<font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Stadium name could yield £10m for Bluebirds Sep 23 2007 </font></font><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">by Chris Wathan, Wales On Sunday </font></font> <font face="Calibri" size="3">PETER RIDSDALE will put speculation over his future aside to start work on securing a multi-million-pound naming rights deal for Cardiff City’s new stadium. And that could mean a possible £10m-plus boost to the Bluebirds’ attempts to banish their financial problems.</font></p><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">The City chairman revealed this week he had threatened to quit the club after receiving abusive messages from supporters demanding former owner Sam Hammam’s return. But after having his resignation unanimously turned down by Cardiff’s board of directors, Ridsdale has switched his attentions to brokering a naming-rights deal that will pay off a huge chunk of the club’s debts. </font></font><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Former Leeds supremo Ridsdale admitted he had been waiting the confirmation of Cardiff Blues’ agreement to rent the new stadium at Leckwith before attempting to land a potentially lucrative naming deal. “We have been deliberately holding back on the naming rights,” said Ridsdale, following the deal with the regional rugby side. “Obviously once we could say the stadium is going to be used for more events, and guaranteed for more events, then it’s going to have added value on what the naming rights are going to be worth.” </font></font><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Cardiff’s financial situation means the naming rights have already been valued at £9m and already promised to loan-note holders Langston, an agreement which was part of the deal the club claim has to restructure the debt from £24m to £15m. “I think it’s on public record those naming rights don’t go to us, they go to the loan note holders,” said Ridsdale. “But to the degree we have to pay that back, the more money we get from the deal we can pay back more earlier. </font></font><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">“It’s very important for us to do that because we don’t want a big debt hanging around our necks, we don’t want the uncertainty the current spat with the loan note holders is giving all of us, so the sooner we can raise money without it coming off funds that are there for the team the better.” </font></font><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Ridsdale also confirmed the extra cash generated by having the Blues as regular tenants – following an agreement thought to stretch to 20 years – will all go down on the books as profit. But he has admitted the legal dispute with Langston via law firm Hextalls is a drain on current resources. “This stadium was already budgeted for life without the Blues so this is all incremental profit,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to pay off more debts and invest in the club. </font></font><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">“In terms of Langston, at the moment nobody is talking to each other and in my business experience that’s when nothing gets resolved. “We’re actively asking and encouraging talks and we will keep on doing so – but at the moment the only beneficiaries are the lawyers, and that’s disappointing because the spat is regrettably sucking financial funds out of the football club.” </font></font>
For The Right Price I've No Problem With Oakwell Getting Renamed Money talks and are we in a position to turn it down? Plus we would all still refer to it as Oakwell anyway. Most of the Huddersfield fans I know still say they play at Leeds Road, which technicaly they still do.
RE: For The Right Price I've No Problem With Oakwell Getting Renamed And we still refer to the Enterprise Stand as the Ponty End, even though it has been through numerous name associations
My heart says no, but my head says maybe... ...especially if it meant we were able to buy better players, attract larger crowds, have a better atmosphere and become more successful on the pitch. But we'd all still call it Oakwell anyway. Look at the Ponte end, or should I say Enterprise, Van Damme or Ora Stand?
I think thats the point though- it would need to be a new ground Sponsors know all too well that renaming Oakwell wouldn't mean that people stopped calling it that. Cardiff on the other hand, their ground will only be known by whatever name it gets, and consequently the naming rights would be worth more.
RE: For The Right Price I've No Problem With Oakwell Getting Renamed Technically they don't, no part of the stadium backs onto Leeds Road, it's on St Andrews Road.
