ThunderPower_14 Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Over here in Adelaide, Australia our biggest Aussie rules football stadium was traditionally known as Football Park, but was renamed a few years ago AAMI stadium after and insurance company. We all thought at the time we would always call it Footy Park, but pretty quickly people began to refer to it as AAMI stadium, and this is by far the more common name for it at the moment. That said, no one ever wonders what you are talking about when you refer to it as AAMI stadium. People were apprehensive at the name change, but the upgrade in facilities due to the revenue brought in was well worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted August 20, 2006 VT Supporter Share Posted August 20, 2006 Definately rename VP get a big company to sponsor us give VP a new official name but fans and everyone connected to the club would still call it Villa park! That's what happened with the Denver Broncos in the NFL... they built a new stadium next door to their old one (Mile High Stadium), and sold the naming rights so it became "Invesco Field at Mile High". The fans still call it "Mile High Stadium". I think something a la the way the Rose Bowl (game) has handled naming rights might work: "$SPONSOR Villa Park". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexicon Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Incorporating Villa Park into the title for me is a must, because I dont want to be lumbered with the Pedigree Chum Stadium regardless of getting some extra £s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilsonrx Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 I don't mind if it brings in a significant amount of cash. It seems to be the way forward and we have to compete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin@villatalk Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Would be nice to have the north stand changed to something more imaginative If changing the name brings in a couple of million then go for it.... Yeah - its nice to keep the traditional stadium name but end of the day its just a name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtvcdm Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 There 's one question you need to ask yourself beforehand: Are you attached to 'Villa Park' in the way Red Sox fans are attached to 'Fenway Park' or Packers fans are attached to 'Lambeau Field'? If the answer is yes, stop right there. Renaming isn't worth it to you. A new name just wouldn't sound right. That said, I have no such attachment as I haven't been here long. My primary worry, besides the money, is if the name's going to sound ugly. Some companies make for more attractive stadium names than others: GOOD: Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati Reds), Miller Park (Milwaukee Brewers). OKAY: Emirates Stadium (Arsenal), Coors Field (Colorado Rockies). BAD: Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Devil Rays), Comerica Park (Detroit Tigers). MAKE THE HURTING STOP: Qualcomm Stadium (San Diego Chargers), M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore Ravens). And take it from us Americans, who do this all the time: eventually, you WILL lapse from calling it Villa Park, and you WILL start calling it whatever it gets named. You won't be able to help it. (If the corporate name is in the front. If it's in the back, such as 'Villa Park Presented by (blank), you'll stop caring at the word 'Presented'.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted August 20, 2006 Moderator Share Posted August 20, 2006 And take it from us Americans, who do this all the time: eventually, you WILL lapse from calling it Villa Park, and you WILL start calling it whatever it gets named. You won't be able to help it. Trust us when we Brits say - WE BLOODY WELL WON'T See theres an intrinsic difference over her - we tend to call a ground by its corporate name when its had no other name before hand. When an older stadium is renamed, no-one ever calls it by that name, they just call it the original name We're like that us Brits, sticklers for tradition and all that and bloody minded about it too I still call what is now known as a Snickers Bar a Marathon, Starburst are still Opal Fruits etc etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BendtKoch Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 I couldn't give a flying **** to be honest. Villa Park is Villa Park as far as I'm concerned and if someone wants to pay a big slab of cash to call it something else on the telly then that's ok with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villafan306 Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Isn't Upton Park called the Boeyln Stadium or something like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted August 20, 2006 Moderator Share Posted August 20, 2006 Isn't Upton Park called the Boeyln Stadium or something like that? Boleyn Ground Its always been called that, its just that evryone calls it Upton Park anyway (think thats the area its in) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexicon Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Upton Park.. what a shithole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishmangiant Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Let's hope we don't get sponsored by a company called "3Point". 3Point Park would prevent us from becoming a force in the prem! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foose Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 But Cleveland Browns still play at Cleveland Browns Stadium - meaning Randy Lerner, the franchise owner and soon to be Chairman of Aston Villa, is not a man who stamps on history. As an aside, it was Al Lerner, Randy's father who was the Browns' owner when they chose not to sell naming rights to the stadium. Instead, each of the four gates is sponsored by a different company, and importantly, they are all LOCAL companies. IIRC, it's the first time such an approach was taken. He's seen new approaches to getting sponsor money without stomping on tradition, so I think if enough people object to renaming Villa Park, he'll find other ways to bring in money for the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brummybloke Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 i thought most stadiums with sponsors names were names because the sponsor paid for the majority of the stadium and the stadiums were in gerneral new builds? i would not like it for villa park to be completely renamed, infact i would rather it left as villa park. maybe changing the way we have sponsors in the ground would do for starters, instead of being sponsored by big johns chippy on a couple banners , why not have corperate sponsors in the ground and the local business in the match day programmes? and changing the old crap boards for electronic things all the way around the ground and maybe renaming the ellis stand and the north stand to one sponsor, then if it is a positive responce from the fans, get ground sponsorship and get the 2 stands renamed on a public vote on what we want the names to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villadude Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 It's Villa Park, always will be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisVillan Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 thought most stadiums with sponsors names were names because the sponsor paid for the majority of the stadium and the stadiums were in gerneral new builds? Hmmm. Couldn't even guess at the first bit but the second point there is rather an interesting one. In the few seconds since I read it I've not been able to think of an existing stadium which has been properly renamed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis_B Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Witton Lane remains the Witton Lane and Villa Park will remain Villa Park Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin@villatalk Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Doug Ellis remains Doug Ellis??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicw8832 Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 I am open minded about this, I think we have to see what the alternative would be first and what it would give us in terms of revenue / commercial opportunity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted August 20, 2006 Moderator Share Posted August 20, 2006 thought most stadiums with sponsors names were names because the sponsor paid for the majority of the stadium and the stadiums were in gerneral new builds? Hmmm. Couldn't even guess at the first bit but the second point there is rather an interesting one. In the few seconds since I read it I've not been able to think of an existing stadium which has been properly renamed. Yorks ground changed from Bootham Cresent to the KitKat Crescent As I said earlier the McAlpine Stadium is called something completely different and forgettable now - (galpham Stadium) Wycome Wanders Adams Park is now called the Causeway stadium (some software firm) Doncaster Rovers Bell Vue is now called the Earth Stadium (finance Company) Bournemouth - Fitness First Stadium (that ones a bit dangerous ) None of these were named these names when built Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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