Following the branding of Eastlands as the Etihad stadium, Sir Bobby Charlton has insisted that there will be no naming deal at Old Trafford. The name of the ground is simply too important for Manchester United’s identity.
Following the branding of Eastlands as the Etihad stadium, Sir Bobby Charlton has insisted that there will be no naming deal at Old Trafford. The name of the ground is simply too important for Manchester United’s identity.
However, the football legend accepts that it might be appropriate for lower league clubs that are short of cash, although one might add that this has produced some odd and convoluted names, e.g., Colchester United’s Weston Homes Community Stadium hardly trips off the tongue. Chesterfield’s B2net is a lot shorter and conveys an ambitious 21st century image compared with the cosier feel of the Colchester name.
A naming deal would be attractive to the Glazers given the need to service their debt, but it would be a step too far and a new flashpoint that would mobilse resistance from the fans. Naming deals probably work best where there is move of ground and the new name is both snappy and conveys prestige, e.g., the Emirates.