Are the powers-that-be at Fulham ridiculously stupid? Many of the key players who tried to engineer a move away from Craven Cottage are still in place. Their plan was met with organised opposition and a concerted campaign from what is now the Fulham Supporters’ Trust. So why would they consider selling the naming rights to our historic home?
Read more about a supposed deal with Fenway Sports Group designed to improve our marketability in the US in today’s FT. Here’s the key phrase:
It is also exploring selling the naming rights to Craven Cottage, Fulham’s stadium.
Time to fire off an email to the club I think.
Thanks for bringing that to my attention.
Renaming Craven Cottage simply must NOT be allowed to happen. It would appear that the deal with Fenway is with a view to increasing our fanbase in America – allowing them to market our shirt sponsership in America can only be a good thing, as there is a high possibility that with more coverage in the States, bigger companies will be more willing to sponser us, and thus (hopefully) pay more for the privilege of having their name on our shirt.
I cannot see how they would have the rights to renaming the Cottage though. I very much doubt that control of that would be handed over to them by Al Fayed and co just like that, especially given Al Fayed’s continued emphasis on the history of the club. A large part of the club’s appeal is it’s rather old-fashioend feel, in my view. IF it is to be renamed, and that’s a massive “if”, then I can only really see it being called the “Fenway Craven Cottage” or something a bit more ear-friendly along those lines.
Let’s hope it never comes to this. It would be ok if we were a team whose stadium was already named after a sponser (eg. JJB, now the DW, Emirates, Reebok etc), but I very much doubt that the people in charge will allow them to rename Craven Cottage, “the place where we belong…by the river”
The Fenway deal is certainly good in terms of improving our reach into America, which , with an improving national team about to head to the World Cup, could well be an emerging market for European clubs.
The problem comes with the renaming of the Cottage. It just shouldn’t be tolerated – and a fans’ campaign could effective. I doubt Fenway would take on the naming rights’ themselves rather act as intemediary between Fulham and interested parties. There’s not a lot of money in renaming old stadiums anyway.
I don’t share your optimism re. Al-Fayed and those around him I’m afraid. I lost a lot of faith in those running the club with the Loftus Road/Fulham River Projects debacle and it seems that the whole focus of our business model is based on making money fast rather than what is in the long-term interests of the football club.
Reading through this it is quite laughable. The journalist’s insistence that Fulham haven’t won a trophy means he must have missed our Intertoto Cup triumph (perhaps that’s not big enough to make it into the Financial Times?). Then there’s the rather desperate realisation from the Red Sox CEO that Fulham are 50 years older than his ‘franchise’.
But, aside from the renaming issue, – which is an outrage – there’s the spectre of the 39th game looming large. A Premier League game in Boston? No thank you.
My Dad was one of the driving members of the Back To The Cottage scheme that lead us back to Craven Cottage from that horrible QPR ground and I for one will do everything I can to stop such an atrocious decision ruining the clubs history wher so many have tried to preserve it.
Keep Craven Cottage and sell the naming rights to the pitch. Its done here in the States.
“Welcome to Craven Cottage. The Pepsi pitch looks to be in good shape today”
Money.
Ha ha Jason. You fancy advising Fulham on these matters? 😉
Guys, a few seasons back we had a club over here in Sweden where you would hear the speaker before EVERY corner taken in the game:
-“This corner is brought to you by NORDEA (a Scandinavian Bank)!”
On the original topic; no, njet, nicht, nej and the word NO in every other language possible! Craven Cottage is listed, so should the name be.
’nuff said!