Early Doors - Your morning briefing blog

Worst stadium names

Wed Nov 04 04:24PM

So, sportsdirect.com @ St James' Park?

It sounds to Early Doors like a kind of tacky hotel bar ('Horizons @ Novotel, Wolverhampton'), but it's actually the new name of Newcastle's ground.

While it may be the first stadium that looks like an email address, believe it or not there are worse names.

Maybe. Anyway, here are 10 contenders:

Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium (Sturm Graz, Grazer AK)

The home of Sturm Graz and Grazer AK opened in 1997 but - after a dispute over an execution in California - Arnie out with his home town and revoked its right to use his name. The stadium is now called the UPC-Arena.

Dick's Sporting Goods Park (Colorado Rapids)

We could fill a whole top 10 with American stadiums (Pizza Hut Park, Home Depot Center), but the home of MLS's Colorado Rapids takes the prize with its combination of folksy charm and rampant commercialism.

Falkirk Stadium (Falkirk)

It's a stadium, and Falkirk play there. The most unimaginative football ground in the world was clearly brought to you by the people who named the European currency the Euro, and who rebranded the National Lottery 'Lotto'.

KitKat crescent (York City)

York City's ground was known as Bootham Crescent from 1932 until a fateful day, 72 years later, when Nestle entered the fray. The Swiss chocolate giant has a factory nearby, but it's a silly name nonetheless.

London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Stadium (Dagenham and Redbridge)

A catchy moniker for Dagenham and Redbridge's home, which used to be called Victoria Park. The new name has been in use since 2007 when the Daggers did a deal with the local council.

Spotland (Rochdale)

Rochdale's home ground has plenty in its favour - it has been around for nearly 90 years and is logically named after the area it is based in. But Spotland? It just doesn't sit right with Early Doors. Sorry.

stadium:mk (Milton Keynes Dons)

If the MK Dons were not fake enough for you, witness their 32,000-seater stadium with its stupid, gramatically-incorrect name - no doubt the result of some idiotic marketing brainstorm. (See also: Amsterdam ArenA)

Tofik Bakhramov Stadium (Azerbaijan)

There's nothing wrong with naming your national stadium after a legendary figure, but Azerbaijan's favourite son was a linesman, for goodness sake. Although he was the 'Russian' who won England the World Cup.

Walkers Bowl (Leicester City)

This one never saw the light of day; the evil forces of marketing relented and Leicester City's new ground saw its provisional name softened to the Walkers Stadium. Free crisps no longer included.

Wankdorf Stadium (Young Boys)

Stop giggling at the back. Oh, go on then. The Wankdorf stood in Bern from 1925 and 2001, when it was demolished. It was rebuilt for Euro 2008, where it paraded as the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf.

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1ST
From darren.varley on Wed Nov 04 04:29PM
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1ST
From darren.varley on Wed Nov 04 04:29PM
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Nooooooooo Why does the afternoon ED always insist on ripping MK Dons. Stadium:MK is a better name than sportsdirect.com@stjamespark
From jay8my on Wed Nov 04 04:36PM
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lol Lay. 4-0 to the Arsenal tonight.
From saschavanpraagh on Wed Nov 04 04:40PM
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Ha ha ha - ED said "wankdorf" - hehehe.
From horusthethirdeye on Wed Nov 04 04:42PM
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#5 Sorry , obv was meant to be Jay
From saschavanpraagh on Wed Nov 04 04:52PM
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the new ar5ena1 stadium the haemarroids stadium
From pll2603 on Wed Nov 04 04:52PM
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Newcastle's ground should be called Sid James' Park with all the comedy goings on there with its owner!
From stan621 on Wed Nov 04 04:53PM
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The Wankdorf stadium must really pull them in, or is that....
From andy_lycett on Wed Nov 04 05:00PM
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Sascha - Didn't they hold you to a 1-1 draw last time out?
and you've just lost clichy!
From doobie.doobiedoo on Wed Nov 04 05:01PM
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It should be 70% off RRP @St James Park.
From andy_lycett on Wed Nov 04 05:01PM
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Bearing in mind the circus that it's become, wouldn't 'Chipperfields' have been more apt?
From pauljohnsmith3000 on Wed Nov 04 05:03PM
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WAT A BRILLIONT NAME FAE A BUNCH A FACKIN LOSSERS.
From donneymcclain on Wed Nov 04 05:03PM
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strange staduim names: A. Le Coq Arena Estonia
Stade Omar Bongo Gabon
Dennis Martínez National Stadium Nicaragua (Martinez ok, very latino, but dennis?)
My Dinh National Stadium Vietnam
From karjola on Wed Nov 04 05:03PM
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DONT SEE IBROX IN THE 10 WORSE NAMES FOR STADIUMS. LOL
AND FALKIRKS GROUND IS WESTFIELD STADIUM!!!!!!!!!
From reilly77 on Wed Nov 04 05:04PM
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THEY SHAD CAL DER STADIAM 'THA BANCH A FACKANG LOSSERS STADIAM.'
From donneymcclain on Wed Nov 04 05:04PM
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wankdoff young boys new stadium could have been called the Gary Glitter arena! (yes, im going to hell)
From daveleary7 on Wed Nov 04 05:08PM
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Steph, yes, but AZ will not know what hits them tonight. And Gibbs will play @ back.
From saschavanpraagh on Wed Nov 04 05:08PM
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its in the same league as rooney not knowing what his pet fish is
From andmarkjen on Wed Nov 04 05:09PM
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weied names
From georgie_gibson on Wed Nov 04 05:09PM
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ye ur all sad to put a comment on this.......wait that means im sad
From norahsnee on Wed Nov 04 05:11PM
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Young Boys Bern? Not as well as Witches I fancy!!!!
From andy_lycett on Wed Nov 04 05:11PM
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pompey,s ground spelt backwards reads KRAP NOT ARF!
From bobtu151 on Wed Nov 04 05:14PM
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24-very good
From andy_lycett on Wed Nov 04 05:19PM
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ED MUST HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH....HELL NO!!! i WIKIPEDIAD THESE STADIIA (PLURAL OF STADIUM WHICH YOU FOOLS DIDN'T KNOW) AND MOST OF THEM DON'T EVEN EXIST!!!! ED IS SO DUMB....TALK ABOUT TONIGHT'S GAME....UNITED V CHELSEA....MARLON KING...???? YOU HAD TO JUST TALK ABOUT MADE-UP STADIIA!!!! I'M MAKIN MY OWN BLOG!!!!
From iudoka2004 on Wed Nov 04 05:22PM
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24 - lool xxx thats jks xx i guess tha m=name will grow on ppl xx it is onlii earlii daiii xx we shld all b happi xx
From clara_mikaela on Wed Nov 04 05:22PM
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Gaylord Entertainment Center of the Nashville Predators is bad as well
From goosfrabha on Wed Nov 04 05:23PM
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If you take a look at the pictures of Spurs new stadium its got the words naming rights plastered everyehere (nothing like pointing out the obvious). Guess this makes it the Naming Rights Stadium, now that would be daft!
From zack_morrison_uk on Wed Nov 04 05:26PM
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Might one assume that the former Victoria Park might have been more interestingly named Barking Dag Fields when the new sponsers arrived?
From southockendon on Wed Nov 04 05:26PM
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Big vote on possible new Bristol City Stadium tonight - any suggestions for the new name? (Currently play at Ashton Gate, hoping to move 1 whole mile to Ashton Vale)
From kevinrawlins68 on Wed Nov 04 05:33PM
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