowering the ticket prices - what then? No, because it wouldnt and it wont for Newcastle either. Its a lie to get people reeled in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 think it depends on the actual name did anyone ever call st marys the "friends provident"? or how often was the riverside refered to as the "BT cellnet"? with the emirates, I think it's simply because "Emiratres", regardless of the corporate connotations, is a half decent name for a stadium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcus jones Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 What's Goodison to be named then ''The San Giro''? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 What's Goodison to be named then ''The San Giro''? That's pretty clever . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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