OUR STADIUM HAS GOT WORST NAME IN WORLD

South Wales Evening Post - 10 August 2005

It's official - the general public wants the name of Swansea's new sports stadium changed. A website poll carried out by city-based design and marketing company Bluesky Media rejected the title of The New Stadium Swansea, which was given as an interim name while a sponsor is found.

It got a four per cent share of the votes, whereas White Rock, the original working title for the Landore stadium, got a whopping 85 per cent.

Morfa got four per cent and other names made up the balance.Bluesky's marketing consultant John Davies said: "The name of the stadium is an emotive issue and these results reinforce the perception that the White Rock title has already stuck.

"The introduction of a 'clean' name has been introduced too late in the game and at this stage will only serve to damage the stadium's branding."

Phil Sumbler, webmaster for unofficial Swans' Jackarmy website and Swansea City Supporters' Trust board member, said: "The results are of no real surprise. Fans have still been calling it White Rock in the two or three weeks since it was officially named The New Stadium Swansea.

"I don't think that is going to change."

And he disagreed with the StadCo contention that a clean name was vital in attracting a sponsor.

"It almost defeats the object now," said Mr Sumbler.

"The fans are calling it White Rock and I think a sponsor would be happy to put its name alongside that. Any other name would never take off."

Ian Davies, who writes a column for unofficial Swans website SCFC, said: "The working title of White Rock Stadium was unceremoniously removed 'to encourage potential stadium sponsors' but none have been found," he said.

"We have the most advanced new stadium in Europe and the worst name in the world.

"I can't see how a potential sponsor would be more dissuaded by the name White Rock Stadium than New Stadium.

Gerald Clement, chairman of stadium management company Stadco, said that any sponsor wanting to incorporate the White Rock into a new name would be free to do so.

"There would be no problem with that," said Councillor Clement, the council's cabinet member for culture and recreation.

"I admit it has caught on with people."

But he was adamant that the company was right to come up with what he said was the deliberately bland New Stadium Swansea name.

"We were told that if we used the name White Rock it would be the death knell for any deal," said Councillor Clement.

"We attempted to make this plain to everyone.

"It was made pretty obvious that the name was deliberately bland so we could attract a sponsor."