FearTheVee wrote:
The problem is though, that something so distinctive is actually counter productive when it comes to naming rights.
Why is it? Corporate sponsors will still be happy to have their name in front of it because they're sponsoring the association with the team and their profile not the actual block of bricks. Whether the public calls it that is another thing but it will not prevent us being able to attract sponsors. What difference does it make if it's called The Typhoo Halo or The Typhoo Stadium? I suggest it would be pretty insignificant. After all we managed to attract a sponsor to Knowsley Road which doesn't have half the appeal of what the new ground will have.
If Man Utd threw open naming rights for Old Trafford but would only accept them if Old Trafford remained in the title do you think that corporate sponsors would think twice about it? I don't. I bet they'd be banging down the door with their millions. In any event I would prefer our new home to be memorable above everything else and 'The Halo' is that. If it meant an extra £20k a year to have the ground called XYZ plc Stadium I'd rather keep 'The Halo' otherwise it becomes just one more A N Other Stadium like the HJ, DW, Emirates etc., whose identity becomes tied to a corporate sponsor rather than the team. They are sponsoring us. We are not handing them the keys to who we are.
I don't understand why people can't see that we can protect our identity and have corporate sponsorship at the same time. It's far from impossible because the two are perfectly compatible. In fact, thinking about it, being known as The Halo is a great marketing tool for the corporate sponsors as well because there is no other prominent sporting venue in the world called The Halo which shows it can be a USP for our club. The Halo is modern, different, imaginative and creative which is also everything that this club is.