"Renaming Old Trafford Is Unthinkable" - Sir Alex

[soccerbest]

Sir Alex Ferguson says there is no chance that the naming rights to Old Trafford will be sold off as part of a new sponsorship deal.

The United boss laughed at the speculation and mockingly suggested that the stadium’s new name would be inspired by the author of the rumour, The Sun’s football correspondent Neil Custis.

“It’s amazing,” said a perplexed Sir Alex at his weekly press conference.

“You come to work in the morning expecting it to be a quiet day, you’ve got no midweek game and you think you’re task is to prepare your players for the weekend’s game.

“Then you read some nonsense in the newspaper and you have to respond to it. That’s the problem," he continued, "you have got to respond to articles created by the imagination of some journalists.

He joked: “We’ll rename the stadium and give it the right title to reflect the voracity of Mr Custis’ work. We’ve got some great ideas, but renaming your stadium is an important issue so we’ll keep it under wraps for now.”

“It’s absolutely unthinkable,” the manager added on a more serious note.

Report by Ben Hibbs at Carrington.

http://www.manutd.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=304991&itype=466&icategoryid=120

 

[Escobar]

Fergie - Custis 3 - 0

 

[Edgio]

feck off Custis.

 

[PINKPANTHER]

Its amazing - only a couple of days ago people on here we're calling for mass demonstrations about this issue. Custis screwed you all.SUCKERS

 

[northroad1878]

It is not unthinkable. I'm absolutely positive that the Glazers have thought about it. They thought better of it at this stage, but Ferguson's word wouldn't stop them if they wanted to do it. And he'd probably change his mind if they wanted to anyway.

 

[heightmassive]

With all due respect to the man, how would Ferguson know whether the Glazers have been toying with the idea or actively touting for sponsors of the stadium?

 

[MThomas]

he`s right, there`s no chance that we will sell the stadium name as a part of a new shirt sponsorship deal. it will be two seperate deals, one for the shirt and one for the stadium.

 

[Redfighter]

The name 'Old Trafford' is a big part of the identity of this football club. Even the Glazer realise that renaming the ground would not be beneficial from a marketing point of view. They have to way up whether the money that would be earned from renaming would match the money made of stadiums identity over the long run.

 

[MThomas]

stadium identity ? exactly how much money are we getting from stadium identity

 

[Redfighter]

stadium identity ? exactly how much money are we getting from stadium identity

The stadium is as famous as the team, although I cannot answer the question as to how much it earns us. What I'm saying though is that Old Trafford is part of the brand, it's a synomymous with the team, a change of name may confuse i foriegn counties.

 

[reelworld]

The stadium is as famous as the team, although I cannot answer the question as to how much it earns us. What I'm saying though is that Old Trafford is part of the brand, it's a synomymous with the team, a change of name may confuse i foriegn counties.

Exactly.

 

[WeasteDevil]

stadium identity ? exactly how much money are we getting from stadium identity

What a totally Jethro thing to say!

 

[MThomas]

its sentimental value, look at what arsenal are getting for selling the naming rights of their new stadium, we would get more than that due to the manchester united brand. glazers would accept it if someone offered more money than arsenal are getting.

 

[Redfighter]

its sentimental value, look at what arsenal are getting for selling the naming rights of their new stadium, we would get more than that due to the manchester united brand. glazers would accept it if someone offered more money than arsenal are getting.

If say it was renamed but something like...

The Nike Arena
Old Trafford
Manchester

would you care as much. If we got to keep the Old Trafford sign but got 100 million to help pay off the debt, would that be acceptable.

Although I'm guessing the OT sign would fetch a bit on ebay.

 

[laura]

Renaming Old Trafford would be the daftest idea ever.Hands kin off!

 

[MThomas]

renaming old trafford would be absolutely horrible for the fans, im not trying to say otherwise, but financially ?

 

[Mozza]

Arsenals deal is rubbish, 100 million over 15 years and the shirts for 8, not that much.

 

[laura]

renaming old trafford would be absolutely horrible for the fans, im not trying to say otherwise, but financially ?

This idea should be ignored!

 

[very Ruud]

It is not unthinkable. I'm absolutely positive that the Glazers have thought about it. They thought better of it at this stage, but Ferguson's word wouldn't stop them if they wanted to do it. And he'd probably change his mind if they wanted to anyway.

Seconded.

 

[SmashedHombre]

With all due respect to the man, how would Ferguson know whether the Glazers have been toying with the idea or actively touting for sponsors of the stadium?

With no respect what so fecking ever to the man, how would Cuntis?

 

[Shane B]

Old Trafford will be renamed for a large wedge of cash, the Glazer's are running a business and will sell whatever needs to be sold to generate money, it may not happen straight away, but it will happen, those who think otherwise are clearly deluded.

 

[peterstorey]

Arsenals deal is rubbish, 100 million over 15 years and the shirts for 8, not that much.

It's heavily front-loaded, important for getting the stadium debt down quicker.

 

[Redfighter]

It's heavily front-loaded, important for getting the stadium debt down quicker.

Aresnal are shite, imagine what we'd get, billions

 

[red_ninja]

Renaming Old Trafford would damage the United "brand" and muddy its image so it's doubtful they would do it at least in the foreseeable. This is not to say they give a flying turd about the fans - it just wouldn't be good marketing.

 

[nickm]

Old Trafford will be renamed for a large wedge of cash, the Glazer's are running a business and will sell whatever needs to be sold to generate money, it may not happen straight away, but it will happen, those who think otherwise are clearly deluded.

Agree with this. And if it was a choice between the hedge funds selling Rooney to pay off the debt, or us taking £100m to hang a new sign over Old Trafford, I'd know what option I'd choose: someone hand me a stepladder.

 

[Mozza]

It's heavily front-loaded, important for getting the stadium debt down quicker.

We'll be getting 12-13 million a season for our shirts alone, we dont need the cash from the stadium name to compete

 

[fredthered]

We'll be getting 12-13 million a season for our shirts alone, we dont need the cash from the stadium name to compete

You think this money will go towards a transfer budget ?

 

[77]

I'm surprised we haven't gone the way of the Championship clubs and had secondary sponsors on the shirts. Can you imagine the golden arches across the arse of the shorts...

Or how about sponsoring the songs...

United Road.... brought to you by Sony
take me home... in a 2007 Ford Explorer
to the place... Burger King, have it your way
I belong...
To Nike Arena Old Trafford

 

[Jacqueline_S]

err..no thanks.
i had enough listening to those craps here in Canada...

 

[njred]

He is going to change the name.And you'll accept it and move on.
May as well pick a name now and get it over with.Something not TOO cheesy though,ok?

 

[The Hairdryer]

With all due respect to the man, how would Ferguson know whether the Glazers have been toying with the idea or actively touting for sponsors of the stadium?

You heard of a thing called a telephone. Ir's a wonderful modern invention than enables you to speak to someone from far distances without the use of string and two empty cans of baked beans.

 

[The Hairdryer]

You think this money will go towards a transfer budget ?

first rule of economics, you have to make spend money to make money There's now 76000 seats to fill, and an extremely tough Chelsea team to catch. The Glazer must spend money to produce a succesful and entertaining product otherwise they won't reap the benefits of a capacity stadium or the benefits of making and going far in tournaments like the Champions League.

Anyway, I now believe the Club is doomed to fail. Not exclusively due to the Glazers takeover but due to outside economic forces. In the next 5-20 years we will go through a global depression that will make the 30's look small time. I wouldn't worry about the Club though, you'll have far greater concerns when this this happens.

 

[dc_red]

Anyway, I now believe the Club is doomed to fail. Not exclusively due to the Glazers takeover but due to outside economic forces. In the next 5-20 years we will go through a global depression that will make the 30's look small time. I wouldn't worry about the Club though, you'll have far greater concerns when this this happens.

Thats the spirit - maybe you could have thrown in something about a world wide bird flu epidemic or something equally sinister just to really get your point across

 

[The Hairdryer]

Thats the spirit - maybe you could have thrown in something about a world wide bird flu epidemic or something equally sinister just to really get your point across

Why would I bother with Bird Flu

 

[dc_red]

Why would I bother with Bird Flu

It was a pretty depressing outlook on the future as it stood - why not go the whole hog.

 

[Shane B]

Agree with this. And if it was a choice between the hedge funds selling Rooney to pay off the debt, or us taking £100m to hang a new sign over Old Trafford, I'd know what option I'd choose: someone hand me a stepladder.

It will probably get dressed up as money for players, however it wont be, as money for players should be part of our budget. People will fall for it, start spouting on about what latest foreign name is about to sign, and the Glazers will slip the cash into their greedy pockets.

 

[dc_red]

It will probably get dressed up as money for players, however it wont be, as money for players should be part of our budget. People will fall for it, start spouting on about what latest foreign name is about to sign, and the Glazers will slip the cash into their greedy pockets.

I know you disagree with this Shane, but I don't reckon they'll remane the Stadium. Even the Yankees have a sense of history and there's afew of the old and great Stadiums over here that haven't sold out (and won't as far as I know) - Yankee Stadium & Fenway Park to name two.

As someone said above, Old Trafford is part of the history and I reckon the Glazers see it as part of the brand (I hate describing our club like that but that's what it is to them) and they'll keep the name intact.

I hope I'm right on this one

 

[Shane B]

He is going to change the name.And you'll accept it and move on.
May as well pick a name now and get it over with.Something not TOO cheesy though,ok?

The Cheesy Wotsit Stadium?

 

[Shane B]

I hope I'm right on this one

I hope you are too, but the Glazers are here to make money, they don't give a feck about the club or it's history, what they do care about is money, and a lot of money is at stake.

They are not going to turn down £50m, of that I am sure.

 

[dc_red]

I hope you are too, but the Glazers are here to make money, they don't give a feck about the club or it's history, what they do care about is money, and a lot of money is at stake.

They are not going to turn down £50m, of that I am sure.

Yeah - but i reckon that it will not become the actual Nike Stadium or whatever else. The closest they will get to naming will be for a company to pay to be associated with Old Trafford but not change the name.