STADIUM SPONSOR TROUBLE REJECTED

16 February 2005

Swansea Council has dismissed rumours that there are problems over naming rights for the city's new £27 million stadium. They have insisted rumours that the ground's bosses are likely to get only half the expected £800,000 in stadium sponsorship are simply not true.

The opening of the new home for football and rugby in Swansea is just months away, but the impressive-looking venue still has no name. That has caused increasing concern among interested onlookers.

Some fans have expressed regret at the dropping of the White Rock working title in favour of chasing a money-generating commercial choice.

The council insisted that progress was being made but that has not stopped sources on a website suggesting the behind-the-scenes negotiations to pull off a big-money deal were faltering.

The site, named Inside Out @ Swansea, said the speculation among PR consultants is that talks over naming rights for Swansea's new stadium have gone belly-up.

It added: "Consultants who were talking in terms of more than £800,000 in sponsorship now apparently admit figures of less than half the original sum are more likely.

"The council was keen to distance itself from the content of the website.

A spokeswoman said: "Swansea's new stadium offers potential sponsors a wonderful opportunity to be associated with one of Europe's finest regional sports venues.

"It presents a fantastic package of sponsorship opportunities connected to the stadium naming rights, stand sponsorship and right to supply the bars. The unsubstantiated rumours on an anonymous website are untrue."

The website is the latest one to give its own take on the naming of the stadium.

Earlier this month, Jack Army, the Swansea City football supporters' website, claimed it would be called The City of Swansea Stadium. And should a sponsor be found, the name would change slightly to accommodate it, the site claimed.

A spokesman for Swansea Council refused to comment on the suggestion.